Does any ISP still provide "Fixed"2Mbps line

Sorry this is fairly long but it is the distillation of 6 months of angst.

My previous ISP changed me from fixed 2Mbps line without warning earlier in the year.
To see speeds about 2.8 Mbps was a surprise but not a pleasant one as I had once tried the "up-to-8Mbps" and rejected it because too often the speed fell to 1Mbps (or worse).

My experience with ADSL2+ and ordinary ADSL with a new,much respected ISP, has been dreadful with a couple of hours above 2Mbps but frequent disconnections (day and night). Some times the disconnection is triggered by an incoming phone call,less frequently by an out going call..My local exchange has a history of problems but on the occasion a OR engineer visited he found nothing wrong with my wiring but re-attached the cover on a big junction box attached to a pole next to my garden fence.When he was with me I showed him a speedtest giving 3 Mbps.... a once every 6 months result. The previous week had been about or below 1 Mbps.

I get the same pattern of speeds and disconnections with a wired connection via a ZyXEL Prestige 600 router and with a wired or wireless connection using a Linksys WAG 160N.

Results with the WAG160N are the same when connected to the test socket as when connected to the extension which is usually used with my desktop.

I have not yet recently tried the ZyXEL via the test socket due to the difficulty (for me) of taking equipment downstairs. I will do this in the next few days.


The following statistics are typical:-

Today, 6.30 am

noise margin downstream: 15 db
output power upstream: 12 db
attenuation downstream: 52 db
tone 0- 31: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 32- 63: 02 46 65 47 77 66 77 07 78 67 76 25 66 55 66 55
tone 64- 95: 07 77 77 27 77 66 55 66 66 66 65 33 44 44 55 55
tone 96-127: 45 55 55 35 55 55 54 44 44 33 32 22 00 00 00 00
tone 128-159: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

noise margin upstream: 10 db
output power downstream: 16 db
attenuation upstream: 31 db
tone 0- 31: 00 00 00 07 89 aa a9 99 98 88 87 76 66 66 55 54
tone 32- 63: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

tbb speedtest 09/10/12 06:39 Tue 1182 Kbps 510 Kbps

Subsequent test show download S/N as:-

10.15am

noise margin downstream: 4 db
output power upstream: 12 db
attenuation downstream: 52 db
tone 0- 31: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 32- 63: 02 45 65 47 77 67 77 07 77 77 77 35 66 66 76 56
tone 64- 95: 07 77 77 27 77 65 55 66 66 66 65 33 44 44 55 55
tone 96-127: 45 55 55 34 55 55 44 44 43 22 32 22 00 00 00 00
tone 128-159: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

and

11.50

noise margin downstream: -1 db
output power upstream: 12 db
attenuation downstream: 52 db
tone 0- 31: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 32- 63: 02 45 65 47 77 67 77 07 77 77 77 35 66 66 76 56
tone 64- 95: 07 77 77 27 77 65 55 66 66 66 65 33 44 44 55 55
tone 96-127: 45 55 55 34 55 55 44 44 43 22 32 22 00 00 00 00
tone 128-159: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

tbb speed 09/10/12 11:50 Tue 1184 Kbps 510 Kbps

As recently as 27th August 2012 I got this result

13:32:03 Up 434 Kbps Down 2942 Kbps

You can see why I would like a "Fixed 2Mbps" line!

Comments and suggestions please.There is much more I can add such as not finding loss of connection related to any electrical equipment in my terraced house or next door where phone line goes to same pole as mine and gives 3.7Mbps download speed...after 4 BT/OR visits.
BT Complaints seem to be in denial even when reporting a crackling line using the test socket they could not find a fault.

I have of course tried different filters and leads and where possible position of equipment.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

ISP if using the BT Wholesale Max or WBC platforms have the option of requesting a fixed speed 2 Meg profile

The attenuation and bit loading is largely useless if we do not know the actual connection speeds too.

Thanks for speedy reply.

Statistics now :-

noise margin downstream: -1 db
output power upstream: 12 db
attenuation downstream: 52 db
tone 0- 31: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 32- 63: 02 45 65 47 77 67 77 07 77 77 77 35 66 66 76 56
tone 64- 95: 07 77 77 27 77 65 55 66 66 66 65 33 44 44 55 55
tone 96-127: 45 55 55 34 55 55 44 44 43 22 32 22 00 00 00 00
tone 128-159: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

noise margin upstream: 10 db
output power downstream: 16 db
attenuation upstream: 31 db
tone 0- 31: 00 00 00 07 89 aa a9 99 98 88 87 76 66 66 55 54
tone 32- 63: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

System up Time: 16:18:03
CPU Load: 1.08%

WAN Port Statistics:
Link Status: Up
Upstream Speed: 608 kbps
Downstream Speed: 1408 kbps

Downstream Upstream
1189 Kbps 513 Kbps

Does that help? I will find out from ISP about which platform they use.

Dont forget that fixed speed services are being phased out, so even if you can go back to one (and you pay more for it now than an ADSL Max line) you wont be able to keep it for long.

Based on the -1dB for the noise margin and that was with 1408 Kbps then at that time a fixed speed service would probably offer no connection at all.

There is an imbalance in the attenuation figures, that is edging towards showing a problem. In short the line looks to have issues, and unless you get those fixed I think that on a fixed 2 Meg you might see periods of the day with no service or a total failure in the future.

That said the WAG160 is not what I would consider an ideal device for poor lines, look more at the Billion 7800N and 2 Wire family.

While old IPStream Home 2000 2272 and 288 Kbps is on the way out, there are replacement fixed speed options on Max and WBC, and the option of profile banding on WBC too.

Thank you both for your replies.

Later today I hope to have moved my desktop etc to within a couple of feet of the master socket and will see what results I get with different routers.
I am prepared to get a 2-wire router if it will solve my problem. I've even considered a second line for bonding but I will see if BT can give me anywhere near the 3.7Mbps my neighbour says she gets.

We are both 2.35km from the Ingatestone exchange.

2.35km in a straight line, but phone cables do not go in straight lines, they have to follow streets, so you have a line around 5km long in actual fact

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

so you have a line around 5km long in actual fact

How did you work that one out?

Hi mikebear,

Let us know how you get on. If your service provider is BT I can look into this further for you, so if you have any more problems with your speeds feel free to send in your details at:

http://bt.custhelp.com/app/contact_email/c/4950

Thanks,

Stephanie