Better Modem Than PlusNet Hub One

I'm some distance from the cabinet for FTTC and getting the absolute minimum from the estimated speed - 3.9Mbps. Previously on ADSL, I was getting 3.7Mbps sync.
Accordingly, Plusnet have advised that it is operating within spec.

You can guess I'm not happy with the 0.2Mbps speed increase.

I've tried the Plusnet supplied microfilter over my own BT vDSL Interstitial Faceplate and that dropped me to 3.1Mbps. That makes me think hardware changes can make a big impact.

Is there any better VDSL modem or microfilter out there rather than the Plusnet supplied ones for marginal areas? I don't need wireless or USB connectivity.

You could try matching the modem chipset to the cabinet DSLAM. Do you know if your cabinet is Huawei or ECI? Method to find out here http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/cabinet-lookup.htm

There are people who will get the same or even slower from VDSL2 than they did from ADSL, so while you can try combinations of hardware you might not get anywhere.

What was the point of sale estimate given by PlusNet? Fully understand that paying extra to get a 0.2 Mbps download increase is not great.

Using a TP-Link W9970 at £34.19 via http://amzn.to/2iA91yk and its stable, but not seen anyone on a very long line give it a go. Does support vectoring and G.INP and while the wireless is basic you can turn it off.

In reply to a post by dalryc:

I'm <...> getting the absolute minimum from the estimated speed - 3.9Mbps.
<...>
I've tried the Plusnet supplied microfilter over my own BT vDSL Interstitial Faceplate and that dropped me to 3.1Mbps.

1. Put the microfilter back and allow the speed to drop to 3.1
2. After a few days, phone Plusnet and complain the speed is now below their estimate. Don't tell them what you did.
3. There is a clause in their contract that allows you to leave their contract early if a) your actual speed is substantially below their estimate and b) you followed their instructions and it didn't lead to an increase. Then you can go back to ADSL.
There is, of course, the other option, where they send an engineer out to your house and he'll find a fault of some sort. Still a win-win situation.

I�ve been waiting for FTTC for years � didn�t realise you could get lower speeds than just copper. I ordered it on the day that it was commissioned.

I don�t recall the point of sale estimate but BT�s figures (quoted by PlusNet are between 7.1 and 3.9. BT�s estimated figures for my ADSL line were nearly half of what I was getting. I will definitely give that TP-Link a shout.

My Plusnet Hub one can�t be telnet�ed to and I�m afraid I can�t locate the cabinet � the only ones that I know are very old looking. I did take a quick drive out today but it�s chucking it down. I�ll take a walk out in the area and further hunt it down when better weather. It�s on Clynder Cabinet 2 � wherever that is.

I�ve have thought about the complaint option. However, PlusNet did fix a stuck IP profile which has given me an extra 1.1Mbps back and my up speed (which I don�t use) has more than double. For £6 extra a month, I�ll grin and bear it.

I worked out that it's a Huawei from the link that you posted.
Does that change things in any way?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.0228826,-4.815695,...

Cabinet 2, image from 2011 so obviously no VDSL2 twin present.

Exchange is ADSL only, so IP Profile system on that is a lot worse than VDSL2, so it may be worth sticking it out on the VDSL2, plus at peak times more capacity.

The TP-Link is Broadcom based so matches neatly with Huawei

Good news about the chipset match - it's already ordered.

Thanks for that - I didn't look there today.

(Edit - I see you have ordered the TP-Link while I was typing. I hope it goes well for you).

It means you want something with a Broadcom chipset.

Mid-December I bought a Billion 8800NL R2 from Amazon, to replace an Openreach HG612 and also a ZyXel VMG1312-B10A that originally went with the HG612 but I later reconfigured into modem/router mode. I also tried a Draytek Vigor 130 modem which made a right mess of my line!

So far I'm very pleased with the Billion. It seems very stable and is suggesting I will get a considerably higher connection speed than the HG612, once the newfound stability persuades DLM to remove the banding it placed on my line months ago.

You can of course return the Billion to Amazon if it doesn't show an immediate improvement. My Draytek went back within five days .

Edited by RobertoS (Sat 31-Dec-16 12:00:07)

Cheers mate - I'll buy it if the TP-Link doesn't give any benefit.

In reply to a post by dalryc:

Good news about the chipset match - it's already ordered.

Yes, the Hub One is based on the HH5A IIRC, and doesn't match the Huawei chipset - it's better on an ECI cab.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

So far I'm very pleased with the Billion. It seems very stable and is suggesting I will get a considerably higher connection speed than the HG612, once the newfound stability persuades DLM to remove the banding it placed on my line months ago.

Aside - do you have that Billion set as a modem or as a combined modem/router? I'm wondering about a backup/replacement if my HG612 fails. Cheers.

Combo.

Only minor drawback is its only 2.4GHz wifi. Which I could get round by using the ASUS RT-N66U as a WAP if I felt like it.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Combo.
Only minor drawback is its only 2.4GHz wifi. Which I could get round by using the ASUS RT-N66U as a WAP if I felt like it.

Cheers, just seen it can be put into a modem mode. Might grab one and give it a try, as my RT-AC68U is AC wireless (exceptionally good 5ghz) and CPU is a lot faster than the N66 that I had to start with.

In reply to a post by dalryc:

Cheers mate - I'll buy it if the TP-Link doesn't give any benefit.

Let's be clear, your line is long and the estimates are low, regardless of what hardware you buy the speed is not going to be much faster than your ADSL was. As long as you realise you will only get very modest speed increases, if any at all, then that's fine... I personally wouldn't buy additional hardware instead I would be reporting that 3.1Mbps was below the estimate and asking to be placed back onto ADSL (assuming significant cost saving).

I know my line is long.
However, changing the microfilter from the Plusnet supplied to the integrated Openreach faceplate provided a 0.8Mbps difference.
That's a big swing on a line at my speed.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

So far I'm very pleased with the Billion. It seems very stable and is suggesting I will get a considerably higher connection speed than the HG612, once the newfound stability persuades DLM to remove the banding it placed on my line months ago.

Aside - do you have that Billion set as a modem or as a combined modem/router? I'm wondering about a backup/replacement if my HG612 fails. Cheers.

FWIW I went the same route as RobertoS but chickened out of switching out my HG612. So my 8800 is just running as a router. My HG612 gives me over 65Mb/s anyway so I'll went until it actually shows signs of distress before I use the Billion as a modem.

It's showing attainable of over 67Mbps, where both HG612s showed a bit under 60Mbps even when the one hit exactly 60,000 for many weeks and a couple of re-sync's in those weeks. The other never sync'ed as high as 58Mbps, with around that as the attainable.

The modem in the ZyXel when subject to the 60Mbps banding also showed attainable above 67, as did the Draytek.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

It's showing attainable of over 67Mbps, where both HG612s showed a bit under 60Mbps even when the one hit exactly 60,000 for many weeks and a couple of re-sync's in those weeks. The other never sync'ed as high as 58Mbps, with around that as the attainable.

Quite an increase then. Still, I don't need the speed. About the only thing I do that uses it all is run the TBB tests

Same here really. The banding annoys me a bit, as I believe it shouldn't be there, but 55Mbps is more than sufficient for me.

In reply to a post by dalryc:

However, changing the microfilter from the Plusnet supplied to the integrated Openreach faceplate provided a 0.8Mbps difference.

Using the faceplate can do a better job of separating the other extension cabling from the situation, compared to use of a microfilter.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

The TP-Link is Broadcom based so matches neatly with Huawei

do that really make any difference?

i still have a separate modem/router, the modem being a ECI, I have no idea what the cabinet is and how do you find out anyway?

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

i still have a separate modem/router, the modem being a ECI, I have no idea what the cabinet is and how do you find out anyway?

If you know which is yours in the street, compare it against the photos on Bob's website:
http://robertos.me.uk/html/street_cabinets_etc.html

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

I have no idea what the cabinet is and how do you find out anyway?

Method to find out here http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/cabinet-lookup.htm

No specific stats to say one way or the other, but there is the issues over some modem chipsets not fully supporting vectoring and G.INP to going with one that does gives you the most chance.

TP-Link W9970 arrived today.

Installed with basic settings and down sync speeds up from 3.9Mbps to 4.4Mbps - so a good return on the investment.

Phew - I'd been stuck with banding for a while with an ECI modem before I got mine, banded down at 15 Mbps speed tests, after a month or two rose to 19-20 Mbps, and gained another 2-3 Mbps after a engineer fixed a neighbours fault yesterday http://tbb.st/1483556916829818355 (they disconnected my line while tidying up wiring up pole, and then reconnected me.

Thanks very much for the help.

If we can return to the topic please
PlusNet Hub One uses xDSL chip by Lantiq GmBH, do you know how well does THAT match with a Huawei cab?
Checked my router stats, it reports ATU-C manufacturer as "Texas Instruments 5.16".

Edited by deleted (Thu 05-Jan-17 01:34:49)

I already addressed that question here http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/plusnet/t/4523255-b...