ADSL2+ Upgrade

My exchange is due to be upgraded to 21CN soon, I just ran the ADSL checker and it comes up with this:

Our test also indicates that your line should be able to have an ADSL2+ broadband service that provides a fixed line speed up to 2Mbps.

Your exchange is planned to have ADSL2+ by 31st March 2013. Our test also indicates that your line currently supports an estimated ADSL2+ broadband line speed of 14Mbps; typically the line speed would range between 8Mbps and 18.5Mbps. Our test also indicates that your line could support an estimated ADSL 2+ Annex-M broadband upstream line speed of 1Mbps and downstream line speed of 14Mbps; typically the downstream speed would range between 8Mbps and 18.5Mbps.

Does that ADSL2+ fixed line speed of 2Mbps bit mean that they are in the process of upgrading now? I'm fairly sure it wasn't there before.

the fixed line speed refers to the fixed speed products, of which 2M is the fastest. So the first bit means little. The wording gets changed a lot, by Indians by the look of some of the syntax, so I suspect it's a booboo if the upgrade is next year.

To add to what Yarwell said

yes it looks like WBC ADSL2+ is coming to your area, but the expected date is a few months away. So you will not see any changes for a long time, as it is totally different hardware in the exchange and backhaul.

The move from old IPStream to new WBC using ADSL2+ is not automatic at the wholesale level.

So when it says that ADSL2+ is available on the checker I will need to contact my ISP (Plusnet) and they will upgrade me?

Yeap though with Plusnet you can pay for a quick upgrade or wait for them to do all their users on that exchange in a batch which usually does not cost.

There's no cost for the upgrade, just let us know when your exchange is enabled and we'll place the order.

Thanks for your comments everyone.

I just ran the BT checker with my other phone line (the one which I currently have my connection on) and that produces a drastically different speed estimate of 6mbps down. Can it be that there would be such a large variation between two phone lines to the same address? Or perhaps it is because I have an existing connection on that number and they have more detail about the line quality?

Now you are asking a totally different question!

In reply to a post by Herstmonceux:

[semi-jokey bit]I just ran the BT checker with my other phone line (the one which I currently have my connection on) and that produces a drastically different speed estimate of 6mbps down. Can it be that there would be such a large variation between two phone lines to the same address?

Yes. It can be so.

Or perhaps it is because I have an existing connection on that number and they have more detail about the line quality?

Yes. It perhaps is.

In other words, there is only one way to find out, suck it and see.
[/semi-jokey bit]

The above is true. However what we need now is the line stats from your router. See here for help.

It is unusual for two lines at the same property to be very different in their speeds. How long has the phone-only line been in? If only a few days then check its estimate again in another two or three days as it could be showing the data for wherever it terminated the last time it was in use.

If it has been in a fair while, it could be that your existing line is under-performing. The stats will tell us if this is the case, and there are several things that can be done that stand a good chance of fixing it.

In reply to a post by Herstmonceux:

Can it be that there would be such a large variation between two phone lines to the same address?

Yes, I have the same situation.

In reply to a post by Herstmonceux:

Or perhaps it is because I have an existing connection on that number and they have more detail about the line quality?

Partly! It's because you have an existing BTw connection on it.

I have 2 lines both actually capable of at least 16 Meg. My BB line has been on Orange/BT for over a year, running at 19/20 Meg but BT estimate it at only 13 Meg. What worries me is that if my speed ever drops towards the estimate, Orange will claim that I am still getting what I should and not fix it. My other line has only been on O2 LLU BB for 1 month years ago, running at 15/16 Meg but BT estimate it at the ridiculously low 7.5 Meg.

It looks like your 2 lines are estimated the other way round. What are you actually sync'ing on the estimated 6 Meg BB line?

Edited by XRaySpeX (Wed 28-Nov-12 13:50:35)

Thanks again for prompt replies, here's my line stats:

Downstream Rate 8128 kbps
Upstream Rate 448 kbps
Downstream Margin 8.9 dB
Upstream Margin 28.0 dB
Downstream Line Attenuation 20.7 dB
Upstream Line Attenuation 11.0 dB
Downstream Transmit Power 20.0 dB
Upstream Transmit Power 12.3 dB

Both lines have been in for years, I generally get around 6Mb/s download on a speed test.