Difference between the Test Socket and the Faceplate?

I have been doing some tests on my Vodafone broadband as some downloads were going more slowly than expected. They asked me to do some tests with the router plugged into the Test Socket and no other connections apart from the laptop, connected via Ethernet to the router.

The test showed I was getting less than the guaranteed minimum speed, 59Mbps instead of 63Mbps. They then said I should leave the router plugged into the test socket for 24-48hrs "to fix the problem."

I tried getting them to explain the difference between the test socket and the one on the faceplate but they were unable to give a satisfactory answer. Can anyone here explain please? BTW, the router status shows the line speed as 67Mbps when I looked towards the end of the chat, so I don't know if it had been tweaked after I started the chat.

The test socket isolates all other items from the incoming circuit, including any filters in the faceplate (or elsewhere) and any extension wiring.

It (should be) the most ‘pure’ connection between you and the network.

How would being connected to the test socket fix any broadband problems?

In reply to a post by wiggers42:

How would being connected to the test socket fix any broadband problems?

Its there to help identify issues not to fix them, when using the test socket it ensures internal extension wiring that could cause a problem is isolated. If they are claiming this has fixed the problem then thats not the case.

Post deleted by DFScale

In reply to a post by wiggers42:

How would being connected to the test socket fix any broadband problems?

It fixes the problem from the perspective of Vodafone - if everything works in the test socket then there's no problem that has anything to do with them.

Just to add to what others have said…..

Extension wiring, unfiltered equipment connected to the line, are common causes for sub optimal speeds.

Connecting with just the router connected in the test jack should help identify if this is a cause.

The suggested time to leave the line set up like this is due to Openreach line profiling which can cap sync speeds in response to issues, so leaving for 48hrs ought to see an improvement IF this has occurred.

Lots of other stuff can be an issue, but trying the suggested can eliminate a common issue.

That's the most sensible explanation I've heard. Although surely once you reconnect the faceplate the system will revert to how it is now?

In reply to a post by wiggers42:

... surely once you reconnect the faceplate the system will revert to how it is now?

Well, yes. If the Openreach line profiling has upped your speed a bit it will actually be a bit worse until the line profiling trims the line back to how it was.

But then, if you discover a problem using the test socket, it is up to you to decide whether to do anything about it.

In reply to a post by wiggers42:

That's the most sensible explanation I've heard. Although surely once you reconnect the faceplate the system will revert to how it is now?

Quite.

That's the point. The demarcation / point of responsibility for Openreach is the master socket. Anything beyond that; I.e. any internal extension cabling, filters, other devices etc. are (a) completely your responsibility (b) may be impinging on the quality of the service, hence affecting your speeds.

Therefore Openreach only want to test the basic circuit with nothing else in the way. That's just logical, isn't it?

In reply to a post by wiggers42:

That's the most sensible explanation I've heard.

Thats true, not much that Zarjaz doesn't know about this sort of stuff, its his bread and butter.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

In reply to a post by wiggers42:

That's the most sensible explanation I've heard. Although surely once you reconnect the faceplate the system will revert to how it is now?

Quite.

That's the point. The demarcation / point of responsibility for Openreach is the master socket. Anything beyond that; I.e. any internal extension cabling, filters, other devices etc. are (a) completely your responsibility (b) may be impinging on the quality of the service, hence affecting your speeds.

Therefore Openreach only want to test the basic circuit with nothing else in the way. That's just logical, isn't it?

I wasn't aware of this demarcation but it makes sense now. I was on the chat with Vodafone for ages and the support droid was unable to explain any of this.

I've taken screenshots of the router status page showing line speeds before and after changing from faceplate to test sockets and I'll continue to over the next few days. Initially there was an improvement in upload speed.

In reply to a post by wiggers42:

I was on the chat with Vodafone for ages and the support droid was unable to explain any of this.

They live in the Potemkin village and if they maintain an illusion of industry, they are probably meeting expectations.

After leaving the router connected to the test socket all weekend the Line Status looks pretty much the same today as it did last week:

Line Quality
Downstream Upstream
Current Rate 66999 kbps 18312 kbps
Maximum Rate 77502 kbps 18320 kbps
Signal-to-Noise Ratio 8.3 dB 5.8 dB
Attenuation DS1 11.8 dB, DS2 28.3 dB, DS3 43.1 dB US0 3.2 dB, US1 21.1 dB, US2 32.7 dB
Power 13.4 dBm 6.9 dBm
CRC Errors in last 3089 minute(s) 1 2539
K (number of bytes in DMT frame) 0 0
R (number of bytes in RS code word) 8 14
S (RS code word size in DMT frame) 0.0754 0.4170
D (interleaver depth) 16 1
Delay 0 ms 0 ms

I'm sorry I don't know how to make this into a table. The downstream rate hasn't changed at all from 66999 but the upstream changed from 18011 (with faceplate fitted) to 18312 (without). The thinkbroadband speedtest at my PC (over mesh WiFi) is giving 62Mbps, which better than it was before I started complaining. Unfortunately I didn't note the line speeds at that point.

So there has been some improvement, look at theoretical max data rate, and the downstream SNR. Through put speed tests may be affected by sync cap which is not moving especially quickly.