FTTC Cab Connections

A while ago I asked here how many connections are there in the new Fibre DSLAM, A lot of kind Gents on here told me that it was 288, which I also found this number on various website's.
I've just been outside as an OpenReach Engineer was working on the new DSLAM Cab (he installed my last week), So got talking to him about this and that and noticed some paper work he had and on it, it said 200 Conections, so I asked him about it and he told me that the new cabs now have only 200 and not 288 as before, so just thought people might be interested with this new number.
He also told me that since the cab went live he was on his 86 install and had 1 more to go today and 6 to do tomorrow and I know a lot of people have only just ordered, so the cab may be full before long.
Now I've read somewhere but can't remember where that the more connections being used will affect everybody's speed, not sure if this is correct and forgot to ask him (dull me).
I can say that with the number already using my cab that my speed from last week has not dropped and the only shift's in speed for me has been around 0.5Mb.
iechyd da

The largest full size cabinets can have a maximum of 288 lines. There are smaller variants appearing, I believe one supports a maximum of 128 lines and I think there is a 96 line option available, so its no surprisie to hear that there are a number of sizes being utilised.

Edited by Ribble (Mon 11-Apr-11 16:10:21)

In reply to a post by paul1360:

Now I've read somewhere but can't remember where that the more connections being used will affect everybody's speed, not sure if this is correct and forgot to ask him (dull me).

Several have commented on that, more connections = more crosstalk = lower SNR = lower speeds.

When I had mine installed (last August) I was the 3rd one in the cab, and sync'd at 40,000 with a profile of 38717. It's gradually slowed down- had to have an engineer out this morning (no sync) and his box showed a sync around 35,000-odd on a 6db SNRM, profile 34799 and ~20 connections in the cab

Hi, Yes the small cabinets hold 96 connections as advised by an engineer last week. I asked the question re too many requests and not enough slots in the cab. His response was put a second cab beside it. I queried why the small cab which he was unable to answer however it now transpires that the standard 288 sized cab should have been put in place and not the half sized one. So I now have to wait for that to be installed (Only waiting since august 2010)
The engineer also stated that there are new cabs which are being made in Isreal which will be installed in the future ( These may already be in use). These are slightly smaller that the current ones but apparently hold more connections.

I believe ECI equipment is also going to be used in addition to the existing Huawei
http://www.eurocomms.com/features/7112-7112

Edited by Ribble (Mon 11-Apr-11 16:35:03)

That seems odd that your speed dropped when more people went live on your cab and yet my speed has stayed constant. Wondering if the equipment in the new cabs are different from yours????????????

iechyd da

It could very well be to do with the condition of the old cabinet and the connections from there to the premises. In fact, thinking while typing, it almost certainly is.

In reply to a post by paul1360:

That seems odd that your speed dropped when more people went live on your cab and yet my speed has stayed constant. Wondering if the equipment in the new cabs are different from yours????????????

It might be, but I doubt it would matter much. Like Bob said, cable condition would matter (mine has been in the ground for ~25 years), also distance to the cab.

Can't remember how far away you are, I'm at least 450 metres (cable length) and suspect I didn't get the initial 40Mbps sync by much of a margin

Mine appears to have suffered a speed drop due to cross-talk.

Initially with just 4 others connected to the cabinet, my sync was the full 40 (38717 profile), however after a couple of weeks during which I had several sightings of an openreach engineer working on the cabinet, I'm down to 32xxx profile. It also interleaved me adding 10ms to my 9ms ping times.

At 600m from the cabinet, I guess I was marginal for 40, and at least 32 is better than the 4 I had previously

jayteedc

A couple of others, like you, have implied the installation engineer worked on the fibre cabinet.

My engineer confirmed they don't go anywhere near it, (unless it is near the PCP of course - ours is 20 metres or so the other side of a main road). The cabling from the FTTC cab to the PCP is already connected at the new cab end, and just needs to jumpered onto the user line at the PCP.

I wonder if different areas are doing things a different way?