Any bad habits?

BDUK has delivered FTTC to my local cabinet and I've signed up for it. 9th Oct, if all goes to plan. There's an engineer visit booked for the morning and then I'll be on a lightning fast 13.4 - 19.6 Mb (can't remember the "impacted" figures). Stop laughing at the back. That's 10Mb up on what I'm getting right now.

So, after years of tweaking my ADSL connection to get the max out of it (3.5, often 4.0 Mb), having done the ring wire trick (0.5Mb improvement), stop switching the router on/off (0.5Mb improvement) and finally, buying a router that allows me to tweak the s/n margin and watching what it's running at, restarting when it gets too enthusiastic and then, inevitably, drops back to a poor sync speed when it falls flat on it's face, that game is over. Unless you can teach me any new bad habits? Broadband related that is!!

John

Buy a filtered faceplate and connect modem to the incoming wiring at the master socket.

VDSL2 hates extension wiring.

The OP appears to be getting an engineer install, so the SSFP will be fitted by him ?

Should be if it is a real install rather than a self install with engineer just going to the cabinet.

It depends on how proactive you want to be. You look like you've gone the distance with ADSL, so this might be of interest...

FTTC suffers from a problem that is less prevalent in the ADSL world: crosstalk from other FTTC subscribers can cause your SNR to decline over time (so leadding to lower sync speeds) and/or increase your error rate. If the latter happens, then DLM might intervene to turn on error correction & interleaving, also having an effect on sync speed and on latency.

The worst part is that there is almost nothing you can do about it. You can't get the ISP to reset it; you can't tweak SNRM's. You can just wait patiently. And you can monitor it, if you wish.

But it probably *is* worth you logging the line's behaviour in the first two days - during which DLM sits back and refuses to intervene. Those first 2 days can give you a good feel for the line status & quality - and you might want to refer back to it later.

For me, that monitoring means:
1) having an HG612 modem that has the open firmware on it, allowing you to manually log in & extract data. This, in turn, allows logging tools to do the same thing.

2) Running the HG612 monitoring scripts, courtesy of BaldEagle1, found here:
http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php?board=46.0

An alternative package is available there too.

Either packages takes samples every minute.

3) Uploading those statistics onto the web, via MyDSLWebStats.
See the same website

4) Separately, having a TBB BQM running
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/ping

This helps you monitor the latency of the connection, so long as you have a static IP.
It especially lets you see the impact of DLM intervention.

5) Separately, running a few speedtests at speedtest.net
Keep a few going over the first 4 days, so DLM changes are noticeable

6) Separately, running a few speedtests at the BT Wholesale speedtester,
and each time asking for the "extra diagnostics"
This isn't so important for the speeds shown, but more so for getting a record of the "IP Profile" value that BT has recorded. This will be based on the sync speed (around 3% lower).

I'll be moving (and hoping to have the new line installed on the 9th), and I'll be taking care to do all of these things.

Some seem to consider it falls in to the realms of a "bad habit"; but have you done the QLT (Quiet Line Test); and if necessary, followed through?

It can improve ADSL and normal phone services; and is particularly relevant to FTTC/VDSL, as the state of the final part of your phone line from the PCP (traditional distribution cabinet) to your house and your internal wiring etc are even more critical, with the higher frequencies employed.

Basically, it does not cost you anything apart from some minutes of your time; and in my opinion, is better done before upgrading.

Both BT and SKY recommend it as a first/early test, if a customer suspects that their Broadband is slow or failed.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

The OP appears to be getting an engineer install, so the SSFP will be fitted by him ?

It would be nice if engineers actually read your post. We have to get repeat engineers out to at least 30% of installs as no SSFP has been fitted, with some somewhat surprised when we query the lack of one being supplied.

Thanks all, especially ZZ. Obviously I don't know what sort of modem I'll be left with but I have found it useful to have a spare router from time to time so I guess it would be good idea to buy a spare and have a darned good read / poke around to follow up the suggestions you have all provided.

It's like getting a car with fuel injection instead of a carburettor and choke. All of the skill in getting the best out of the line seems to evaporate. A good thing no doubt

John

Buy a ZyXel VMG8324-B10A modem router, they seem to eek a little more out of the line, not sure if this guy has any left. I purchased one from him, so is OK.

This modem is also supported by the monitoring programs.

Thanks Ronski, I Googled the Zyxel. Very few hits, there don't seem to be many of them out there but there is an interesting hit on the Zen forum. Not you is it?

At £50 I'll have to think seriously about that. I'd been contemplating something from Asus.

The Zen forum report suggests that the modem in this thing hangs onto a long VDSL line an awful lot better than an HG612. I don't want to read too much into just one report.

John