New FTTC install slower than ADSL2+

I live at S18 1UY - approx 1km from the exchange where I believe the cabinet I am connected to is located.

I have just had fttc installed, the ADSL checker gave me an estimate of 13.5-20.3, I had hoped for the top end of this since my previous ADSL connection was also at the top of the estimate range.

Much to my disappointment, the stats for my FTTC connection are slower than my ADSL. On ADSL I was getting 13.5 down and 1.2 up, my stats on FTTC are as follows:

Connection Status
Help
Mode VDSL2
Traffic type PTM
DSL synchronization status Up
DSL up time 0

Line Status

Downstream Upstream
Attainable rate (kbit/s) 12064 1165
SNR margin (dB) 6 6.7
Line attenuation (dB) 34.6 0
Output power (dBmV) 10.8 10.5

This is pretty disappointing really, I was hoping for closer to 20 to make the change worth it, as it is I am paying more for a worse connection. Does anyone have any insight into this, do my stats look correct? My provider is Sky. Interestingly my latency is exactly the same as on ADSL also.

more in depth stats are available here:

xdslcmd info --stats
xdslcmd: ADSL driver and PHY status
Status: Showtime
Retrain Reason: 0
Last initialization procedure status: 0
Max: Upstream rate = 1165 Kbps, Downstream rate = 12064 Kbps
Bearer: 0, Upstream rate = 1165 Kbps, Downstream rate = 12180 Kbps

Link Power State: L0
Mode: VDSL2 Annex B
VDSL2 Profile: Profile 17a
TPS-TC: PTM Mode(0x0)
Trellis: U:ON /D:ON
Line Status: No Defect
Training Status: Showtime
Down Up
SNR (dB): 6.0 6.6
Attn(dB): 34.6 0.0
Pwr(dBm): 10.8 10.5
VDSL2 framing
Bearer 0
MSGc: 26 26
B: 239 31
M: 1 1
T: 34 53
R: 14 0
S: 0.6256 0.8591
L: 3248 298
D: 1 1
I: 254 32
N: 254 32
Counters
Bearer 0
OHF: 130186 61084
OHFErr: 18 0
RS: 4419962 3236269
RSCorr: 25 0
RSUnCorr: 55 0

Bearer 0
HEC: 65 0
OCD: 10 0
LCD: 10 0
Total Cells: 16230709 0
Data Cells: 36060 0
Drop Cells: 0
Bit Errors: 0 0

ES: 17 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 26 26
AS: 696

Bearer 0
INP: 0.00 0.00
INPRein: 0.00 0.00
delay: 0 0
PER: 5.33 11.42
OR: 47.95 22.40
AgR: 12228.13 1187.36

Bitswap: 320/320 0/0

Total time = 12 min 2 sec
FEC: 25 0
CRC: 18 0
ES: 17 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 26 26
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Latest 15 minutes time = 12 min 2 sec
FEC: 25 0
CRC: 18 0
ES: 17 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 26 26
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Previous 15 minutes time = 0 sec
FEC: 0 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Latest 1 day time = 12 min 2 sec
FEC: 25 0
CRC: 18 0
ES: 17 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 26 26
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Previous 1 day time = 0 sec
FEC: 0 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Since Link time = 11 min 35 sec
FEC: 25 0
CRC: 18 0
ES: 17 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
#

If you've only just ordered it, go cancel it and go back to ADSL. If you're 1km from the cab I doubt that you'll do better with FTTC.

I have read plenty of people who have got decent speeds from further away than 1km. As it stands it is costing me the same price as adsl for my 12 month contract so not much point cancelling, what I was hoping for was ways to improve it, will it increase after the DLM period?

Edited by deleted (Tue 08-Sep-15 16:02:48)

Well, you're right, with those sorts of ADSL speeds I would have expected at least 3x download and maybe 10x upload. Think you need to contact Sky and complain - never dealt with them myself so I don't know if that will work.

When I went from BT ADSL2+ at 15/0.8 it immediately improved to 50/8 or thereabouts. Still not what I was hoping for - but it's a rural village so I'm glad of the improvement. Am about 4-500m from the cab, about 1km from the exchange.

When my contract with BT expires I will almost certainly move back to Infinity1 or even ADSL as the extra cost vs the bandwith just doesn't seem worth it.

ADSL speeds are pretty irrelevant to VDSL2 performance

Yes cabinet 27 is just outside the exchange and around 1500m away

Speed estimates seem to be 5.8 to 20 Mbps, so smack in the middle. Which estimate did the ISP give you?

ADSL2+ estimates look to be in the 4.5 to 11.5 Mbps region, so a little worse but not amazingly so, so upgrading was always going to be hit in miss in your case.

Latency is not that different for many people on FTTC.

So all in all, about what might be expected. A door or two either direction its a different cabinet and much better speeds

You might get better speeds if G.INP is enabled on your line. Have you updated your modem firmware to the latest available so that it supports G.INP?

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Yes cabinet 27 is just outside the exchange and around 1500m away

Speed estimates seem to be 5.8 to 20 Mbps, so smack in the middle. Which estimate did the ISP give you?

ADSL2+ estimates look to be in the 4.5 to 11.5 Mbps region, so a little worse but not amazingly so, so upgrading was always going to be hit in miss in your case.

Latency is not that different for many people on FTTC.

So all in all, about what might be expected. A door or two either direction its a different cabinet and much better speeds

The ISP quoted me 13.5 to 20.5... 11.5 is under the guaranteed speed so can cancel my contract for nothing. The exchange is 1050km away as the crow flies, not sure where you get 1500m from? The strange thing is there are no visible cabs outside the exchange.

There does seem something strange on my line, just reset my router and got the following read out:

xdslcmd info --stats
xdslcmd: ADSL driver and PHY status
Status: Showtime
Retrain Reason: 0
Last initialization procedure status: 0
Max: Upstream rate = 1181 Kbps, Downstream rate = 10496 Kbps
Bearer: 0, Upstream rate = 1181 Kbps, Downstream rate = 11618 Kbps

Link Power State: L0
Mode: VDSL2 Annex B
VDSL2 Profile: Profile 17a
TPS-TC: PTM Mode(0x0)
Trellis: U:ON /D:ON
Line Status: No Defect
Training Status: Showtime
Down Up
SNR (dB): 2.9 5.9
Attn(dB): 34.6 0.0
Pwr(dBm): 10.6 10.5

Not sure why the SNR has dropped, nor why the max attainable ds rate is lower than the actual rate

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

You might get better speeds if G.INP is enabled on your line. Have you updated your modem firmware to the latest available so that it supports G.INP?

I have the HG612 with the relevant firmware - G.INP does not appear to be available