thanks very much for the reply!

With the jump in attenuation is that a good or bad thing?
When i put in the Billion Router i did fit a Openreach Mk3 faceplate, where was the talktalk was connected using the supplied microfilter.

As far as the chipset in the TalkTalk SuperRouter, i think it's a broadcom chipset. The router model is a Huawei HG635.

I would say my distance from the cab following the road (which lines up with the ground junction boxes is more like 800mtrs. So 40mbps is about what i would expect tbh. Eitherway there is some weirdness on my line or at the DSLAM according to TalkTalk.

Attenuation shouldn't change under normal circumstances, but changing the faceplate could make a fractional change. If the actual attenuation figure has really changed, then something has gone wrong in wiring the new faceplate, or it is faulty.

However, we have seen different modems report different attenuation values with FTTC, especially now more non-broadcom chipsets are being seen. The variations seem to be bigger than we saw in ADSL, suggesting there is some differences to the way the modems measure.

The best you can do is to go back to the previous modem, and check that it still reports 19.5dB with the new faceplate. If it does, then the different values come from different measurement techniques, rather than a change to the line.

But you're right - the HG635 is likely to be Broadcom-based too. Perhaps the faceplate has made things worse.

Thanks! I think i got the model wrong, It's a HG633, the 635 had gigabit ports. I think both these were still broadcom chipsets though.

I contacted TalkTalk this morning who did some more diagnostics and the line fault they reported seemed to be down to my phone being connected via an extension lead. The router was/is plugged directly into the NTE not plugged in via the extension.
Without the phone+extension plugged in it doesn't report a line fault.
They still think there is an issue with the sync speed so they are investigating that.

What is curious to me is my line never retrains/drops unless i've changed the router/filter. So stability in terms of retrains it seems pretty solid so i suspect DLM stepping in is down to errors being reported?

I'll swap out the router again later with the same mk3 plate as you've suggested to see how the attenuation is with the TT Router.

The only thing that worries me is messing around like this is likely going to make DLM go nuts!

I have a similar issue, I have recently moved house and taken up the same Talktalk fibre package, estimated sales speed is 69.6 - 76Mb/s. with the supplied 'super router', it has failed to go above 49Mb/s and 17Mb/s upload. Replacing it with a unlocked HG612 (firmware ver. B030SP08) this has increased to 52and 18Mb/s respectively, line attenuation is 11.4dB and a 6.2dB margin, I have yet to contact Talktalk as I'm still within the ten day training period. Speed tests are consistent at varying times of day and night so it's unlikely to be a congestion issue.
BTW, this was also a technician-less install....

Edited by deleted (Sun 18-Oct-15 20:34:04)

Ten day training is a BT Wholesale thing. You aren't on a BT Wholesale circuit.

I'd be very surprised if TalkTalk have the same thing.

I contacted TalkTalk this morning who did some more diagnostics and the line fault they reported seemed to be down to my phone being connected via an extension lead. The router was/is plugged directly into the NTE not plugged in via the extension.
Without the phone+extension plugged in it doesn't report a line fault.
They still think there is an issue with the sync speed so they are investigating that.

SO there's the truth behind what was being said, the original set up would have given a 'bridge tap' test result on the GEA test, using the new faceplate will have corrected that.

"and the line fault they reported seemed to be down to my phone being connected via an extension lead. " Unless the line tested loop, which you haven't mentioned at any point, so I guess not, they are talking out of their elbows.

The extension lead i'm/was using goes like this

NTE
|
Microfilter ------- \
| |
vDSL Router Extension lead
|
Phone

excuse my [censored] ASCII drawing! The current setup has just replaced the microfilter dongle with a Mk3 Openreach facia.

I did used to have (12 months a go) my ADSL over the extension lead but that ruined sync speed (from 2.5 to 1.8), probably due to this earthing/contact issue. I guess the extension lead is poor quality...


Either way still waiting to here from the TT engineers!

Well Talktalk think there is a ten day 'training period' on my connection....As I understand it, BT Openreach has jurisdiction over the connection as far back as the breakout in the exchange, I would expect the 'training' to be related to the copper connection from the fibre cabinet to the property, Talktalk only take over the connection in the exchange and port it onto their own network at that point, so there wouldn't be any functional difference regardless of ISP with regard to line training? i'm sure someone will correct me if i'm wrong...
Anyhow, I contacted Talktalk earlier, (they mentioned that I was in the 'training period' so slower than expected speeds don't necessarily mean a fault!) while they were prevaricating as to whether there was an actual fault, the line started crackling (it's not helpful that Talktalk don't have an equivalent 'quiet line' function), the agent on the phone tried ignoring it at first, until I pointed out that it was maybe the reason he had to keep repeating his words to me!.
Anyway, despite a line test showing no problems, a fault has been logged and i'm awaiting a date for the technician to call.
What I find odd is that there are few broadband errors logged, my previous ADSL performed perfectly at ~5.2Mb/s for months at a time but the Cisco 887VA it was connected to logged 10 - 15 faults (CRC & FEC) per minute, the current VDSL shows only 3 - 5 faults per minute.

Edited by deleted (Mon 19-Oct-15 20:23:39)

No such 10 day period exists on FTTC reality in short is http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/5929-reminder-abo...

Thanks for that info, if that's (still) the case, then someone needs to tell whoever compiles Talktalk's user guides, the booklet supplied with their 'super router' - which is admittedly a multi-modal device - states in the fibre connection section "Make sure you leave your router turned on. We'll be gradually adjusting your speed until it is as fast as possible over the next 10 days."
The only retrain i've seen was earlier today when they ran a line test, once the testing was over, the rate and noise margin reverted to their previous values after about 90s flapping.
The remote end is identified as Infineon, is the Broadcom chipset the best match?