Can you all keep this thread to openreach checker only! If you to want to discuss FTTP or FTTC please use new thread.

Yes Max, well no actually considering your past posts LOL

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

Would broadband providers slow down people FTTC connection just to get them to change?

No.

FTTC is a rate-adaptive technology: it adjusts its sync speed to compensate for the actual condition of the line. This is why longer lines achieve lower speeds than shorter ones.

However, it is also common that the sync speed on any given line reduces over time. The main reasons are:

1. Crosstalk: as more FTTC users on the same cabinet are enabled, their signals interfere with each other. See https://www.increasebroadbandspeed.co.uk/2014/vector...

2. Physical degradation of the line, especially joints in the cable which corrode with water ingress.

You do not need to invoke any conspiracy theories to explain this.

With FTTP, the sync speed is fixed at 2.4Gbps down, 1.2Gbps up (that is for today's GPON technology: newer generations are faster). Either it works, or it doesn't. Your usable speed, to match the level of service you have bought, is controlled by the OLT in the exchange, by rate-limiting your packets.

But unlike FTTC, this bandwidth is shared between a number of users on the same PON. Most households use less than 5Mbps *on average* over 24 hours, so the statistical multiplexing means that this is very rarely a problem - a short peak while user A is making a large download is usually at a different time to when user B is doing one.

The higher "gigabit" speeds are so that your big downloads take a shorter time, i.e. you get the job done quicker. They are not intended for 24x7 gigabit saturation. If you want that, then as others have said, buy a leased line: you get a dedicated fibre and guaranteed bandwidth.

A boring explanation is that pulling fibre through ducts and disturbing joint closures while working in chambers is going to move existing copper around, either impacting poor joints or moving lines closer together so they can start to affect each other with crosstalk. It's no conspiracy, and it highlights a reason why there is a huge push to get people away from rate adaptive copper services.

The checker, as we all know, is not working properly so why continue posting about it?

A good point. Especially with (potentially multiple) AltNet overbuild + Openreach in the same duct space / chambers…

In reply to a post by adslmax:

Can you all keep this thread to openreach checker only! If you to want to discuss FTTP or FTTC please use new thread.

Okay.

I tried it. It gave the correct result: the only Openreach option is FTTP available up to 1000/220. Then it gave a bunch of marketing about why FTTP is great.

Other than people with copper posting how incorrect its results are and how it's mostly marketing with zero care for the actual speeds predicted only with which technology is available I'm not sure what else I can say.

In reply to a post by candlerb:

FTTC is a rate-adaptive technology: it adjusts its sync speed to compensate for the actual condition of the line. This is why longer lines achieve lower speeds than shorter ones.

Yep, I know it is rate-adaptive technology, just like ADSL is.

However, it is also common that the sync speed on any given line reduces over time. The main reasons are:

1. Crosstalk: as more FTTC users on the same cabinet are enabled, their signals interfere with each other. See https://www.increasebroadbandspeed.co.uk/2014/vector...

2. Physical degradation of the line, especially joints in the cable which corrode with water ingress.

My sync speed have increased a little bit over the last few months, which is strange, I know what crosstalk is. . Physical degradation of the line, yes,, the copper is pretty old in some places, I remember when a mate had a load of problems with his broadband when he had ADSL, and they found out eventually that it was a problem with the main cable going back to the exchange, took a long time to sort it out. Those cables had been there for many years, as it is in one of the older parts of the city.
I am surprised mine is working as well as it is considering the age of the cable coming up here, years ago when I was on ADSL they were going to replace the cables from the pole to my house, it never happened. The cables going to my house and my next door neighbour hangs down so low compared to others.

You do not need to invoke any conspiracy theories to explain this.

I did not say they would, I asked if they would, remember the days of so-called bandwidth management or traffic shaping, they could do it again to get people to jump to FTTP. I am not saying they would, but nothing would surprise me to get people to do what they want., companies seems to do that, look at the way supermarkets are doing things to try to get more people to use self service checkouts or scan and shop.

With FTTP, the sync speed is fixed at 2.4Gbps down, 1.2Gbps up (that is for today's GPON technology: newer generations are faster). Either it works, or it doesn't. Your usable speed, to match the level of service you have bought, is controlled by the OLT in the exchange, by rate-limiting your packets.

But unlike FTTC, this bandwidth is shared between a number of users on the same PON. Most households use less than 5Mbps *on average* over 24 hours, so the statistical multiplexing means that this is very rarely a problem - a short peak while user A is making a large download is usually at a different time to when user B is doing one.

I knew it was shared, I did not think it was shared by so many.

The higher "gigabit" speeds are so that your big downloads take a shorter time, i.e. you get the job done quicker. They are not intended for 24x7 gigabit saturation. If you want that, then as others have said, buy a leased line: you get a dedicated fibre and guaranteed bandwidth.

This is why I have said I don't need high speeds and don't need FTTC, files I do download are normally small, and they take a few minutes if that, maybe when i get back into video producing, which I want to start doing next year the faster speed may be useful, more uploading than down. But even so, I can wait for a little longer to upload a video.

It is like people who buy a super-duper speedy computer for say video editing that makes littler difference to editing, but they get excited because they cut 30 seconds off rendering a video. Sure, if they do a load of videos, then it may save time.
I know what you are going to say, it is not just about speed, it is about reliability. Mine have been fine since that issue I had about 2 and half years ago, my main problem at the moment seems to be routers, for some reason I am having problems with them, now my old plusnet hub seems to be probematic.

In reply to a post by XGS_Is_On:

Okay.

I tried it. It gave the correct result: the only Openreach option is FTTP available up to 1000/220. Then it gave a bunch of marketing about why FTTP is great.

Other than people with copper posting how incorrect its results are and how it's mostly marketing with zero care for the actual speeds predicted only with which technology is available I'm not sure what else I can say.

It just gives me 3 options, FTTC, FTTP and ADSL and all it tells me is what each is perfect for, that is it.
so i know I can get all three,

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

My sync speed have increased a little bit over the last few months, which is strange

Oh yes, it varies by time of year too.

When I was on FTTC, my sync speed was ~35M in winter and ~30M in summer. But some people have reported seeing the trend the other way round.