help with aol connection speeds

hi , im using xp pro and a netgear dg834g router my line speed tested at bt says 1mb i live to far from the exchange how ever my problem is that my router shows a downstream of only 160kbps and up stream of 446kbps after several long chats with there tech support i have got no further , can any one help ?

ps its a new filter new adsl cable new lan cable new bt socket i have tried every thing
plus these are my noise readings which i dont understand
ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 160 kbps 446 kbps
Line Attenuation 63 db 15.5 db
Noise Margin 9 db 13 db



thanks

forgot ... its llc-based if that matters ?

That should make no difference to the line sync speed.

63dB is the maximum that router will display for attenuation, so suggests your line may be longer, how much longer is anyones guess.

The checker you refer to is not a direct test of the line, but rather a look up based on paper records and estimates and thus can be out. One assumes you've checked that a telephone works in the microfilter you are using?

Does using the test socket which is under the removable face plate at the master socket produce a better speed?

A master socket http://www.thinkbroadband.com/images/faq/faceplates/IMG_1344-crop.jpg
and with the screws removed and the test socket exposed. http://www.thinkbroadband.com/images/faq/faceplates/IMG_1346-crop.jpg

hi , yes i have checked using the test socket its still the same , and yes the phone works ok which brings me to my next point , i noticed while on the phone to aol tech support<lol> i get a connection of 500+ but only when my phone is in use as soon as i hang up i get disconnected and it reconnects at 160

thanks


john

the faster sync when on the phone is indicative of a line fault that needs a broadband engineer to resolve. You may have to get pushy with AOL to get the visit you need, for example the standard line test may say the line is OK, so stick at it - 160k is a fault speed as it is less than 288.

The best department to use at AOL when there is a line problem is the one that issues MACs. I had to take that route just to get interleave turned on because 3 attempts to find anybody in TS who had a clue all failed. That was before the buyout too and I can only imagine things have gone downhill since then.

Try support once more, but if they fail then email me [email protected] with your details and I'll pass on a request for help to the people we have met in AOL UK

All very well for the odd person who finds this site and gets your assistance but what about the thousands that don't and have to put up with third rate support. How many have reinstalled windows needlessly and fruitlessly because the script ran out?

Companies that cannot provide decent customer support don't deserve to stay in business. The main problem is that they seem to be the majority and people put up with them because they perceive them as being good value.

AOL / Talk-Talk are a bit turbulent at the moment. AOL users are finding they have to use new login credentials in routers and different connections in Windows on USB modems. Talk Talk users have had their webmail morph into the AOL.co.uk mail system etc etc.

Given most AOL users are there for the cotton wool environment and familiarity it is certainly freaking them out.

Their main claim to fame at one time was that they were the last offering a truly unlimited package. I imagine that is no longer so. Luckily I never installed their "cotton wool environment" during my brief period as their customer so didn't suffer the problems of trying to be rid of them without buying a replacement computer.