In reply to a post by kr236rk:

Does Mr Saffron mean that a reading below 2 here would be a good thing for instance?

No! Did you read this http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/general/t/4222090-r... ? It should answer your Q. Would you mind trying to get the stats I asked?

Basically it works like this. The lower the NM the faster the speed but the more unstable the connection (&v.v.) So most ISPs try to set a Target NM that balances a reasonably fast speed with a fairly stable line. Many ISPs choose a default Target NM of 6 dB as this has been found to be stable for most lines, but lately some ISPs, particularly those based on BTw WBC (non-LLU), find 3 dB will hold stable many lines while giving them faster speeds.

I thought AOL was one of those with 6 dB Target NM. Hence my concern that yours is as low as 2dB.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Have a read of my Noise margin page. That explains what it is and does.

Moving to O2 has been suggested by a couple. In the past I would have also have recommended them, but no longer due to the imminent takeover by Sky.

Please can you post the URL of what samknows says about your exchange.

The exchange is Tulse Hill in London. the OLO is LSTUL. I have read your Noise Margin page but I am still not really sure what is right or wrong about my down of 2db / up of 27 db. Can you explain please?

Many thanks.

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

In reply to a post by kr236rk:

Would you mind trying to get the stats I asked?

I loaded all the stats I could find - apologies if I missed any - could you specify please?

Many thanks.

There's nothing wrong with the 27dB upstream .

As XRaySpeX says in a post he made while you were typing your reply to me, the downstream setting at sync time is 6dB for most ISPs, though most on BT Wholesale connections, (that's all except LLU ones), now find it can adjust automatically down to 3dB on very good lines.

Yours is probably LLU though. To check that, if you try the BT Wholesale Performance test, does it recognise your number and run? If it does, it isn't LLU, so please continue to the Further Diagnostics at the bottom of the results page. Then copy and paste the full contents of the text box holding the downstream result.

Edited by RobertoS (Tue 19-Mar-13 00:56:56)

Did you read that post I last linked you to? Here it is again:

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

Look at the label on the underneath of the DG834G for a version (v) number. Then see if you can run: http://www.kitz.co.uk/routers/netgeardg834_interleav... for your version and post full results.

Also can you see if this runs: http://speedtest.btwholesale.com/ ? I think it shouldn't but it might. Just wanna know.

The BT test is now no use without carrying on to the Further Diagnostics, even if it runs - as you say .

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

I thought AOL was one of those with 6 dB Target NM. Hence my concern that yours is as low as 2dB.

What is a 6 dB Target NM - NetGear tells me I have a Downstream of 2 db. Is Downstream the same as NM please?

Also, what is potentially wrong with a downstream of 2 db ?

Many thanks.

Wasn't my objective! Just to see if it runs Yea or Nay to confirm he is on LLU or not. As am suspicious of the 448K Up as didn't think AOL would do that.

EDIT: Yes, you are right! I was forgetting that its not until Further Diags that you enter your phone #.

Edited by XRaySpeX (Tue 19-Mar-13 01:25:01)

Similarly with my overlapping suggestion of that test, but I have a nagging feeling that AOL LLU does have a 448kps upstream.

In reply to a post by kr236rk:

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

I thought AOL was one of those with 6 dB Target NM. Hence my concern that yours is as low as 2dB.

What is a 6 dB Target NM - NetGear tells me I have a Downstream of 2 db. Is Downstream the same as NM please?

Also, what is potentially wrong with a downstream of 2 db ?

Many thanks.

"Target NM (Noise Margin)" is the term often used to mean the setting applied by the ISP at the time you connect. That setting being explained in my page.

If AOL are setting it at 3dB, which we may find is possible if the BT Wholesale Test runs, then 2dB is fine as it won't have changed a lot. But if they are setting it to 6dB that means it is changing a lot after connection and that can sometimes but not often be because of a fault.