Do my stats look ok?

Hi all,

As it appears BT have abandoned the planned FTTP install for my area, I need to take steps to improve my ADSL as much as possible for the foreseeable.

I have Sky unlimited with the white Sky router (SR101) on a Sky LLU line and standard BT NTE5 socket. There are no extensions or bell wire connected.
I am approx 2.4km in a straight line from the exchange.

The main socket gets me:
Connection Speed = 5472 kbps down, 1023 kbps up
Line Attenuation = 49.0 dB down, 26.9 dB up
Noise Margin = 4.8 dB down, 6.6 dB up

The test socket oddly reported a lower connection speed...
Connection Speed = 4887 kbps down, 1023 kbps up
Line Attenuation = 49.0 dB down, 27.1 dB up
Noise Margin = 7.2 dB down, 6.6 dB up

I've read many posts about checking all the wiring, checking for microfilters etc and I've done all of that and it seems fine.
As I'm not using any extensions, is something like the Solwise ADSL faceplate worth buying?
I guess the question is, what else can I do (if anything) to make it run quicker?
Do these stats look OK?

Thanks for taking the time to read.
Regards
Steve

They look about average to me. However the two sets of stats have more than the speed oddity. The noise margins don't look right.

Do you have access to the router's log? I don't know that one. Some record the noise margin at connect time.

If that isn't possible, please could you take the stats immediately after a reconnection . That should tell us the "downstream target" value. I've a vague memory of it being 7dB, in which case you took the second set in just that way.

If you aren't aware of it, connections made well inside daylight hours are almost always considerably higher than dusk >> night >> dawn.

I doubt if the Solwise or any faceplate will make a huge difference, but some people find it does. When I was on O2 LLU with the same attenuation as you I bought the ADSL Nation equivalent and a high quality ADSL lead from them as well. Twenty or so test syncs in close proximity with all the combinations, including three different dangly filters when it wasn't the filtered faceplates turn showed two of the danglies were better and the ADSL cable slight slower that what I was using.

Repeated it again a few days later with exactly the same result and best dangly filter. The ADSL Nation stuff has been in the drawer in its envelope ever since.

Edited by RobertoS (Fri 24-Jul-15 00:33:21)

Thanks for your reply and thoughts. I will avoid buying a faceplate for now.

This is the router log from 16:23 today. You'll see the point I moved the plug from the main socket to the test socket at 22:39:00.
The test socket results are from 22:42

There also seems to be a lot of link up / link down messages; these are a common theme throughout the log as far back as it goes...

Jul 23 16:23:18 syslog: eth2 (Int switch port: 2) (Logical Port: 2) Link UP 100 mbps full duplex
Jul 23 16:52:25 syslog: eth2 (Int switch port: 2) (Logical Port: 2) Link DOWN.
Jul 23 16:52:47 syslog: eth2 (Int switch port: 2) (Logical Port: 2) Link UP 100 mbps full duplex
Jul 23 17:46:55 syslog: eth2 (Int switch port: 2) (Logical Port: 2) Link DOWN.
Jul 23 17:46:56 syslog: eth2 (Int switch port: 2) (Logical Port: 2) Link UP 10 mbps full duplex
Jul 23 17:46:59 syslog: eth2 (Int switch port: 2) (Logical Port: 2) Link DOWN.
Jul 23 18:38:55 syslog: Send out NTP request to ntp1.isp.sky.com
Jul 23 18:38:55 syslog: Received NTP Sync Reply from ntp1.isp.sky.com
Jul 23 18:38:55 syslog: System time is up to date
Jul 23 19:53:32 syslog: eth2 (Int switch port: 2) (Logical Port: 2) Link UP 100 mbps full duplex
Jul 23 20:53:20 syslog: eth2 (Int switch port: 2) (Logical Port: 2) Link DOWN.
Jul 23 20:53:22 syslog: eth2 (Int switch port: 2) (Logical Port: 2) Link UP 10 mbps full duplex
Jul 23 20:53:25 syslog: eth2 (Int switch port: 2) (Logical Port: 2) Link DOWN.
Jul 23 21:00:01 syslog: Send out NTP request to ntp1.isp.sky.com
Jul 23 21:00:01 syslog: Received NTP Sync Reply from ntp1.isp.sky.com
Jul 23 21:00:01 syslog: System time is up to date
Jul 23 21:13:21 syslog: eth2 (Int switch port: 2) (Logical Port: 2) Link UP 100 mbps full duplex
Jul 23 22:39:00 syslog: Line 0: ADSL link down
Jul 23 22:39:02 syslog: Line 0: xDSL G.994 training
Jul 23 22:39:07 syslog: Clear IP addresses. PPP connection DOWN.
Jul 23 22:39:18 syslog: Line 0: ADSL G.992 started
Jul 23 22:39:23 syslog: Line 0: ADSL G.992 channel analysis
Jul 23 22:39:29 syslog: Line 0: ADSL G.992 message exchange
Jul 23 22:39:30 syslog: Line 0: ADSL link down
Jul 23 22:39:31 syslog: Line 0: xDSL G.994 training
Jul 23 22:39:48 syslog: Line 0: ADSL G.992 started
Jul 23 22:39:52 syslog: Line 0: ADSL G.992 channel analysis
Jul 23 22:39:59 syslog: Line 0: ADSL G.992 message exchange
Jul 23 22:39:59 syslog: Line 0: ADSL link up, Bearer 0, us=1023, ds=4887
Jul 23 22:39:59 syslog: Line 0: ADSL link up, Bearer 1, us=0, ds=0
Jul 23 22:40:04 syslog: PPP LCP UP.
Jul 23 22:40:05 syslog: WAN link UP.
Jul 23 22:40:05 syslog: Received valid IP address from server. Connection UP.
Jul 23 22:40:09 syslog: Connection Up. SNO/MAC/IP/SWVER: [A010133C017312/7C4CA53C6D6C/**.***.**.***/3.45.1133.R]
Jul 23 23:11:20 syslog: Send out NTP request to ntp1.isp.sky.com
Jul 23 23:11:20 syslog: Received NTP Sync Reply from ntp1.isp.sky.com
Jul 23 23:11:20 syslog: System time is up to date

Thanks again!

With what you have already checked it is likely that anything you do would give 100's Kb/s difference rather than anything significant.

Changing router might make a small difference if you could find the optimum router for the connection. Changing the lead from wall to modem may make a small difference if changed for a very high quality lead. Faceplate may make a small difference.

But, you are not going to see anything earth shattering or life changing no matter how much money you throw at it.

If more speed is needed then a second line and load balance or use one line for video streaming stuff and the other for what ever else you do.

Thanks all; it's looking like I'll be going down the second line option.
Regards,

Hi again,

Whilst looking into the second line option it got me thinking.
My existing line is around 45 meters from the pole.
If I had a new line I assume it would be from this pole.

In the opposite direction is a different pole which I have learnt is fed from a different cabinet which is fibre-enabled. This pole is around 85 meters from my house and has line of sight between two houses.

Now I appreciate this is a long shot, but is there any way I could specify a new line came from that pole; and if so, would a line 85m long be feasible?

Regards,

You can try and they might charge you network rearrangement costs as you want a custom solution.

Thanks Andrew;

I phoned BT retail and they said no custom solution and it's pot luck as to which pole you get.

I've emailed my contact at Openreach who has been updating me on request (or rather, telling me "no news"), so hopefully they might be able to give me a more helpful response.

Regards,

Assuming your main line is the only line in your house then the cable probably has a spare pair in it. If that is the case then no new wiring will be run as they can just use the same cable as is already coming into your house.