Massive speed boost on online check!

Hi,
I'm on the poplar exchange and have had broadband from 2003
During this time I've had around 800K on ADSL1 and about 2.5/3Mbs with BE's ADSL2

The odd thing is I was checking infinity again as its live now on LNPOP (still cant get it)
I noticed my BT Total speed was estimated at a max of 17MBs. This was always around 3 historically...

So my question is what's changed (or is the estimate just rubbish) I tried to ask BT but they were of no help

Also if I signed up to BT (to get 17MBs) but still only got the 2.5-3 I get now could they enforce the contract?

20% actual speed is hardly an estimate

I tried an address around the corner and that's still 3Mbps...so I suspect the database is rubbish

Edited by deleted (Tue 01-Mar-11 13:28:10)

In reply to a post by JonathanCassar:

I noticed my BT Total speed was estimated at a max of 17MBs. This was always around 3 historically... So my question is what's changed?

Probably changed since Sept. 2010 when they introduced 21CN WBC.

But post your current router stats to see how much of that you can really get?

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

But post your current router stats to see how much of that you can really get?

Modemstate : up
Operation Mode : G.992.5 Annex A
Channel Mode : interleaved

Margin [dB] : 15.5 15.5
Attenuation [dB] : 57.0 30.5
OutputPower [dBm] : 17.5 12.0

Intrinsic/Actual Bandwidth %
Upstream : 99
Downstream : 82

Available Bandwidth Cells/s Kbit/s
Downstream : 5448 2310
Upstream : 1745 740


Transfer statistics
Errors
Received FEC : 497521
Received CRC : 1677
Received HEC : 1228
Transmitted FEC : 0
Transmitted CRC : 34719
Transmitted HEC : 13223

Near end failures since reset
Loss of frame: 0 failures
Loss of signal: 0 failures
Loss of power: 0 failures
Errored seconds: 909 seconds
Near end failures last 15 minutes
Loss of frame: 0 seconds
Loss of signal: 0 seconds
Loss of power: 0 seconds
Errored seconds: 0 seconds
Near end failures current day
Errored seconds: 3 seconds
Near end failures previous day
Errored seconds: 63 seconds

Your line is too long to ever get 17 Meg.

You should get about 3.5 Meg. At the moment you are getting 2.3 Meg, because your NM is very high @ 15.5 dB.

This could indicate you have a wiring problem. Do you have any phone extension sockets? Have you tried to get these figures plugged into the test socket hidden behind the faceplate of the master socket?

Interestingly If I apply for a new line on my address its back to 3Mbs very strange it still says 17Mbs on my line I have now....

It's not interesting it's boring! BT's database of line characteristics is notoriously inaccurate. The only reliable method is from router stats.

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

Your line is too long to ever get 17 Meg.

You should get about 3.5 Meg. At the moment you are getting 2.3 Meg, because your NM is very high @ 15.5 dB.

This could indicate you have a wiring problem. Do you have any phone extension sockets? Have you tried to get these figures plugged into the test socket hidden behind the faceplate of the master socket?

Nope its connected directly to the test socket

Be did say its on a stability profile - TBH I never thought I'd get 17Mbs just curious as to how BT think I can - The sales staff were adamant i would get this too!

They did not agree when I said I think this is wrong!!
They said we have upgraded your network�
My flat hasn�t moved so unless theres a new exchange I couldn�t see how they could offer that speed on ADSL2

Ask Be to reduce your NM to 9 or even 6 dB, or, I think, you can do it in an online control panel.

Agreed line looks like 5Meg is possible with a lower target margin

Sales staff are sales staff not technically trained to interpret things or even accept that a computer may be displaying the wrong information sometimes

For my line i get this

Our test also indicates that your line currently supports an estimated ADSL Max broadband line speed of 1.5Mbps; typically the line speed would range between 1Mbps and 2.5Mbps.

Our test also indicates that your line currently supports an estimated ADSL2+ broadband line speed of 2Mbps; typically the line speed would range between 1Mbps and 3.5Mbps.

and my stats
Down up
5851 888
Att
51.5 31.6
SNR
5.9 7.3

they never get it right

I got Be to change it to 9db SNR now I Get the following:

Downstream Upstream
Margin [dB] : 9.5 9.5
Attenuation [dB] : 57.0 30.5
OutputPower [dBm] : 18.0 12.0

Intrinsic/Actual Bandwidth %
Upstream : 99
Downstream : 83

Available Bandwidth Cells/s Kbit/s
Downstream : 7884 3343
Upstream : 2278 966

We'll see how many resets I'll get now!

I had an interesting chat with a tech guy at BT (after a high level complaint)
He suspects I have a line fault or a very poor line - Knowing my luck it will be the latter!

Anyone had any luck reporting a line fault and getting a lower attenuation (57db) on a 4km line?

You may be better with the BE box.

4km radius or you know for sure the line is 4km of phone cable?

3.5km of cable is around the 43dB mark, and 6km of cable is around the 60dB mark. So you aren't massively outside the ball park.

What is odd is that the current modem is saying it can go faster, but just appears to not want to. Another modem to verify, and switching between ADSL/ADSL2/ADSL2+ modes might be useful.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

4km radius or you know for sure the line is 4km of phone cable?

3.5km of cable is around the 43dB mark, and 6km of cable is around the 60dB mark. So you aren't massively outside the ball park.

What is odd is that the current modem is saying it can go faster, but just appears to not want to. Another modem to verify, and switching between ADSL/ADSL2/ADSL2+ modes might be useful.

I have a new modem to try from BE so will try that once home

The BT guy said my line length 3.1-3.8 km

BE said I need to unplug my modem for them to do a line length test so will do so once at home to see what they say.

Historically I thought I had a 6km line so never thought much about my 57db attenuation
If its <4km though 57db seems on the high side...

Not unusual for BT people to tell you something, but miss out that they are telling you just the E or D side length, or even their records for the line are wrong.

Attenuation is the best indicator of line length and if voice is crystal clear and working, then its not likely you have unusually high attenuation due to a fault.

BTW Be will probably estimate line length by attenuation / 12 (or similar)

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

What is odd is that the current modem is saying it can go faster

Where?

57 dB -> 4.1 km line length.

May have misread the line

Downstream : 7884 3343

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Not unusual for BT people to tell you something, but miss out that they are telling you just the E or D side length, or even their records for the line are wrong.

Attenuation is the best indicator of line length and if voice is crystal clear and working, then its not likely you have unusually high attenuation due to a fault.

BTW Be will probably estimate line length by attenuation / 12 (or similar)

If Be only estimate the length why is it necessary to unplug the kit to do the test?

So they don't measure the miles of your extension cables?

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

So they don't measure the miles of your extension cables?

I have the router connected directly to the test socket - which I explained..

I might just pony up for an SFI check how much are they these days (assuming my line was fault free)

In reply to a post by JonathanCassar:

I might just pony up for an SFI check how much are they these days (assuming my line was fault free)

BE organised an SFI for me last year, but there was no charge as the fault was found on the BT Openreach side of the network. I believe the cost is around £250 but BE don't call out an SFI until they've done a _lot_ of tests. I've not read of anyone on BE being charged yet (as the tests show faults).