Will a new phone line solve my problems?

Hello, my first post. A great site by the way. I'd be really grateful for some advice.

I'm with virgin.net and suffering very slow connection, rarely faster than 0.5Mbps on a Max 8Mbps service, often only 0.2Mbps. I've followed the usual advise about filters, no extension leads, alternative equipment, waiting 3 days, etc. but no improvement.

virgin.net and BT are concluding that my line isn't able to carry data at high speeds and checking at http://eco.btwholesale.com/broadband1/ I get:
"your line should be able to support a potential ADSL Max broadband line rate of 1.5Mbps or greater".

I would actually be quite happy if I could get anywhere near 1.5Mbps (and I once did) but what is surprising me is that I am only 300m from the exchange (as the crow flies) and when I put neighbours phone numbers in (who share the same telegraph pole) I get:
"your line should be able to support a potential ADSL Max broadband line rate of 6.5Mbps up to 8Mbps".

virgin and BT are saying words to the effect that my particular line is inferior to that of my neighbours in the route it takes to the exchange or the materials it uses, but that it meets the required standard for voice calls, end of!

My questions:
1. What do you make of this data from my 3com router?

Upstream / Downstream
Data rate: 448 kbps / 7648kbps
Noise Margin: 26db / 15db
Attenuation: 16db / 17db
Link type: Interleaved Path

2. Is the poor line sufficient to bring the actual speed down to 0.2 to 0.5Mbps?

3. Just assuming I accept there is nothing more I can do about the inferior line, if I were to pay BT (or Bulldog) to install a new, second phone line, could I expect that to be a decent, new, quality line at least of the standard that my neighbours all seem to have? Or would it actually just be using the same wiring as my current line?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.
Steve

Your modem stats are fine. Speed problems are likely down to a stuck BRAS profile. Search this forum for suggestions on how to get it "unstuck".

I'd look at a new ISP if they can't sort this for you before considering a new phone line.

Brad K.

I agree. Virgin.net are talking out of their backsides. If your line is sync'ing at over 7000kbps, and you're getting much less, then you have a problem which Virgin should be able to help you fix. If they can't, consider migrating to an ISP that can. Remember you don't just pay for the ADSL connection, you also pay for the technical backup, and in that, all ISP's are not equal.

In reply to:

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Remember you don't just pay for the ADSL connection, you also pay for the technical backup, and in that, all ISP's are not equal.

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Well said.

The more I think about it, the more it upsets me. Someone from virgin.net actually looked up the line stats to give the old "line's too long" excuse versus the obvious checks that needed to be run. In about the same amount of time, he could have actually solved the problem. Clearly the person he spoke to was more interested in getting him off the phone than actually helping him.

That said, the checker on this line is clearly off as the OP is syncing too well for a "poor line".

Brad K.

Thank you both, I read some other posts and everything is now starting to make sense. I've also spoken to virgin and they agree that the sync rate is 7648 and that my data rate should jump to 6.5 Mbps within 3 days. If it doesn't they'll raise it with BT and I'll hold them to that.

I'll post back in a few days.

Thanks again,
Steve

Glad to hear that you've got some sense out of them at last. Please let us know what happens