Pipex and ADSL speed

I am an existing Pipex customer (I have been since they used to be good) for broadband only. I typically get 2MB and it has been mainly reliable.

Over the past week or so the service has been quite bad, very slow, frequent disconnects.

Today Pipex called out of the blue to tell me that I could get an 8MB service but only if I signed up for phane and line rental with them. Given that I am supposed to by getting up to 8MB already, this is quite perplexing.

I always assumed the 2MB was to do with distance from the exchange (I don't know how far but I think it isn't that close). Is there likely to be anything they can do to give me 8MB, and would they technically need me to have a line rental with them to be able to do that?

Use http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.php to find your stats from your modem.

If you downstream connection rate is 2272, and upstream is 288Kbps, then very likely you can go faster, but post the figures back here for comments, or www.farina1.com/adsl for an automated estimate

Sales staff will be chasing a sale rather than trying to do you the best deal, so ten minutes or so getting this info will help.

Will do that, next time I have my laptop handy (there isn't a machine physically plugged into the modem at the moment).

Leaving that aside, what would they actually do to speed it up? I am curious, if I move my line rental to them, can they actually do something to speed up the connection which can't be done anyway? Its the same wire, same exchange isn't it?

(I can understand that commercially they might want to offer faster connection linked to signing up for the phone, but is there any technical basis for this?)

If you are on a fixed 2Mbps product they need to put a tick in a software program to enable ADSL Max. No physical changes are required.

Which exchange are you on? See http://www.samknows.com/broadband/search.php

Times have moved on and there may be much better alternative ISPs available to you.

Thing is, I am on an 8Mb product, I've just never seen more then 2Mb.

It appears I am on the Shenley Church End exchange, within 1.5 miles or so (thanks for the link).

Now I get Pipex calling me asking if my connection is slow, and saying I could get 8Mb if I sign up for their phone service (mention of some new technology they were going to use - is there any substance to that?).

Does this stink?

You may think you are on an up to 8Meg product, but they may be connecting you at 2Meg, i.e. thats what we are trying to check for you.

No technology exists that will make rate adaptive lines ADSL running at 2Meg quadruple their speed to 8Meg.

If you have been with Pipex that long when they originally had fixed rate services, then at some stage you would need to have asked to be moved onto an ADSLmax service. Likely you could have got that at no extra cost by agreeing to a new 1 year contract.

In January I moved from Pipex to Plusnet because Pipex wanted to increase the montly rental from £15 p/m to £20 p/m. They offered £15 p/m if I routed by phone calls via them. Perhaps because of the Talk Talk takeover they are very keen to get involved with phone calls.

Today I received an email from Pipex asking me to complete a questionaire about my reasons for leaving. Why they want to waste their money asking such an obvious question escapes me. I got the impression that perhaps they thought that their staff where failing to persuade customers to part with more money. I particularly liked answering the question 'Did I find migrating to another ISP easier than I expected?' - Answer 'yes.'

You may still be on a fixed 2Mbs profile (even if you have been told you aren't mistakes have been known to happen).

You need to post your attenuations, SNR margins, and sync rates as reported by your modem/router.

See http://www.dslzoneuk.net/adsl_line_stats.php