Change from Nildram

Yet another long time Nildram user (say no more) who's thinking of changing ISP due to poor speeds and reliability. Have read lots about the most popular eg Be, IDNet, Vivaity etc but now getting confused. My priorities are best possible RELIABLE speed which is a slight problem for me because of my distance from the exchange (Woking). I'm not a gamer and my stats are:
Sync Speed 480/1696Kbps
Attenuation 31.5/ -64dB
SNR Margin 13/13dB
Interleaved Path CRC Error 137 Near End 316 Far End
Interleaved Path HEC Error 137 Near End 174 Far End

I'm also not a big downloader so 1-2 Gb would be OK. Would be grateful for any/all recommendations.

is your stated Sync Speed of 480/1696Kbps correct as I thought that with MaxADSL the best you could get was 488/8160?

I'm a bit confused by your stats, these bits:-

Attenuation 31.5/ -64dB
SNR Margin 13/13dB.

-64dB attenuation?
13dB SNRM both ways?

Which is up and which is down, From the sync figures looks like up/down but not certain. But on that sync your best download speed is going to about 1Mbps. Did you ever get much higher?

Anyway - as your line clearly is poor at the moment, have you made sure there is nothing dodgy with your home wiring. See here. While you have the socket open try plugging the filter into the test socket revealed, and no phone. Then see what stats and sync you get. Download speed probably won't be any different. Depends on whether you have been LLU'ed I think.

After all that, for once I can recommend my own ISP! Click in my sig. Home Lite is 3GB allowance for �12.95pm on a monthly contract, or �11.95 if you pay 12 months up front with a 12-month contract. If you occasionally need to go over 3GB it is �1.40 per GB if you buy before the end of the month, (even after you go over!), �1.60 if you just let them charge you in arrears.

The only viable alternative at this level is Plusnet but they apply all sorts of traffic shaping and throttling. Maybe it wouldn't affect you, but I wouldn't like to try it myself. Higher priced and also good are IDNet and Zen.

I have a Belkin F5D7630 router and as of now my readings are Upstream 416Kbps and Downstream 1664Kbps. Noise margins are 12dB Upstream and 13dB Down and similarly attenuation is 31.5 and 63. Sorry but don't know enough as to why i sometimes get a minus figure on the downstream attenuation. Because of the poor signal and line length I have already fitted an ADSL Nation XTE- 2005 faceplate to my master socket and that has helped considerably in preventing the number of disconnection but since Tiscali took over the evening connection has definitely got worse. By the way the line has been LLUd.

That makes a bit more sense now, especially as you have been LLU'ed so the expected numbers can change.

Have you done the checking of the master socket and ring wire in it, as I suggested before. On a long line it is very important to remove any noise sources to get any improvement that is available. (On a short line then to get maximum sync for the greedy like me).

Although the normal advice is to get any line type problems sorted before migrating, in this case I think you should get a MAC and move as soon as you can. Then see how stable things are afterwards and whether anything else needs to be done. (Do the check above anyway).

If you do decide to migrate just ask for a MAC and refuse any promises of a better or different service. Tha's how they con people into an undeclared new contract. And do not under any circumstances mention the words "Cease" or "Cancel". If they use them make sure you contradict them. Say you just want a MAC but might stay with them. Other people are finding a cease gets put on their line or their account gets closed before the MAC arrives, so the MAC cannot be used, and often the line doesn't actually get ceased but cannot be migrated either.

Many thanks for all the advice. Have disconnected the spare wire behind all the face plates and there does seem to be a marginal increase in downstream speed. Figures are now 480Kbps Upstream and 1792Kbps downstream. Will also follow advice on MAC code.

Not really much improvement though. It can vary that much in any case.

Good luck .

Let us know which ISP you choose and how you get on. As I said before, there will probably still be problems, but you never know, it may be the Tiscali LLU - with luck!

Just to let you know have gone with Newnet (signed up today). Have been very helpful and pleasant so far.

That's good. Let's hope all goes well with the migration.

Then we can see if there really is a line problem.