Which ISP - long distance from the Exchange

Hello

I live a pretty long distance from the exchange, I'm currently using SKY broadband but it does seem slow and I don't get a great PING.

I'm hoping sometime soon a better option might be available to me but for now want to just use an ISP that give me the best quality connection and don't mind paying a premium for it, but I don't want to be tied into the ISP for any longer than 3 months.

Can anyone recommend an ISP which can get the most out of my long line, I have read some are much better than others. I was thinking ZEN but I have read I would be better of using a provider that does't use the BT network as they allow you to have a lower SNR like BE Broadband or AAISP. I currently get less than 3MB so don't download huge amounts but I use the connection for work so things like FTP being responsive are important to me and I do like to play games on XBOX live.

My exchange has the following available to me, any recommendations much appreciated.

BT Wholesale ADSL
BT Wholesale ADSL Max
BT Wholesale WBC (21CN)
BT Wholesale SDSL
AOL LLU
O2 / Be LLU
Bulldog LLU
TalkTalk (CPW) LLU
Sky Broadband / Easynet LLU
Tiscali LLU
Tiscali TV (via Tiscali LLU)

Edited by kingbiscit (Tue 17-Apr-12 21:30:41)

If you are connecting at around 3Meg and getting 3Meg in the evening then not really sure how you can improve it

In short what are the stats from your modem? And what sort of ping do you get to thinkbroadband.com from the command line?

Hello Andrew

My ping to ThinkBroadband is currently:

64 bytes from ***.***.***.***: icmp_seq=0 ttl=57 time=51.038 ms
64 bytes from ***.***.***.***: icmp_seq=1 ttl=57 time=50.719 ms
64 bytes from ***.***.***.***: icmp_seq=2 ttl=57 time=50.121 ms
64 bytes from ***.***.***.***: icmp_seq=3 ttl=57 time=50.175 ms
64 bytes from 8***.***.***.***: icmp_seq=4 ttl=57 time=50.283 ms

I have seen this around the 80 ms at times. I used to get faster uploads on O2 than SKY.

Current stats are:

DSP Firmware Version A2pB025f.d22k
DMT Status No Defect
Operational Mode G.DMT
Upstream 768
Downstream 3008
SNR Margin(Upstream) 11.0
SNR Margin(Downstream) 1.8
Line Attenuation(Upstream) 31.5
Line Attenuation(Downstream) 60.0

I'm using a Billion 7800N so have tweaked the SNR a little.

What you have read about setting lower noise margins used to be true, but on a WBC enabled exchange like yours it is now largely irrelevant. The DLM, (Dynamic Line Management), now automatically drops it to 3dB on stable lines, and the IP Profile system also responds immediately to sync speed changes, setting the IP Profile to 88.2% of the sync. That approximately absorbs the ATM overhead, leaving the TCP/IP part.

There is still the problem that instability can screw up the target noise margin.

On the Be network the maximum throughput is about 84% of sync. Which comes to about the same thing in the end.

So Zen, IDNet and AAISP are possible options on BT Wholesale.

AAISP, ADSL24, vivaciti and xilo/uno also sell products using Be exchange equipment. Vivaciti on monthly contract, I don't know about the others. I think some of them use the Be network and others their own backhaul. Apparently Zen also have some customers using a Be connection.

There are also products from some of the above using the TalkTalk Business Wholesale service. Again the backhaul can be not TT. Monthly contracts also possible there, with shared LLU, (SMPF), as well as the (messy in your case), full LLU (MPF).

As long as you are getting about 2.5 Mag throughput with those stats most of the time you probably can't improve it. Do you get many discons?

What are your untweaked router stats with Sky?

Do you know if you are on Interleaved or Fast Path? Fast Path might give tou a better ping but might be more unstable.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

So Zen, IDNet and AAISP are possible options on BT Wholesale.

As is Orange.

Trouble is with the attenuation, there is a big gamble in terms of getting better speeds.

The upstream is more than enough for online gaming, Sky has a tendency towards lower upstream on its DLM.

At the end of the day you are only going to be gaining little bits here or there, if gaming is impossible at night, then the issue is less the connection and what all the other users in the area are doing, and thus switching to less well known ISP may reap benefits for peak time gaming.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

sell products using Be exchange equipment

So do we, including 2 free months service.

http://www.aquiss.net/broadband-unlimited.php

Phone up and ask for gaming mode it should lower your ping.

Will SKY do that?