ADSL : BT or not BT, that is the question

[Matthew]

I would recommend looking at PlusNet as an ISP, cannot fault them.

[Kursk]

Well, it sounds like someone is frying an egg on my phone line. VM reckon its the filter and are sending me another one. I spoke to a guy from BT too he said he could hear the racket on the line and that I should contact Virgin about it. I'm still getting a devastatingly speedy 1.2mbps. YAWN. I mean, it's making all my pron look jerky (well, even more jerky if you know what I mean )

Let's face it, I'm doomed aren't I?

STOP PRESS: 1.92Mbps! I am rockin'

yawn.

[kwikbreaks]

Try turning off the router and either do a quiet line test (dial 17070 and option 2 iirc) or simply dial a 0. You should get something pretty close to silence. If you try that again with the router powered up and hear noise then it's either a duff filter (rule out by swapping it for another one) or a type of line fault known as a high resistance disconnect - a bad joint which is acting as a rectifier and converting the ADSL RF signal to one you can hear on the line.

I had one of those. 5 Openreach callouts (I just called it in as a voice fault) and no fix despite them claiming to have replaced every line segment back to the exchange. The last bloke spotted it as an ADSL issue and said pursue it through the ISP. They were useless - applied a huge target noise margin slowing the BB down to a crawl (and having zero effect on the noise) then sending out a replacement router to my old address. I lost the will to let them continue guessing and moved to cable instead.

[Kursk]

Thanks for the posts everyone. Yep kwikbreaks, turned off the router and did the quiet line test and all was quiet. Turned router back on and the fuzz returned. I'm hoping the replacement filter that's on its way will do the trick. The high resistance disconnect thing sounds scarier.

If VM will give me the cable, I'll dig up the pavement myself rather than put up with this service; it's like the dark ages.

Accessed an image heavy site today. I hope we don't have any cold callers tonight as I have a baseball bat looking to thwack something...

[Chrysalis]

Originally Posted by Chris

I think the reluctance may have been on VM's part, as they would have to pay Openreach for the call-out.

In the past, with BT for phone and VM for ADSL, I would always resolve ADSL issues by calling BT and complaining about crackle on the line during voice calls, seeing as the two always go hand in hand around here anyway.

BT would send someone out very quickly and once they got to work on the line, any audible crackle and ADSL issues would get dealt with at the same time.

Now days they will do a remote test, and if it passes then they will say if we send someone out there is a fee (over £100) unless they find a fault. Nice detterrent.

[Kursk]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

Now days they will do a remote test, and if it passes then they will say if we send someone out there is a fee (over £100) unless they find a fault. Nice detterrent.

To be fair, VM warned me about that. They said there were a few things that had to be tried (changing filter, checking socket) before BT were asked to check the line. If they come and the basic tests have not been done, they will sting you big time.

Got an over 2Mbps connection today; if it carries on like this the sky's the limit (no pun intended).

[Kursk]

No sign of the promised replacement filter yet.
Phone line still making a demented ssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sound.
Connection speed is consistently less than 2.5Mbps.

I never thought the day would come when I would be hoping and praying for the 6.5Mbps I was told I would get before I signed up for Virgin National.

Seriously, this is useless. I can fart stronger than this connection .

[Slef]

why wait for vm to send you a filter? Nip down to the local pooter shop (or even pcworld!) and buy one!! or even think about popping on a filtered faceplate ....that way you can pick a good quality filter

Just my humble thoughts
Andy

[Kursk]

Originally Posted by Slef

why wait for vm to send you a filter? Nip down to the local pooter shop (or even pcworld!) and buy one!! or even think about popping on a filtered faceplate ....that way you can pick a good quality filter

Just my humble thoughts
Andy

Yep, fair point Andy. It's just that VM said they'd send me a new filter and a faceplate so I thought I'd wait. The guy I spoke to in tech seemed on the ball so I thought the wait might not be too long. May have to revert to Plan B for expediency though. Ta.

[7031]

I will say, Virgin National may have improved, but back when I used it, well, it was quite horribly slow. I would be lucky to exceed 2Mbps on my line, despite by line having since worked fine at around 14Mbps with BE.

Having said that, Virgin cable has been great so far.

[Kursk]

Originally Posted by 7031

I will say, Virgin National may have improved, but back when I used it, well, it was quite horribly slow. I would be lucky to exceed 2Mbps on my line, despite by line having since worked fine at around 14Mbps with BE.

Having said that, Virgin cable has been great so far.

Well, my 'improved' connection never exceeds 2.5Mbps. The VM cable service was always good for me to be fair.

When I was younger we'd use a couple of tin cans and a piece of taut string as a crude communications device. It was more effective than VM adsl

Latest test: Overall Average Speed = approx 1720 Kbps, 1.68 Mbps

What's the actual sync speed on your connection, Kursk?

[Kursk]

Originally Posted by Chris

What's the actual sync speed on your connection, Kursk?

Downstream is 2854 Kbps;Upstream is 671 Kbps Chris.

[7031]

Hmm, mind posting your ADSL router stats? They may help us find out what the actual issue is with your connection.

Originally Posted by Kursk

Downstream is 2854 Kbps;Upstream is 671 Kbps Chris.

Seeing up to 2.5Mb download speed is consistent with that downstream sync. That's not congestion, it's the physical limitations of the line between yourself and the exchange.

Do you have a rough idea of the distance to the exchange?