"We're delighted to tell you that you could be one of the first in your area to experience super-fast broadband from Plusnet, as fibre optic broadband has just become available where you live. What's more, Plusnet Value Fibre starts from as little as £16.49 a month"
"With Plusnet Fibre, you could have speeds of up to 40Mb, and on average, our Plusnet Fibre customers enjoy speeds 5x faster than our copper products"
So is it worth me forking out another tenner for 'up-to' 40 bits of meg when all I mainly do is send emails/attachments, watch youporn youtube, and read the DM.
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>> So is it worth me forking out another tenner for 'up-to' 40 bits of meg
>> when all I mainly do is send emails/attachments, watch youporn youtube, and read the DM.
Probably not. I do all that (with the exception of reading the DM) with 3 meg.
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>> Probably not. I do all that (with the exception of reading the DM) with 3
>> meg.
All those nice pictures in the DM might load a bit quicker though with a fast connection; are they slow to load at the moment Dog?
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Thanks Dave & Focus - you may recall a while back I had trouble watching Zeds vids in HD,
So I requested an upgrade to ADSL2+ and they also sent me their latest 'N' router,
Result = still cant watch Youtubes in HD without em gasping for breath (stopping)
Presumably Fibre op would improve on that, but would it I wonder, being I'm well and truly out in the sticks with a fair bit of copper before the Fibre op comes into play, I'll phone em tomorrow to see what's a foot.
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If you want to be able to watch a lot of videos then I'd say consider it. But if it's like BT's version, the lower priced package has a cap on downloads. Go above that and they charge you.
Remember this is a BT Openreach product. The actual speed you will get depends on the distance to the new Openreach cabinet used for the FTTC product. I'm fairly close so get close to the max. It should be significantly faster than you get via ADSL.
You should be able to spot the new cabinets - taller and narrower than the other ones. And you probably saw them being installed.
tinyurl.com/btfcvy7 (picture of the new cabinet)
tinyurl.com/cb64n2g
Last edited by: rtj70 on Wed 28 Mar 12 at 22:51
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>You should be able to spot the new cabinets - taller and narrower than the other ones.
Not in all installations.
BT managed to use the existing cabinets in my area.
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Interesting. Must have been enough room in them. I'm wondering when BT Retail will offer the 80/20Mbps version for download/upload speeds. Others like Plusnet and TalkTalk might offer it first.
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Depends on when the cabinets were installed, old ones without power would be of no use.
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>Depends on when the cabinets were installed, old ones without power would be of no use.
That was my understanding too. My local cabinet is about 400yds away and was installed 20yrs ago so I don't think it originally had power.
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Thanks Rob, as I say - I'll phone Plusnet later to find out where the new cabinet actually is,
I suppose I should really go for it simply because 'its there' really, and I'm fortunate to have that chance of 'high speed' broadband, living where I do with just one neighb, + it'll look good on Rightmove if when I come to sell :)
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Eh, I phoned Plusnet and they say its Fibre to the exchange, the exchange is like 2.6 miles from here which is like 2.6 miles of blimmin copper!
But, they reckon I should be able to achieve 17MB download speeds and be able to watch youtube in 1080 whatever it is (i/p).
My internet connection drops quite a few times during the day, and there is also noise on my phone line (even when I plug it in to the master sock) and that is obviously down to a fault on the copper somewhere between here and the exchequer :)
Looks like another nice day in Mediterranean Briton, think I'll take the Dog out.
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Dear Mr Dog,
Further to our conversation, I can offer that originally your line had an estimated ADSL Max broadband speed of 2.5Mbps; typically the line speed would range between 1.5Mbps and 5Mbps. Since the upgrade this supports an estimated ADSL2+ broadband line speed of 3.5Mbps; typically the line speed would range between 2Mbps and 6Mbps. So there is not a lot of difference.
Our test also indicates that your line currently supports a fibre technology with an estimated WBC FTTC Broadband where consumers have received downstream line speed of 17.5Mbps and upstream line speed of 4.6Mbps. The actual stable line speed supportable will be determined during the first 10 days of use.
The prices for this service are 40Gb usage at £16.49 per month or 120Gb usage at £21.49 per month. The service is installed by an engineer & a new router is fitted. There is an 18 month minimum contract for this.
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If it's FTTC then there will be a fibre optic cable to a street cabinet nearby. If you get less than 15Mbps on FTTC it is considered a fault.
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>> If it's FTTC then there will be a fibre optic cable to a street cabinet
>> nearby.
He lives in the moors, there is no street let alone a cabinet.
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I was thinking that Z - I suspect he won't get the FTTC product because of distance. Someone has probably checked the cabinet he connects to and that does have it. But his line is a long way away from it.
Actually even if his cabinet is a long way away it might give him quite an improvement. But the assumption in most areas is there is a cabinet fairly close by.
I'd be inclined to check what BT Openreach says you can get since it is their product that others are selling including BT as their Infinity service.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 29 Mar 12 at 11:07
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>>I'd be inclined to check what BT Openreach says you can get<<
Will do, thanks.
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>>
>> I'd be inclined to check what BT Openreach says you can get since it is
>> their product that others are selling including BT as their Infinity service.
>>
Best of luck for a result with that.
BT Infirmity Infinity promised to be in my neck of the woods "in a year" 18 months ago.
When the date drew near it got pushed back another year.
All this a stone's throw from Britain's "second City".
I think you've hit a bit of a nerve ;-)
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I did try to contact Beaty, but they will only deal with BT customers.
Rob and Plusnet told me all I needed to know about Fibre op ~ www.plus.net/fibre-broadband/
I might gofer it, but then again I might not.
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BT are having issues getting planning permission for the bigger green boxes in some places. I have Infinity and can't recommend it enough.
Astonishingly the new house in Aylesbury can't get it, and I'll be going back to 3.5Mbps. *Faints*.
Virgin Media laid cable to one side of the development but not mine.
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At the moment my master socket is in the dining room 8 mtrs from where I have my desktop pc,
BT will fit a data extension cable up to 30 mtrs away from the master socket but, I don't really want a cable running around my character cottage.
I do have existing telephone extensions, but they were installed when the cottage was restored, so no unsightly cables, I wonder if the BT engineer would be prepared to use these cable runs, I doubt it somehow.
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>> I wonder if the BT engineer would be prepared to use
>> these cable runs, I doubt it somehow.
>>
Try pressing money in 'is 'and. I find that normally works.
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>>Try pressing money in 'is 'and. I find that normally works<<
Haha! - There is nothing new under the sun :)
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It has to be the master socket.But the cable run can be outside.
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I'm on Talktalk, about 300yds from the exchange :)
Currently getting 12Mb ish, paying £6.49 a month plus line rental for unlimited downloads. I can't watch YT videos full screen at anything greater than 360p, even if I let them buffer first, but that's down to my clunky 10 year old PC. Daughter's Win7 laptop and Wii can both stream iPlayer etc seamlessly all day long.
The cabinets around here have all got BT fibre stickers on them, but I can't justify the extra outlay at the moment.
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Sat 31 Mar 12 at 21:14
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Another option dog is make another the real master socket but it would involve connecting it to the phone line and string other sockets off it. So the other socket needs a connection to somewhere outside for the oh home line.
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All you need to do is to swap the existing master socket for a slave (never used) or connector box, and install the master socket where you like on your existing wiring. Just make sure all used slave sockets come after the master.
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I'll have to check out exactly where my nearest cabinet is, could be about a mile of copper away,
According to Plusnet, the BT engineer spends up-to 3 hours here so that would include swapping the master socket for a slave etc..
The package includes a Netgear router + a BT modem, that's the 3rd new router I'll have had in 6 months!
I think I've got to go for it though ya know, Lovefilm reckon they stream more films than send out DVD's, and I've got the telly for the job, so, bring it on!
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If you have a noisy line, BT should sort it for you. You should go through your ISP if they provide a phone and interest service.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Sun 1 Apr 12 at 00:01
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>> I'll have to check out exactly where my nearest cabinet is, could be about a
>> mile of copper away,
>>
>>
Ah, copper.
To be hoped you aren't cursed with aluminium cabling - Can of worms.
Link to BT infinity "community care" discussion
tinyurl.com/d7usb5c
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muchas gracias Señor Juan.
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I work from home a lot and use a lot of data so I can't wait for FTTC. FTTH would be better though, but as the cabinet is only 300 or so yards away it should make a huge difference.
After work, movies on demand should be a real bonus.
At the moment, despite living only 3 miles from the exchange I can only get 0.75 mbits/s.
I would happily pay £20 a month extra.
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GRR
Just checked and the estimated ready date for FTTC has been put back from the end of this April to the end of August 2012!
Not good as no doubt it will drift further!
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So ... is it copper, or is it aluminium comes into the equation :)
Interesting site that John, I found the cabinet comissioning process informative (and eye opening)
Trouble is they want you to sign up for an 18 month con-tract on the basis (in my case) of an estimated downstream line speed of 17.5Mbps and upstream line speed of 4.6Mbps.
It will cost me £16.50 which includes eve/wknd calls, well - I was paying Zen £18 years ago just for bb.
I'll give em a ring tomorrow and order it if only to stop the phone line noise and bb drop outs,
I know (as Stuart says) I should report that to Plusnet anyway, but I had a BT engineer here last summer who fitted a new master socket + cured a fault (at the exchange)
In the final analysis - Fibre op is the way to go.
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>> Trouble is they want you to sign up for an 18 month contract on the basis (in my case) of estimated downstream line speed of 17.5Mbps and upstream line speed of 4.6Mbps. It will cost me £16.50 which includes eve/wknd calls, well - I was paying Zen £18 years ago just for bb.>>
I've been with TalkTalk's AnyTime International3 package (no longer available) for six years to date and get AnyTime UK calls, Anytime international calls to 36 counties including Europe, US, Canada, NZ and Australia; "Up to 24Mb BB" (around 16Mb to 17Mb average at present) and line rental for £25.11 a month. Would be a pound less a month if I bought the annual line rental package.....
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I pays under £18 for bb, calls (eve/wknd) and line rental (annual)
I don't make so many International calls now that Brother Bin and Uncle Saddam are no longer with us.
:)
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>> I pays under £18 for bb, calls (eve/wknd) and line rental (annual>>
For anyone working, evening and weekend calls are fine and make more sense...:-)
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We'd be happy if we got mains gas. We've only just got mains sewerage. Fibre optic broadband would blow my mind.
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We don't get gas, water, or mains sewerage here L'es, but we do get FTTC :)
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>> but we do get FTTC
>> :)
"Fibre To The Cabinet (FTTC) utilises BT’s 21st Century Network. If an ISP already offers ADSL2+ services based on BT’s 21st Century Network then it is relatively easy for them to extend this to also offering FTTC. They use the same eCo Plus provisioning system for both. For the ISP FTTC is just another ordering option in a drop down box."
Now I understand!
:-)
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So, being I am already on the ADSL2+ service here, complete with new 'N' router, and this ere blimmin fibre optic cable is already con-nected to my nearest and dearest cabinet, one wonders why for art thy extra monthly cost.
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>> ...... one wonders why for art thy extra monthly cost.
>>
desirable product..
Market forces:
Gotta cost more.
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www.thinkbroadband.com/news/5160-origin-shows-what-speeds-vdsl2-can-achieve.html
I'm around 1600 m from my cabinet, so I should get around 17 Mbps downstream (if I sign up)
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Just read that BT are introducing some changes to their Infinity products. Prices are not changing but the speeds are a bit:
- Infinity 1 package - 38Mbps download but now 9.5Mbps upload
- Infinity 2 package - 76Mbps download and up to 19Mbps upload
Existing customers have to agree a new contract.... looks like I might as well get the upgrade :-)
I just spotted where on the BT site you can view your broadband usage.... apparently I average about 54Gb on average per month (combined download/upload figure)! So the capped Inifinity 1 package is not much use then.
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So ... my exchange is 2.6 mi from my home and the new Fibre cabinet is 1 mi from my home so that means 1 mi of overhead copper cable (should be fun)
This morning I went to the exchange to have a chinwag with the engineers there (there wasn't any)
Drove home and saw an Openreach van, had a chinwag with them and it turns out that the overhead cable could well be Aluminium in places but it would be a thicker grade of cable to cope with the loss compared to good old copper.
So I've placed the order with Plusnet, well - I tried to do that at 9.30am this morning but there was some issue about the order and the chap said he would phone me back ...
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>>could well be Aluminium in places
He would say that wouldn't he. Makes it less likely to be worth nicking. Perhaps he thought you looked sus.
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To see how much I might save for phone/broadband if I switched supplier I took a look at some sites last week. One of which was TalkTalk. I think I'd save £5/month but I'd lose some of the upload speed.
Yesterday someone rang from there to chat about how they can offer me a better deal. I pointed out my current download and upload speeds and he assured me they'd be the same... and then after about 5 minutes he was running through some stuff and then I asked him to confirm the upload speed - and it was up to 2Mbps. I said that wasn't as good as I get and he tried to say there's not much difference between 2Mbps and 8Mbps! Well one is four times faster than the other ;-)
I see the BT option 1 is speeded up so maybe TalkTalk would offer the same. I did ask TalkTalk about their faster speed option but they had no details.
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>> I pointed out my current download and upload speeds and he assured me they'd be the same... and then after about 5 minutes he was running through some stuff and then I asked him to confirm the upload speed - and it was up to 2Mbps. >>
"How fast is Superfast Fibre Optic Broadband?
Our current Superfast Fibre Optic Broadband network has the potential to deliver a maximum of up to 40Meg download speeds and up to 2Meg upload speeds. We will be offering up to 80Meg download speeds and up to 20Meg upload speeds soon."
>> I did ask TalkTalk about their faster speed option but they had no details. >>
"they" - who is they? You mean the clueless call-centre employee you spoke to.
Better to go their website:
sales.talktalk.co.uk/products/broadband/fibre-optic/
"When will Superfast Fibre Optic Broadband 80 be available?
We are planning to launch Fibre Optic Broadband 80 very soon. For our customers who have Fibre Optic Broadband 40, you will be able to upgrade to Fibre Optic Broadband 80 later this year. We will contact you by email when it becomes available giving you the option to upgrade."
I punched in my details, and got this:
for the standard £10 service "Your estimated download speed is 40 Meg Upload speed 2 Meg"
for the SFOB80 £15 service "Superfast Fibre Optic Broadband is planned for your line in December 2012. Your estimated download speed would be 48.8Meg and upload speed would be 8Meg."
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The estimate for speed on the TalkTalk site is the same as I get from the BT site - both using an Openreach service of course. I get an estimate of 66Mbps download and 20Mbps upload.
I'm undecided if I'll upgrade although it does not cost anymore per month. But you're then locked into a new 12 or maybe even 18 month contract.
For the TalkTalk product the £15 is on top of the other costs of phone line rental and broadband package. So it's more like £38pm.
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>> Perhaps he thought you looked sus<<
Well bathtub me ole son, it was they that looked 'sus' IMO and their van looked like it hadn't bin cleaned since the drought of 76/77, and don't blimmin ask me about the so-called telephone exchange - it looked like the loftwoofer had bombed it c1940/41, and it hadn't been touched since (NfC*)
*Normal for Cornwall.
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>> out that the overhead cable could well be Aluminium in places but it would be
>> a thicker grade of cable to cope with the loss compared to good old copper.
>>
Here's a list of the electrical conductivity (and other properties) of various metals. tinyurl.com/cf3hbgg
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>>This morning I went to the exchange to have a chinwag with the engineers there (there wasn't any)
Cutbacks! In my day you'd find a man and a dog. The man was there to feed the dog and the dog was there to stop the man touching any of the equipment.
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In your day there would be teams of men in brown overalls to adjust and clean all the clacking strowger switch gear.
Of course they wouldn't be, they would all be drinking tea except for the man running his screwdriver down the connection posts to make everyones phone in the street go "ting"
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>> In your day there would be teams of men in brown overalls to adjust and
>> clean all the clacking strowger switch gear.
I'd almost forgotten about those pale brown dustcoats - only available to maintenance staff.
>> Of course they wouldn't be, they would all be drinking tea
Where else would they go to eye up all the dolly operators? Don't forget that with the introduction of STD, you cannot contract sexual diseases from a telephone, but you can from a telephone operator.
;>)
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>>Here's a list of the electrical conductivity (and other properties) of various metals. tinyurl.com/cf3hbgg<<
Interesting site L'es, I'll ask for an upgrade to Silver cable I think :)
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Does anybuddy use their desktop pc wirelessly using a usb aerial I wonder, would it be a good idea for me to do that when (and if) I upgrade to Fibre rather than faffing about with extention leads?
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If you've got a couple of spare USB sockets, then I don't see why not. No different to a wifi enabled laptop or smart phone.
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That's what I would have thought DD, it's a fairly new pc so should be OK.
Plusnet haven't phoned me back yet btw :)
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Yup I have one desktop pc ruining on wireless usb dongle.
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>> Yup I have one desktop pc ruining on wireless usb dongle.
ditto, appears to work fine - it's this one, as recommended by Z and bought from Argos cos it's a good price:
www.argos.co.uk/ProductDisplayTRK019?partNumber=9255124
Last edited by: Focus on Fri 13 Apr 12 at 11:13
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So being my pc is 10 mtrs from my master sock, would you suggest a dangle would be worth considering if I go for this ere Fibre thingymabob, instead of all them blimmin wires and that?
My Lenovo functions admirably from that distance btw.
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For the speed you're likely to get Dog, going wireless should be fine. Especially if you get Wireless N. And should be okay if you got a faster connection from the Internet.
My Mac for example is next to the router and it connected to the BT Homehub at 104Mbps. But it's usually connected using Gigabit Ethernet via a switch (my BT Homehub is only 100Mbps). So the 100Mbps connection from the Homehub to the modem is a bit of a bottleneck if things got up to 100Mbps for the Internet connection.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 13 Apr 12 at 12:56
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Just checked the laptop which must only have a Wireless G connection or something. It is connecting at only 39Mbps and is only about 5 feet from the router... That's barely faster than my Internet connection and will soon be slower than it!
It is also usually connected by Gigabit Ethernet though.
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>> My Mac for example is next to the router and it connected to the BT Homehub at 104Mbps. >>
104?
I thought you were on the 40Mbps BT Infinity product.
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>> 104?
>> I thought you were on the 40Mbps BT Infinity product.
I am - I said my Mac connected to the router at 104Mbps which it does. The BT Openreach VDSL modem on the 40Mbps Infinity option 2 gets a connection about 37-38Mbps. Soon to be around 66Mbps.
My point was the connection at home can be a limiting factor for faster broadband, e.g. if I went for the Virgin Media 100Mbps option.
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>>For the speed you're likely to get Dog<<
Yep! - I'll give e'e a go Rob.
>>So I've placed the order with Plusnet, well - I tried to do that at 9.30am this morning but there was some issue about the order and the chap said he would phone me back ...<<
That was yesterday - still not heard from them :)
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>>Alternatively,
www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-PA211KIT-200Mbps-Powerline-Ethernet/dp/B004INVKP4 <<
That could well be the better option being the wireless signal would have to come through a granite wall ;)
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I assume you don't have wireless at all at the moment then? Most ADSL router/modems also have WiFi access points.
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I use a Lenovo laptop wirelessly and it performs admirably with my 'N' router but I'm just wondering how my desktop would perform when (and if) I go for Plusnet Fibre and have their new Netgear router connected to the master sock which is 10 mtrs from the desktop and around a corner with a granite inglenook fireplace in the way,
(i.e. no line of sight)
So mayhap the houseplug idea may be the better option (I'm thinking HD video isn't overkeen on granite!)
I'll probably just wait until the Openreach urchins install the gubbins and see what they they suggest,
and cross their palms with Silver ;)
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The Netgear router will not connect to the master socket. The router is connected to the BT Openreach VDSL modem (Huawei EchoLife HG612) which needs connecting to the master socket. But it can be plugged into an extension from the master socket because the Openreach engineers can install a socket in another room for it to plug into. And since this socket is connected to the master socket with CAT5 cable it does not impact performance.
My master socket is in the hall. My VDSL modem is in the office with the main computers and plugs into it's own socket there. The cable is run inside the house but they were willing to do it outside - but I did not want two holes drilled into the wall.
If you decide you really really do want both the VDSL modem and Netgear router next to the master socket then you have two device plugged into power there and it might look a bit unsightly.
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Ah, so its a CAT5 cable is it, I didn't realise that although it makes sense when I think about it.
The walls here are 2.5ft thick granite so not the easiest to drill holes through :)
I did wonder why I had to have a router AND a modem but you've made that clear now - thanks.
Plusnet still haven't got back to me so it looks like I'll have to give em a prod on Monday.
I shall put my thinking cap on Re: siting the router + modem, I may even move my desk into the dining room which I was thinking of doing anyway.
Cheers Rob.
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I decided to go for the renew contract on BT Infinity option 2 and upgrade - it's the same price and have no intentions moving etc.
Well this morning this site and others seemed a bit quicker... so far download speed is about 55Mbps (but might improve) and upload is now about 15Mbps. Might test again at a quieter time of day.
So with the revised settings at BT's end I'd hope dog got a fair speed even with the distance to the exchange. In fact anything below about 12-15Mbps is deemed to be a fault on the BT Openreach FTTC service.
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Wow! - 4.5 Mbps down :) 0.4 Mbps up :( ADSL2 +
Still not received a reply from Plusnet after phoning them last Thursday morn :}
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I think the limit is the test too. I've run the speediest.net test on the laptop and Mac at the same time and got more than that. Downloaded ubuntu 11.04 in just under 90 seconds - that's 695Mb. So it is impressive.
Now I don't think I'll make use of most of that speed most of the time! Many sites like Microsoft throttle bandwidth for downloads - or so it seems.
So get back onto Plusnet!
Last edited by: rtj70 on Mon 16 Apr 12 at 10:10
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>>So get back onto Plusnet!<<
:) its 0800 so will doody.
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Maybe having a Yorkshire call centre isn't always that efficient? :-)
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From my laptop (Core i5 something or other with two cores and hyper threading) and the iMac (just plain old Core2Duo at 2.66GHz and no hyper threading) the new speed seems to still be no faster than around 55Mbps. Which is very good.
Tried it from my rebuild Windows machine (which will also do ESX and Mac OS X if all goes as planned). Download speed is 65Mbps. Upload about 1Mbps faster than the others at 16Mbps.
Interesting? Until I test the new machine running Mac OS X Lion I won't know if it's just the faster machine or the network card. All connect using Gigabit Ethernet connections. One major difference is the new machine has 16Gb RAM and quad-core (hyper threaded) CPU at 3.4GHz.... not tried over clocking it yet and might do the opposite at time (Save on the electric!). With a good cooler it might get to 4.8GHz without too much problem.
Anyway dog.... get that order in.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 20 Apr 12 at 21:03
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Just had the Virgin free upgrade to 60mb connection (from 30mb). I wasn't due to get it till June but I called them yesterday to renegotiate my package, and that was one of the upgrades they offered.
Very fast it is too :-)
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I could get a good speed on VM but we think the UI on Sky is better. Not as flexible and all that for sure. And I check the price. To get our package (phone and BB with BT and the rest with Sky).... VM is more expensive.
So for upload speed what do toy get on the VM 60MB service?
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Speedtest.net is reporting 62.97 download and 2.84 upload at the moment.
I'd have to agree that the broadband doesn't come cheap but I looked around this week to see what I could get that was cheaper for a similar package and couldn't find anything. Most ISPs seem to cap you at some point, and many connections were 8mb tops.
It is all a bit academic as I don't download a great deal these days, but when I do, it doesn't take long!!
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>>Very fast it is too :-)<<
But then 30Mbps is like fast, so how fast is fast, compared to fast?
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Eh, I just thought I'd update y'all with my endeavours:
I decided against upgrading to fibre bb (yet) but I have upgraded to Plusnet extra which gives me 60 GB usage @ 5Mb download speed (approx.) which is more-than adequate for what I want.
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Fibre optic broadband is now available in my area - VxFan
