Computer Related > New router Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Dog Replies: 15
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 Sun 4 Dec 11 10:13 
 New router - Dog
My broadband connection leaves a lot to be desired at the best of times but, trying to watch Zeds choo choos last night was the final straw i.e 0.9 Mbps!!

So, I've reported it to Plusnet, gorn through their checks upto the bit about trying a different router (ain't got one)

I've looked at some Netgears on Amazon, I don't wanna pay a lot, I run one Novatech D/top via an E/cable and one Lenovo lappy wirelessly,

Any reccs please?
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 Sun 4 Dec 11 11:20 
 New router - Falkirk Bairn
IMHO your problems are more likely to be line / pc problems - no real improvement with a new router.

My experience of 2 years ago was very slow system - reported via AOL - replaced router with no change (Netgear replaced by d-link) - they then threatened me with £130 bill to get BT to look at the wiring - I had the house connection checked by the BT neighbour to ensure the wiring was OK internally. They then replaced the connection in the exchange - no change then changed the pairing in the street outside my drive and at the box at the bottom of the street - BINGO 4Mb+.

6 months ago-

My laptop was struggling, replaced Vista with Win 7 and the whole system went like the wind - until the hardware failed / repaired and then intermittently faulty again. New laptop runs 100% - currently get 6Mb
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 Sun 4 Dec 11 11:59 
 New router - RattleandSmoke
Most likely to be an internal wiring fault on one of the extensions. You need to remove the face plate on the main box and connect the router directly to that, see if it makes a difference, if it does the problem is internal, if its still he same it is external. If it is external BT have to sort it out free of charge.

It could be a router fault and even a faulty microfilter but the router is the last thing I would try.
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 Sun 4 Dec 11 12:40 
 New router - Dog
Thanks FB and R&S, I had a bunch of problems when we moved here 7 months (already!) ago,

I'll try your suggestion Rattle Re: the master socket, just means I'll have to get an aerial thingy for my D/top,

I'll try some different microfilters as well while I'm abou tit ;)

The D/top and the lappy are new BTW FB, running windows 7
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 Sun 4 Dec 11 12:53 
 New router - smokie
The comment above about something outside rings a bell. Before I used cable I had connections over BT, and they had used some sort of splitter in the road to add additional lines without having to pull new cables - can't remember the name of it now. But they came along, put me on my own line and it then worked a treat.
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 Sun 4 Dec 11 13:05 
 New router - Dog
Now I'm 'on the case' I'll get it sorted eventually, if I can't play Black Magic Woman by Carlos on the Tube without dropouts, I tend to resort to pfd words :)
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 Sun 4 Dec 11 13:11 
 New router - zippy
I suspect its the weather. I have been advised by an electronics engineer friend that performance does drop when it is very cold.

Mine has dropped from about 1mbs to 0.4mbs.

Can't wait for fiber, even if it is just to the cabinet, it will hopefully be better than what we have at the moment!
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 Sun 4 Dec 11 13:19 
 New router - zippy
Just tested it again. Its 0.4 mbs down and 0.5 mbs down. It is usually slower down than up which is strange.

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 Sun 4 Dec 11 13:27 
 New router - Dog
Not so cold here in Cornwall zippy = 10c ... still blimming cold compared to Tenerife though :)
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 Sun 4 Dec 11 14:05 
 New router - rtj70
When I first got broadband via NTL cable about ten years ago that was 512kbs down and maybe 128kbps up (can't remember the up speed for sure). Over the years it became 600kbps, then 1Mbps, then via 1.5Mbps, 4Mbps and when I moved it was 10Mbps. Faster speeds were available and now I could get 100Mbit/s if I wanted it here. But I am on a contract with BT and happy with the speeds I get, particularly uploads for work purposes.

Just remember the slowest 'broadband' speed NTL offered back at the start was 128kbps! But with so much Flash, images etc. on web pages now compared to then you need something a lot faster.

To rule out the house wiring I think I'd disconnect all extensions and phones from the master socket and plug the router in there and see what you get. And don't use any micro filters at all. They are used by the phones to filter out the ADSL signal.

How are extra phone sockets wired BTW? I ask because when I got BT Infinity all the engineer could get at the start was around the speed you're seeing. Line tested and that was showing fine. He then asked about other phone sockets. Turns out the master socket in the hall isn't the point where the phone line enters the house. That is in the cellar. And off that junction box was wired the master socket and a line that went upstairs - known as star wiring. Disconnected the upstairs sockets and then the speed went from 0.4Mbps to 38Mbps.
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 Sun 4 Dec 11 15:52 
 New router - Dog
Thanks Rob ... I've just watched one of my favourite films on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciTfov3_jMQ and there were no dropouts during the 1.5 hours, but it's a B&W film in low def unlike Cecille B DeZeds HD productions which I can't view,

There is only one ext. socket, and that's the one I use for my desktop, I did have a BT enginner here some months ago when I couldn't get on-line at all, turns out to be a fault at the exchange at that time, when they fixed the prob I was getting 2Mbps but the Internet and Ethernet lights on my router are always freaking out and suffer many dropouts during the course of one day!

So, as I said - I'm 'on the case' now, and will play with microfilters and try plugging the router into the master socket to see if there is any improvement.
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 Sun 4 Dec 11 16:57 
 New router - Dog
I've just carried out a speed test on my laptop and the speed is the same as my destop (surprise,surprise!)

Speed Down 920.19 Kbps ( 0.9 Mbps )

Speed Up 172.63 Kbps ( 0.2 Mbps )

Port 8095

So I'll plug the router into the master sock and then repeat the speed test on the laptop, saves me lugging the desktop into the other room see, clever ain't I ;}

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 Sun 4 Dec 11 17:41 
 New router - VxFan
>> Before I used cable I had connections over BT, and they had used some sort of splitter in the road to add additional lines without having to pull new cables - can't remember the name of it now.

Are you thinking of DACS (Digital Access Carrier System)?

I thought that only affected dial up speeds, not broadband. Just prior to going over to broadband, BT went and DACS'd my phone line halving my 46k dial up speed down to approx 20k. They had to come back out and climb the pole again to remove the DACS from my line so that broadband could work on it.

EDIT - Following info taken from:-

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Access_Carrier_System

DACS and modemsThe 56kbit/s speed of analogue modems can only be achieved if there is a single digital to analogue conversion in the route from the ISP to the end user. Since DACS involves an additional conversion to digital, and then back to analogue, this means that the maximum possible bitrate over a DACS line is 33.6 kbit/s. Furthermore, many 56kbit/s modems are unable to successfully negotiate even this speed over a DACS line. DSL broadband internet connections cannot work on a DACS line as they rely on a copper pair running all the way to the telephone exchange.

Since BT's traditional telephone line service is contractually only required to support voice and fax communication, BT are not obliged to remove a DACS because of problems with 56kbit/s modems.

Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 4 Dec 11 at 17:44
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 Fri 23 Dec 11 15:17 
 New router - Dog
I've connected my new 'N' router up (free from Plusnet) carried a speedtest, and the results are ...

Exactly the same as they were with the old one (Haha!)

So, I'll have to see how I get on with the upgrade to ADSL2+ on the 5th of Jan - next year!
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 Sat 24 Dec 11 07:22 
 New router - Falkirk Bairn
4th Dec I wrote:

>>IMHO your problems are more likely to be line / pc problems - no real improvement with a new router.

I was right, for once at least.

Hope January brings you a fast new connection.
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 Sat 24 Dec 11 09:55 
 New router - Dog
That's right FB - I was amazed to see exactly the same speed as I had before i.e. 1.8 down 0.4 up,

But at least I've now got a spare router :)
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