Your internet BB speed ?

[hellymedic]

We've found no difference between wired and wireless connections. Many of our Apples have no ethernet port. The connection does feel better than the glacial 2Mbps I had before April 3rd. 'Up to 40' was 37 'up to 76' is 40...

[AndyK]

If the phone wiring is old will they replace it?

[ian]

If the phone wiring is old will they replace it?

They'll lay a data extension cable up to a certain length (which I can't remember) between modem and wireless box. I doubt they'll touch any wiring you have after the master socket as that's yours to contend with. As to the wiring before the box, that's BTs and they'll only meddle if you can convince them that it's broken. That's a bit like convincing the witchfinder general that you're just a lady in a pointy hat who likes cats.

[AndyK]

If the phone wiring is old will they replace it?

They'll lay a data extension cable up to a certain length (which I can't remember) between modem and wireless box. I doubt they'll touch any wiring you have after the master socket as that's yours to contend with. As to the wiring before the box, that's BTs and they'll only meddle if you can convince them that it's broken. That's a bit like convincing the witchfinder general that you're just a lady in a pointy hat who likes cats.

I meant the wiring that comes into the flat to the phone socket.

Modem? No wireless router?

[hellymedic]

If the phone wiring is old will they replace it?

Not inside your house.
You'd be extremely lucky if they replaced the wiring as far as the master socket. I doubt they would do this. Ours is ancient.
You are not supposed to interfere with anything before the master socket.

[hellymedic]

If the phone wiring is old will they replace it?

They'll lay a data extension cable up to a certain length (which I can't remember) between modem and wireless box. I doubt they'll touch any wiring you have after the master socket as that's yours to contend with. As to the wiring before the box, that's BTs and they'll only meddle if you can convince them that it's broken. That's a bit like convincing the witchfinder general that you're just a lady in a pointy hat who likes cats.

None of them have touched the spaghetti that runs from the junction box¹ we share with our neighbour, runs over the front door and enters the house through a window at the side of the house. The master socket is on this window's sill.

1) This junction box had no cover for many years



and was only replaced by a cycling friend of David's who worked for BT Openreach. Replacing the box made no difference to our then paltry speeds.

I would not be surprised if this old spaghetti is now speed-limiting for my broadband.

[AndyK]

That's what worries me. I live in a 126 year old flat, and the phone wiring isn't much younger from the looks of it!

[hellymedic]

This place was built in 1932. Man next door has lived here since...

[Fidgetbuzz]

Pretty shit really, due to being at the far end of a 3 mile cable down to the nearest exchange.  Thankfully my employer pays most of the bill or BT would have had the big FO by now. I know they can't   do much about it but I resent paying so much for so little.
When BT rang to offer me BT Vision ,I told the woman it would be waste of time and she actually agreed with me after looking at the speed test.
Short vids a la Youtube are O.K but a football match is just a joke. It took me 3 hours to download a TV programme .

Close match here in rural Norfolk - slightly better for both up and down speed - but not material.

[TimC]

That's what worries me. I live in a 126 year old flat, and the phone wiring isn't much younger from the looks of it!

Mine was built around 1350, and I suspect the phone wiring predates that. May have something to do with my pathetic "Broadband" speeds!

[hellymedic]

That's what worries me. I live in a 126 year old flat, and the phone wiring isn't much younger from the looks of it!

Mine was built around 1350, and I suspect the phone wiring predates that. May have something to do with my pathetic "Broadband" speeds!

 

Srsly early adopters will have ancient wires.
You might be better off somewhere where people only acquired their landlines recently, like Rotherham...

I do wish the telcos would replace old spaghetti before the lines failed totally but our ability to use mobile networks when landlines fail, removes any urgency to fix things.

[ian]

If the phone wiring is old will they replace it?

They'll lay a data extension cable up to a certain length (which I can't remember) between modem and wireless box. I doubt they'll touch any wiring you have after the master socket as that's yours to contend with. As to the wiring before the box, that's BTs and they'll only meddle if you can convince them that it's broken. That's a bit like convincing the witchfinder general that you're just a lady in a pointy hat who likes cats.

I meant the wiring that comes into the flat to the phone socket.

Modem? No wireless router?

As mentioned, the external wiring is BTs and they won't invest money fixing it without evidence there's a problem. I believe the lines must meet certain standards, if it fails the tests then BT will fix: there is a objective measure of how good the line is. Of course, BT's threshold may be lower than you like. They're not going to reinstall all the wiring for a few extra kilobits per second. If in doubt, ask them to test the line.

Infinity has a separate modem (declared by my wife, she of the many cushions, to be ugly) and router (less ugly) rather than an integrated unit. I have been instructed to hide them. She has a point, the modem is a largish 1990's style white box. Orange LEDs are just so over.

[AndyK]

They'll lay a data extension cable up to a certain length (which I can't remember) between modem and wireless box. I doubt they'll touch any wiring you have after the master socket as that's yours to contend with. As to the wiring before the box, that's BTs and they'll only meddle if you can convince them that it's broken. That's a bit like convincing the witchfinder general that you're just a lady in a pointy hat who likes cats.


Infinity has a separate modem (declared by my wife, she of the many cushions, to be ugly) and router (less ugly) rather than an integrated unit.

So I've got to have two units plugged in and running instead of just my current router? Sounds a bit primitive. Any idea what the thinking is behind such a retrograde step? Can I just use my existing router? I hate have lots of tangled wiring and this sounds like it'll be exactly that.

[Feanor]

Infinity has a separate modem ... and router ... rather than an integrated unit.

Can I just use my existing router?

No.

I suspect your existing router may well still sync and work, but only at the existing ADSL speeds.   To gain the extra speed from the Infinity service, you need new VDSL kit.

But you don't have to use the BT kit, you can purchase an all-in-1 unit if you like.

Google for 'vdsl router'.
The Draytek ones seem to get a good write-up.

[Jaded]

This place was built in 1932. Man next door has lived here since...

That must be a tad inconvenient. Do you have a bathroom rota?

[hellymedic]

This place was built in 1932. Man next door has lived here since...

That must be a tad inconvenient. Do you have a bathroom rota?

 

Next door is next door...

[ian]

They'll lay a data extension cable up to a certain length (which I can't remember) between modem and wireless box. I doubt they'll touch any wiring you have after the master socket as that's yours to contend with. As to the wiring before the box, that's BTs and they'll only meddle if you can convince them that it's broken. That's a bit like convincing the witchfinder general that you're just a lady in a pointy hat who likes cats.

Infinity has a separate modem (declared by my wife, she of the many cushions, to be ugly) and router (less ugly) rather than an integrated unit.

So I've got to have two units plugged in and running instead of just my current router? Sounds a bit primitive. Any idea what the thinking is behind such a retrograde step? Can I just use my existing router? I hate have lots of tangled wiring and this sounds like it'll be exactly that.

I presume there aren't many integrated suitable VDSL modem/routers available and the modem supplied by BT is automatically recognised by their network. Google indicates there are a few other options out there [crossed with Feanor].

Like I say, the modem is rather industrial. This is the new corner of shame that I am under instructions to 'make pretty' because being the home of the cats' litter box, it was oh-so-nice before. There are wires and wall warts, of course. The white box is the modem.

[hellymedic]

The modem and the router each have their own wallwart and Cat5 cable is needed to connect the two.
The modem needs a phone line in from the master socket (obv) and the router has 4 ethernet ports you might choose to use.
Unless you go all wireless, spaghetti central approaches!

[ian]

Well that was all a going a little too well. For some reason my Mac Mini desktop is stuck at ~4Mb/s download (with a decidedly asymmetric 15 Mb/s upload). Wireless signal is fine. Mac Mini next door runs full rate, MacBook right here runs full rate, WinXP runs full rate, Media Centre downstairs runs full rate.

Deleting entries, changing channels, PRAM reset, vigorous shaking and repositioning have no effect. Of course, which computer do I use the most...

[hellymedic]

What's a PRAM reset?
Have you restarted the router?
Have you connected any slow, archaic equipment by ethernet?

[ian]

What's a PRAM reset?
Have you restarted the router?
Have you connected any slow, archaic equipment by ethernet?

Yes, the usual stuff applied. It's nothing obvious. I don't think it's hardware, otherwise there wouldn't be a faster upload. I apply my usual axiom: wireless is magical when it works – when it doesn't, it's the devil's arse breakfast. It seems somehow, perhaps coincidentally, stuck at the pre-Infinity speed. Something is blocking the pipe. I'll need to wander downstairs and try a wired connection, see if it's more general. Then create a new account. Then start randomly nuking things until something gives. I spy a future of tedium. I should probably outsource.

[hellymedic]

Mine's dropped a little.


It is raining so the string may be wet.

[Feline]

I am so pleased, my local telephone exchange is to be upgraded next week and my broadband should then become faster. This is great news for simonp too because when he is working from home here the internet becomes treacle at 4pm when all the kids in the village get in from school and his work stuff stops working.

[Ham]

A small side effect of the recent upgrade to Ms Ham's TV provision...



 

[TimO]

We have Cat5 snaking across the hall and up the stairs.
I do not like it and it's a trip hazard as I can't lift my feet.

Get a couple of HomePlug units (or similar).  They're not terribly expensive, and will essentially send an Ethernet connection over the mains.  All of the ones I've seen have worked out of the box with no configuration.  You just plug them in, and plug the Ethernet connections in at each end, and they work.  They're far faster than WiFi, so don't noticeably impact upon the performance of most home connections.

I bought a couple for one of my colleagues, who mostly works from home, and has her office upstairs, but the ADSL router downstairs, near the door (as it is for many people), and they've worked flawlessly, and in essence totally transparently (plus if you do use WiFi elsewhere, it'll reduce the RF congestion a bit).