Anyone using a Zyxel p-660Hw t1 with ADSL2+

sinewave · ‎17-08-2007

I have a Zyxel router - the Zyxel p-660Hw t1. Is anyone else using this router successfully with ADSL2+?
I am having problems (can't sync at any other speed than 2489 no matter what I do) and I'd like to confirm other folk are are happy with this router with Plusnet and ADSL2+.
Thanks in advance

grahamt · ‎05-04-2008

Not exactly the same model - mine's a P660HW-61, which is (I think) a bit older than yours but shouldn't be very different.
It's been fine for me. I have had various problems with line speeds and at one time I wondered if the router was at fault, but it turned out that the problems were mostly due to the state of my phone wiring at home.
There are a couple of things you can do to see if you're significantly below the speeds you might expect. First, make sure the router is using ADSL2+ mode. With my router, you can see that by going to Maintenance, System status. My router says 'Standard: ADSL2+'. I can't see a way to set this from the Web interface - maybe it's possible via the telnet menus, but I've never had to try.
You can obviously get your sync speeds, and it would be useful if you could post your downstream attenuation rate and noise margin (via Maintenance, Diagnostic, DSL line, Downstream noise margin on my router). Then we can see if the speed you're getting is reasonable or not.
Graham

sinewave · ‎17-08-2007

Thanks for the reply.
Good to know there isn't any "known issues" as such, with ADSL2+.
My problems are indeed speed/sync related.
Until I switched over to 21CN, on ADSLmax I was getting sync speeds around 5Mb/s. My typical download speeds would be upper 4000. I had a reliable connection and never "saw" disconnects. Router logs showed I'd get some disconnects at random times - perhaps 3 or 4 a week would be a reasonable estimate (once a day but then, not all days!)
On the new BT ADSL2+ system, my router always syncs at exactly 2489 and the router shows ADSL2 (there's no + !). I've seen it once, for about 12hrs go to 4Mb-ish (and router showed ADSLPLUS) before going back to this magic number of 2489. At first I was getting a few disconnects - about the same as before or maybe a few more. Now I have moved my router to the master socket and it never disconnects at all. rock solid.
current stats
Upstream Speed: 444 kbps
Downstream Speed: 2489 kbps
noise margin downstream: 22 db
output power upstream: 18 db
attenuation downstream: 40 db
noise margin upstream: 22 db
output power downstream: 12 db
attenuation upstream: 26 db

I believe there is something very wrong. I first raised the issue on the 23rd dec. and apart from when they "updated my profile" which resulted in my 4Mb sync for 12hrs, little else has been done. I know its "that time of year" but its been pretty frustrating at my end.
Hopefully PN will get their finger out soon and help.
Any advice or suggestions welcome of course 😉

sinewave · ‎17-08-2007

BTW
I have another thread about my predicament here :
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,82134.0.html
I don't mean to "multi-post" about this 🙂

Stonk · ‎06-01-2010

Sinewave: I had your Zyxel and had problems with slow sync speeds when recently upgraded to ADSL2+. Plusnet sent me their latest Thomson V7 wireless router and the problem immediately resolved itself.
As it happens I am now experiencing peak time slow down as are others in this newsgroup, but I assume that's due to a completely different cause.
Cheers

grahamt · ‎05-04-2008

Sinewave - your attenuation's about the same as mine (yours is 40 down / 26 up, and mine's 38/23. A while after I switched to ADSL2 I was put on a banded profile, during which time I was syncing at 3066/805 - my upstream speed wasn't capped. Before I was banded I could sync at about 5500, but the line wasn't very stable.
Since I got the bell wire disconnected from my phone line(s), my speed has improved. I'm now syncing at 6653/805. I think I'm still on a banded profile, but it's a higher band. I reckon I can do a bit better than this, and maybe the trial announced by Dave in this forum recently will allow me to test this.
If you've got the right sort of master socket, it might be worth fitting an i-Plate (NTE5 filtered faceplace) to it. I think this has the same effect as disconnecting the bell wire. You can read more about this at http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/lowSNR.htm (you'll need to scroll down a bit).
If you're getting ADSL2 displayed (without the '+') that might be a problem. Some routers allow you to control the mode you connect at, but i don't think the ZyXEL's let you do this easily (at least, mine doesn't).
You can ask PN for your upstream speed to be uncapped. I doubt whether it will make a big difference to your downstream speed, and I reckon you should be able to sync at around 800kb/s.
Graham

jd678 · ‎09-08-2008

Had one, and had problems with it and ADSL2.
On the public firmware it refused to sync on ADSL2 & 2+. Force the modem to use ADSL and it synced fine. Commands are in this thread http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/577010.html if you want to play with forcing a different standard.
Zyxel magicked up some non public firmware which allow it to sync. Horrendously unstable sync and full of curious bugs; Zyxel completely uninterested in trying to sort it out.
Got relegated to being an access point for a while, now gathering dust as I inherited one of the plusnet supplied thomsons.

sinewave · ‎17-08-2007

Hmm. Its a bit worrying how many of you have had problems. I bought this thing just a couple of years ago (or so) to be "future proof" - and after a fair bit of research as to what would make a reliable, controllable router/gateway. It is still available and is pushed as ADSL2+ compatible.
Anyone using one with ease?
What is now considered the "best" router? I would not class myself as super geek with the net but I do run a NAS drive that I use (amongst other things) as an FTP server to deliver stuff to my work colleagues. I need it to be able to configure things easily (and I can't be doing with telnet/command line stuff.
Those Thomson routers do not fill me with confidence - maybe I'm wrong.
netgear any good these days?

BTW
Grahamt...
I have my router connected directly to the master socket with a filtered faceplate and I have no phone extensions (and hence no bell wires to worry about). Thanks for your thoughts - good confirmation!

I can remember the hassles with ADSLmax - it caused me to completely re-think my home's wiring and I ended up reading up enough to get a degree in broadband communications (well, thats what it felt like). It seems like I'll have to go through the whole process again for adsl2+. Just when ADSLmax seemed to be working well too. grrr. WHY CAN"T WE JUST HAVE FIBRE TO THE HOME AND BE DONE WITH ALL THIS FREAKING ANALOGUE RUBBISH.
(...and breathe...)
😉
Thanks all - all comments are so very welcome.

ramidoodle · ‎28-09-2008

I think the best way to progress is to try and reset your SNR margin, I'll check with BTw tomorrow and let you know.

sinewave · ‎17-08-2007

Hey, thanks Ramidoodle.
I have a support ticket open about my issue BTW , ID: 31333197.
I'd appreciate some action on this.

sinewave · ‎17-08-2007

I was just looking at my history on the the plusnet speedtester.
I was moved to 21CN early december. Can you tell?

Date Download Speed Upload Speed
Today 21:38 1819 kbps (227kB/s) 376 kbps (47kB/s) Share
Tuesday 22:15 1963 kbps (245kB/s) 351 kbps (43.9kB/s) Share
Sunday 16:37 1808 kbps (226kB/s) 371 kbps (46.4kB/s) Share
Dec 30, 17:16 1929 kbps (241kB/s) 376 kbps (47kB/s) Share
Dec 28, 13:48 1006 kbps (126kB/s) 336 kbps (42kB/s) Share
Dec 23, 15:17 1926 kbps (241kB/s) 375 kbps (46.9kB/s) Share
2009-11-22 22:42 4216 kbps (527kB/s) 368 kbps (46kB/s) Share
2009-10-29 22:40 2386 kbps (298kB/s) 351 kbps (43.9kB/s) Share
2009-10-21 21:44 4085 kbps (511kB/s) 374 kbps (46.8kB/s) Share
2009-10-07 19:35 4080 kbps (510kB/s) 377 kbps (47.1kB/s) Share
2009-09-26 21:28 4138 kbps (517kB/s) 379 kbps (47.4kB/s) Share
2009-09-06 01:31 4186 kbps (523kB/s) 378 kbps (47.3kB/s) Share
2009-08-18 00:49 4229 kbps (529kB/s) 378 kbps (47.3kB/s) Share
2009-08-08 16:29 4278 kbps (535kB/s) 377 kbps (47.1kB/s) Share
2009-07-13 19:52 4148 kbps (519kB/s) 375 kbps (46.9kB/s) Share
2009-06-30 14:02 4126 kbps (516kB/s) 378 kbps (47.3kB/s) Share
2009-05-25 20:48 3637 kbps (455kB/s) 367 kbps (45.9kB/s) Share
2009-05-06 13:51 4281 kbps (535kB/s) 378 kbps (47.3kB/s) Share
2009-04-18 15:43 4350 kbps (544kB/s) 376 kbps (47kB/s) Share

sinewave · ‎17-08-2007

Going back to my original question, I see on the page linked below that plusnet actually **supply** the ZyXel Prestige 660H. Surely this means my 660HW (W meaning inc wireless, presumably) will be fine.
http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/speed_guide/adsl2+_faq.shtml
sigh...

dvorak · ‎11-01-2008

There are some new-ish firmware here are those suitable?

Customer / Moderator
If it helped click the thumb
If it fixed it click 'This fixed my problem'

sinewave · ‎17-08-2007

Cheers Adiewoo.
Yeah, I noticed recently that Zyxel have brought out an update for their Prestige routers, mine included. And there is a very recent version released on 29/12/09. I've installed it but its made no difference to my sync etc.
Your link was for a slightly different router to mine but if anyone is after the update its easy to locate any of the routers from your link.
Any chance of an update Rami? I got all excited that something might happen after your post!
Time to make a phone call to support me thinks.

sinewave · ‎17-08-2007

New question...
I've just phoned support and they tell me I have had 18 disconnects since last monday. My router logs say I have had no disconnects at all. The only disconnects I am aware of are the ones I have done myself such as when I updated the firmware or "tried something" with the configuration - and this wouldn't have amounted to more than one a day.
Why would PN see disconnects on their logs when I don't see any on my logs? Are these some sort of "special disconnects" or something?
As the tech support op could not tell me anything other than "the problem is being dealt with" I am left wondering if anything is being done at all. Could I just be in a massive queue of to-dos?

Anyone using a Zyxel p-660Hw t1 with ADSL2+

Anyone using a Zyxel p-660Hw t1 with ADSL2+

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