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ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

racquel
Grafter
Posts: 181
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Registered: ‎21-11-2008

ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

Living in mid-Wales, this was of interest to me: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-16338904
Quote
Faster broadband for Welsh rural areas by summer 2012
Much of Wales has the worst broadband provision in the UK, according to a survey by Ofcom
BT has announced that another 130,000 homes and businesses from 33 communities will have access to faster broadband by the summer of 2012.

When I asked Plusnet about when, they pointed me to http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/ADSLChecker.TelephoneNumberOutput which says:
Quote
Your exchange is ADSL enabled, and our initial test on your line indicates that your line should be able to have an ADSL broadband service that provides a fixed line speed up to 2Mbps.
Our test also indicates that your line currently supports an estimated ADSL Max broadband line speed of 2Mbps; typically the line speed would range between 1Mbps and 3.5Mbps.
Your exchange is planned to have ADSL2+ by 31st May 2012. Our test also indicates that your line currently supports an estimated ADSL2+ broadband line speed of 2.5Mbps; typically the line speed would range between 1Mbps and 4Mbps. Our test also indicates that your line could support an estimated ADSL 2+ Annex-M broadband upstream line speed of 500Kbps and downstream line speed of 2.5Mbps; typically the downstream speed would range between 1Mbps and 4Mbps.

Wow! A whole extra half a megabyte! I can hardly contain myself. SUPERFAST FTW! Still, if it means iplayer works, that'd be worth having.
But when I look around the Plusnet site, I see the link is to: http://usertools.plus.net/exchanges/ which says:
Quote
BT have announced a ready for service date for this exchange. The estimated go live date is between 1st November 2012 and 31st January 2013.

So, conflicting info there; am I to wait 1 month or 7-10 for this new blistering fast experience?! I need to know when to start putting the White Lightning and Lambrini on ice...
23 REPLIES 23
adamwalker
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
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Registered: ‎27-04-2007

Re: ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

Hi there,
The first link (the BT checker) is likely to be more accurate, so I would go by the information that gives. Also bear in mind that the estimated ADSL2 speed may appear differently after the exchange has been upgraded.
So I'd hang fire until the upgrade has gone ahead before checking that again.
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Adam Walker
 Plusnet Help Team
Anotherone
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Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

Adam, why should the Usertools data be inaccurate?  We've been discussing VP Status and MSO's here. Perhaps you could have a chat with Alex Rolls, Phil R & Mark so that this is taken into account.. Thanks.
adamwalker
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 16,871
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Registered: ‎27-04-2007

Re: ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

Quote
why should the Usertools data be inaccurate?

I don't know why Anotherone, but without meaning to rubbish the PUG tool we do use the BT checker as an authoritative answer, i.e if an exchange shows as being upgraded to WBC that then means we're also able to place the relevant orders for upgrades.
I will mention it to those chaps though.
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Adam Walker
 Plusnet Help Team
racquel
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Registered: ‎21-11-2008

Re: ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

The mystery deepens (and, possibly, gets disappointing!).
I know we've already discussed the difference between the BT Wholesale and the Plusnet User Tools outputs, but then a friend on BT in the same town called them about it today and THEY said it was 29th August!
So, to summarise, we have 3 arms of BT here: BT Wholesale, BT Retail and Plusnet (a division of BT).
If I put my phone number in each of the following, here's what I get as of 10/05/2012:
http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/ADSLChecker.TelephoneNumberOutput
Quote
Your exchange is planned to have ADSL2+ by 31st May 2012. Our test also indicates that your line currently supports an estimated ADSL2+ broadband line speed of 3Mbps; typically the line speed would range between 1.5Mbps and 5.5Mbps. Our test also indicates that your line could support an estimated ADSL 2+ Annex-M broadband upstream line speed of 500Kbps and downstream line speed of 3Mbps; typically the downstream speed would range between 1.5Mbps and 5.5Mbps.

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=25795
Quote
Faster BT Total Broadband. We're currently upgrading our network to bring you broadband with speeds of up to 16Mb.
Estimated speed:3Mb Availability: 29-August-2012

http://usertools.plus.net/exchanges/
Quote
BT have announced a ready for service date for this exchange. The estimated go live date is between 1st November 2012 and 31st January 2013.
This was last updated 27th February 2012

Confused? I am! Fingers crossed the wholesale date is the correct one...
w23
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Re: ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

BT Wholesale definitely should be the more accurate (though dates can change), I think it's fair to say that the upper end of the estimate also tends to be more indicative of what you're likely to get as long as you don't have any line fault so, all being well, you could well be looking at 5.5Mb+ reasonably soon.
Call me 'w23'
At any given moment in the universe many things happen. Coincidence is a matter of how close these events are in space, time and relationship.
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racquel
Grafter
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Registered: ‎21-11-2008

Re: ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

Oh dear - the date kept going back and back ... the current ADSL2+ "go live" date according to BT Wholesale is ... "Your exchange is planned to have ADSL2+ by 30th June 2014".
As soon as two years time? Wow. I'm almost dizzy with excitement (and sarcasm!). Ho hum.
jim:quote
BRABUS
Grafter
Posts: 664
Registered: ‎12-01-2010

Re: ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

Don't worry about dates going back and back.  My exchange did that.  In fact it went so far back it vanished off all BT lists for an upgrade date.
Then randomly this month with no warning at all our exchange was upgraded.  Even BT sites didn't show it as happening so don't give up hope.
racquel
Grafter
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Registered: ‎21-11-2008

Re: ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

So, here we are 5 months later, and like BRABUS' experience, suddenly we find, without announcement, that we are live on ADLS2+.
In fact, the ADSL checker says two different things:
For my phone number, it says:
Quote
Your exchange is ADSL enabled, and our initial test on your line indicates that your line should be able to have an ADSL broadband service that provides a fixed line speed up to 2Mbps.
Our test also indicates that your line currently supports an estimated ADSL2+ broadband line speed of 2.5Mbps; typically the line speed would range between 1Mbps and 4Mbps.
Our test also indicates that your line could support an estimated ADSL 2+ Annex-M broadband upstream line speed of 500Kbps and downstream line speed of 2.5Mbps; typically the downstream speed would range between 1Mbps and 4Mbps.

For my postcode, it says:
Quote
Your exchange is ADSL enabled, and our initial check on your postcode indicates that your line should be able to have an ADSL broadband service that provides a fixed line speed up to 1Mbps.
Our check also indicates that your line should be able to have an ADSL2+ broadband service that provides a fixed line speed up to 1Mbps. However due to the length of your line the 1Mbps service may require an engineer visit who will, where possible, supply the broadband service.
Our check also indicates that your line currently supports an estimated ADSL2+ broadband line speed of 3Mbps; typically the line speed would range between 1.5Mbps and 5.5Mbps.

I've attached some images to show the kind of speed we've been getting, right up until today. These are measure via BT's Official "full" speed test, MyBroadbandspeed, Speedtest.net and my Samknows Whitebox.
So, this is it - ADSL2+.
09/01/2013 12:50:00
Download speedachieved during the test was - 1.25 Mbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 1.2 Mbps-7.15 Mbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :4.29 Mbps(DOWN-STREAM), 0.83 Mbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 3.5 Mbps

Oh, and here's another thing: When I check what Plusnet say my line profile is, they list it as 1.5Mbps.
Could this discrepancy between the two be causing problems?
Here's my modem stats for today:
Line state	Connected
Connection time 4 days, 14:44:43
Downstream 4,288 Kbps
Upstream 832 Kbps
ADSL settings
VPI/VCI 0/38
Type PPPoA
Modulation ITU-T G.992.1
Latency type Fast
Noise margin (Down/Up) 6.6 dB / 7.0 dB
Line attenuation (Down/Up) 49.0 dB / 29.0 dB
Output power (Down/Up) 19.1 dBm / 11.9 dBm
Loss of Framing (Local) 0
Loss of Signal (Local) 0
Loss of Power (Local) 0
FEC Errors (Down/Up) 0 / 0
CRC Errors (Down/Up) 1532 / N/A
HEC Errors (Down/Up) N/A / 409
Error Seconds (Local) 2279

What do those numbers look like? Any good?
TBH, if this is the "superfast broadband" I've been waiting for, if this really is "the best it gets" for the next 6 years or so, I'm gonna have to go satellite or something.
Sigh.
jelv
Seasoned Hero
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Re: ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

Plusnet should have your current line speed set the same as the IP Profile.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
ejs
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Re: ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

Quote from: racquel

Modulation ITU-T G.992.1


The G.992.1 implies you are still on ADSL1.
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
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Re: ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

Have you been paying the extra £7.83 for Max Premium (faster upload)?
Could you run the diagnostic test at http://www.speedtester.bt.com/ please. Does it report your upload speed?
Edit: Scrub that - the next post has clarified
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
racquel
Grafter
Posts: 181
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Registered: ‎21-11-2008

Re: ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

Quote from: ejs
The G.992.1 implies you are still on ADSL1.
Oh  Sad
Quote from: jelv
Have you been paying the extra £7.83 for Max Premium (faster upload)?
Yes.
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

You are still on 20CN - you need to be asked to be moved to 21CN - it will take 5 working days from when the order is placed.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: ADSL2+ speed and dates - which site to trust?

With your attenuation the increase in speed will not be that great - but you will get faster upload for free.
Watch out for your upload being capped at 448 at first - if it is you will need to ask for it to be uncapped.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)