New fibre install - diary/problems/etc

[#1]

Quote from: vultura

Thanks for sharing your experience pieplanter.  I didn't even see what van the to guys who installed mine were driving, but they weren't wearing anything with a BT logo on.  There was a company name written on the back of the hi-vis they were wearing, but I didn't make a mental note of it.

Here in Cornwall BT OR are overwhelmed with new fibre orders and it's not unusual to see / hear of engineers being draughted in from other regions.  
And, the other thing I forgot to mention, BT OR didn't offer the extension kit I ordered through PN either.  It seems that communication between PN and BT OR is a little flakey
dick:green Quote fixed.

[#2]

Hi all,
vultura and pieplanter I've noted what you've mentioned about your engineer visits. TBH at this stage I'm not aware that the installation engineers should as a matter of course be offering to call ahead of the visit and offering data extension kits but I do intend to get this fedback to the management of our provisioning teams to see if this can be fed back and queried with our suppliers as although we're not carrying out these installs ourselves directly we'd still like to do all we can to ensure a good quality of service.
@vultura 
I can see that an engineer is due to visit on the 3rd for your fault. Please let me know how things go both in terms of if the engineer is helpful etc and how your issue has progressed.

[#3]

Even though I was using 200Mbs Homeplugs, I could only get a maximum of 20Mbps through them, even on 80/20 FTTC.
Ok, I know you've tried it without Homeplugs, but there's always a possiblity that the throttling is being done at the PC end.  Can you get anyone else to try their laptop or PC on your router and see what speeds they get?  The fact that your profile isn't dropping does seem to indicate that there are no errors from the modem to the exchange and that the bottleneck is somewhere between your PC and the modem (i.e. the PC or the router).
I've had incredible success altering the RWIN setting on all my Windows PCs, something that I only realised when looking at the difference between Windows and my Linux server.
(see Post 136 onwards here:  http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,108456.0.html)
-Dave

[#4]

Quote from: _Adam_Walker_

Hi all, vultura and pieplanter I've noted what you've mentioned about your engineer visits. TBH at this stage I'm not aware that the installation engineers should as a matter of course be offering to call ahead of the visit and offering data extension kits but I do intend to get this fedback to the management of our provisioning teams to see if this can be fed back and queried with our suppliers. @vultura  I can see that an engineer is due to visit on the 3rd for your fault. Please let me know how things go both in terms of if the engineer is helpful etc and how your issue has progressed.

Thanks for reply Adam, nice to see a PN staff member is monitoring threads like this.
The extension kit is offered as part of the package when fibre is ordered via the website.  In my case I assumed it was just a long cable from master socket to OR modem, thought I could leave it coiled up hidden away behind furniture and then if I decided later to move modem I could do so easily and it was free so I added it to my order.
http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/fibre/fibre_faq.shtml#installWhere
Quote:
7. Where will the engineer install the new master socket and BT Openreach modem?
The engineer should be able to install the service wherever you like, subject to the following requirements:
  1.The BT Openreach modem must be connected directly to your new master socket.
  2.Your router needs to be connected to the BT Openreach modem with the included Ethernet cable.
  3.Both will need to be plugged into a power outlet.
If your master socket isn't in a convenient place (e.g. if there are no nearby power outlets or it's in a garage or attic), the engineer can fit a data extension cable. This will allow you to install the BT Openreach modem up to 30m away from your master socket. If required, the engineer can pin the cable to a skirting board and door frames but may not be able to drill holes in your walls or run it under carpets.
Also, if you're going to use wireless, you'll get a better signal if you can place the router close to where you'll be using broadband the most.

As for the engineer calling ahead it mentions it on the PN literature supplied with the TG582n router and on your website -
http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/fibre/fibre_faq.shtml#onTheDay -
Quote:    
* Call to let you know when they'll start working on your line and when they'll arrive at your property (make sure you're in)
* Temporarily cut off your telephone line while they work. This won't be for too long but make sure you have a mobile handy if you need to make or take a call on the day
* Install your new master socket faceplate (and extension cable if required)
* Connect the BT Openreach modem to your line and make sure that the DSL light turns green
I will be updating this thread as things progress (or not as the case may be).

Quote from: lorisarvendu

Even though I was using 200Mbs Homeplugs, I could only get a maximum of 20Mbps through them, even on 80/20 FTTC. Ok, I know you've tried it without Homeplugs, but there's always a possiblity that the throttling is being done at the PC end.  Can you get anyone else to try their laptop or PC on your router and see what speeds they get?  The fact that your profile isn't dropping does seem to indicate that there are no errors from the modem to the exchange and that the bottleneck is somewhere between your PC and the modem (i.e. the PC or the router). (see Post 136 onwards here:  http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,108456.0.html) -Dave

Thanks Dave. 
My homeplugs are synced with each other at over 100Mbps, would expect them to give more than 20Mb download (I might be wrong though).
I have tried without homeplugs too, so netbook straight into back of router, but speed tests came out the same.  Have tried with PPPOE using netbook to modem, speed the same.  Have tried wireless G from netbook and n-lite from Atom desktop, with similar speeds each time.
Thinking it might be an issue with throughput on Atom based devices, I have tried my Quad Core gaming rig which runs Vista Ultimate 64-bit (through homeplugs) and it gave similar results.  I cannot lug that and the monitor etc downstairs to test without homeplugs.
Last night I got out my older Pentium 4 HP laptop running XP and hooked that into the router with lan cable, guess what the speed tests came back the same as before.  I couldn't get it to connect via PPPOE, just gave a (I think) 769 error.
I do have another xp laptop I could try on ethernet later if need be, but I am starting to suspect the modem or line is at fault.
I also tried last night a different router (Asus RT-N11), as I expected the speed was the same.
Just before 2am this morning I noticed the internet light on the router was red, I logged into the control panel and the router was disconnected.  I pressed connect, but it failed giving an error - concentrator not reachable.  I left it until this morning, when I tried it connected first time, though I could not browse for a minute or so.

[#5]

It looks like you've tried a lot of permutations.  However, there are a couple of issues there which could still give you a 20Mbps download speed on testing, and not actually be the same issue as you're getting with the TG582N.
1. As already seen, speedtests through Homeplugs will certainly give you around 20Mbps download speed.  Even on 200AV Homeplugs.  Mine do that.  Yes, they sync at over 100, like you, and yes they say 200Mbps on all the specs.  But Speed tests through them still give 20Mbps, even though I'm now on 72Mbps without.  It seems to be a limitation with the way Homeplugs transfer data, and I suspect that the Sync rate and the speeds the web pages quote are a bit of creative marketing.
2. Your ASUS RT-N11 is at least 4 years old now, so it's quite possible 20Mbps is the highest transfer rate it is capable of.  Back in 2008 fibre was unheard of, and most cable speeds were no more than 20Mbps, so this router would have been perfectly fine back then.  Now? Probably not.  I know from whence I speak because I have a US Robotics 8004 Router as a spare.  Plug it in and do a speed test?  20Mbps.  The documentation says 200Mbps half-duplex, but I only get that on LAN to LAN transfers.  As soon as routing kicks in, the performance drops.  It's an old router and it just can't cope with fibre speeds.
So you see that both your Homeplugs and ASUS are suspect.  Once you eliminate them, it leaves you with just the connection and your TG582N router...and it still could be your router.  Do you know anybody with a router that is proven to run at higher speeds, that you can borrow and test?

[#6]

Update.
Last night I ran a long ethernet cable from the router direct to my desktop.  As I suspected the same speed results as before.  I then tried with my gaming rig, same speed. 
I then tried a direct connection from gaming rig to OR modem using PPPOE and ran a speedtest, it came back slower at 9Mb.  I re-ran the same test straight away and the speed inceased by a factor of 6.  It was almost like someone had unblocked a water pipe and the water gushed out....
I then put the TG582n router back into the mix, with ethernet straight to gaming rig and although the speed had dropped it was still over 50Mb.
Further tests show that homeplugs do indeed create a slower connection than I thought, with maximum figures of 30Mb and that slower/lower power processors or older hardware may give poor speed test results.  So don't expect lightning speeds if you have that kind of PC/Laptop.
Interesting I also tried a connection with a 300Mb wifi dongle to the TG582n, it could barely manage to connect at 1Mb.  In the same position it could connect to a TP-Link TL-WR1043ND 300Mb with gigabit router at over 50Mb.  Sadly I could not speed test the internet as the TL-WR1043ND would not connect to the OR modem using PPPOE.
So it seems my internal network and hardware is the issue now.

[#7]

Is this http://community.plus.net/library/broadband/fibre-help-how-to-set-up-a-pppoe-dialler-in-vistawindows... what you tried when you connected your computer direct to the modem?
( or this http://community.plus.net/library/broadband/fibre-help-setting-up-a-pppoe-dialler-for-windows-xp/ ; for XP).

[#8]

Quote from: Anotherone

Is this http://community.plus.net/library/broadband/fibre-help-how-to-set-up-a-pppoe-dialler-in-vistawindows... when you connected your computer direct to the modem? ( or this http://community.plus.net/library/broadband/fibre-help-setting-up-a-pppoe-dialler-for-windows-xp/ ; for XP).

The one time it failed (P4 Laptop) was XP, have connected successfully using PPPOE on XP and Vista.

[#9]

On advice from w23 this afternoon I disconnected and powered off the router, then modem.  Left both off for approx 2 hours then powered up modem, waited for dsl light to go green and then powered up router.
Through homeplugs the results are the same.  No time as yet to drag cable up the stairs to test direct lan connection to router.

[#10]

Right I got out the 10metre cat5e cable, linked it to router and then took it upstairs.
Have done 4 speedtests via thinkbroadband.com, 2 different PCs and 2 different connections to router.  That way anyone reading this thread may understand why they are getting lower results than they expected.
Asrock ION Atom based nettop running xp, connected using 200Mb homeplug

Asrock ION Atom based nettop running xp, connected using cat5e cable

Intel Quad Core (Q Series) gaming PC running Vista 64Bit, connected using 200Mb homeplug

Intel Quad Core (Q Series) gaming PC running Vista 64Bit, connected using cat5e cable

You may notice that the Atom based nettop gives higher uploads when on homeplugs than being cabled directly.

[#11]

Nice illustration vultura!
Amazing just what can 'slow down the connection'.  My little netbook similarly isn't capable of a decent speedtest even if connected direct to my router.
What's the BT speedtest giving for your IP profile now?  (does the ethernet connection on the gaming PC give what it should?)

[#12]

Quote from: w23

Amazing just what can 'slow down the connection'.  What's the BT speedtest giving for your IP profile now?  (does the ethernet connection on the gaming PC give what it should?)

Yes, it just goes to show what a difference your own hardware can make.
When I did some tests a few days ago I took some photos of the results, just never got around to posting them up.  Please forgive the lack of quality....

[#13]

Picture quality is just fine, thanks for posting them.
61.1Mb/s is probably a perfectly acceptable real speed (certainly wouldn't slow any normal online activity - at worst it might add a modest percentage to download times).
For comparison, My FTTC syncs at a little under 60 Mb/s (BT IP profile just under 57 Mb/s), speedtests usually about 50 Mb/s (or slightly under), just run one on TBB:

[#14]

What differences eh?  And the highest speed shows that your connection is in fact ok, and the various permutations of hardware give wildly different results.  As in all IT situations, detailed diagnosis often produces unexpected results.
I wonder how often this scenario plays out:
1. Punter gets consistently low speeds but has little alternate hardware to check it on.
2. After various attempts at diagnosis fail, PN book out an engineer
3. Engineer finds nothing wrong and says speeds are acceptably high
4. Punter slags off PN and moves to another ISP
You definitely need to try a newer router.
-Dave

[#15]

An interesting thought Dave, I wonder how much "churn" there is caused by customers own hardware.
Forgot to add my details from member centre:
Estimated line speed:
    55Mb (Accurate to within +/- 1Mbit) - Checked on 2012-10-04 10:57:58
Current line speed:
    78 Mb