cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Plusnet IP profile

maranello
Pro
Posts: 1,267
Thanks: 200
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Plusnet IP profile


What is the mechanism to update my PN IP profile (currently 500kbps) in line with that quoted from the BT Speedtester (750kbps as of 6:30 this morning)? I made a change last night (unplugged a filtered phone from an extension), and now both the router and Speedtester stats are reporting an increase in sync rate from 512kbps to 1216kbps. In fact. throughput was reported as ~620kbps, which I thought I would not be able to get if the PN profile was restricting it to 500 kbps.
My other car isn't a Ferrari
20 REPLIES 20
Chris
Legend
Posts: 17,724
Thanks: 600
Fixes: 169
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Plusnet IP profile

Our system will pick up the updated profile from BT, IIRC this happens twice a day but I can't remember what times. I'll go give it a nudge manually now for you.
*edit*
I've just checked your line in the BT reporting system and it's showing the IP profile is actually 135 due to a low sync on the 16th. I've still given the profile on our side a nudge to 750 as per the speedtest result.
Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.
maranello
Pro
Posts: 1,267
Thanks: 200
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Plusnet IP profile

Thanks Chris.
There's probably no need to do a manual change as I'm currently at work and the router is powered down. Will the automatic update still take place if the router is not synchronised to the exchange?
As an aside, what is the most likely culprit which is restricting the sync rate (corded phone, filter or extension wiring)?
*edit*
Just noticed edit to your initial response. Can you tell me at what time the low sync occured on the 16th? I was messing about a bit with my extension wiring on Monday evening as it took a little while trying to connect.
My other car isn't a Ferrari
maranello
Pro
Posts: 1,267
Thanks: 200
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Plusnet IP profile

It seems like the purple patch is over. Having enjoyed dizzying download speeds of almost 800kbps for a week, something has bumped my sync rate and now my IP profile is down to 250kbps. This is presumeably because my router reported a download sync rate of 224kbps yesterday morning.
It seems that if I want to track down the cause of these resync events that plague my connection, I'll have to go through the fault checker tests again, which have so far been inconclusive. My router has always been plugged into the main socket, I've swapped filters, run for a period plugged directly into the test socket, double filtered the DECT phone, disconnected the bell wire at the master socket, and unplugged a phone from an upstairs extension. The impact of most of these measures has been difficult to ascertain due to the variability of my line stats. Apart from getting the line checked, the only thing left to check is the router, which is a voyager 210 supplied by PN 5 months ago. I spend far too much time fiddling about with connections and recording router stats and BT speedtester results than using my connection for doing something useful.
Maybe I'll just leave it alone for the weekend and finish off the decorating. I always feel much more mellow after a couple of hours breathing in paint fumes! In the meantime, any further suggestions would be gratefully received.
My other car isn't a Ferrari
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Plusnet IP profile

Hiya,
Would you mind reconnecting to the internet so I could run a couple of tests on your line to see how it's performing currently?
maranello
Pro
Posts: 1,267
Thanks: 200
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Plusnet IP profile

Hi Jameseh,
Unfortunately I'm at work right now. I'll ask my wife to power up the router when she gets home, this may not be before 1.00pm. I'll report back once this has been done.
My other car isn't a Ferrari
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Plusnet IP profile

Thanks Maranello.
maranello
Pro
Posts: 1,267
Thanks: 200
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Plusnet IP profile


Hi Jameseh,
Router should now be powered up and synchronised. Current configuration is with router plugged into master socket via filter, DECT phone double filtered into same, no extensions plugged in.
Before you ask, I can't ask my wife to plug the router into the test socket or unplug the DECT phone as this will involve moving heavy furniture. If this needs to be done just let me know.
Thanks, maranello
My other car isn't a Ferrari
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Plusnet IP profile

Hiya,
It's currently syncing at 1408Kbps, so it just looks like another blip on your line Sad
Have you thought about getting a filtered faceplate installed at all to try and improve the quality of sustained signal to your router?
maranello
Pro
Posts: 1,267
Thanks: 200
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Plusnet IP profile

Hi Jameseh
I have considered a filtered faceplate, in response to advice in other threads. But due to the apparent randomness of the line performance I thought that I had identified the cause to be firstly the extension phone, then the DECT phone (hence the double filter), then interference from the bell wire. I thought that I had eliminated the extension wiring as a potential source of interference since a continued period of operation plugged directly into the test socket still resulted in erratic router stats, and on this basis a filtered faceplate simply becomes just another filter, and I seem to have enough of these now. In fact, it is the intermittent nature of my connection which makes the source of the problem difficult to diagnose.
I think I'll try the 'quiet line' phone line test, see if I can borrow another router, and some monitoring of router stats.
1408kbps is going some for my connection which has a downstream attenuation of 63db (the one stat that has been constant). I would settle for half that speed if I could get fewer blips, as it seems that the profile gets raised up to the point where the download speed becomes unsustainable. I thought that the training period was supposed to derive a maximum stable rate, could this be possibly set too high?
I'll report back on progress, include some router stats, and do some research on filtered faceplates. But I must finish that decorating!
Thanks, maranello
My other car isn't a Ferrari
prichardson
Grafter
Posts: 1,503
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Plusnet IP profile

Quote from: maranello
Router should now be powered up and synchronised. Current configuration is with router plugged into master socket via filter, DECT phone double filtered into same, no extensions plugged in.

Can you give further details why you are running a double filtered scenario?
In theory, this is not going to impact the DSL, provided the modem is into the DSL socket of the first filter connected to the wall socket itself, however a double filtered situations is never good overall and should not be needed in any shape or form.
If it is requied then you either have a problem with the filters, or the DECT phone.
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Plusnet IP profile

Good luck with the decorating!
I don't think it's a problem with your 'target' being set too high.  I think it's just a case of the levels of noise on your line being variable.  If you like, we can always try requesting BT to raise your target noise margin another 3dB to give you a (hopefully) more stable service, but you'd probably be looking at 800-1000Kbps.
maranello
Pro
Posts: 1,267
Thanks: 200
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Plusnet IP profile


@P Richardson
The advice to double filter the DECT phone came from
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,64586.msg520720.html#msg520720
@ Jameseh
I don't really understand what the difference is between a set noise margin and the noise margin reported by the router (I guess I should re-read your guide). In my router stats log this has varied between ~24db and 5.9db for downloads.
If I can eliminate any contribution to the variability of the noise from my side of the master socket I will try to do so, but if the variability is due to the line characteristics and not an underlying fault then raising the target may be the solution. I'd be happy to try this to see if it makes a difference, what would be the best way to monitor the effect of this change?
maranello
My other car isn't a Ferrari
maranello
Pro
Posts: 1,267
Thanks: 200
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Plusnet IP profile


Update
Have been monitoring router stats since Friday. Sync rates have fallen successively from 1408kbps to 256kbps, each reduction occuring on powering up after a period when the router was powered down. Conversely, IP profile (Plusnet) over the same period has risen from 250kbps to its current 1000kbps (unfortunately I haven't checked the BT profile). I'm wondering if powering down the router could be seen as noise and affecting the BT profile or target noise margin, but I don't know how to check this. Using the Voyager 210 there doesn't seem to be a clean method of shutting down the router, clicking the disconnect button causes the Internet light to go out temporarily whilst the DSL light stays green.
I hope to do some more systematic tests this weekend, e.g. unplugging phones, swapping filters, using the test socket, and the quiet line test. I have a corded phone connected via a filter to an extension socket, and I have noticed that this is a pulse rather than tone dial, but it seems to work ok for making/receiving calls so I'm hoping this will work for the quiet line testing (i.e. if will it recognise when I press the button for option 2).
My other car isn't a Ferrari
maranello
Pro
Posts: 1,267
Thanks: 200
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Plusnet IP profile


What has happened overnight? I was downloading at ~800kbps yesterday evening, no resyncs recorded in router stats this morning, but my Plusnet profile is currently only 250kbps.
My other car isn't a Ferrari