First ten days

[#1]

Awful 
Luckily, we can easily fit a filtered faceplate. A meg's difference means it's worth doing, in my book. I guess once it's fitted, that the BT IP profile increases over time as the new, higher, stable sync rate is maintained?
I was shocked plugging into master socket. We got a 3.5mb estimate on signing up, but plugged into the test socket it actually synced at just shy of 4!

[#2]

OK just to clear up a point or two, yes fitting a filtered face plate is worthwhile if you have extension wiring that you wish to continue to use for telephones or other POTS (plain old telephone service) devices such as faxes, sky boxes, dialup modems etc. especially if the wiring is not using uptodate cable to CW1308. It also saves using a filter on each of these devices. The modem/router must be plugged into the ADSL socket on the filtered faceplate, or the faceplate must be one of the ones that enable you to run a separate cable (CW1308) for the ADSL to a dedicated ADSL socket. Using a filtered faceplate also saves on using a plug in filter.
If extension wiring is old and you don't need it, disconnect it, and if you are happy to plug a filter in at the Master socket, you don't need a filtered faceplate.
As far as some of the benefits (or otherwise) of doing this in the first 10 days, sorry to say too late, but it should not stop you improving your installation as soon as possible. Because you have synced at a lower speed already, your Fault Threshold Rate will have been set at a lower speed than maybe your line warrants, never mind.
If you don't sort your wiring/installation now, there is a risk of noise levels causing sync drops which may result in the Target SNRM being raised. This will mean you get lower sync speed.
Here is one important piece of advice - When you need to swap things around for testing/repair/alteration or even do more than one resync, powerdown your modem/router and wait several minutes before unplugging anything that disconnects it from the line eg. it's cable, the filter, master faceplate etc. Don't do this more than twice in an hour, and then leave it alone for the rest of the day during the training period. This is to help prevent the exchange DLM from thinking you have an intermittent line problem. After the training period you can get away with more cycling during the hour (not that you should do unnecessarily).
You've already been advised about syncing during the day, with current weather patterns/RF propagation, I'd advise between 9.30am. & 3.pm. for the best sync speed. Note that if your noise margins get too low in the evening, you may loose sync and sync at a lower speed. Do not attempt to resync then as this will compound matters (unless you get a really silly low sync speed). If this happens as a result of static from lightning, switch off and wait, ideally until daytime as already explained, but at least until the lightning has finished. This advise isn't so critical if you live close enough to the exchange, that is with DS line attenuations better than 30dB.
Finally in your first post that bit you said came from PN, where exactly did that come from? Is is misleading.
When you next sync, check your modem/router's ADSL line Stats immediately after the sync (goto  http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.php - if you need guidance for many Modem/Routers).
The Noise Margin (SNRM) at that instant gives you a guide to the current Target SNRM.
If you post the Downstream(DS) & Upstream(US) data - sync/connection rate, Noise Margin, Attenuation and Power it will give us a good idea of what your line is like.
Once you have synced in the day (hopefully at a good speed) you should not need to resync unless you get a low sync event, or the sync speed was somewhat lower than you believed you had previously. However, do not resync if your current SNRM is below 6dB, and do not do it if the SNRM is below the last current Target. Wait a day or two and look again.
Hope that helps. If you could answer the question above and post your current stats (preferably just after a sync)  we might be able to give more advice.

[#3]

Thanks, all, for going to the extent you have to help. Much appreciated.
Anotherone, thanks for the skinny there. Yes, I'm pretty familiar with why one might use a faceplate etc. And you're absolutely right - perhaps I should have fitted one before syncing for the first time. I'll just blame the pressures of moving and having 1287 things to do, my brain was not firing on all cylinders. As yet, I've been lucky, and not had any re-syncs that weren't instigated by my own sausage fingers. I'm a little confused there though - does that mean that even after fitting the plate (which will be done in a couple of days), my Fault Threshold Rate is now set in concrete at the pre-fitting value? Will this have a knock-on effect on what I can expect throughput wise? Perhaps in my ignorance I thought that once the plate was fitted, and the higher sync rate was established as stable, that my IP profile would eventually raise ergo a better connection?
Noted re: swapping bits around. Even during the install re-syncs are going to be kept at the absolute minimum. This had crossed my mind, too.
Incidentally, PN support have confirmed the same - certainly no detriment to the connection if I fit the plate now. But, as you seem to be suggesting, I'm starting to think there may not be a whole lot more benefit now 
In answer to your questions, the PN support page I got the information from is here:
http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/speed_guide/high-speed.shtml?supporta=highspeedguide#ten_days
I will try and post some stats, the next few days are going to hectic, mind.
Cheers.

[#4]

Quote

I thought that once the plate was fitted, and the higher sync rate was established as stable, that my IP profile would eventually raise ergo a better connection?

Pretty much correct, if you stay stable at a higher sync, your IP profile will increase and you should see a better throughput speed.

[#5]

The figures that Anotherone was talking about are the ones that BT take to determine if your system is working between set limits, if it is they wont investigate a slow speed fault  If you get the BT speed test done, you will find these figures there.

[#6]

@manfromthezoo, FTR has no impact on throughput, the worst impact of the lower FTR would be if you have a speed problem.
You can find out more about this here.
Say your FTR is 1000, but after fiddling with the internal wiring you manage to get 3500 throughput, if you develop a speed problem it would need to drop below 1000 before your FTR is breached.
The above figures are random as I don't currently have access to the relevant system to see what your actual MSR and FTR are.

[#7]

Again, thanks all. I  can't imagine getting this sort of service with another ISP or community.
My faceplate has been dispatched now.  I'll get that fitted. Or rather daddy will fit it with his loving hands. I'm also intending the mount the router near it on the wall. God forbid, lest the world be ready for my DIY prowess. I'll get that all sorted, and let it settle for a few days. Following which I'll pop back to this post and let you know how I got on.

[#8]

Quote from: manfromthezoo

I'm also intending the mount the router near it on the wall. God forbid, lest the world be ready for my DIY prowess.

Take a word of advice.  Gripfill or No Nails is *not* the best solution here.
B.

[#9]

@ Barry Zubel - get out of my head 'Busted' comes to mind.
Actually, I think I can rest it nicely on a disused plastic box on the wall.

[#10]

Well, the faceplate is fitted and I've synced over a meg faster  - and it's nice and stable.
Will leave it connected now for 5 days or so, and see it my BRAS profile goes up. If it doesn't, I can raise a ticket to get it prodded manually, right?

[#11]

Not usually - only in the case of a stuck profile.
I wouldn't bother too much as that part of the system does seem to work - albeit rather slowly

[#12]

That's a decent improvement, good work.
The profile should lift within a couple of days.

[#13]

Marvellous. Job jobbed, then.
Thanks all round.