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Speed Suggestions.

OshB5
Grafter
Posts: 232
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Speed Suggestions.

Hello
Right iv not asked in here for about 4 or so years and at that time my speed was 500Kbps and you managed to help me get it up to just over 2000Kbps.
I think it is time to ask again.At the moment I am getting in the region of just over 3000Kbps. My Members Center shows me as 2700Kbps
But up untill a few weeks ago I was using a 7 year Old Thomson 870wl router which sometimes dropped out 3-4 times a day or sometimes lasted 4-5 days without dropping out hence my downstream margin was like over 16Db.
I have replaced the modem with a slightly newer Linksys 354G V2 which is about 6 years old. (yes I know Noah is still looking for it to put it back in his Ark) and have repositioned the modem/router at the side of the master socket wired into the test socket
The modem stats are now as follows.
DSL Status:  Up  
      DSL Modulation Mode:  NOT TRAINED  
      DSL Path Mode:  INTERLEAVED  
      Downstream Rate:  3277 Kbps  
      Upstream Rate:  439 Kbps  
      Downstream Margin:  10 db  
      Upstream Margin:  22 db  
      Downstream Line Attenuation:  48  
      Upstream Line Attenuation:  30  
      Downstream Transmit Power:  0  
      Upstream Transmit Power:  0  
         
PVC Connection
          Encapsulation:  RFC 2364 PPPoA  
      Multiplexing:  VC  
      QoS:  UBR  
      PCR Rate:  0  
      SCR Rate:  0  
      Autodetect:  Disable  
      VPI:  0   
      VCI: 38   
      Enable:  Yes  
      PVC Status:  Applied.
What I would like to know is If a snr reset might help me? I know the modem is old and is in need of updating. Will that help? As I am looking to upgrade to a new one but it must have N wireless at least possibly faster (mmm I am still only using g LOL)  Also the router part needs to have gigabit ports. As I am updating the network with a NAS and Media Player with streaming built in.
At the moment I can watch stuff I have locally on my system but anything else such as streaming from the net needs more speed than I can get so is forever buffering or just sat with a blank screen so all the channels I have on my RoKu ae no good at all unless I can get some more speed.
What would you say I ought to be getting? People withing 20 yards of me get nearly 3 times as much and on BT copper lines. Is there anything else I could do to help me get better speeds.That is without going fibre because I am disabled and just cannot afford it although it is a big part of my daily life having nearly 0% mobility
So any help or suggestion will be greatly recieved So will the suggestion or recommendation of a new or nearly new modem/router.
Thanks Osh
52 REPLIES 52
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,920
Thanks: 9,537
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Speed Suggestions.

Hi OshB5,
It is not so much raw speed you need, as error free transmission.  There is (or was) a reason why your SNRM is sat at 10dB.  Either the target is 9dB due to persistent historic problems, or you've done a resynch in the presence of line noise, which whilst it has gone has allowed the SNRM to rise to the reported value.
Is there any noise on the line?  Dial 17070 select option 2.  If there is any nose on the line, you need to ask your phone provider to investigate and fix this first.  Check for this regularly, especially after the phone has rung.  Were the line disconnects associated with an inbound call?  If es, then this is a problem for your phone provider.
With the reported attenuation on the line, you should be able to do better, but not the 3x figure claimed for your neighbours.  Can you find out what is their line attenuation figure please?
@DCT - what s the target SNRM please and how stable has the connection been like over recent weeks?  Is there optimism that the router change has indeed brought stability such that a retrain would be beneficial?

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Pettitto
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 6,346
Fixes: 5
Registered: ‎26-11-2011

Re: Speed Suggestions.

Hi all,
Thanks for posting back OshB5. I've attached such information that Townman has asked for. You can see your connection graph here:
<img src="http://community.plus.net/visualradius/generated/image1391767696186.png"/>
There's no Interleaving on your line which is encouraging as this would have been put on automatically if your line was starting to error. I think an SNR Reset would be fine as the drops look to be related from you swapped  your router over and perhaps tinkered with some of it's settings.
If you'd like for me to go ahead with an SNR Reset, I'm happy to get that done for you, it'll certainly improve things for you.
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,920
Thanks: 9,537
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Speed Suggestions.

Chris,
RRT graph - out of interest what does this show please?
Lowest on the day?
Highest on the day?
Average on the day?
That at a specific time on the day?
Looking at the resynchs on 2nd, 4th & 5th against the RRT graph to me raises a question about how good is the line.
2nd SNRM is plotted as 4dB - does this imply a 3dB target or the SNRM drifted down to that value sometime during the day?
4th SNRM is plotted as 9dB - does this mean the target moved or this was the best / worse value that day?
5th SNRM is plotted as 8dB - similar questions
The marked rise of SNRM over the last day without disconnections is though encouraging!
Kevin

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Pettitto
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 6,346
Fixes: 5
Registered: ‎26-11-2011

Re: Speed Suggestions.

The RRT Graph shows you on a day by day basis where the SNRM has been (at it's lowest) as you've correctly assumed.
Looking at the line from our side, it looks to be of good quality at the moment and I see no reason not to do an SNR Reset to see how things go.
As mentioned before, I'll get a guide up[ for the BRAT and RRT Graphs when I get a little more free time. If you've any specific questions in the meantime, feel free to drop me a PM and I'll do my best to answer.
OshB5
Grafter
Posts: 232
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Re: Speed Suggestions.

Hello Chris and Townman
Thank you for your interest been asking in a couple of places but had forgot about the one that mattered which is here...
Things might have gone over my head a lttle now LOL
The full story is that I took out the old Thomson which was upstairs but it was hardwired with Cat5 cable into the downstairs master socket and terminated in the bedroom via a BT extension socket Then out via BT Filter then to modem/router. But where it was sited was in a area with a couple of electronic items. So thinking this may have been the reason for drop-outs and restarts. So to get two birds with one stone I replaced the modem with the Linksys and re-sited it to the side of the master socket.
And since I did that in It has never dropped out other than me changing something which needed the reboot Then the last twice was first my daughter pulled out the power supply to plug in her acrylic nail polish dryer LOL and finally I unplugged it last time a few days ago simply because when I had plugged it back in after the daughter thing it was at night and it was showing downstream margin of between 2-3Db So was advised to reboot it during daylight to get a truer reading and that is the last time it was powered down.
But when all said and done the Linksys354G V2 is still 7 years old is it not? I do have one Plus net sent me a few years ago but apparently the wifi is quite weak so never used it and I am looking towards at least N wifi and the possibility of gigabit ports like I had said in my original post
Townman
I did the 17070 quite test first  time it was quite. I rand my line from my mobile then ans and then hung up mobile first then my phone. I did the test again and there was buzzing on the line but seamed to be fading the longer the test went on. I hung up and rang it again for the third time and the line was quite this time. And I know the test will be right as I did the test with a proper engineers test phone Something left over from my alarm installing days when we had to hook the alarm into the phone line  for the ARCs or police many many years ago.
""BTW"" I still have a set of stats from the old Thomson780wl which was about the start of the new year when I started to look into all this
From the Modem DSL Connection
Link Information
Uptime: 0 days, 7:35:37
Modulation: G.992.3 Annex A
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 443 / 3,399
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [MB/GB]: 229.38 / 3.60
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12.5 / 0.0
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 29.0 / 51.5
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 21.5 / 15.0
Vendor ID (Local/Remote): TMMB / IFTN
Loss of Framing (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Power (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Link (Remote): 0
Error Seconds (Local/Remote): 70 / 0
FEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 0
CRC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 80
HEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 41
And now you see why I changed from this modem although the Stats reporting was super unlike this one the other told you much more. Then again you can set up a lot mor setting on this one. But hopefully will be changing it soon.
Thanks again guys,
Regards Osh.


Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,920
Thanks: 9,537
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Speed Suggestions.

Hi,
But if this modem was connected in the bedroom, the reported figures are not surprising.  Could you consider using this modem in the master socket please?  If yes, then it might prove more than adequate and provide better diagnostics.  The age is not essentially anything to worry about - unless the power supply has gone squiffy (is generating noise) I'd not be overly concerned by the age.
Cheers,
Kevin

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

OshB5
Grafter
Posts: 232
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Re: Speed Suggestions.

Hi Kevin
I can get the other one out and put it in to see what its like? Iv just bought a Sitecom Wireless Gigabit Modem Router N300 WLM-4501 X4 4-Port Wireless N Router I have just got to wait for it to come now.
Regs Osh
OshB5
Grafter
Posts: 232
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Re: Speed Suggestions.

Hi again.

I changed the modem back to the thomson 780wl this morning at 8am
Straight away you can see the downstream margin went back up to 15dB as it was before  and the reson I did the swop?
Also quite a few CRC and HEC errors Anyway full stats below.
DSL Connection
Link Information

Uptime: 0 days, 7:47:13
Modulation: G.992.3 Annex A
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 443 / 3,411
Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [MB/GB]: 158.25 / 1.83
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12.5 / 0.0
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 29.0 / 52.0
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 22.0 / 15.0
Vendor ID (Local/Remote): TMMB / IFTN
Loss of Framing (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Power (Local/Remote): 0 / 0
Loss of Link (Remote): 0
Error Seconds (Local/Remote): 50 / 0
FEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 0
CRC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 51
HEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 15
So would you suggest i put the linksys back in? or wait and see how this one works or if it starts to drop out again like before?
Or just wait till the new one come next week sometime?
The may be a little problem with the one I won which is item 281258635877 on It says its a Sitecom Wireless Gigabit Modem Router N300 X4 4-Port Wireless N Router.
and in the listing says the Item is a  WLM-4501 which is where it gets strange as for two reasons
The first was the starting price which was £4.99 and I won it for the £4.99 but if you look these modem/routers are going for between £80-£100 so either it was over looked or others know something I dont..
The other is that the modem/router it is advertised as is shown in the photo of having two external antennas But I cannot find any Sitecom modem/routers that have any external antennas?
But for £4.99 I think it was worth the risk LOL.
If it dont work out I had been thinking of the TP Link TD W8980 or at a push the
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,920
Thanks: 9,537
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Speed Suggestions.

Quote from: OshB5
Straight away you can see the downstream margin went back up to 15dB as it was before  and the reson I did the swop?
Also quite a few CRC and HEC errors Anyway full stats below.
So would you suggest i put the linksys back in? or wait and see how this one works or if it starts to drop out again like before?

Hi,
I do not think that the SNRM has gone back to 15dB.  Though I do not have any access to systems to verify this, I do not think the SNRM reset 'took'.  All of your stats report 15dB.
I note that at the same SNRM (15dB) the old router is delivering a better synch rate.  I recommend that you leave this in place, do not disconnect / reboot it.  The DLM needs to see line stability and this router provides more comprehensive stats.
Sadly, you'll now have to wait until DCT are back on air (Monday) to check out the previous SNRM reset request.
Sorry!  Sad

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

OshB5
Grafter
Posts: 232
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Re: Speed Suggestions.

Hi  
My message above was actually wrote at 4pm this afternoon.
But in the last half hour or so iv lost wifi signal and the Thomson has had a problem with its wifi. That said while you are still connected to the wifi  its ok and still works but as soon as you turn off there is no way you can get back on to the network unless you restart the modem. And thinking about it this was one of the reasons for it being switched on and off before as well as bad weather and such as well as run of the mill disconnects. So its headed for the dustbin in favour of the linksys till the other one comes or I have to buy a new one. Undecided
Well it lasted about 10hours LOL
Regards Osh
P.S. Hi Kevin.. Just read your suggestion about not changing it but everytime I lost wifi be it a laptop I shut down or a media player that was not being used  As soon as it was switched back on And although my WiFi network showed up It would not let me connect unless I powered the Thomsom of for 10-20 seconds. Which defeats having it in and the better stats it gives At least the linksys stayed up and kept working..
.
OshB5
Grafter
Posts: 232
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Re: Speed Suggestions.

Quote from: Chris
If you'd like for me to go ahead with an SNR Reset, I'm happy to get that done for you, it'll certainly improve things for you.

Hi Chris
Now the DCT team are back after the weekend You wil see that I replaced the Thomson as instructed on grounds of Stats reporting and giving us a better overall look at what was going on. But you will see that like I said the downstream went back to the 15dB and remained there for the whole day. but in the evening for some reason and Im still not sure what made my laptop loose or should I say make the laptop unable to rejoin the wifi network. This was not a one off as I tried it also with my daughters and a old 10"acer I have for reasons unknown it let you connect for the first time then as soon as you turned off and tried to reconnect it would not let you unless you switched off the power to the modem and did a full power down. again I did a restart over a hardwired network but this was not enough to let the wifi units rejoin the network. So this made it impossible to keep the Thomson. So I replaced with the linksys yet again.  And I also assume the it being night time that I replaced it was also the reason that the downstream level be down at 3bd.
But the main reason for this message was to say if you had not done a reset on the SNR Then to wait till I have installed the new modem I have coming at the end of the week and to see how that fairs?
Or if you have any other suggestions thank you both so far for the help given..
Regards Osh
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,920
Thanks: 9,537
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Speed Suggestions.

Osh,
The stats that you did get indicated an average of 10 error seconds per hour and similar for CRC and half that for HEC errors.  So nothing too much wrong at present.
What your line needs is a stable router which does not need to be bounced to make it work.  If the Thompson router is stable enough to not need to be bounced, I'd accept that just now and get the reset done sooner rather than later.  If the reset does not bring down the SNRM and raise the synch speed, that will indicate something needs looking at, which s best found out sooner rather than later.
When you get your new router, try setting it up (wifi etc) before connecting it to the phone line, that way you can avoid the DLM thinking the line has problems.
Kevin

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

OshB5
Grafter
Posts: 232
Registered: ‎06-08-2007

Re: Speed Suggestions.

Hi Kevin Thanks for that.
I did leave the Thomson connected to the power as it is set to different ip I have kept trying it every so often. And so far the wifi has gone down 5 times since taking it out. of the network needing a complete power down to get it back working. So like I said it is destined for the bin. Angry
And like you suggested I will get the new one all set up and running before changing it with the linksys unit.
Fingers crossed for Thursday or Friday then. Wink Wink
Regards Osh
Pettitto
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 6,346
Fixes: 5
Registered: ‎26-11-2011

Re: Speed Suggestions.

Hi Osh,
That's absolutely fine, just give me a shout when you'd like the SNR Reset and I'll get that sorted out for you.