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Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?

andyp24
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎08-02-2019

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?

Hi all

Thanks for the input to the discussion. I checked on the SmartHub 6 and there doesn't seem to be any way to change the SNR settings in this modem/router.

I know the cabling is aluminium because several OpenReach engineers who've been to the house for various investigations have commented on it (the most common adjective they used was "crappy"). We were an Exchange-Only line until very recently, which meant we got Fibre Access after the rest of the village cabinets were converted. Then a new green cabinet was built right at the exchange and all the EO lines were moved to it so we could also get FTTC service. Not sure how old the lines are, but I've been told by OpenReach that there's no plan / intention to upgrade them as our service is "acceptable".

What I don't understand in all this discussion of the line quality is why the PlusNet Hub One would stay connected to the broadband for months at a time, and the SmartHub did for the first 6 months or so, but now drops off regularly. That would seem to imply either the Hub's gone faulty somehow (or a firmware upgrade has messed something up?) or the line has changed - which was why I was so surprised when I reconnected the original Hub One and it connected immediately and solidly when the Hub 6 was refusing to at all.

Any ideas?

dws1900
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 407
Thanks: 51
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎17-09-2018

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?

@andyp24

 

All modems are not equal, some modems are better than others with dealing with noise, crosstalk, interference (don't forget, it is radio based, not complete fibre) and all the other gremlins that live in the connection box's,  Smiley

It would appear from your comments that the service is degrading, so best bet is to get a GEA test done by asking the nice PN support people Smiley  Its free and painless

 

I could say go out a buy the latest most powerful fantastic router, which would cost loads of money, and you could still have problems. (It happened to me on adsl, interference, five properties away, lost 2Mbs till OR sorted it)

 

 

 

 

andyp24
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎08-02-2019

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?

Do I need to ring them up and ask for that, or post a message in a particular forum?

dws1900
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 407
Thanks: 51
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎17-09-2018

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?

@andyp24

You could ask here, or log in with your plusnet account and raise a ticket.

You will need to connect whatever modem you choose, via a filter to the master socket, to rule out any issues with the internal wiring.

See here

connection-troubleshooting

andyp24
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎08-02-2019

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?

I have a new double master socket, so have been told I don't need to use the old-style microfilters....?

VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?


@andyp24 wrote:
I know the cabling is aluminium because several OpenReach engineers who've been to the house for various investigations have commented on it (the most common adjective they used was "crappy"). We were an Exchange-Only line until very recently, which meant we got Fibre Access after the rest of the village cabinets were converted. Then a new green cabinet was built right at the exchange and all the EO lines were moved to it so we could also get FTTC service.

What's the point in planting a cabinet at the exchange?

Your internet comes entirely over wires - just the same as when you had ADSL.

There is no fibre connection involved. Absolutely none.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?


@andyp24 wrote:

I have a new double master socket, so have been told I don't need to use the old-style microfilters....?


True.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

dws1900
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 407
Thanks: 51
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎17-09-2018

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?

@andyp24

Again these can vary. If it was me I would use the PN supplied filter and modem, get the test done, then you are using all PN's equipment, and bypassing the master socket based filter completely.

 

Somewhere in the plusnet web site there is documents on how to do this.

https://www.plus.net/help/broadband/connection-troubleshooting/

 

dws1900
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 407
Thanks: 51
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎17-09-2018

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?

@VileReynard

Re cabinet siting. Mine is close to the exchange(200m) , while some other properties on my road are connected to a closer dslam, 0.5km away.

Why, ease of connection, cheaper option, better revenue, get people on line quicker and worry about the issues later.

Also this seems to be the issue with EO lines, where OR wont put a dslam closer to the property with the required PCP box.

Annoyingly within 0.5km, there is a new estate with fttp.

VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?

I am 2km from the exchange & got 6Mbps on a good day on ADSL over the copper wires.

I am now 250m from a "green box" and get 70Mbps on "fibre".

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

andyp24
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎08-02-2019

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?

@VileReynard I take your point, and did question it myself as to what the difference would be by inserting a new Green Cabinet very near the exchange. However, this is what I was told - all the EO lines in the village were moved into a new cabinet built specifically for us, and near the exchange, and this allowed us to be given a FTTC service. Yes, I totally understand that the length of copper / aluminium in the circuit hasn't changed (apart from a few metres maybe). But previously we got 7Mbs download, and now we get 30Mbs, so something did! Must be something to do with compatibility between the higher speed service and the equipment we were previously connected to in the exchange, I guess.

 

@dws1900 I'll request the GEA test, although will have to wait until tomorrow to disconnect the BT router and restore the Plusnet One. I'll try and get stats from that one's setup page when I do.

 

Cheers

Andy

 

 

 

cee2
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎20-03-2017

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?

re , Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?          

fttc ,netgear d6400 / ac1600 ,been great these past few years ,got mine  from amazon , my  bt dumb hub

would disconnect ,  have a computer "chat "  with a server ,then reconnect me, every time it did it the line speed would drop ,system thinks line fault, with no disconnects speed would slowly come back up  ..                                                                                                       

VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?

Don't shoot the router!

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

cee2
Hooked
Posts: 7
Registered: ‎20-03-2017

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?

use a hammer instead !!!

andyp24
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎08-02-2019

Re: Are there any routers that actually work reliably with this service?

Here's the result of the GEA test. If anyone can interpret it, please let me know what you think!

Andy

 

KBDxDSL Status Check Circuit ID:CBUK97370876Service ID:BBE [Removed]Telephone NO.:NATest Executed On:15-02-2019 15:13:07xDSL Status Test SummarySync Status:Circuit In SyncGeneral InformationNTE Status: NTE Power Status:PowerOnBypass Status:   Upstream DSL Link InformationDownstream DSL Link InformationLoop Loss:6.912.5SNR Margin:7.33.1Errored Seconds:02HEC Errors:0 Cell Count:00Speed:127122850 Maximum Stable Rate (KBPS):20416Fault Threshold Rate (KBPS):16333Mean Time Between Retrains (Seconds):86400Mean Time Between Errors Upstream (Seconds):734Indicative Line Quality:AMean Time Between Errors Downstream (Seconds):197Custom ThresholdsMTBR_RED:MTBE_RED:MTBR_GREEN:MTBE_GREEN:

 

Moderator's note by Adie (Dvorak) removed bbeu