Comments on: ADSL recommendations http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations scratched tallies on the prison wall Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:55:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: chris http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-99742 chris Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:05:34 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-99742 whatever whatever

]]> By: http://senji.livejournal.com/ http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-97362 http://senji.livejournal.com/ Sun, 29 Apr 2007 16:38:07 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-97362 I use Black Cat Networks' ADSL offering, and I'm happy with it :). I use Black Cat Networks’ ADSL offering, and I’m happy with it :).

]]> By: Kyle http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-97010 Kyle Sat, 28 Apr 2007 18:06:55 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-97010 @Adam Sweet: There's some misinformation in your post, all ADSL products are rate adaptive and the performance thresholds laid out by BT always accounted for fluctuations in signal to noise ratios and degradation of copper lines. In fact, although it wasn't always made very clear the terms and conditions would have mentioned that any 'fixed-rate' 2Mbps service was classed as 'up-to' as well, with acceptable performance covering anything from 400kbps to the full 2Mbps. Not to mention ADSL Max has absolutely no potential to handle 24Mbps. ADSL Max is just your standard ADSL technology but using all of the available pots on a copper wire to try and give you the best speed. It's faults or line damage in the pots unused at 1 or 2Mbps that crop up when people upgrade and as annoying as those may be, BT engineers only have to seek to provide a stable, 64kbps service under OFCOM regulations. If it's stable but slower than your grandma you're pretty much stuck with it. 7150kbps is in fact the maximum throughput you can achieve on Max when factoring in overheads, and to get any more you'll have to go to ADSL2+ which BT intend to roll out nationwide by 2011. Yes, I'm serious. As you mention, ADSL is a complex beast with all manner of points of failure and loss of connection quality. If you can get cable, stick with it because although you're pretty much in a provider lock-in the technology is that much better. @Adam Sweet: There’s some misinformation in your post, all ADSL products are rate adaptive and the performance thresholds laid out by BT always accounted for fluctuations in signal to noise ratios and degradation of copper lines. In fact, although it wasn’t always made very clear the terms and conditions would have mentioned that any ‘fixed-rate’ 2Mbps service was classed as ‘up-to’ as well, with acceptable performance covering anything from 400kbps to the full 2Mbps.

Not to mention ADSL Max has absolutely no potential to handle 24Mbps. ADSL Max is just your standard ADSL technology but using all of the available pots on a copper wire to try and give you the best speed. It’s faults or line damage in the pots unused at 1 or 2Mbps that crop up when people upgrade and as annoying as those may be, BT engineers only have to seek to provide a stable, 64kbps service under OFCOM regulations. If it’s stable but slower than your grandma you’re pretty much stuck with it.

7150kbps is in fact the maximum throughput you can achieve on Max when factoring in overheads, and to get any more you’ll have to go to ADSL2+ which BT intend to roll out nationwide by 2011. Yes, I’m serious.

As you mention, ADSL is a complex beast with all manner of points of failure and loss of connection quality. If you can get cable, stick with it because although you’re pretty much in a provider lock-in the technology is that much better.

]]> By: Matthew Revell » Virgin Media retentions’ 12 month sting http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-96445 Matthew Revell » Virgin Media retentions’ 12 month sting Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:06:22 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-96445 [...] In a comment on Aq’s site, Paul Freeman mentioned the NTL virus. The virus has eaten into the previously excellent Telewest and made a mockery of everything Branson has claimed for the Virgin brand. [...] [...] In a comment on Aq’s site, Paul Freeman mentioned the NTL virus. The virus has eaten into the previously excellent Telewest and made a mockery of everything Branson has claimed for the Virgin brand. [...]

]]> By: cdr http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-96431 cdr Fri, 27 Apr 2007 10:50:05 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-96431 WebTapestry +1 They have been flawless since I moved from Pipex (who suck). WebTapestry +1

They have been flawless since I moved from Pipex (who suck).

]]> By: neuro http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-96410 neuro Fri, 27 Apr 2007 09:17:48 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-96410 What's the connection like in the middle of the day? You might just be seeing contention based on usage in your street up to the street box and on to your UBR. FWIW, I'm with Web Tapestry - http://www.webtapestry.net/ - who are a small outfit who love what they do. If you do go ADSL, talk to them, and buy a Zyxel P660R or P660HW from broadbandbuyer.co.uk to go with it, as Zyxels are great on long lines with high SNR numbers. Quote my name to webtap after you order and I get a finders fee too ;) What’s the connection like in the middle of the day? You might just be seeing contention based on usage in your street up to the street box and on to your UBR. FWIW, I’m with Web Tapestry - http://www.webtapestry.net/ - who are a small outfit who love what they do. If you do go ADSL, talk to them, and buy a Zyxel P660R or P660HW from broadbandbuyer.co.uk to go with it, as Zyxels are great on long lines with high SNR numbers. Quote my name to webtap after you order and I get a finders fee too ;)

]]> By: Paul Freeman http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-96383 Paul Freeman Fri, 27 Apr 2007 07:26:44 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-96383 I have only horror stories of NTL (now Virgin) but you were originally a different cable, weren't you? Perhaps the NTL virus has passed into your system. I use Demon FWIW. Bit more expensive than a real cheapo company, fixed IP and unlimited usage. Very good tech support, but I've only had to use them once and then it was a BT problem anyway. And that is at problem. Doesn't matter what isp you choose, if the problem is with the behemoth BT. IIWY, I would persevere with cable in the short term as ADSL is quite variable depending on the area you are in, how far from the exchange etc. Maybe in a few years, Virgin will have fixed all the NTL problems and I can go back to cable ... blimey, look, a flying pig! I have only horror stories of NTL (now Virgin) but you were originally a different cable, weren’t you? Perhaps the NTL virus has passed into your system.

I use Demon FWIW. Bit more expensive than a real cheapo company, fixed IP and unlimited usage. Very good tech support, but I’ve only had to use them once and then it was a BT problem anyway. And that is at problem. Doesn’t matter what isp you choose, if the problem is with the behemoth BT.

IIWY, I would persevere with cable in the short term as ADSL is quite variable depending on the area you are in, how far from the exchange etc.

Maybe in a few years, Virgin will have fixed all the NTL problems and I can go back to cable … blimey, look, a flying pig!

]]> By: Alan Pope http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-96376 Alan Pope Fri, 27 Apr 2007 07:04:25 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-96376 I just moved from ADSL *to* Cable because my DSL (Max) "Up to 8Mb/s" was usually around 1Mb/s and often was syncrhonous - 448Kb/s each way :( I hassled the ISP and BT and they did precicely fuck all about it. BT even had the cheek to say they had looked at it, it it was now "fixed". Virgin are indeed rolling out 20Mb/s next month. I believe they are also looking to trial 50Mb/s and 100Mb/s in some areas. I just moved from ADSL *to* Cable because my DSL (Max) “Up to 8Mb/s” was usually around 1Mb/s and often was syncrhonous - 448Kb/s each way :(

I hassled the ISP and BT and they did precicely fuck all about it. BT even had the cheek to say they had looked at it, it it was now “fixed”.

Virgin are indeed rolling out 20Mb/s next month. I believe they are also looking to trial 50Mb/s and 100Mb/s in some areas.

]]> By: Matt http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-96359 Matt Fri, 27 Apr 2007 06:04:12 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-96359 If you are going adsl, then try tiscali, my connection hasn't gone down at all in almost a year(Its just my router). I am only on a 1meg connection at the moment as I live in the middle of nowhere about 4 miles from the exchange. I cant comment on the tech support as I haven't used it. Its really good value, and unlimited as well(useful for all those feisty herds!). My contract ends in august, but I think I will just stay with tiscali, and try and get the speed upped as the phone line has been improved. They only send a crappy usb modem, so buy a decent router instead.(Not a Zoom X5!) If you are going adsl, then try tiscali, my connection hasn’t gone down at all in almost a year(Its just my router). I am only on a 1meg connection at the moment as I live in the middle of nowhere about 4 miles from the exchange. I cant comment on the tech support as I haven’t used it. Its really good value, and unlimited as well(useful for all those feisty herds!). My contract ends in august, but I think I will just stay with tiscali, and try and get the speed upped as the phone line has been improved. They only send a crappy usb modem, so buy a decent router instead.(Not a Zoom X5!)

]]> By: David Goodwin http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-96357 David Goodwin Fri, 27 Apr 2007 05:59:45 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2007/04/26/adsl-recommendations#comment-96357 I use http://www.BeThere.co.uk who do local loop unbundling. Therefore, if you live close enough to the exchange you can get up to 24meg. They provide the router which comes with 802.11g and ethernet ports. The router can also do some sort of voip-pass-through, although i've not tried it yet. I live a couple of miles away from my exchange, and possibly on a dodgy phone line and get 5meg down, and just over 1 meg upstream. They're not cheap compared to some of the other outfits - I pay 25 quid a month for unlimited traffic. Overall, I'm very happy with them, and will soon migrate our office ADSL from Demon (boo) to Be (Demon suck). David. I use http://www.BeThere.co.uk who do local loop unbundling. Therefore, if you live close enough to the exchange you can get up to 24meg. They provide the router which comes with 802.11g and ethernet ports. The router can also do some sort of voip-pass-through, although i’ve not tried it yet.

I live a couple of miles away from my exchange, and possibly on a dodgy phone line and get 5meg down, and just over 1 meg upstream.

They’re not cheap compared to some of the other outfits - I pay 25 quid a month for unlimited traffic. Overall, I’m very happy with them, and will soon migrate our office ADSL from Demon (boo) to Be (Demon suck).

David.

]]>