25 replies to this topic

[Ashley]

I've been with O2 Broadband since it launched in my area (and was moved onto LLU soon after), now when I was first moved over to LLU, I was hitting speeds of around 5mbps (which I managed to achieve for quite a few months despite my line only handling 4mbps and that I was using my own router).

However, i've noticed that over the last 6-8 months my sync speed with the exchange has been getting lower and lower and lower. Up until last week I was getting around 2.4mbps with the O2 Router. After putting my own Linksys router back in I managed to get the speed upto 3.6mbps, but this is still down from the 4.5mbps to 5mbps I used to get the first few months being on LLU.

I'm just wondering if there's anything that I can do to improve my sync speed to what it was when I first went onto LLU.

I have already tried replacing the filters, and the router is connected in the test socket of the master socket.

Here's some stats if they may be of use...

--- System Information ---
Vendor: Linksys
ModelName: WAG160N
Firmware Version: A1.00.15 , 2009-05-31T16:58:02
GUI Version: A1.00.15_007
Boot Version: 1.0.37-5.4
Hardware Version: 0.01

--- DSL Information ---
DSL Driver Version:  AnnexA version - A2pB022g.d20e
DSL VPI/VCI:         0/101
DSL Status:          ShowtimeRetrain Reason:	8000
DSL Mode:            ADSL2+
DSL Channel:         FAST
DSL Upstream Rate:   1113 Kbps
DSL Downstream Rate: 3682 Kbps

                      Down         up    
DSL Noise Margin:     6.1 dB       6.2 dB
DSL Attenuation:     56.5 dB      31.5 dB
DSL Transmit Power:  18.9 dBm     12.4 dBm

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated, I download quite alot of games (via steam) and obviously patches for games, so the extra kbps do help!


EDIT: As i've mentioned in the topic description, this has also been posted on the O2 Forums, so if your interested to see how i'm getting on there, check out http://forum.o2.co.u...pic.php?t=49821

[JackDinn]

Shit your attenuation is high ! was it always that hi ? have BT been at your Local loop or messing in the exchange ?

[Ashley]

Honestly don't know whats going on, as i've said filters have been replaced and i'm only connected to the test socket, so there's no other extensions and such connected.

Wouldn't be surprised if BT had something to do with it, either way i'm certainly getting lower than what I used to be getting.

[JackDinn]

so did the "slow down" happen gradually over a long period of time or suddenly ?

If gradually it would pint to something corroding/deteriorating/dry solder joint etc the kinda things that get worse of long periods more often than not somewhere exposed to the elements.

Its a case of process of elimination but difficult to do when you dont have access to some of the parts of the chain between your router and the exchange

Do you know of anyone else locally on the same exchange or even better on the same LLU service ?

[SpencerUk]

Yeh the attenuation is quite high...Higher than mine (mines 50.5db but with tweaking 10mb sync FTW)

Saying that however

http://www.kitz.co.u..._speed_calc.php

Looking at a sync rate of what your getting really.

Probably down to degraded cabling...happens over time.Just be lucky you are not on an aluminium line where you are totally screwed!

One solution and is to create a fault *cough*intermittent sync*cough*intermittent sync*cough*

Get OpenReach out and see if they can reduce the loop loss on your line hehe..does happen.

[Ashley]

How the hell are you getting 10mb Spencer? lol

Just noticed at the moment that my downstream noise margin is currently 9.2db, surely it shouldn't be that high?

On a slightly different note, our phone service is being moved over to O2 Home Phone on Thursday (making both the broadband and phone service provided by O2), do you reckon my speeds will increase slightly or am I dreaming here?

[JackDinn]

are you serious ! all eggs in one basket.

I would have got them to sort out your 2-4Mb/s throughput on a 20Mb/s connection first.

Good luck though , hope it all goes smoothly in the end.

[Ashley]

JD, i've never had 20mbps on my line (even in my dreams lol). My line only supports 4mbps, however the point i'm making is i've had 5mbps on my line before, which it help for a while, up until a few months ago where its gradually dropped in speed (to around 2.6 - 3mbps).

And it's cheaper than the Post Office, for the same price we were paying, we're getting both Home Phone and Broadband that gives us unlimited anytime calls (with free calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers).

[JackDinn]

No i kinda guessed that not to many peeps have ever had 20Mb/s, but still im not sure if i would have been happy to settle for 4Mb on LLU. Do you have a massive local loop or something ?

Obviously you have looked into it all and decided thats the best your gonna get, but i do wonder what made you settle on that ?

Couldn't comment on the question will having O2 take over your phone line change things. need Spenc for that one.

[Ashley]

The reason I went on to LLU...

1. O2 Access was in such a state, but didn't want to leave O2
2. Considering the max my line could handle without LLU was 2-3mbps, LLU seemed a better option to me, even if it only increased my speed slightly!

Problem with my exchange is that first off, it's about 2 mile away in the neighboring village/town of Helsby, and that there are only 2 LLU providers in the exchange, and thats O2 and TalkTalk (and believe me, TalkTalk LLU is shockingly bad here, my mate around the corner is with them). The damn exchange isn't even 21CN enabled!!!

[JackDinn]

I feel for ya Ash

This countries infrastructure is crazy ! like when moving house you now have to check what the BB is like as well as all the other things you normally check & worry about.

[SpencerUk]

Ash, I get high sync speeds, because I tweaked my SNR to an impossible level using the DMT tool

http://translate.goo...1B2GGGL_enGB177

Moving your PSTN service (landline) to O2 as well as broadband isn't gonna make any difference.

..Why not go back to Ipstream Max?

It's not as bad as people say really.

[Ashley]

SpencerUk, on 08 August 2010 - 18:41, said:

Ash, I get high sync speeds, because I tweaked my SNR to an impossible level using the DMT tool

http://translate.goo...1B2GGGL_enGB177

Unfortunately that damn software doesn't work with any of my routers

SpencerUk, on 08 August 2010 - 18:41, said:

Moving your PSTN service (landline) to O2 as well as broadband isn't gonna make any difference.

I thought that even though I'm on LLU, I was still connected to BT's equipment somewhere, and that having both landline and broadband with O2 meant I was only connected to O2's hardware (not that this is the reason for moving to O2).

SpencerUk, on 08 August 2010 - 18:41, said:

..Why not go back to Ipstream Max?

It's not as bad as people say really.

Because one, i'm getting faster speeds with LLU (even with it running at it's slower speeds now) than I ever did with IP.Stream Max, and i've noticed my connection is a little more stable, AND it's cheaper.

[Ashley]

Just thought I'd update you guys on this issue...

The support guys over on the O2 Forum have said they're going to change the SNR on my line to 3db and run a 24 hour line test.

Do you reckon it will fix my issues?

[JackDinn]

Ashley, on 09 August 2010 - 15:58, said:

Just thought I'd update you guys on this issue...

The support guys over on the O2 Forum have said they're going to change the SNR on my line to 3db and run a 24 hour line test.

Do you reckon it will fix my issues?

I doubt even they know the answer to that question, but at least there doing something to look into your lines problems.

[Ashley]

Success, the guy who was dealing with me on the forums (Iqbal i think his name is), was extremely helpful, and after a bit of tinkering and a resync I have the following stats...

Quote

--- System Information ---
Vendor: Linksys
ModelName: WAG160N
Firmware Version: A1.00.15 , 2009-05-31T16:58:02
GUI Version: A1.00.15_007
Boot Version: 1.0.37-5.4
Hardware Version: 0.01

--- DSL Information ---
DSL Driver Version: AnnexA version - A2pB022g.d20e
DSL VPI/VCI: 0/101
DSL Status: ShowtimeRetrain Reason: 8000
DSL Mode: ADSL2+
DSL Channel: FAST
DSL Upstream Rate: 1204 Kbps
DSL Downstream Rate: 4720 Kbps

Down up
DSL Noise Margin: 3.1 dB 3.1 dB
DSL Attenuation: 56.5 dB 31.5 dB
DSL Transmit Power: 19.0 dBm 12.4 dBm

Stats are more or less what they used to be, and i'm nearly getting the 5mbps I used to get. Very very happy and impressed with the support over on those forums.

I don't think i'd have got the same support if I'd have rang up!

[JackDinn]

cool, 4.7Mb/s sync like you say thats almost better than you said you was ever getting

Glad to hear another one of us is happy again (just hope it remains that way for many years to come) .

as for the CS peeps at O2 i think they were always very good and i reckon that when O2 started dropping all this shit on the access users they were privately in disagreement but when you work for a company you got to do what your told.

[SpencerUk]

And now ash you are probably going to have an intermittent sync fault some time soon.

..Theres a reason why DSLAMS don't like 3db SNR...and thats it.

[Ashley]

If thats the case, he quite happily said he would increase the SNR again. Also, I could have swore I used to have an SNR of 3db in the past.

Anyway Spencer, surely all you've done is tweak the SNR on your router to get your speeds of 10mbps?

[SpencerUk]

Ashley, on 09 August 2010 - 17:15, said:

If thats the case, he quite happily said he would increase the SNR again. Also, I could have swore I used to have an SNR of 3db in the past.

Anyway Spencer, surely all you've done is tweak the SNR on your router to get your speeds of 10mbps?

Ash,

The reason why peoples SNR is average between 6-9 or sometimes higher is because of their line.

basically your telephone line generates noise, if it goes above 3db, then you will lose sync..most telephone lines are about 4.5db from experience so far...now with yours set at 3db, you will have intermittent sync, which then knocks down your MSR which means they your ISP saying "well according to the MSR, this is all your line can support" bullshit and then you gotta beg em to re-train your line.

I don't have mine physcially forced by my ISP so I can mess with my connection how I see at the DSLAM and if it fucks anything up, because I can't save changes to DSLAM, I just reboot the router and everything is to ISP connetion setting again.

Also with lower SNR margins, when you resync, it sometimes takes a little longer to detect your broadband connection.

Basically...not always greener mate.