Best option for Vodafone broadband

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Best option for Vodafone broadband

vbull

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#146939 3-Jun-2014 13:08

Long time reader of geekzone - thought it about time I posted!

I've recently swapped my broadband over to Vodafone.

The original order was for cable which was a possible option according to the address checker on the vodafone website.

A site survey confirmed that it wasn't an option for the property. The property sits on the corner of the main street and a lane going down to the houses behind. The survey confirmed that the cable would have to come in from the side lane (which is where the electricity currently is serviced from) but that there is no cable on this lane. The other option (across the road into the front of the property where the copper line is serviced from) wasn't possible due to 'height restrictions'. I'm a little confused and someone may be able to help - if the copper is delivered at 'height' can cable not be? In a previous property a couple of years ago Telstra Clear dug up my driveway to provision the cable so I would have thought an aerial feed would actually be easier?

Anyway I went with plan B - VDSL. Installed yesterday but as we are more than 1km from the exchange the speed is only just better (12Mb down and 2Mb up) than my previous ADSL2+ connection. The Chorus technician dragged new Cat6 cable through from the entry point into the house so I know my house wiring is now ship shape (they really do an awesome job!).

I don't know much about VDSL vs. ADSL2+. Is it possible at 1.1km from the exchange I may actually get better speeds with ADSL2+?

I'd welcome any thoughts/comments/suggestions (other than moving...which might be easier!).

Cheers

Mike

PeterReader

6018 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#1058496 3-Jun-2014 13:08

Hello... Our robot found some keywords in your post, so here is an automated reply with some important things to note regarding broadband speeds.

If you are posting regarding DSL speeds please check that

- you have reset your modem and router

- your PC (or other PCs in your LAN) is not downloading large files when you are testing

- you are not being throttled by your ISP due to going over the monthly cap

- your tests are always done on an ethernet connection to the router - do not use wireless for testing

- you read this topic and follow the instructions there.

Make sure you provide information for other users to help you. If you have not already done it, please EDIT your post and add this now:

- Your ISP and plan

- Type of connection (ADSL, ADSL2, VDSL)

- Your modem DSL stats (do not worry about posting Speedtest, we need sync rate, attenuation and noise margin)

- Your general location (or street)

- If you are rural or urban

- If you know your connection is to an exchange, cabinet or conklin

- If your connection is to a ULL or wholesale service

- If you have done an isolation test as per the link above

Most of the problems with speed are likely to be related to internal wiring issues. Read this discussion to find out more about this. Your ISP is not intentionally slowing you down today (unless you are on a managed plan). Also if this is the school holidays it's likely you will notice slower than usual speed due to more users online.

A master splitter is required for VDSL2 and in most cases will improve speeds on DSL connections. Regular disconnections can be a monitored alarm or a set top box trying to connect. If there's an alarm connected to your line even if you don't have an alarm contract it may still try to connect so it's worth checking.

I recommend you read these two blog posts:

- Is your premises phone wiring impacting your broadband performance? (very technical)

- Are you receiving a substandard ULL ADSL2+ connection from your ISP?

I am the Geekzone Robot and I am here to help. I am from the Internet. I do not interact. Do not expect other replies from me.

These links are referral codes: Sharesies | Mighty Ape

Andib

1363 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1058524 3-Jun-2014 13:27

I assume you mean 2Mb upload?

If you switch to ADSL2 this will drop back down to 1Mb (ADSL max rate), I'm sure if you PM @TimA your address he will be able to run some tests to see if you would improve from dropping back to ADSL

<#
.DISCLAIMER
Anything I post is my own and not the views of my past/present/future employer.
#>

vbull

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1058533 3-Jun-2014 13:39

Sorry - yes 2Mb upload is what I meant (I've corrected my original post). Interesting point about the ADSL2+ upload limit - I had forgotten about that.

And I'll follow up with a PM to @TimA

Cheers

Mike

Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1058542 3-Jun-2014 13:45

I would go with Cable in your case if possible in some way. Otherwise VDSL seems too long to run. Anything better than 1Mbp/s upload will have you on the right foot. Would be heaps better it ADSL has 2-3Mbp/s up and max of 20 down.

vbull

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1058567 3-Jun-2014 14:11

Thanks TimA

I would certainly prefer cable - I've sent you a PM with the address and details on what has been done so far and would appreciate it if you could look into it for me. The latest I have is that cable is not an option.

Assuming that remains the case the slower than expected VDSL is probably still my ideal as it gives me 2Mb upload.

Cheers everyone for your advice!

Mike

quickymart

13932 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#1058783 3-Jun-2014 19:29

When I had cable installed in 2001, they used a boring machine to drill under the house in front of mine (this was in Kilbirnie) and it came up the back right by my place. Is that an option for your address?

Sideface

9353 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1058788 3-Jun-2014 19:52

vbull: ... the slower than expected VDSL is probably still my ideal as it gives me 2Mb upload. ...

Your VDSL is not "slower than expected", as you are more than 1km from the exchange. It is exactly what you would expect, unfortunately.
The upside of your VDSL install is that your in-house wiring has been upgraded, which should theoretically improve ADSL performance (downstream only)

Get cable if you can. The difference is spectacular.

Sideface

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

vbull

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1060361 6-Jun-2014 12:22

Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions.

VDSL Speed last night was back down to under 10 Mbps download. It has only been in since Monday and I understand the first week might be sketchy but I'm not holding out much hope for decent speeds given my distance from the exchange.

I've posted onto the Vodafone forum to see what my options are.

I've checked and I have a phone pole directly beside my driveway (so close that I have backed the car into it accidentally!) which currently supplies the copper line into the house (and the rest of the street is off this same line). If the street is cable enabled (and I believe it is) then wouldn't the former telstraclear cable also be run with (or in very close proximity to) this copper supply? It is probably a 10 meter run from the pole to the house. As an aside can you tell by looking at the line if is is a cable run as well as copper? I'm guessing probably not (although I will look at the neighboring properties in the weekend for the telltale grey cable box on the side of the house).

Assuming this side of the street has cable how do I get a decent assessment of the feasibility of supplying copper to the property? As a consumer it seems that vodafone doesn't have the desire that Telstraclear had to supply cable to properties that don't already have the connection to the road. In a previous property a couple of years ago the driveway was dug up and a cable connection supplied within a week of my order by Telstraclear. Has anyone had similar installs done recently under Vodafone or are they now in the too hard basket (particularly with UFB coming online)?

Following my unsuccessful order for cable Vodafone promised to update the address checker to reflect that cable isn't available. That was a month ago - the address checker still states that cable broadband might be available!

This is proving to be an interesting exercise in the broadband traps to watch out for when moving into a new property!

I'll update with any progress.