Wonder why telcos get criticized?

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linw

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Topic # 127400 8-Aug-2013 21:29

I helped a friend out with his Telecom ADSL connected computer, and, as an afterthought, ran speedtest. Wow, 3Mbps down! Did the reboot of his Telecom TG585 modem/router, disconnected all other phone connections and tried again. Now 2Mbps. So I wrote down the modem stats for him and told him to ring the helpdesk.

Asked him today how the call went. Basically he said they got him to do what we had already done (no surprise there), and then told him that anything over 1Mbps is acceptable.

That makes me real mad. The Chorus map has his area UFB and >10Mbps capable. This area is ADSL2+ capable. He also pays line maintenance but I bet his account wasn't checked for that.

My friend has just been fobbed off, like, I suspect, many others who are not tech savvy enough to fight back.

For the record, these are the stats:-
Sync Up 857 Dn 3,047
Atten UP 17.0 Dn 29.5
S/N Up 9.0 Dn 17.0

I have suggested he looks at going UFB to bypass this mess. If he does, it probably won't be with Telecom.

PS Yes, I know, install a line filter. If they had sent someone under the maintenance contract he might have been advised that this would have been a good idea.

PeterReader

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Reply # 874246 8-Aug-2013 21:29

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.

sbiddle

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Reply # 874266 8-Aug-2013 21:49

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Wiring maintenance won't cover the installation of a filter, this is something you need to arrange yourself either via your ISP (and pay Chorus) or via a 3rd party.

A master filter is pretty much essential in every home in NZ to get the best from your internet - but unfortunately most people out there if told they'll need to pay to make their internet work better simply aren't interested.

Inphinity

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Reply # 874271 8-Aug-2013 22:00

Not sure what your complaint is... what should Telecom do, move your house closer to the cabinet? Wiring maintenance does not, last I checked, cover low DSL sync rates. It covers interference and failure of voice services, and loss of service or frequent disconnection of broadband services. It even explicitly excludes simple speed / performance issues.

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plambrechtsen

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Reply # 874317 9-Aug-2013 04:35

sbiddle: Wiring maintenance won't cover the installation of a filter, this is something you need to arrange yourself either via your ISP (and pay Chorus) or via a 3rd party.

A master filter is pretty much essential in every home in NZ to get the best from your internet - but unfortunately most people out there if told they'll need to pay to make their internet work better simply aren't interested.

I can only agree with you here Steve.

I've had a long running conversation internally saying Telecom should be more proactive on mandating Master Filters for all ADSL installs too.

It has truely shocked me the number of people I have run line tests for after telling them "your wiring is bad.. it's going to cost $200 to fix" and the response I get.

The problem is that I don't work in broadband helpdesk but I know they do bear the brunt of a lot of abuse in this area so they are reluctant to suggest an install of it since they know it will come as a cost to the punter which can go either way.

tdgeek

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Reply # 874326 9-Aug-2013 07:59

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Cost of BB for 5 years
Enjoyment of avoiding home wiring issues affecting BB reliability for 5 years
Enjoyment of maximising BB speed for 5 years

$200 well spent if you ask me.

Would we invest in a fancy HD TV and run it off rabbit ears?? Not a bad analogy I feel

cbrpilot

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Reply # 874353 9-Aug-2013 09:05

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Just bear in mind, the OPs issue may be solely related to distance from the exchange, and no amount of splitters will overcome a 3-5km distance to the exchange.

I'm not trying to devalue the goodness of having a splitter, but they're not magic devices that will instantly give you 10Mbit broadband.

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any further information on the exact cause of their connect rates being towards the lower end of the spectrum.

My views are my own, and may not necessarily represent those of my employer.

tdgeek

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Reply # 874360 9-Aug-2013 09:10

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cbrpilot: Just bear in mind, the OPs issue may be solely related to distance from the exchange, and no amount of splitters will overcome a 3-5km distance to the exchange.

I'm not trying to devalue the goodness of having a splitter, but they're not magic devices that will instantly give you 10Mbit broadband.

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any further information on the exact cause of their connect rates being towards the lower end of the spectrum.

Very true. It will increase his connect rates by removing noise etc from his poor by comparison internal wiring. If he had access to a few neighbours to check their connect rates that will help confirm his limitation is chiefly distance

linw

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Reply # 874602 9-Aug-2013 14:40

Like I said, it is not my house but I do PC support for these people.

The area is Mana Esplanade, Paremata, northern end. It is supposed to be ADSL2 (>10 Mbps) and UFB ready but I get varied results when the addresses are plugged in to ISP address checkers.

There are two houses, one right on the street and one behind that house, backing on to the estuary.

It's a bit weird as the Chorus grey pillars are sparse on the street - not one per two houses as in our street. There is no grass berm, either, so don't know where the UFB tubes were put!

The closest cabinet I could see seems to be in Mana View Rd and it is labelled 'PLM AB'. As the crow walks, it is 650m away.

Frankly, I was hoping to bypass the speed issue by getting the two houses to go UFB but the back house doesn't seem to be able to be hooked up yet. Maybe they didn't run the tubes down to this one. Dunno.

The front house gets 6Mbps on speedtest. Sounds like ADSL1 but haven't been able to check that modem yet. I do know a Telecom modem was installed in 2009 which should have been ADSL2 capable I would think.

I apologise for the lack of hard info but that was my main point, really. We just don't know what the problem is and the help desk gave no options for finding out. There may well be godawful wiring to, and inside, the property, but only Chorus can check the external stuff.

If they stay with ADSL I will advise to get the splitter installed and, at least, this will halve the diagnostic problem!

Thanks for comments.

Jarsky

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Reply # 874626 9-Aug-2013 15:21

ADSL2+ capable doesnt automatically mean it is >10Mbps. It just means their cards are capable of ITU G.992.5.

Looking at Mana Esplanade, it depends where he is along there wether he is on a remote cabinet, or if he is direct on the exchange.
It seems that those cabinets on the esplanade also stretch quite a distance, so hes probably at one of the further points from the cabinet (if he is running off one).

He may also want to try putting the modem into ADSL1 (G.DMT) to see if he gets any better sync that way, and of course he may need to isolate the modem to ensure nothing else connected is causing interference and a splitter may do him some good if he had deteriorated internal wiring. As for wiring & maintenance offered by Chorus, that covers deterioration which causes disconnects or loss of service, and phone interference - unfortunately it doesn't cover speed related issues.

As you pointed out though, UFB is available to most of Mana Esplanade, so perhaps he might want to migrate over to that where distance doesnt really pose an issue.

Ragnor

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Reply # 874638 9-Aug-2013 15:40

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I'd put money on the slow line rate being a sympton of poor internal phone wiring is the issue, which is the owners responsibility not the ISP's.

What is the quality of the phone wiring in the houses is like? Is it 5 jacks daisy chained off each other or what?

richms

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Reply # 874882 9-Aug-2013 22:42

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This is another case of why not having propper demarcation points with a disconnect and test jack causes ISPs and chorus to get the blame, not the householder for crap wiring.

Richard rich.ms

linw

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Reply # 874977 10-Aug-2013 09:46

richms: This is another case of why not having propper demarcation points with a disconnect and test jack causes ISPs and chorus to get the blame, not the householder for crap wiring.

Yes, wouldn't that be a great idea. Problem is this feature could only be in new installs. I guess the UFB uptake will resolve these issues eventually.