ADSL2 not what we'd hoped

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stevenz

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#31294 11-Mar-2009 22:02

Just got a Telecom ADSL connection hooked up, supposedly an ADSL2 connection, either we're a lot further from the exchange than their estimate reckons, it's not in ADSL2 mode yet as they told us, or the wiring is buggered:

DSL Status:	Connected
DSL Modulation Mode:	ADSL2+
DSL Path Mode:	Interleaved
Downstream Rate:	1712 kbps
Upstream Rate:	207 kbps
Downstream Margin:	12 db
Upstream Margin:	12 db
Downstream Line Attenuation:	36 db
Upstream Line Attenuation:	19 db
Downstream Transmit Power:	12 db
Upstream Transmit Power:	18 db

They only appear to have wired up the 1 jack and the router is plugged straight into it, sans filter.

1712Kbps out of a theoretical maximum of over 10 times that for ADSL2, and not even a third of the max 7Mbps-odd speed of ADSL1.

1430Kbps result from speedtest.net Vs 4327Kbps via TCL :(

Good thing the 1st 3 months are half price! Further investigation shall be required methinks... Using a cheap Linksys WAG200G unit which may not help matters.

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#200742 11-Mar-2009 22:33

Based on the attenuation figure you should be able to achieve a DL speed or at least 16Mb/s or better. I assume you have confirmed that the cable connects to a single jack and no further, no phones/faxs/modems are across the line, just the DSL modem. Have you tried locking the modem down to ADSL1 only, this will check if the modem has issues with 2+.

Failing all that, I suggest you get Telecom back on the job to check for bad joints or missing legs, but if you are infact 2.5km from the DSLAM as your stats indicate then you should be able to get at least 10x what you are getting.

Cyril

Ragnor

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#200797 12-Mar-2009 11:58

Try upgrading the firmware on the WAG200G to the latest.

barf

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#200817 12-Mar-2009 13:30

as above, upgrade the WAG200G firmware. they're great little routers and can NAT about 400 connections simultaneously in Linksys-official firmware.

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old3eyes

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#200853 12-Mar-2009 16:53

Now what would happen if the OP was a ordinary John Doe and he had this problem?? Call Telecom who will give him the run round?? Upgrading the software would not be an option..

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Old3eyes

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#200855 12-Mar-2009 16:58

old3eyes: Now what would happen if the OP was a ordinary John Doe and he had this problem?? Call Telecom who will give him the run round?? Upgrading the software would not be an option..

No, they'd have the option of getting a thomson modem which is known to work well with the DSL2+ service. Running your own modem comes with its fair shares of risks and benefits...

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#200856 12-Mar-2009 16:59

old3eyes: Now what would happen if the OP was a ordinary John Doe and he had this problem?? Call Telecom who will give him the run round?? Upgrading the software would not be an option..

Then he would be using the free thomson modem telecom provide, which [i]is[/i] compatible with ADSL2+ and for which they provide tech support

Why would you expect Telecom to provide tech support for a modem/router they didn't provide?

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Ragnor

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#200872 12-Mar-2009 17:44

old3eyes: Now what would happen if the OP was a ordinary John Doe and he had this problem?? Call Telecom who will give him the run round?? Upgrading the software would not be an option..

Just about anyone can be walked through

1: Downloading a firmware file
2: Logging in to their router and uploading a file via the web ui

It's hardly rocket surgery

stevenz

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#200905 12-Mar-2009 21:28

One of the first things I did was upgrade the firmware, I do so with anything I get, regardless of whether or not it's required generally.

A Telecom tech came round surprisingly quickly and replaced what was apparently a fairly flaky bit of cable outside, the speed improved fairly significantly:

DSL Status: Connected

DSL Modulation Mode: ADSL2+

DSL Path Mode: Fast

Downstream Rate: 9249 kbps

Upstream Rate: 951 kbps

Downstream Margin: 12 db

Upstream Margin: 12 db

Downstream Line Attenuation: 19 db

Upstream Line Attenuation: 3.5 db

Downstream Transmit Power: 12 db

Upstream Transmit Power: 21 db

Upstream is near enough the 1Mbps peak that this thing is on, while 9249kbps is a little bit shy of what I would've hoped for, it's basically the same as the 10Mbps that we had on Telstra, but significantly cheaper, so I'm happy enough. This is with nothing plugged into any other jack point and the modem in the "master" jack.

FreakyKiwi

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#201245 14-Mar-2009 22:37

I've had simmilar issues with a WAG200G - Using either an AM300 or a WAG160N I can acheive nearly 15294 Kbps but with the WAG200G I can only get approx 8000 kbps

stevenz

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#201306 15-Mar-2009 18:01

I've flashed my WAG200 with the woytekm 3rd party firmware, so it'll now do static DHCP allocation, and runs a local caching DNS server which removes the need for another bit of hardware which is good. Unsurprisingly, the network speed is untouched.

Any idea how I might be able to borrow a couple of alternate units to see if different hardware gives me better connection speeds? Going by the posts above, I've got a good connection so it would be nice to get another few mbit/sec out of it. I do regularly shift fairly large files between a couple of sites where my 10Mbps is the bottleneck, not a huge deal but if the capability is there...

Anyone have any other recommendations on ADSL2+ compatible modems that have been tested to provide 15Mbps or better?

cyril7

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#201308 15-Mar-2009 18:09

Hi, any modem with a Broadcom chipset will give you best results. I have had DSE XH9949 provide 20Mb/s and in general seem very reliable and only $69, and Broadcom chipset within.

Cyril

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stevenz

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#201314 15-Mar-2009 18:34

Might talk nicely to them and see if I can trial one for an evening. The Netgear DM111P also uses the same chipset, to date Netgear is the only brand I haven't had any trouble with so that's tempting, but I might try DSE first or hunt down someone else with one I can test. Thanks Cyril.

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#201316 15-Mar-2009 19:15

Sounds like you need to reset your expectations on what DSL2+ will do for you. You need to be extremely close to the DSLAM to realise anywhere near the theoretical max connect rates.

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

stevenz

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#201319 15-Mar-2009 19:34

I don't think I'm out of line expecting at least 12Mbps, still only half of the theoretical peak. We're about 1Km from the exchange.

Edit: Especially when a calculator using adsl2+ theory says I should be getting significantly better than 10Mbps - (reckons approx 20, but I'll meet it halfway) given my line attenuation - http://tinyurl.com/22qvkv

cyril7

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#201327 15-Mar-2009 20:46

If you are infact at 1km of cable from the exchange and on a good cable, then you should expect 18-20Mb/s minimum, this is both according to published results and my experience.

Cyril

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