Would a master filter be of any benefit for me?

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jogiles

18 posts

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#114810 4-Mar-2013 12:52

Hi all,

My house has a single wire coming from the Telecom demarc point to a single telephone point in my 'server closet'. Plugged into that is a in-line filter (i.e. the kind supplied with most ADSL modems that has a plug for DSL and a telephone jack). Plugged into the telephone jack is a cable that runs to a patch panel and threads itself through four of the jacks (jacks 20 - 24). The ADSL modem is then plugged into the ADSL plug on the filter. The rest of my house is wired with cat 6 cabling I run recently which all terminates in the closet, running to a patch panel and then to a switch (where necessary), and there is only one phone patched into one of the phone jacks (obviously not running into the switch).

I have two questions:
1) Is this a suitable setup, or should I install a proper master filter?
2) The only cabling I have not changed is the cable running from the demarc to the phone socket in the closet. It looks relatively old but I have no particular reason to replace it. Would you recommend replacing it, and if so what with - should I run just a cat 6 cable, or should I future proof with a cable for fibre as well?

Separately, I've noted the following details from my modem (which is providing ADSL2+):

SNR Margin: 106 down / 124 up
Attenuation: 95 down / 26 up
Attainable Rate: 23056 down / 1048 up
Rate: 19990 down / 1000 up

I live slightly outside Palmerston North in what would be classed as a rural area. According to the Chorus Service Availability Tool I am in what is an exchange area with Rural Broadband Initiative available. Do these figures look appropriate? Attenuation / SNR seem high to me, but I'm not well enough informed to be certain.

Your feedback would be hugely appreciated!
Thanks,
Jonathan Giles

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RunningMan

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#774254 4-Mar-2013 13:03

I suspect your modem stats are out by a factor of 10 (i.e. they measure 0.1dB), in which case you must be almost right on top of the exchange - they are excellent.

Technically, you have a very similar setup to a proper master filter, in that all the phone wiring is isolated on one side, and you have a direct line to your modem. However, the plug in filters are generally of lesser quality, and you have a number of plug in connections, and an unknown quantity as the cable from the demarc.

Best practise would be a new run of cat 5 or 6 to the demarc, install a proper master filter with the correct crimp connectors. Having said that, your line stats are very good, and unless you are looking at a move to VDSL, it is unlikely you would get much real world improvement, unless you are having specific problems you are trying to address.

cyril7

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#774268 4-Mar-2013 13:36

Hi, if your current line consists of the components you say, ie a single line from the demarc that splits at no point, and the wires used in that line are infact a pair (not a split pair) and you have just the one outlet and your using a micro filter at that point to feed both the phone and modem and the line goes onward from there, then I would suggest a master filter will not make any difference.

You noted line stats look pretty good, as for the DNS dropping out, doubt a master filter will help.

Cyril