Can you get MAX?

[Zenith]

I'm sure a lot of people are getting excited at the prospect of up to 8Mbit on their ADSL from the end of the month. One of the most common questions is,

"How fast will I be able to get on my line?"

This site right here (http://212.23.23.177/calc.htm) has a guesstimate of your line capability based on technical information that you key in.

It depends on three things.
1) Your line distance from the phone exchange.
2) Your download attenuation (dB).
3) Your download SNR (dB).

Your line length is something that only BT will be able to tell you with any accuracy. If you have a friend who is a BT engineer, ask if they could check your line length for you.

The download attenuation and SNR should be visible from the diagnostic panel of your ADSL modem or router. My particular router (Speedtouch 510i) has a diagnostics section that tells me my download attenuation is 22dB and my SNR is 31dB.

For your attenuation, lower is better. If it is 43dB or lower, you should be on 2Mbit already. If it is between 43 and 60dB, you're probably on 1Mbit.
For the SNR, HIGHER is better.

If I key my figures into that page (2048, 22 and 31), I get this result:
A crude estimate of what your line is capable of is 8192kbps (kilo bits per second).

This page right here (http://adsl.yesyes.info/modules/xoopsfaq/index.php?cat_id=2) has a couple of graphs which show you what your line is theoretically capable of with different DSL technologies. ADSL2+ anyone? :)

[RTO]

Cheers Zen, great post there :)

Sticky'd

[Hg]

ok i live in the middle of no where and atm im on 512K, using the web site Zenith gave and gettin SNR and download attenuation from my roter, my line can support 1mb, when i type in my postcode on BTs website it says my line can use 1mb but when i type in my phone number it says my line only supports 512k, why is this?
Hg

[RocketKnight]

At a guess, its because BT will only tell you 512k as thats as fast as it can guarantee to support. If you're borderline 1mb, buy the 1mb package, but then get slightly lower than 1mb speeds, it wouldn't be very fair. And the last thing BT is more people that hate them. :p:

[Hg]

Originally posted by RocketKnight
At a guess, its because BT will only tell you 512k as thats as fast as it can guarantee to support. If you're borderline 1mb, buy the 1mb package, but then get slightly lower than 1mb speeds, it wouldn't be very fair. And the last thing BT is more people that hate them. :p:

Im with Tiscali, and its the same price for the 1mb package as it is for the 512k package but could i get them to put me on to the 1mb package could i hell but thats what you get when u call india!!!!
TBH i dont mind if my line wont get the full 1mb at least if they put me onto the 1mb package i should still see an improvement right?

[Species]

I'm in a similar situation but I'm currently on 1mbit rather than 512k. I'm going to look into the possibilities that AdslMax may offer me once its all sorted but I'm not setting any expectations, I've been told that BT are planning to update their broadband wholesale checker soon with the new max data, this should hopefully give people like ourselves a slightly better idea of what, if any speed increases we may be able to get in the near future. :)

Of course this has to be balanaced with the additional cost of an AdslMax package, I'll have to weigh up the potential speed increases with cost before I decide if its worth the extra cash. :confused:

[Switch`]

ReceiveAttenuation_dB= 4
ReceiveMargin_dB= 31
:D

Hi, 8mb

[Species]

Originally posted by Switch`
ReceiveAttenuation_dB= 4
ReceiveMargin_dB= 31
:D

Hi, 8mb


Lucky sod :D

[Er00]

Thanks for the site. The number I got makes up for the crapness of it:

A crude estimate of what your line is capable of is 1337kbps (kilo bits per second).

I guess I'll be waiting a little longer for higher than 1meg :(

Actually, I tell a lie, I managed to not notice the box saying "line speed". So with 1meg in there I should be able to get speeds of up to 2meg, I guess I'll wait a while longer then start bugging parents ;)

[Switch`]

ADSL Max Checker now avalible (http://www.samknows.com/broadband/checker2.php)

[GeeDee]

Or the BT Wholesale Checker (http://www.bt.com/broadband)

Same data I imagine mind. :)

[Jingles]

Originally posted by Zenith

Your line length is something that only BT will be able to tell you with any accuracy. If you have a friend who is a BT engineer, ask if they could check your line length for you.


Actually you can do it from your own phone. I've forgotten the buttons, but by pressing something like #0# (I cant remember) it goes onto a BT engineer test thing where one service is to report the line length.

This is probably not supposed to be used by the general public, but if anyone wants to do some research and find out what the key-combo is, I'd like to know again :D

[her0n]

A crude estimate of what your line is capable of is 7944kbps (kilo bits per second).

with 2048, 28 and 24.

That's the speed my router connects at.. but i'm actually on 1mb :/ curses!

Still pretty good though. If i use 1024 instead then it gives me a figure in the region of 5000kbps approx.

[Nes]

yeh im curious to see what mine will be considering i was on 2mb quite comfortably with ukonline but BT's new contraints took me down to 1mb limit with mpuk.

With the figures i have it estimates 5meg (assuming on 1 now) and 8 if i enter 2 meg currently so it should be interesting :)

[Dav3y]

Originally posted by Jingles
Actually you can do it from your own phone. I've forgotten the buttons, but by pressing something like #0# (I cant remember) it goes onto a BT engineer test thing where one service is to report the line length.

This is probably not supposed to be used by the general public, but if anyone wants to do some research and find out what the key-combo is, I'd like to know again :D

17070 i believe, but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. Got that info from here (http://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/network_codes.htm)

[GeeDee]

Yes, but they took the line distance bit of that out ages ago.

As I recall, too many people were abusing it and BT engineers were getting enaged tones when trying to use it themselves. :)

[Nes]

ROFL! excellent :)

[Dav3y]

Originally posted by GeeDee
Yes, but they took the line distance bit of that out ages ago.

As I recall, too many people were abusing it and BT engineers were getting enaged tones when trying to use it themselves. :)

lol typical, well it was nice when it worked. No longer have ADSL myself at home, but plusnet have just upgraded out business DSL at work for free, just gotta see what it can achieve when it sorts itself out.

[Eagle-NmF-]

cheers for that,i'm 1.3km form the exchange and A crude estimate of what your line is capable of is 8192kbps (kilo bits per second).

:) mpuk dsl here i come :)

[JaM3z]

Originally posted by Er00
Thanks for the site. The number I got makes up for the crapness of it:

A crude estimate of what your line is capable of is 1337kbps (kilo bits per second).

I guess I'll be waiting a little longer for higher than 1meg :(

Actually, I tell a lie, I managed to not notice the box saying "line speed". So with 1meg in there I should be able to get speeds of up to 2meg, I guess I'll wait a while longer then start bugging parents ;)


your so leet :D

[SBB]

Anyone getting dismal service on Max ADSL?

Im on Nildram and when i had 2MB they were the best, but now their service is dismal... i have a sinking feeling that it's a problem with BT

[Lucifa]

That would be Nildram, they were a fantastic ISP before they got bought by Pipex, now they have gone way way downhill.

[SBB]

i've noticed their support is horrible now... withholding my MAC code is really not on

[MajorPart]

If your having issues with ADSL Max 9 out of 10 times it will be an issue with BT esp in the first 10 days. Also do not pay attention to speed tests as most are being overwhelmed just now (by everyone checking thier new speeds) and will come out with a crap figure.

http://www.irishisptest.com/myspeed.php is the only reliable one ive seen. even then i think they are getting hit quite a bit as i wa able to download a file from a friend at college (mirc to mirc) and was getting just over 6mb for about half an hour but only got reading of just over 1mb with asdl guide speed checker and 4 with the irish one!!

[tigger]

noticed that too, since upgrading my 2 meg ADSL connection with Nildram to their ADSL Max I'm sure my connection has gotten worse. Getting PL, ping higher etc.

Anyone else suffering from this? Or is it a Nildram ADSL Max teething issue?

[SBB]

I've had enough. I'm moving to NTL... sounds like a wreckless move but I was with them for 3 years before I moved onto BT again... only reason I changed was because it was a lot cheaper at the time, and the speed was higher (max NTL was offering was 1MB and I could get 2MB on Nildram ADSL).

[MajorPart]

Originally posted by tigger
noticed that too, since upgrading my 2 meg ADSL connection with Nildram to their ADSL Max I'm sure my connection has gotten worse. Getting PL, ping higher etc.

Anyone else suffering from this? Or is it a Nildram ADSL Max teething issue?

Unless there is something specific going on with Nildram.. as i stated before there are certain known issues with the Max Service this is nothing to do with your ISP but with BT.

Max is new so expec certain issues, Lots of people are complaining about thier ISP when they signed up with max, it seems people think that thier ISP invented the MAX service. I have noticed increased ping, drop outs, go slow days etc.

This is on 4 PC's that i am able to check on a regular basis all connected to Max (AOL, Nildram, Zen, AOL) <one of thoose AOL's has been replaced by MP DSL this morning so can't comment on it yet> But as it is also a MaxIP service i expect drop outs in the first 10 days and various speed variations after this. However i expect the ping will be supurb esp with the gaming servers! :p:

[tigger]

Its long past the 10 day period. The problem is for example last night the connection was dreadful, ping all over the place and pl to the extent whereby I wasn't seeing shots. Rather than just blame my ISP and bail (since I think Nildram is super) I wanted to check if anyone else was aware of any issues with ADSL Max or was having the same problems with Nildram :)

[MajorPart]

I'd suggest that you hang fire at least till Multiplay is allowing orders again.. :cool:

It's probably an issue with Max or it will be an issue that Nildram is facing dealing with Max which to be honest is happening with most heavily subscribed ISP's.

It could also be a fault with your line or your local exchange...

Max does apply the best speed for the line conditions 24/7 but this doesn't explain the really crapy pings.

But it seems there are a few people complaining on the various forums about thier pings and laggy gaming in general (not a particular isp) since moving to MAX.

I think once alot of peeps have regraded to MAX and stop speed testing and downloading alot more than they'd normally do all the time, it should settle down

Imagine how many people are doing this with just one big isp, then think of the big hit BT is getting!!

It has to be affecting BT central systems.

[frag]

tigger If you read some of my posts,you will see I am moving to multiplay ip max premium adsl on the 22nd

I like you am Nildram (soon to be rid of) I have had for a month 98% 96% 94% 80% packet loss,I know this
from regular testing,it makes trying to aim and hit someone a complete nightmare,if you look around on the net
you will see just more then 2% packet loss can cause aim problems,I know for a fact that it is my Isp Nilsram,as a friend of mine is with Zen and on adsl max has only had maximum 2% packet loss.

So in my honest opinon,you are not alone :)