This topic

Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

zoonyx — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 12:11:09 GMT

I apologise in advance for this if I've misread or missed something obvious. I've become obsessed with my fibre speeds - partly due to being given dodgy info by the call centres etc. If you can help give me a definitive answer, I will love you forever.

I'm a BT Fibre 1 customer and have been for a long time, since it was called Infinity 1 and was the lowest non-capped (in terms of usage) offering. I am not particularly far from the cabinet, new build large estate build 2000ish. I had a fault recently which an engineer fixed by running brand new cable from the openreach box on the front of the house to the master faceplate. He used a machine plugged into the line at the front box and said he was getting a sync speed of "60 meg". The Smarthub is extremely stable and now syncs at 55meg, with "real world" throughput at 49meg.

However.... I'm geek and I want as much as I can get. Fibre 2 on one part of the BT site suggests I can get upto 70 meg, but once logged in this seems to change and show the exact speed as Fibre 1. I'm happy to pay for Fibre 2 if there is an increase, but I have no idea if there is any point. Also, I'm worried my line might be capped somewhere because 55 (or even 60) seems a lot lower than the ranges shown on the wholesale availability checker - considering I'm not that far from the cabinet.

Could someone take a quick look at the attached images and let me know if my IP profile / SNR Margins /etc are all good?

Also just to note: on the wholesale speed checker, I did an advanced test on my correct phone number but remotely so the download/upload speeds are wrong.

Thanks!

Edit: Also, could someone tell me what type of cabinet mine is, because if an 'aftermarket' modem/router will improve my speeds I would buy one. I also have an old openreach modem I think - are these better than the built in smarthubs? How can I test the sync speed with one. Sorry for all the questions!

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

imjolly — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 12:09:57 GMT

from your stats you appear to have a fibre 2 connection with connection speed just above 55mb down but well above the 10mb up fibre limit the 20mb up profile is fibre 2. were you given a free upgrade to fibre 2 speed maybe 18/24 months ago?

your speed range expected is 79/57mb and you are just below that are you using the test socket with a filter to see if that helps speed?

your connection time is very short are you having connection problems?

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

zoonyx — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 12:22:30 GMT

Hi, thanks for taking the time to reply. This is my incredible frustration! I am 100% on fibre 1 - at least from a branding point of view. However, I noticed I didn't include the options available to me. The first 2 images below are what BT offer me when I'm logged in. Note Fibre 1 and 2 are both the same other than the cost! Same stay fast of 41mb, same estimated speeds. However, look at image 3 which is in a private browsing window as a new customer using my address. The stay fast is different and fibre 1 and 2 have expected large differences.

The engineer advising the 60mb sync speed with his equipment suggests I should be getting close to 60meg, but the whole fibre 1 vs 2, but with my speeds being above fibre 1 just makes my head explode! I feel like something is wrong here and I may be being artificially limited. I'm IT savvy, but not with this and I don't know who to moan to frankly, or what to say to them to get my point across - if there is even a problem in the first place!

Connection time was just me trying to force a resync (i only do this weekly to ensure it doesn't look like line drops). Stability-wise my connection is perfect at the moment, new cabling from front box to faceplate, brand new faceplate etc. No difference between test port and front, and no extensions wiring or anything else connected to the line - just the smart hub.

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

imjolly — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 12:31:39 GMT

the estimates of line speed are exactly as it says 'ESTIMATES'

you have better information as existing customer and with FTTC connection

whether you are on fibre 1 or 2 the estimated max speed for your line would be the same but line restricted to 55mb on fibre 1 and 80mb on fibre 2 The dslchecker for your line estimates speed range of 79/57mb with handback at 49mb

your max attainable is 55.6mb and you are at max attainable - there is no restriction of the the max attainable speed which ever package you are on

I still think you were one of the lucky people who go a free speed upgrade from infinity 1 to infinty 2 as it was at the time

I would also stop resetting your connection manually as it is not helping show you have a stable connection

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

zoonyx — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 13:37:31 GMT

Yeah I get estimates, and it's purely cig-packet maths, but I'm just a little surprised to be at the bottom end of them, considering the distances involves, age of the equipment etc. I'm obviously not saying I'm right, just that's why I question it.

I was also unable to get a definitive answer to the max attainable stat - so thanks for that. That is the max attainable regardless of package, caps, providers etc. However, I assume it's set by the smart hub, so an aftermarket modem could increase this?

Also, the 3db SNR margin trial that some people seemed to get a while ago - would this also increase the max attainable, and sync speed?

Noted regarding hub resets! As for the free speed upgrade, I do remember it, I didn't think I was part of it, but I accept it does look like I have this. For the record though, in terms of my account etc, I'm billed as Fibre 1.

Finally just to throw random phrases at you.... G.IMP and vectoring... are these relevant to VDSL - I've read that the smart hub doesn't support them but the network does?

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

imjolly — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 13:40:04 GMT

the max attainable is set by your distance from the cabinet and quality of line nothing to do with the router/hub being used. you are on an ECI cab so currently there is no boost from G.INP and 3db noise margin

the upgrade was a speed upgrade but you remained on the old infinity 1 now fibre1

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

zoonyx — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 13:44:28 GMT

Brilliant. Great to be getting some actual answers from someone who understands the questions!

So one last thing... because the max is 55, and I'm at 55, a different modem will NOT make a (positive) difference to this?

My line is a 55mb line at best, and I am getting the best available?

Thanks for your help!

The only other thing I'm confused with actually is why the sync speed at the outside box is 60mb, but it loses 5mb from the front box on brand new cable to the side of the house.

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

imjolly — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 13:47:18 GMT

it is unlikely a different router would make any difference to your max or attainable speed or if it did it could just easy be slightly and slightly higher but still about same

have you actually tried your hub connected to the test socket with a filter?

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

zoonyx — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 13:57:34 GMT

I have tried it in the test socket, but not with a filter? I must have misunderstood but didn't think it was needed if I have nothing else.

Basically the engineer just ran a new cable from the outside termination box (i think?), drilled in, cable through into a brand new master socket, no extensions connected etc. I don't use the land line at all.

Will happily try this tonight for a difference.

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

licquorice — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 14:35:31 GMT

You don't need a filter, but not sure how you are plugging an RJ11 plug into a 431A socket without one.

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

zoonyx — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 14:51:33 GMT

I have an (older) cable which has RJ11 on one end and the large "phone" type connector on the other - but I will take advice and just use a brand new filter with the same cable tonight when I get home

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

licquorice — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 14:55:16 GMT

You can't use that cable with a filter, you would be plugging it into the filtered part rather than the unfiltered. Try with a filter and RJ11-RJ11 cable. The problem might be the cable.

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

zoonyx — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 15:21:21 GMT

Oh ok, will give it a go. I have a brand new filter and cable from when I phoned BT and seemingly the best way to get me off the phone was to pointlessly send out a new Smarthub 1 to replace my perfectly fine Smarthub 1...

Might actually come in useful!

Will report back later.

I'm also trying to source (borrow) a 3rd party modem/router to mess with too.

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

licquorice — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 15:25:26 GMT

Don't make too many disconnections/connections or DLM will take action and reduce your speed. Definitely no more than one in an hour.

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

imjolly — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 15:26:56 GMT

careful to many disconnection as you try different thing may result in DLM taking action and reducing your connection speed and increasing your noise margin

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

zoonyx — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 15:37:06 GMT

Haha yes jinxed posts.

I have just got word that I also still have a working openreach modem (the one that used to get installed seperately before the homehub 5 i think?). This obviously gives me more options when it comes to routers. (If I switch both I'll do them both at the same disconnect point!)

Do you guys actually see many people see improvements going back to the separate kit? The smarthub was always known as decent but it's fairly old now.

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

imjolly — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 15:42:05 GMT

if smart hub old now then modems are ancient😄

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

zoonyx — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 15:46:09 GMT

Fair point!

To be honest, I don't need need wifi improvements. Everything is hard wired into the smart hub anyway. I've honestly read so much for days now, but something about bufferbloat on Stadia/streaming services etc.

I just need the fastest possible modem and fastest possible router.

Damn just found out the modem I have is the ECI version 😞

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

imjolly — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 15:50:20 GMT

so is your cabinet ECI

Re: Capped Broadband - help with my obsession pleaseeeeeeee!?

zoonyx — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 15:51:55 GMT

Yes, but the HG612 version can be easily hacked to enable the web UI... I'm comfortable with that, less so soldering the ECI version!