BT Router Use

[Laharna]

Because I live in the country I only get about 2 Mbps Broadband speed, with the signal interrupted from time to time.  This is using them latest BT hub  but I have been advised by an engineer that  this hub is the reason for this interruption  because it cannot cope with the low signal, and that I should revert to an earlier generation hub,  Hub5. Is this sound advice?   With Regards, Laharna. 

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@Laharna wrote:

Because I live in the country I only get about 2 Mbps Broadband speed, with the signal interrupted from time to time.  This is using them latest BT hub  but I have been advised by an engineer that  this hub is the reason for this interruption  because it cannot cope with the low signal, and that I should revert to an earlier generation hub,  Hub5. Is this sound advice?   With Regards, Laharna. 

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If you only get standard (ADSL) broadband, then the home hub 4 is the one designed for that service.

All the later hubs will be affected by out-of-band interference on the line.

What broadband package do you have?

[Laharna]

Dear Keith,

Thank you for your helpful message. My BT package delivers Broadband and phone via a copper cable which is not due to be upgraded until at least 18 months' time to give me a greatly enhanced speed.  I shall take your advice and replace the current hub with a Hub4, to see if this gives me a more consistent signal.  Regards, Laharna. 

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@Laharna wrote:

Dear Keith,

Thank you for your helpful message. My BT package delivers Broadband and phone via a copper cable which is not due to be upgraded until at least 18 months' time to give me a greatly enhanced speed.  I shall take your advice and replace the current hub with a Hub4, to see if this gives me a more consistent signal.  Regards, Laharna. 

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If your broadband comes directly from the exchange, and not from equipment in a fibre cabinet, then you are on standard (ADSL) broadband. The home hub 4 is the latest home hub that handles ADSL only. All the later home hubs handle ADSL and VDSL, but on a long line, cause a loss of the ADSL signal if they detect other signals.

The only other option is a third party router that can be locked to a specific service.

[Laharna]

Dear Keith,

Thank you for your latest. My signal travels approximately five miles by cable from the exchange in  town, part of the copper cable lying exposed in a ditch and liable to be severed when the local authority cuts the adjacent hedge, which means, I am informed, that when the severed wires are reduced several times, the signal is weakened, and so I am served by a temperamental ADSL signal. I will post my observations when I install a Hub 4 on your advice, for which I am most grateful. 

Kind Regards,

Laharma 

[Keith_Beddoe]

@Laharna 

Yes I can see you would have a problem with this type of connection. Fortunately  ADSL speed does recover itself automatically after a fault, but it can take a few days as its controlled from the exchange.

The Home Hub 4 should give you the most stable connection and should tolerate variations  in signal quality. You can usually tell if the line starts to develop a fault, as your phone calls would be noisy. 

[Laharna]

Dear Keith,

It seems that BT has sent me a BTHub6-ABCD, according to the box, when you recommend a Hub4. Should I buy one on EBay, on the assumption that I can install it online? They have also sent me a ADSL filter, but I presume I cannot use it with the newest Hub already installed.

Kind Regards,

Laharna

[Keith_Beddoe]

Its possible BT do not have any home hub 4s left. The HH6 is likely to suffer from the same disconnection issue, but you could always try it.

You could get a second-hand HH4, provided its for BT Broadband, and is less than the cost of buying a new one which would be £47.98 from Amazon. They do have some from other sellers which are cheaper.

The HH4 operates on a much narrower frequency range which encompasses only ADSL. A narrower bandwidth is needed where the signal level is poor.

[Laharna]

Dear Keith,

I am most grateful for your technical expertise. 

I hope you and yours have a prosperous, peaceful and healthy 2022.

Kind Regards,

Laharna

[Keith_Beddoe]

Thanks.

I hope you manage to improve your connection. Its always a problem on very long lines, especially if a large part of the route is overhead, as that can pick up radio signals, especially after dark, and that tends to degrade the connection.

I spent nearly 42 years working with telecommunications, and have come across most sources of interference.