Topic: Internet connection, what's faster?

[Nuli]

Hi All,
I was experiencing an exceptionally slow internet speed last week so I sent off an email to my ISP as I have paid for up to 8Mp.
It got me to thinking as I use an old BT Voyager modem and I have a brand new wireless router unopened in the cubboard at home. My ISP sent me this but I have never used it assuming the internet speeds might slow down.
In theory which would provide the fasted internet speeds?

By the way miraculously things have gone back to normal now.

Another question,
I tested my internet speed and it came out at just over 4Mp.
I found out that my local exchange can offer speeds of up to 24 Mp.
If I changed my ISP and signed up for a speed of up to 24Mps, will I still only get what I'm getting now just over 4Mp?

Regards Martin

[Simon]

Hi Martin,
 
I expect Rik would be the best one to answer your questions, and he'll probably be around at some point today.  In the meantime, what is the new router? 

[Rik]

Hi Martin

The speed you receive is governed by a number of issues. The most important of these is the distance you are from the exchange and the quality of the line (thick copper, thin copper, aluminium etc). That will determine your attenuation, which in turn determines the fastest speed at which you can connect. Your router or modem should be able to give you that information.

There is a second factor which then kicks in, and that is the IP profile. To save themselves some computing power, BT impose a profiling system which restricts throughput to a figure lower than the connection (or sync) speed. In addition, their profiles have 500k increments, so a change in sync speed of just 32k can move you up or down by 500k. Important when using a modem.

The final factors are the possibility of congestion at the exchange or within the ISPs network. This will usually be seen as a slowing of throughput at peak times.

If you move to an LLU provider offering ADSL2+, you should see some speed improvement, but you will not get 24Mbps unless you are currently synching at 8128. At a rough guess, you'd probably see 6-8Mbps, but if you can post your current sync speed, noise margin and attenuation, I can give you a better estimate.

I would always recommends using a router rather than a modem, it's far more secure and likely to give better results with rate adaptive services.

HTH

[Nuli]

Hi Simon,
I'll have to have a rummage around in my cubboard at home as I couldn't tell you what the router is.
I didn't take much notice of it when it arrived. It just got put away.

Hello Rik,
Thank you for an interesting answer, I can tell your knowledgable on this subject.
I'll take you advice and swap my old modem for the router when I get some time to read the instructions. As I've never set one up before.

Will I find my "current sync speed, noise margin and attenuation" buried in my modem's software?
If so I'll see if I can find the details when I get home from work and post them later.

Thanks to both of you.

Martin

[Simon]

Hi Martin,
 
If the router was supplied by your ISP, it's possible it may be pre-configured, so it will more or less just be a question of plugging it in.  If you need to set it up yourself, it's nothing more than a few simple steps.  You would need your ISP user name and password to hand.

[Rik]

Will I find my "current sync speed, noise margin and attenuation" buried in my modem's software?
If so I'll see if I can find the details when I get home from work and post them later.

Hi Martin

Take a look at Kitz' site, she has instruction for extracting the data from most modems/routers:

http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.htm

The router will normally auto-configure when you connect it up. As Simon says, you will need your username and password for your ISP, which you enter manually, by logging into the router's interface from your browser. You need install no other software, just connect with an ethernet cable (it should be in the box), and Windows will see the router.

[Nuli]

Simon, Rik,

Thanks for the information.
I'll go in and read the link you supplied and see if I can dig out any details.

You've just jogged my memory as to why I haven't used the router supplied by my ISP.
I haven't got an ethernet connection. At least I don't think I do.
My PC is a bitsa. Some years ago I bought a new desktop box, power supply, MOBO and chip.
Everything else was robbed from my old PC.

Martin

[Rik]

Most recent mobos have an ethernet connection, Martin. Take a look in the handbook, or check in device manager.

[Simon]

If you don't have an ethernet connection, Martin, a network card can be purchased for little more than a tenner, and it's just a question of popping it into a spare PCI slot. 

Network card at Play.com

[Nuli]

Hi Simon, Rik,
My Modem is a BT Voyager 50 or sometimes referred to as a Classic and I have been unable to extract any info from it.
I have been onto a couple of these websites that test your internet speed and supplying my post code as well they have told me that the best speed I can expect to get is just over 5Mp. So on average at the moment I'm getting almost up to 5Mp so I'm quiet satisfied with that.

My MOBO is.

ASRock 4 core Dual-SATA2 (Socket 775) HDMI AGP & PCI-E

Asrock motherboards give great value with great upgradability options for very low prices.
- LGA 775 for Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme / Core™ 2 Duo / Pentium® XE / Pentium® D / Pentium® 4 / Celeron® D, supporting Quad Core Kentsfield processors
VIA® PT880 Ultra Chipset
- Supports FSB1066/800/533MHz processors and H-T Technology
- Supports Dual Channel DDRII667 (DDRII x 2 DIMM slots) and DDR400 (DDR x 2 DIMM slots)
- Untied Overclocking : During Overclocking, FSB enjoys better margin due to fixed - AGP/PCIE/ PCI Buses
- 1 x PCI Express Graphics slot
- 1 x AGP 8X slot
- Hybrid Booster - Safe Overclocking Technology
- 2 x Serial ATA 1.5Gb/s connectors, support RAID 0, 1, JBOD functions
- HDMI_SPDIF header, providing SPDIF audio output to HDMI VGA card, allows the system to connect HDMI Digital TV/projector/LCD devices.
- 7.1 CH Windows® Vista™ Premium Level HD Audio (ALC888 Audio Codec)
- Supports all features in Windows® Vista™ Premium
- HD 8CH I/O: 4 ready-to-use USB2.0 ports, HD 7.1 channel audio jacks

I can't see any mention of an ethernet connection, but the link posted to play.com for a network card means I can see what the plug looks like and have a look in the back of my PC to see if I have one. If not I'll take Simon's advice a buy one.

Thanks for the info and a very informative website.

Martin

[Simon]

That looks quite a newish motherboard, Martin, and I would be suprised if it didn't have onboard Ethernet.

[Tony]

That looks quite a newish motherboard, Martin, and I would be suprised if it didn't have onboard Ethernet.

Well did he get it sorted? for the record that Mobo has an Ethernet connection MOBO