BeThere Vs BT Broadband

[Hixxey]

Since getting BT broadband two years ago my speed has slowly gone from 150kb/s (1.5 Meg) to around 80kb/s (0.8 Meg!) and thats with "up to 8meg" Option 3.

I am thinking of getting Be There. But will my speeds increase?

It uses LLU instead of ADSL.

Here is some technical info for anyone who understands it.

DSL Connection

Link Information

Uptime:0 days, 2:01:56

Modulation:G.992.1 annex A

Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]:448 / 1,280

Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [MB/MB]:19.93 / 103.06

Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]:12.0 / 16.0

Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]:26.0 / 48.0

SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]:19.0 / 13.0

Vendor ID (Local/Remote):TMMB / TSTC

Loss of Framing (Local/Remote):0 / 0

Loss of Signal (Local/Remote):0 / 0

Loss of Power (Local/Remote):0 / 0

Loss of Link (Remote):0

Error Seconds (Local/Remote):0 / 0

FEC Errors (Up/Down):0 / 33,159

CRC Errors (Up/Down):0 / 19

HEC Errors (Up/Down):0 / 15

Line Profile:Interleaved

 

[Daz]

LLU just means it's been unbundled - Be/O2 is still ADSL (albeit ADSL2)

I personally wouldn't use any other ISP for a home connection if Be/O2 was available on the exchange. It's just "better" than anything else, heh.

 

[funklenut]

Are you on DSL Max at the moment i.e. 8 meg as that sync is really low and ADSL2+ degradation is worse that ADSL on longer lines so you could get worse speeds.

I'm on be, they are excellent, uTorrent is showing almost 2TB (up and down) since Jan and not heard a peep from them!

 

[DeeKay86]

(also posted this in your other thread)

ADSL will use BT's network. LLU (local loop unbundling) is where BT lets other ISP's use their network (because of Ofcom saying BT has to allow competitors to use its network so they can compete!).

Anyways, you must be far from your exchange mate, not much you can do right now on ADSL then seeing as we are slowly reaching the point of 'fibre to the home', but thats still a couple of years from now.

Oh, I work for BT by the way.

Anyways, as much as I hate to say it, you may need to go with Virgin Media if you really want faster Broadband.

They have fibre to cabs and then coax to your house... will get much faster speeds with them for now.

Hope that helps.

 

[funklenut]

I agree most ISPs will use BTs network products such as data stream / IP stream, but some will use other back haul providers like 186K.

My mate works for BT too at the labs in Martlesham, he was a designer of 21CN, BT Vision and no idea what the next project he is working on, its all hush hush.

You should be able to get a slightly better speed using Be as your SNR is 48 which translates to between 4-7 Mbits so possibly better.

I'd go for Virgin though as guy said above but its not available where I live!

 

[DeeKay86]

I'm a Fibre Access Network Planner for our business customers. The way things are going though, I will also be planning for Fibre to the home!!

 

[funklenut]

What sort of time frame are we looking at for a city like Sheffield - I live bang in the city so I'm hoping we might get it quite early on.

Am I right in thinking it will be fibre to the curb then VDSL to home?

 

[DeeKay86]

What sort of time frame are we looking at for a city like Sheffield - I live bang in the city so I'm hoping we might get it quite early on.

Am I right in thinking it will be fibre to the curb then VDSL to home?

Theres a lot going on right now. The decision was just made for fibre to the cab then coax out, like Virgin Media. Debates are going on for Fibre to the Home as well, so nothing is set in stone yet.

Trials have been going on for FTTC, but I don't know yet how that went.

I believe the roll out will be a little slow to be honest, our copper network is just way too big to replace completely, so as far as I know the fibre side will be rolled out a little later rather than sooner.

As soon as it is set in stne though, I'm sure they'll get things moving, but looking at the condition of our duct work, it will be a while till its up and running and fully implemented.

Will update once I know more though, had a debate at a meeting about fibre to the home / cab the other day. Its all very interesting stuff!!!

 

[Hixxey]

Thanks for all the replys. I can't get virgin to my house. Apparently they need to wait for roadworks so they can lay the cable :S.

So what are my options? Should I stick with my poor ~80kb/s or switch ISP?

Thanks,
Hixxey

 

[richy22]

(also posted this in your other thread)

ADSL will use BT's network. LLU (local loop unbundling) is where BT lets other ISP's use their network (because of Ofcom saying BT has to allow competitors to use its network so they can compete!).

Anyways, you must be far from your exchange mate, not much you can do right now on ADSL then seeing as we are slowly reaching the point of 'fibre to the home', but thats still a couple of years from now.

Oh, I work for BT by the way.

Anyways, as much as I hate to say it, you may need to go with Virgin Media if you really want faster Broadband.

They have fibre to cabs and then coax to your house... will get much faster speeds with them for now.

Hope that helps.

The Fibre to the home statement is wrong im afraid.

It will be fibre to the cabinets but copper for the last stretch. The cost involved in doing it fibre to every home is extortionate (I know you said you work for BT!) I have been told otherwise by people who work/look after the gateway/line testing side of things and seeing as though we are making stuff for BT etc that is going in the cabinets and that is copper based.

 

[richy22]

But of course I can be told wrong as I know what a ball-ache it is working with you guys

 

[funklenut]

Thats what I thought in my post above - FTC and then VDSL as mentioned my mate is a network designer at BT labs in Martlesham / Ipswich.

Do you work for Lucent as I heard they would be doing the kit in the cabs?

 

[richy22]

No dont work for Lucent. We do the "Test Access" part that goes in between people like Lucent, Hauweii, ECI etc etc so that the lines can be tested.

Thing is I dont think they will ever make up their mind as to what they will be doing! Dont mean that in a bad way just in some places it wont be cost effective. Maybe in big cities but for 60% of the country I just couldn't see it happening. I mean that means ripping up pavements etc to bring Fibre to the house.

From what I have heard from a few Martlesham guys is they are set on FTTC as the trials went very well. But like I said that could all change.

I take great pleasure in tellings some of my friends, who have recently gone to Virgin and expecting 24mb download speeds, that they dont have a fibre cable going into there house! I love how Virgin sell there product

 

[richy22]

Plus FTTH has its downsides from what I have been hearing, especially under heavy loads what with the "take turns" transmitting architecture thats it uses.

FTTC IMO is the more viable option.

 

[Adam K]

i had virgin before i had be.

virgin is rubbish for heavy downloaders if you want to download stuff during the day. if you can restrict yourself to downloading after 9pm on virgin then their service is acceptable. they have stingy bandwidth allowances during the day.

with be you get full speed 24/7 and no restrictions as to when you can use it.

 

[Hixxey]

Well I rang BT today to see if they would give me my MAC code before tuesday and they said I cant have it because they cancelled my account instead of migrating it!
Idiots.

So now I assume I have to wait for BT to get off my line before Be* can set up?

So I'm going to be without the Internet for 6-10 days

 

[DeeKay86]

The Fibre to the home statement is wrong im afraid.

It will be fibre to the cabinets but copper for the last stretch. The cost involved in doing it fibre to every home is extortionate (I know you said you work for BT!) I have been told otherwise by people who work/look after the gateway/line testing side of things and seeing as though we are making stuff for BT etc that is going in the cabinets and that is copper based.

I was recently in a meeting regarding fibre to the home and everything going on with that. Yes, the current decision is fibre to the cab, but debates are still going as to whether fibre to the home is worth it. In the long run, it may well be.

 

[MarcC]

Fibre to the home is so worth it!!

Nuff said

 

[Adam]

BT + Fibre
BT + Tpon = Fail ....

 

[richy22]

I was recently in a meeting regarding fibre to the home and everything going on with that. Yes, the current decision is fibre to the cab, but debates are still going as to whether fibre to the home is worth it. In the long run, it may well be.

Oh yeah I understand that... by the way reading back my post it seems like i was trying to come across as "I'm right"... that wasn't the intention!!

 

[richy22]

Well I rang BT today to see if they would give me my MAC code before tuesday and they said I cant have it because they cancelled my account instead of migrating it!
Idiots.

So now I assume I have to wait for BT to get off my line before Be* can set up?

So I'm going to be without the Internet for 6-10 days

You can ring BT wholesale and have the Line forcefully removed. We had agod knows how much trouble when we moved into our house... Old Tenants were on AOL, we set up with BT and were told we needed the MAC to unlock it. AOL would not give us the MAC as we weren't account holders and the previous people hadnt requested to cancel it so we were stuck in limbo!

Spent over 2 hours on the phone to f**king India. Had a quick search online and found we could ring BT wholesale and get it unlocked. The guy did it straight away... took 5 mins

 

[Cookie]

You can ring BT wholesale and have the Line forcefully removed. We had agod knows how much trouble when we moved into our house... Old Tenants were on AOL, we set up with BT and were told we needed the MAC to unlock it. AOL would not give us the MAC as we weren't account holders and the previous people hadnt requested to cancel it so we were stuck in limbo!

Spent over 2 hours on the phone to f**king India. Had a quick search online and found we could ring BT wholesale and get it unlocked. The guy did it straight away... took 5 mins

LOL

I phoned BT the other day and got an English person!