[ScinteX]

Hi,

Ive been having some really odd problems with my connection over the past few days.
Anyhow since I have ordered a new router, the troublesome netgear box (a DG814) has decided to work (typical!;( ).

I was having a look at all of the settings since ive never really had need to look at them before. There is a section in there called Statistics.

It reports:

Modem
ADSL Firmware Version 3.9.122
Modem Status Connected
Connect Mode Fast Mode
Down Stream 1152 Kb/s
Up Stream 288 Kb/s
VPI 0
VCI 38

By looking at this you may think its a fairly standard sight. However i dont understand the Downstream part. Its says 1152- not somewhere near 500 as id expect. I have the"512kbps" package apparently from Tiscali. I know lots of peeps hate tiscali but theyve been good to me for 3 years (touch wood)

I did a speed test at zdnet.co.uk and got this:

Your line speed:

306.1 Kbps

37.5 K bytes/sec

This is on the slow side since when downloading ISO files from IBM's site I can get up to 71K bytes/sec.

Would anyone mind voicing a reality check on this?! Am i getting a 1mb cennection that is limited somewhere? Is the netgear box just displaying a theoretical maximum?

[jmmijo]

From my days working at a local ISP I seem to recall that the your bandwidth carrier will qualify your line for it's maximum speed and then throttle back the bandwidth with either the xDSL router and/or the local exchange equipment (DSLAM's).

Your router may indeed be giving the correct downstream limit available that the local exchange equipment is telling it but it's like an electronic governor limiting you to the speed you paid for

When I first had xDSL installed at my residence the local carrier US West/Qwest didn't have any bandwidth limits, I was paying for a 256k/128k line and was getting something like a 768k/256k pipe instead, very nice indeed

[ScinteX]

Thanks for the reply! I lost this thread and found it via Google ;-)

The most recent fun I am having is that Tiscali have upgraded everyone to 1mb... however my connection is now slower than a 256Kb package!
Things used to be so good until those donuts in PCWorld starting flogging Tiscali packages to normal users! how dare they lol its tipped tiscali over the edge and everything is dying! (I need a crying smiley )

[AndyFair]

Take a look at Zen - they guarantee no contention. In the four or so years I've been with them, I haven't had any problems at all (touch wood).

[ScinteX]

Wow thanks- you have no idea how your timing is so perfect I was just toying with either Zen or Pipex.
Hmm another look at Zen i think!

Thank again

[ross_aveling]

I'd recommend BT Yahoo! broadband any time.

They are in the process of upgrading all accounts to 2mb and they have dropped the price by a couple of quid. They are introducing a 30gb monthly usage limit in the Spring though (and charging a pound or two for every gb over that limit).

The usage limit aside, everything has been great from day one. I've been using them for well over a year now and the service has never gone down... not once.