The Truth of British Broadband

[Chronictank]

Very interesting article, and to you european ba***** who say "lols im on 10 meg (yes im bitter :<) not mentioning any names Atos . Uk broadband explained;

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2103-2330140_1,00.html

but take it with a pinch of salt:

Saw that posted on ADSLguide.

I'm inclined to take the speed results with a tonne of salt though because unless you compare the speed you get to the sync rate you're at, you're hardly comparing like for like (unless you assume every ISP has the same spread of sync rates, isn't using traffic shaping to prioritise the AG speed tester etc). I'm still on home2000 so if I get a lower speedtest than someone that's synching at 8128kbps (and getting the full 7.2Mbps IP rate) it's hardly a shock.

To a point, it's the ASA that's at fault - they should be killing all the ads with "unlimited" (fair usage applies), "up to 8Mbps" (if you work for us, because we don't currently offer Max to our customers) and "free" (if you're giving us >£20 a month for your TV/Phone service)in them. 8Mbps' on services dependant on Max are a bit dodgy too, given you'll only get 7.2Mbps at most by the time ATM takes its cut.
But the ASA won't touch ISPs' web sites, so to a point they can get away with murder.
Ofcom's main interest is promoting competition (and keeping their NTL pension funds healthy), so as far as they're concerned as long as LLU keeps expanding (and NTL Telewest keep plodding along) they're happy.

The complaining about "up to" being unfair's a bit spurious though - no one has any idea what kind of speed you're going to get out of ADSL until you've got it, and the drive for "free" broadband's in the process of killing off any cause for investment in the local loop, so that isn't going to change soon - all you'll get is an LLU provider offering the same service, perhaps with a few tweaks as a result of using a new technology like ADSL2+.
The activation fee wouldn't come close to covering a proper "optimised routing" job like you (used to) get with SDSL either, and any increase would a) have the LLUers screaming and b) only make the joy of deferred activation fees worse.
The article blurs dodgy support into it too - if the ISP couldn't blame the bits between you and them that they can't control, they'd just blame something else. "It's the site your using, sir", or "It's your PC, have you tried restarting/reinstalling the OS/recharging the magic smoke container?".



Wouldn't work, unless you're up for a higher activation fee to cover the eventuality that your line can't hit the minimum.
It's Ofcom's pushing that keeps exchange VPs as tight as they are, and it's Ofcom that keeps Central prices as high as they are - so BTw aren't entirely to blame, and neither are the ISPs (though obviously neither apply to the LLUers or cablecos).



Agreed, though the two of them are more or less the one thing.



Not terribly useful. Performance can (and does) vary significantly with both time and area. Why do you think ADSLguide stopped publishing their top 10 speedtests...

There's a hell of a lot wrong, but there's equally a hell of a lot right.
In 2003, home500 was £98-£150 wiht a £150 activation fee (including USB modem, woooo!) - so in 3 years, the price you pay's dropped by a factor of at least 5, while the speed's increased by a factor of up to 16.
Long contracts are hardly abnormal either - the mobile networks have been doing them for years.

Now that's what I call a long post.

 

[Vladamir]

Lolz i'm on 576k



























Yes it hurts, it hurts very bad

 

[Raven]

i pay for "10 mb" though i have my doubts whether that actually means 10mb, seeing as its NTL and they are useless on a biblical scale.

 

[Jeremiah]

The thing about UK broadband tho is that BT already can offer some super high speed stuff, but they need to wait until other companies have the capital and technology to offer similar services - otherwise BT (who own almost the complete UK network infrastructure, if not 100% of it) would have a monopoly, which is against the UK law.

I cant wait for "free" broadband tho hehe, it will be nice

 

[ogmonda]

SKY broadband and package is interesting.. i only needed 1 push to move from those stupid NTL. so that's it SKY broadband .. the only thing is that they still don;t know when they will realease it .. it say's soooon .

 

[Gamah]

I am on 8mb, and I sync at 8000+ so I do get the full 8mb, drops down to like 3mb at peak times though :|

<3 Chronic you should be able to get full speed as well.

 

[Pirkel]

The thing about UK broadband tho is that BT already can offer some super high speed stuff, but they need to wait until other companies have the capital and technology to offer similar services - otherwise BT (who own almost the complete UK network infrastructure, if not 100% of it) would have a monopoly, which is against the UK law.

I cant wait for "free" broadband tho hehe, it will be nice

Exactly the same as in the Netherlands ... the organisation that's supposed to promote fair competition (which should benefit the consumer) is holding the main communication companies back so the rest can "catch up" ... which ironicly isn't helping the consumer one damn bit

 

[Pirkel]

I am on 8mb, and I sync at 8000+ so I do get the full 8mb, drops down to like 3mb at peak times though :|

<3 Chronic you should be able to get full speed as well.

omg quick Gamgams smash the pinata 3 times!

 

[Gamah]

omg quick Gamgams smash the pinata 3 times!

I did, Firefox roxed the popup

 

[Chronictank]

I am on 8mb, and I sync at 8000+ so I do get the full 8mb, drops down to like 3mb at peak times though :|


<3 Chronic you should be able to get full speed as well.

we both have skewed results tho as you live pretty much next door to the exchange, im not to much further and only can get 6 mb according to BT :<

 

[Chronictank]

correction, i am

approximately 1.08km from the exchange (straight line distance).

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/checker2.php

Edit: Im wrong, Gamah pwned me on msn ><

 

[Raven]

correction, i am


http://www.samknows.com/broadband/checker2.php

Edit: Im wrong, Gamah pwned me on msn ><

ha!

According to BT Wholesale, your line should be able to support a 6.5Mbps or greater ADSL connection via ADSL Max.

You are approximately 448 metres from the exchange (straight line distance).

still pay for 10 though

 

[Roalith]

/pats NTL 10mb line

 

[Bahumat]

my piece of shit BT Broadband 2mb line only runs at 1.3

 

[Neffneff]

I got my 8Mb BT adsl running at 8Mb. although thats only been the last few days since i got myself a new belkin router, before hand using the supplied BT piece of shit, and also a borrowed friend's D-Link one, i never got above 7.3, and more frequently was 6.sommit.

i lub my new router

 

[Lakih]

much <3 for my 100/10 line

 

[Sharma]

When will they give us half arsed upload speeds?

Being on like 2mbit with an upload speed that completely owns your download when it goes over 20kb/s.

Sorry but british telecomms are shit.

 

[atos]

When I had DSL (which I still have) I could reach upto 500kb/s atleast in download speeds. Thats when I had 3mb. And thats with me living 3.5km from the exchange.

However, as of late this has been upgraded to optofibre strait into my parental home. This is supposed to cap out at 1280, but it rarely does, most of the time I'm stuck at about 1150kb/s or so.

When it comes to adsl connections I think the preformance has never been what it is said to be. Same thing in Sweden msot fo the time. The difference here though is Swedish ISPs are able to deliver upto 30mb~ connections. Needless to say these connections never reach the speed they are supposed too.

But I doubt adsl is the only sort of connection which suffer from this flaw. If you check my fibre it really differs. I've been upto over 2500kb/s and down to 950kb/s at times when i should have been able to keep it around 1280 at all times. Its a lot harder to keep and accurate measurement with a larger bandwidth. =( Can setup a VPN access for you Chronic. Thats what I'll be doing from my box when I move to my new apartment.

 

[Chronictank]

When I had DSL (which I still have) I could reach upto 500kb/s atleast in download speeds. Thats when I had 3mb. And thats with me living 3.5km from the exchange.

However, as of late this has been upgraded to optofibre strait into my parental home. This is supposed to cap out at 1280, but it rarely does, most of the time I'm stuck at about 1150kb/s or so.

When it comes to adsl connections I think the preformance has never been what it is said to be. Same thing in Sweden msot fo the time. The difference here though is Swedish ISPs are able to deliver upto 30mb~ connections. Needless to say these connections never reach the speed they are supposed too.

But I doubt adsl is the only sort of connection which suffer from this flaw. If you check my fibre it really differs. I've been upto over 2500kb/s and down to 950kb/s at times when i should have been able to keep it around 1280 at all times. Its a lot harder to keep and accurate measurement with a larger bandwidth. =( Can setup a VPN access for you Chronic. Thats what I'll be doing from my box when I move to my new apartment.

vpn wont really help mate as its the bottleneck is my telephone provider, tnx tho

 

[atos]

vpn wont really help mate as its the bottleneck is my telephone provider, tnx tho

Thing is I'm going to get ADSL in apartment, but I'm gonna downlaod stuff on the 10/10 machine and download from there on capped speed on DSL connection without some wanker closing my connection down etc. Thats what I meant. Yes it do happen on directconnect for example.

 

[evzy]

I am on a 2mb conn with freedom2surf - its an old download as much shit as ya pc can handle with no moaning from us ever type contract so I am loathe to change it for one of these "ooo you can download unlimited stuff, but only when we feel like and when we say unlimited we will probably cut you off if you do more than look at your emails" type offers most places offer now. Its solid connection - download speed averages 230+kps on the site i use most often. I cant get more than 5.5mb connection atm anyways it seems even though I could set fire to my exchange and be back sat on my couch within 1 minute.... bugger

so will stick with these but am tempted by Skys package or the Talk Talk one with phonecalls etc thrown in - due to the missus having a phone on /stick to her ear.

 

[Sharma]

I shall be getting Sky 16mbit when it arrives....RAWR.

 

[Chronictank]

I shall be getting Sky 16mbit when it arrives....RAWR.

just remember to read the small print

 

[Sharma]

Main thing is, I'm not gonna the be one paying for it.

 

[Takhasis]

stuck on sh*tty BT 512k "coz im too far from the exchange".

signed up for skys ones so its still 512 but cheaper than BT, and allegedly proper sky broadband available in my area by xmas....here's hoping


used to be on NTL in manc coz i hate BT - never had issues with NTL, was on their initial trial for 512, got free upgrades to 600,750,800 and was on way to 1mb when i had to move due to job to glasgow area....

 

[Chronictank]

stuck on sh*tty BT 512k "coz im too far from the exchange".

signed up for skys ones so its still 512 but cheaper than BT, and allegedly proper sky broadband available in my area by xmas....here's hoping


used to be on NTL in manc coz i hate BT - never had issues with NTL, was on their initial trial for 512, got free upgrades to 600,750,800 and was on way to 1mb when i had to move due to job to glasgow area....

that proves what i have been tellng you for years, nothing good comes from living up north

 

[Bahumat]

Main thing is, I'm not gonna the be one paying for it.

That's cool, you can spend all that money you save on Grammar lesson's.

/bitch mode off

 

[Sharma]

That's cool, you can spend all that money you save on Grammar lesson's.

/bitch mode off

I believe you just owned yourself matey!

 

[Gamah]

he did :<

 

[atos]

So Chronic wanna rent a ftp account on my box? =(