is there a 'best' ADSL modem/router? (poor adsl speed on mum's line)

bledd

bledd

bledd

Don
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as title

she's always had around 480kb this was fine for a few years. recently it's been ranging up to 900kb at the best of times, down to 100 at the worst (usually at this end)

bt just installed a NTE5 linebox (i'm more of a cable guy, so don't know that much about ADSL)

at the moment she has a draytek 2600 something adsl router.

are there better models to use for maximum speed?

can this NTE5 take an iPlate, as I had ordered one, but haven't been home to fit it.


thanks in advance
 
Firstly, are we talking kilobits or kilobytes? You can just pull the bell wire out for free instead of buying an iPlate to fix it.

Also, the real key is how far from the exchange is she.
 
Draytek routers are pretty solid - that would've cost near £200 new.

Draytek do a 'UK2' firmware, which has a different firmware for the modem that's better setup for high attenuation lines where reliable sync is a problem. Might be worth a go. Basically, just copy the link for the latest firmware on the Draytek site and put a '2' after UK.

e.g. http://www.draytek.co.uk/support/download/v2600_256_uk2.zip
 
DrayTeks are some of the best routers you can get, but they don't last forever.

If its an early 2600 series it could just be coming to the end of its working life. I had one that was about 3 years old and the modem did start to go in it - just became more unreliable and would drop sync constantly.

Ended up replacing it with a cheap Netgear as I didn't really need any of the features that it was offering anymore.
 
Routers with the Broadcom chipsets is well known for getting the best from a connection found in such routers as netgear 834gt and 834n and these can installed with third party firmware which lets you tweak the connection further.
 
The Draytek 2600 appears to be limited to about 2.6mbps over ADSL. It'll sync higher but doesn't have the bandwidth to deal with that much data (it was sold at a time when 2mbps was the norm). Don't know if the UK2 firmware will improve that situation.

A newer router should achieve a better SNR due to newer hardware. My Draytek 2800 syncs about 1mbps better than the 2600 did, but as I now have ADSL2+ even that is now showing its age (I fully expect to have to pay for a 2820 at some point).
 
Berserker said:
The Draytek 2600 appears to be limited to about 2.6mbps over ADSL. It'll sync higher but doesn't have the bandwidth to deal with that much data (it was sold at a time when 2mbps was the norm). Don't know if the UK2 firmware will improve that situation.
Click to expand...
Really? I know our 2600plus has no problems syncing and operating at speeds over 4Mb.
 
DIABLO said:
Routers with the Broadcom chipsets is well known for getting the best from a connection found in such routers as netgear 834gt and 834n and these can installed with third party firmware which lets you tweak the connection further.
Click to expand...

Go Broadcom. It's a pity that Draytek don't use a Broadcom chipset as otherwise they are a top router.
 
hmm, just learned that they've enabled a lot more of the houses in the area to give them broadband, which shares the same exchange.. it has been fine at 512 for years

now the samknows site says.."According to BT Wholesale, your line is very unlikely to be able to support ADSL, although a 256kbps service may be available."

it used to say up to 1024

guess there's little we can do our end.

plugged in the old dlink router and that's getting the same speeds


edit.. maybe the engineer has fixed it through that new box, getting faster than she's had in about 5 years..

DSL Status
Connection Status Connected
Upstream Rate (Kbps) 448
Downstream Rate (Kbps) 992
US Margin 14
DS Margin 1
Modulation MMODE
LOS Errors 0
DS Line Attenuation 63
US Line Attenuation 63
Path Mode Interleaved
Click to expand...

that's what the dlink is saying
 
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You have a very high line attenuation, I'd say you are probably close to getting the most that is possible from that line.

As others have mentioned a broadcom chipset may do a bit better (Netgear use them for their modems) but other than that you probably can't do much.
 
ok, thanks guys

may well look into a netgear

this is what the draytek is saying now (with that uk2 firmware)

Up Speed Down Speed SNR Margin Loop Att.
448000 896000 6.5 71.0
Click to expand...

the engineer may have changed something at the exchage, he's supposed to be calling up tomorrow I think
 
Draytek's are pretty good bits of kit but speed isnt one of the things they do best :/

Fine for regular ADSL max but Im sure other routers will squeeze a bit more speed out of the line.

Drayteks for ADSL 2+ connections is crap though :/ lose like 1mbps and Ive tried with a 2800 and a 2820 :( Shame cos I like them :E
 
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