Question about Be*

[RoachycaL]

Ordered the unlimited package this afternoon, and the speed depends on how far away I am from my local exchange - so I guestimated!

However I clicked on the link to my local exchange: (the one above newcastle business park)

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/mapping/mapping.php?ecode=NENTW

And when I click on the blue house (the exchange) it says up to 8Mb!!!

Does that mean on the service I payed for up to 24mb broadband I will be getting 8Mb Max?! If so should I order the value service instead?

Thanks

 

[RoachycaL]

You'll get up to 24Mbps from Be's LLU, but it has nothing to do with "ADSLMax" (IPStream Max only does up to 8Mbps right now, but it's a BT Wholesale thing so irrelevant).
It says "BT Wholesale (ADSL Max) [sic] (up to 8M)" - it's talking about BT Wholesale, not Be.

Do you already have an ADSL service on the line, or at a stretch the straight line distance from Samknows?

Yeah Im currently with Nildram - paying for up to 8mb but they decided upon 6.5mb for the line. Hopefully that has changed now.

I believe the line distance (using the google maps tool) was 2000 odd metres which was about 1.2km (so its past 15mb Be* say).

However as someone else posted, can I do a diagonal line straight from my house to the exchange or so I have to follow the main roads?

 

[RoachycaL]

The exchange is ADSLMax enabled, you will get whatever is technically possible for the distance, up to 24meg.

I'm about 500m from the exchange and i get a solid 18meg, i've seen people at around 2km away get 16meg or so, so you should get a decent rate.

You could always downgrade your package later if you find you're only getting around 8meg, but IIRC there are other benefits of unlimited over value...unless that's changed since i ordered.

Will I still get the 1.3mb upload that in the package or is that limited by the line speed etc? Thats one of the main attractions I had to Be*

 

[RoachycaL]

If that's all your line can do, it'll have some bearing on what you get with Be. Look for values for attenuation, SNR margin and the speed your modem's connected at (they should all be within its web interface if you're using a router, or the software that came with it if you're still using a USB modem).



Sure. Excel has a random number generator function too - it would be about as useful.

Upload speed is affected by loop length too, but if Be reckon you'll get >15Mbps down, you're probably going to get 1.5Mbps up unless there's something specifically affecting the upstream frequency range.

Ok well thanks for the help so far although I have to say now that I really dont know much about this stuff... that's why I'm asking!

My router (Netgear DG834GT) has some information which you think may be useful:

Downstream / Upstream
Connection Speed: 8128 kbps / 448 kbps
Line Attenuation: 25.0 db / 13.5 db
Noise Margin: 6.0 db / 24.0 db

So I take it I need to follow the main roads as best I can after that sarcastic remark? I would think at the most Im 2Km away from my exchange.

& @ Mp4 - I dont think you will be able to use your current router with Be* - that's why I changed from the G to the GT, theres some new stuff it does which works with Be* so I was told. So if you did get Be* you would probably need to use their box yes.

 

[RoachycaL]

There's an estimator in the sticky that gives some estimation of what you could get.
It reckons you'll connect at 18250kbps and get ~16150kbps of IP throughput.



I wouldn't do either - loop length isn't that useful, and estimating it from a map's just going to make it worse. From your attenuation, you're got ~2.5km of copper between you and the exchange.



So long as it does ADSL2+ (which the G does), it should be fine. If you sign up for Pro, you need one that does Annex M for the extra upload.
Be don't care if you use another router, they just won't support it.

Thanks for the help, I got an email this morning saying the line would be activated on the 29th so Ill drag this thread up from the depths to state the speed I'm getting. I cant imagine getting 16mb on this line though, the area is really old and I'm imagining that the phone lines are too!