Slow DSL download speed, plus Restore Point question.

  • Thread starter Thread starter micky
  • Start date Start date
M

micky

I'm sorry this is so long. It started out very short. :-(

Hi, I have low download speeds on my Verizon DSL connection with XP
Pro SP3.

Low speed test results near the bottom, after my questions. . My speed
should be at least 2.5 times as fast***

I took all the advice I got in a previous related thread-- thanks
again -- including checking the house wiring (which seemed okay but I
may redo later) , and I've posted this both to the only connectivity
ng I can find with traffic** and the XP group.

**(are there more than just alt.comp.networking.connectivity?

But I have some fairly specific questions, at least one of which is XP
related.

1) Right now, I'm connected by cable through my router, a D-Link
DI-524.to my computer. Should I try connecting the cable straight
to the Verizon-provided Westell Modem.? I"m going to try this either
way, but if you say Yes, I'll try it earlier.

(The cable is 100 feet long, from the second floor to the basement. I
think my download speed was low even when I was using a 10 foot cable,
but I could be wrong.)

Someone told me modems get old (and slow). Any truth to that? This
little Westell modem Verizon provided about 4 years ago, and is not
even shown on their debug-it-yourself page. I can get another modem
from them, or a modem/router.


2) While looking around, I saw that Verizon has a DSL HSI Speed
Optimizer, that runs from
http://my.verizon.com/micro/speedoptimizer/hsi/default.aspx
(only when using IE) , but since I don't know what it does or how to
reverse it, and some webposter said it messed him up, I'm scared to
use it. Anyone have anything good or bad to say about it?

Is this what Restore Points are for? I could make one before running
the optimisztion, etc. I'm still afraid everything will seem to be
okay but days or weeks later, when it's too late to restore to the
Restore Point (because that will mess other tihngs up), I'll find
there is a problem.


3) I found dslreports.com and it has a program called DRTCP, that
allows manual mods to certain fields. (maybe all the same modes that
Verizon's program does.)

For MTU the webpage gave a technique to find the best MTU, to avoid
packet fragmentation. It was 1492 and in Doctor TCP I entered 1492 in
the field, rebooted, and saw no difference when using
http://ww.speedtest.net.

4) But the field it said was most important is TCP Receive window,
(RWIN) , and I couldn't quite understand how to calculate my RWIN
value.

It said "The formula for finding your "ideal" RWIN is to take your
latency (average ping time in ms x 1.5), multiply that by your
advertised (download) speed and divide that by 8.

My average ping time over 5 tests is 106 (call it 100)
My advertised download speed is 0.5 - 1.0 Mbs, 500 -1000Kbs Do I use
500 or 500,000, 1000 or 100,000?

If I use 500,
100 x 1.5 x 500 / 8 = 75,000 / 8 = about 10,000 . Is that a
typical RWIN for low-speed DSL?

One reason I don't think so is that somehow the RWIN field already has
a (non-default, I assume) value in it, 500,000. Is that a typcial
value? If I take 10,000 and mulitply by 1000 that gives 10,000,000,
five times what I'm using now. So I'm confused about RWIN.




***Speed test results

Verison webpage speed test
Download Upload
0.221 0.141 Mbps IE
0.060 0.010 FF
0.202 0.087 FF
0.221 0.141 IE

Speedtest.net http://my.verizon.com/micro/speedtest/broadband/#
Ping Download Upload Server location Browser
71ms 0.22Mbps 0.13Mbps New Jersey FF
99 22 13 Baltimore FF
143 22 13 Baltimore IE
100 22 13 NYC IE
120 22 13 Baltimore FF
last one after changing MTU to 1492

I'm in Baltimore, so I started using only the server in Balttimore.

OTOH, TCP Optimizer v3.0.8 (new) says my Connection Speed is 3000
Kbps, but Verizon says I'm only entitled to 500 to 1000 Kbps, and as I
say, my dl sped is much less than either.


****Looking on the web for typical DSL RWIN values I came across
http://www.speedguide.net/analyzer.php which tells me other things
about my very system:

Client OS: Windows XP
Browser: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:8.0) Gecko/20100101
Firefox/8.0

TCP options string = 020405a40103030301010402
MTU = 1484 ====> even though DRTCP says it's 1492 !!
MTU is somewhat optimized for broadband. If you're not on a PPPoE DSL
connection that limits packet size, consider increasing your MTU to
1500 for optimal throughput.

====> how do I know if I'm PPPoE or those other choices?

MSS = 1444 ====> This is by def 40 bytes less than than the MTU, 20
bytes for each of two header fields.

Maximum useful data in each packet = 1444, which equals MSS.
Default TCP Receive Window (RWIN) = 500000
RWIN Scaling (RFC1323) = 3 bits (scale factor: 2^3=8)
Unscaled TCP Receive Window = 62500

For optimum performance, consider changing RWIN to a multiple of MSS.
Other RWIN values that might work well with your current MTU/MSS:
63536 (up to 2 Mbit lines, depending on latency. MSS * 44)
127072 (1-5 Mbit lines, depending on latency. MSS * 44 * 2)
254144 (2-14 Mbit lines, depending on latency. MSS * 44 * 2^2)
508288 (8-30 Mbit lines, depending on latency. MSS * 44 * 2^3)
1016576 (25-60 Mbit lines depending on latency. MSS * 44 * 2^4)

bandwidth * delay product (Note this is not a speed test):
http://www.speedguide.net/faq_in_q.php?category=89&qid=185

Your TCP Window limits you to: 20000 kbps (2500 KBytes/s) @ 200ms
Your TCP Window limits you to: 8000 kbps (1000 KBytes/s) @ 500ms
====> What are 200 and 500ms? Ping time? If so, mine is
over 1000ms.

MTU Discovery (RFC1191) = ON
Time to live left = 116 hops
TTL value is ok.
Timestamps (RFC1323) = OFF
Selective Acknowledgements (RFC2018) = ON
IP type of service field (RFC1349) = 00000000 (0)


Below is a compact version of the results without specific
recommendations, useful for sharing your current settings. Feel free
to post in our forums with any questions you may have.
« SpeedGuide.net TCP Analyzer Results
» Tested on: 2011.12.08 09:57
IP address: 71.166.xx.xxx
Client OS/browser: Windows XP (Firefox 8.0)
TCP options string: 020405a40103030301010402
MSS: 1444
MTU: 1484
TCP Window: 500000 (NOT multiple of MSS)
RWIN Scaling: 3 bits (2^3=8)
Unscaled RWIN : 62500
Recommended RWINs: 63536, 127072, 254144, 508288, 1016576 BDP limit
(200ms): 20000kbps (2500KBytes/s) BDP limit (500ms): 8000kbps
(1000KBytes/s)
MTU Discovery: ON
TTL: 116
Timestamps: OFF
SACKs: ON
IP ToS: 00000000 (0)
Note: Click in text area to highlight. You can use CTRL+C to copy
above results to clipboard, CTRL+V to paste them.


Optimize Your Connection

The TCP/IP Analyzer results provide packet header information from the
TCP 3-way handshake between your computer and our server. The
information above can be used to fine-tune TCP/IP settings and
optimize your internet connection.
Detailed information on optimizing your network-related settings is
available here: TCP/IP Tweaks Articles
http://www.speedguide.net/articles.php?category=93
We have also developed free programs and patches to help apply the
optimal settings automatically: SG TCP/IP Downloads
http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php


Windows XP/2k/2k3/9x links:
Information on optimizing Windows XP/2k for broadband is available
here: Windows XP/2k Tweaks.
http://www.speedguide.net/articles/windows-2kxp-registry-tweaks-157

Windows 9x/XP/2k/2k3 can be tweaked using the SG TCP Optimizer
[from the downloads link just above]

**************
I downloaded it and it says my Connection Speed is 3000 Kbps, but
Verizon says I'm only entitled to 500 to 1000 Kbps, and as I say, my
dl spped is much less.
****************

64,710,439 connections tested since 03.10.2001.
Analyzer version: 1.21 - last updated 12.07.2011.
 
What did Verizon support say when you contacted them?

I'm sorry this is so long. It started out very short. :-(

Hi, I have low download speeds on my Verizon DSL connection with XP
Pro SP3.

Low speed test results near the bottom, after my questions. . My speed
should be at least 2.5 times as fast***

I took all the advice I got in a previous related thread-- thanks
again -- including checking the house wiring (which seemed okay but I
may redo later) , and I've posted this both to the only connectivity
ng I can find with traffic** and the XP group.

**(are there more than just alt.comp.networking.connectivity?

But I have some fairly specific questions, at least one of which is XP
related.

1) Right now, I'm connected by cable through my router, a D-Link
DI-524.to my computer. Should I try connecting the cable straight
to the Verizon-provided Westell Modem.? I"m going to try this either
way, but if you say Yes, I'll try it earlier.

(The cable is 100 feet long, from the second floor to the basement. I
think my download speed was low even when I was using a 10 foot cable,
but I could be wrong.)

Someone told me modems get old (and slow). Any truth to that? This
little Westell modem Verizon provided about 4 years ago, and is not
even shown on their debug-it-yourself page. I can get another modem
from them, or a modem/router.


2) While looking around, I saw that Verizon has a DSL HSI Speed
Optimizer, that runs from
http://my.verizon.com/micro/speedoptimizer/hsi/default.aspx
(only when using IE) , but since I don't know what it does or how to
reverse it, and some webposter said it messed him up, I'm scared to
use it. Anyone have anything good or bad to say about it?

Is this what Restore Points are for? I could make one before running
the optimisztion, etc. I'm still afraid everything will seem to be
okay but days or weeks later, when it's too late to restore to the
Restore Point (because that will mess other tihngs up), I'll find
there is a problem.


3) I found dslreports.com and it has a program called DRTCP, that
allows manual mods to certain fields. (maybe all the same modes that
Verizon's program does.)

For MTU the webpage gave a technique to find the best MTU, to avoid
packet fragmentation. It was 1492 and in Doctor TCP I entered 1492 in
the field, rebooted, and saw no difference when using
http://ww.speedtest.net.

4) But the field it said was most important is TCP Receive window,
(RWIN) , and I couldn't quite understand how to calculate my RWIN
value.

It said "The formula for finding your "ideal" RWIN is to take your
latency (average ping time in ms x 1.5), multiply that by your
advertised (download) speed and divide that by 8.

My average ping time over 5 tests is 106 (call it 100)
My advertised download speed is 0.5 - 1.0 Mbs, 500 -1000Kbs Do I use
500 or 500,000, 1000 or 100,000?

If I use 500,
100 x 1.5 x 500 / 8 = 75,000 / 8 = about 10,000 . Is that a
typical RWIN for low-speed DSL?

One reason I don't think so is that somehow the RWIN field already has
a (non-default, I assume) value in it, 500,000. Is that a typcial
value? If I take 10,000 and mulitply by 1000 that gives 10,000,000,
five times what I'm using now. So I'm confused about RWIN.




***Speed test results

Verison webpage speed test
Download Upload
0.221 0.141 Mbps IE
0.060 0.010 FF
0.202 0.087 FF
0.221 0.141 IE

Speedtest.net http://my.verizon.com/micro/speedtest/broadband/#
Ping Download Upload Server location Browser
71ms 0.22Mbps 0.13Mbps New Jersey FF
99 22 13 Baltimore FF
143 22 13 Baltimore IE
100 22 13 NYC IE
120 22 13 Baltimore FF
last one after changing MTU to 1492

I'm in Baltimore, so I started using only the server in Balttimore.

OTOH, TCP Optimizer v3.0.8 (new) says my Connection Speed is 3000
Kbps, but Verizon says I'm only entitled to 500 to 1000 Kbps, and as I
say, my dl sped is much less than either.


****Looking on the web for typical DSL RWIN values I came across
http://www.speedguide.net/analyzer.php which tells me other things
about my very system:

Client OS: Windows XP
Browser: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:8.0) Gecko/20100101
Firefox/8.0

TCP options string = 020405a40103030301010402
MTU = 1484 ====> even though DRTCP says it's 1492 !!
MTU is somewhat optimized for broadband. If you're not on a PPPoE DSL
connection that limits packet size, consider increasing your MTU to
1500 for optimal throughput.

====> how do I know if I'm PPPoE or those other choices?

MSS = 1444 ====> This is by def 40 bytes less than than the MTU, 20
bytes for each of two header fields.

Maximum useful data in each packet = 1444, which equals MSS.
Default TCP Receive Window (RWIN) = 500000
RWIN Scaling (RFC1323) = 3 bits (scale factor: 2^3=8)
Unscaled TCP Receive Window = 62500

For optimum performance, consider changing RWIN to a multiple of MSS.
Other RWIN values that might work well with your current MTU/MSS:
63536 (up to 2 Mbit lines, depending on latency. MSS * 44)
127072 (1-5 Mbit lines, depending on latency. MSS * 44 * 2)
254144 (2-14 Mbit lines, depending on latency. MSS * 44 * 2^2)
508288 (8-30 Mbit lines, depending on latency. MSS * 44 * 2^3)
1016576 (25-60 Mbit lines depending on latency. MSS * 44 * 2^4)

bandwidth * delay product (Note this is not a speed test):
http://www.speedguide.net/faq_in_q.php?category=89&qid=185

Your TCP Window limits you to: 20000 kbps (2500 KBytes/s) @ 200ms
Your TCP Window limits you to: 8000 kbps (1000 KBytes/s) @ 500ms
====> What are 200 and 500ms? Ping time? If so, mine is
over 1000ms.

MTU Discovery (RFC1191) = ON
Time to live left = 116 hops
TTL value is ok.
Timestamps (RFC1323) = OFF
Selective Acknowledgements (RFC2018) = ON
IP type of service field (RFC1349) = 00000000 (0)


Below is a compact version of the results without specific
recommendations, useful for sharing your current settings. Feel free
to post in our forums with any questions you may have.
« SpeedGuide.net TCP Analyzer Results
» Tested on: 2011.12.08 09:57
IP address: 71.166.xx.xxx
Client OS/browser: Windows XP (Firefox 8.0)
TCP options string: 020405a40103030301010402
MSS: 1444
MTU: 1484
TCP Window: 500000 (NOT multiple of MSS)
RWIN Scaling: 3 bits (2^3=8)
Unscaled RWIN : 62500
Recommended RWINs: 63536, 127072, 254144, 508288, 1016576 BDP limit
(200ms): 20000kbps (2500KBytes/s) BDP limit (500ms): 8000kbps
(1000KBytes/s)
MTU Discovery: ON
TTL: 116
Timestamps: OFF
SACKs: ON
IP ToS: 00000000 (0)
Note: Click in text area to highlight. You can use CTRL+C to copy
above results to clipboard, CTRL+V to paste them.


Optimize Your Connection

The TCP/IP Analyzer results provide packet header information from the
TCP 3-way handshake between your computer and our server. The
information above can be used to fine-tune TCP/IP settings and
optimize your internet connection.
Detailed information on optimizing your network-related settings is
available here: TCP/IP Tweaks Articles
http://www.speedguide.net/articles.php?category=93
We have also developed free programs and patches to help apply the
optimal settings automatically: SG TCP/IP Downloads
http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php


Windows XP/2k/2k3/9x links:
Information on optimizing Windows XP/2k for broadband is available
here: Windows XP/2k Tweaks.
http://www.speedguide.net/articles/windows-2kxp-registry-tweaks-157

Windows 9x/XP/2k/2k3 can be tweaked using the SG TCP Optimizer
[from the downloads link just above]

**************
I downloaded it and it says my Connection Speed is 3000 Kbps, but
Verizon says I'm only entitled to 500 to 1000 Kbps, and as I say, my
dl spped is much less.
****************

64,710,439 connections tested since 03.10.2001.
Analyzer version: 1.21 - last updated 12.07.2011.
Click to expand...
 
What did Verizon support say when you contacted them?
Click to expand...

That's a good idea. I havent' done that yet.

.... But still, I'd still like to understand more than I do now when I
call them. So I understand what they say, and because once or twice,
I've been led to change values without time to write down the old
values when I called my previous ISP.
 
Hi, I have low download speeds on my Verizon DSL connection with XP
Pro SP3.
Click to expand...

<big snip>

I agree with the idea to bypass the router as a quick test, although I
don't think the problem is there. I also agree with the idea to call
your ISP and complain. I wouldn't mess around with the TCP parameters
because XP SP3 is already pretty good at figuring that stuff out.

It could be that you're getting all the speed you can get, but that
would be pretty pathetic. Do you have other Internet providers in your
area? Have you watched your network throughput while a large download
is taking place? It would be interesting to know if your speed is slow
and steady or near-zero with spikes. Just looking for clues...
 
micky said:
I'm sorry this is so long. It started out very short. :-(

Hi, I have low download speeds on my Verizon DSL connection with XP
Pro SP3.

Low speed test results near the bottom, after my questions. . My speed
should be at least 2.5 times as fast***

I took all the advice I got in a previous related thread-- thanks
again -- including checking the house wiring (which seemed okay but I
may redo later) , and I've posted this both to the only connectivity
ng I can find with traffic** and the XP group.

**(are there more than just alt.comp.networking.connectivity?

But I have some fairly specific questions, at least one of which is XP
related.

1) Right now, I'm connected by cable through my router, a D-Link
DI-524.to my computer. Should I try connecting the cable straight
to the Verizon-provided Westell Modem.? I"m going to try this either
way, but if you say Yes, I'll try it earlier.

(The cable is 100 feet long, from the second floor to the basement. I
think my download speed was low even when I was using a 10 foot cable,
but I could be wrong.)

Someone told me modems get old (and slow). Any truth to that? This
little Westell modem Verizon provided about 4 years ago, and is not
even shown on their debug-it-yourself page. I can get another modem
from them, or a modem/router.
Click to expand...

Your transfer rate is low enough, even a first generation home router
goes faster than that. My $300 piece of crap home router, the "reboot
special", could do 3MB/sec WAN to LAN. Which is 24 Mbits/sec. That
is well above your measured speeds.

For the cable modem, see the link at the bottom of this post.

***Speed test results

Verison webpage speed test
Download Upload
0.221 0.141 Mbps IE
0.060 0.010 FF
0.202 0.087 FF
0.221 0.141 IE

Speedtest.net http://my.verizon.com/micro/speedtest/broadband/#
Ping Download Upload Server location Browser
71ms 0.22Mbps 0.13Mbps New Jersey FF
Click to expand...

http://www.speedguide.net/articles/windows-2kxp-registry-tweaks-157

Windows 9x/XP/2k/2k3 can be tweaked using the SG TCP Optimizer
[from the downloads link just above]

**************
I downloaded it and it says my Connection Speed is 3000 Kbps, but
Verizon says I'm only entitled to 500 to 1000 Kbps, and as I say, my
dl spped is much less.
****************
Click to expand...

I don't own a cable modem, and have never used cable for my ISP.
According to this, there are ways to get diagnostic information
from the modem. The modem would need to be equipped with a web
server, in order to deliver stats to a web browser. The "DocsDiag"
program they mention, uses SNMP, which is a way for equipment
on a LAN to present information to other computer. So if the web
option was not available, that would be another way to do it.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d.h.walker/cmtips/signal.html

You might have to use your suggestion, of connecting directly
to the cable modem, for that to work. If the cable modem
diagnostic address was 192.168.100.1, that might not be
routable, so the router box would only get in the way.

The only problem with changing from having a router connected
to the cable modem, to connecting the computer directly, is
the "MAC address". In the dim and distant past, cable companies
"locked" service to the MAC address. Then, if your home networking
setup changed, and a different physical device was connected to
the cable modem, the setup would fail when the ISP detects a different
MAC address. Solutions would be, to contact the ISP and
tell them a new MAC address is being used. Or, the alternative
procedure, would be to read out the MAC address on the router
(value likely on the main status page), then "clone" that value
into the PC, so the PC uses the same value. You put the original
value back in the PC, when you're finished your experiment (no two
pieces of network gear are supposed to have the same MAC address).
Note that, a MAC address is not the same thing as an
IP address - they even have a different number of digits. The
MAC address is used at the physical level of networking, point
to point.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d.h.walker/cmtips/signal.html

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d.h.walker/cmtips/swap.html

My router displays it's MAC address, but has no provision
for loading a "fake" version. There is presumably some
way to load the "fake" value into the PC's NIC, but I've never
done that and have no first hand experience with it.

So you can try the cable modem direct connection idea, and
if it doesn't work, put the connection back to the router
until you can figure out how to do cloning of the MAC address.

If I open command prompt (MSDOS window) and do

ipconfig /all

the returned value

Physical Address . . . 00-1F-C6-01-23-45

is the current MAC address of my PC. That's how you'd
verify any cloning was working, before connecting the
PC to the modem directly.

In this example, it says you can look in Device Manager (run devmgmt.msc)
and select the PC's NIC "Network Adapter", and in there, in the
Properties:Advanced is a "Network Address" entry. Mine is blank right
now, meaning the hardware MAC address is being used. Overriding
the value, presumably happens if you load a value in there. It
would have to be in the 00-1F-C6-01-23-45 format or some variant
of that like 001FC6012345.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/network/R171326/win_advance.htm

In any case, don't "lose" any of the MAC address values. Try to put
things back, after you're finished hacking. I presume, in my
Device Manager and Network Adapter thing, I'd make the entry blank
again, to pick up using the hardware based value.

Paul
 
micky said:
I'm sorry this is so long. It started out very short. :-(

Hi, I have low download speeds on my Verizon DSL connection with XP
Pro SP3.
Click to expand...
(snip)

DSL...
Have Verizon run a line test.
How far from the C.O. are you?
Do you need wireless? If not, disable it.
Cost vs. speed:
How much $$$ to Verizon to increase your speed?
Can you go with cable instead of DSL for about
the same amount of money?
 
(snip)

DSL...
Have Verizon run a line test.
Okay.

How far from the C.O. are you?
Click to expand...

That would include the local office, where the wires go. Less than a
mile.
Do you need wireless? If not, disable it.
Click to expand...

I only use it rarely, when a friend brings his laptop for maintenance.
Cost vs. speed:
How much $$$ to Verizon to increase your speed?
Click to expand...

The price for higher is only 15 dollars more for higher speed DSL over
my low-speed DSL, but their webpage says, for my specific address, I
can't have any other DSL plan. It says I can only get FIOS now!!!
About 40 dollars more.

Do you think I could talk them into increasing my speed, if I promised
not to tell anyone they did it?

Don't they just make an entry in their computer to raise my speed?
Of flip one switch. I've heard you can negotiate even with
utilities. And I would think they would want the 15 dollars if they
can't get the 40.

Can you go with cable instead of DSL for about
the same amount of money?
Click to expand...

I'll check again. I don't think so.

Thanks a lot.

I'll reply to other posts soon.
 
micky said:
That would include the local office, where the wires go. Less than a
mile.


I only use it rarely, when a friend brings his laptop for maintenance.


The price for higher is only 15 dollars more for higher speed DSL over
my low-speed DSL, but their webpage says, for my specific address, I
can't have any other DSL plan. It says I can only get FIOS now!!!
About 40 dollars more.

Do you think I could talk them into increasing my speed, if I promised
not to tell anyone they did it?

Don't they just make an entry in their computer to raise my speed?
Of flip one switch. I've heard you can negotiate even with
utilities. And I would think they would want the 15 dollars if they
can't get the 40.



I'll check again. I don't think so.

Thanks a lot.

I'll reply to other posts soon.
Click to expand...

So it's DSL then. I thought it was a cable modem.

In that case, you don't have to worry about MAC address.
You can connect the computer directly to the modem. Windows
has PPPOE protocol support. (In my WinXP network connections
control panel, it calls that option "WAN miniport (PPPOE)".
I was hooked up directly to the modem for a quick test once.)

If you connect directly to the modem, it should still work.
And, you have the option of using the DMT program,
to get statistics from the modem. DMT only works
with specific modems of modems, and with specific firmwares.
(That's because in some cases, later modem firmware,
removes the interface that DMT accesses.) Still, if it
works out for you, it's a nice program and can tell you
whether the modem thinks there is a good signal to
noise ratio, and whether there are any gross impairments
with respect to frequency bins. Such impairments would make
it more likely a line test would help.

These are my two links on DMT. There are also sites like
DSLReports, which have a lot more on this topic than I can
provide.

http://www.kitz.co.uk/routers/DMTv8.htm

http://dmt.mhilfe.de/

Note that, on that last link, the downloads cover sets of
modems, rather than being different versions. I have a
speedtouch, so I'd use DMT v7.35, as it would have files
and design to talk to a speedtouch ADSL modem/router family.
What I can't tell you, is whether DMT requires the box
to be in routed or bridged mode. I'm using bridged
mode right now myself, whereas routed mode is more normal.

ADSL has two limits. When you set up an account with your
ISP, there is their "speed" listing for the service. Mine
is "5 Megabit" service. But, that's not the same thing, as
the profile set on the line. My modem won't go any
faster than 312KB/sec download speed, because of the limitation
set by the telco. That's to ensure sufficient signal to
noise ratio. You'd think the equipment could automatically
adjust for conditions, but apparently that isn't good enough
for them. They artificially have the service capped, to below
5Mbit/sec. I would have to make a specific request to have it
raised, and I'm not at all sure what would happen if I did.
(I buy from a reseller, who has to raise a "trouble ticket"
with the telco, to have changes like that made. They're just
as likely to disconnect the line by mistake, as to do the
right thing :-( )

If the profile is raised too high, there may be occasions
where the "Sync" light on the modem flashes, and the modem
has to resynchronize. If you turn down the profile,
then the modem is very reliable (no lost sessions).
Mine is like that, but I don't get all the promised
speed either.

The only time I've had significant "sync" problems, was
when I had a PC with a noisy ATX power supply in it.
When that PC was running, I'd lose sync maybe every ten
minutes. With that power supply removed from service,
I've had no further problems.

In two cases that I know of, ADSL problems were
caused by internal house wiring. So do not
underestimate the impact of old or corroded wiring
or connectors. I ended up running a brand new wire from
the basement, to the modem, and I disconnected the other
four extensions in the house. So now, there is only one
cable to the demarcation point, and it goes pretty well
straight line to the modem. I have modem and touch tone
phone in the same room (with the filter inserted for the
phone). Works good.

My former boss, had a problem where the phone wire went
through the foundation of the house. That was where the
wire was damaged and needed to be replaced.

So if the demarcation point is outside the house, and
the telco tests it, they test up to the demarc. If you want
work done on "your side" of the demarc, that's when there
will be a service charge. That's why I simply rewired my side,
rather than have them test. It was to save a $99 charge.

Paul
 
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