56k to 64k or 128k What and how please ?

snaffler

56k to 64k or 128k

I am a complete novice in this area, I am Virgin 24/7 on a normal 56k modem I get speeds around 52 to 54k we have a good line.

I keep reading about 64k and 128k connections through a modem.
Please can anyone throw some light on how I can achieve this, please no techy lingo if possible.

My PC has these specs in case that plays a part.
120 GB HD
256k RAM
P4 1.7

I guess I need a different modem to start with and do I need anything doing to my phone line by BT.

Also I guess I need to check with ISP if they offer these speeds, also would this increase sub costs or is it still dial up at greater speed.

Any help web links and advice would be fantastic.

Thanks

Jay

redux

That's a good dial-up speed; other people have 49, 44 or less. 56k is the theoretical maximum for this type of line. 64k or 128k lines will be ISDN, which represents an upgrade and higher line rental.

I believe that broadband lines are also upgraded to ISDN, although the signal is then sent differently; I wouldn't be certain about this though, and defer to anyone with greater knowledge.

If you're interested in your dial-up line being apparently faster, you might investigate the Onspeed product, which has a proxy server that compresses files before sending, then your PC re-expands them. There is a range of settings for picture quality, and you will see some degradation on the highest ones, but text files are compressed several times over, with no ill effects. I think you can get a free trial, then if you like it - it's normally £25 a year, but on sale in PC World for £9.99

steve_r123

Have you thought about upgrading to broadband? You will get free modem etc thrown in with most of the deals, and the internet will load an awful lot quicker than what you are using currently?

snaffler

Well I am thinking about hoping on to Virgin Broadband Option 3 a simple upgrade of £2.50 PM yes.

The only concern I have is this phone line set up at home.

Main BT socket from line
This has an extension going to another box which is then split to the phone and the PC.

I am worried about the BB filter does this need to go directly into the main BT socket or can I put this on my extension socket ?

As for my current dial up speed of 52 - 54k this is due to we had a brand new line put in by BT when we moved in 2001, the line ws damaged between the main junction and our house by telewest by all accounts. So this new line was great.

RINO100

ive got the same virgin 24/7 dial up as you,
my line is about 44k speed, but i only use vigin to get online then use opera browser , which i find a little faster.

u can download opera browser for free on their website.

snaffler

I use Firefox at the moment, not used Opera for sometime I have been hooked on Firefox.

I keep getting hassled by mates saying oh go onto the basic telewest it's great, but personally I do not need all that.

I also like to keep my services seperate, if one becomes poor of bad then with cable you need to leave the lot not just look for a new one.

I have been with Virgin for 4 years never any problems they are just fine for me.

espresso

snaffler wrote:

Well I am thinking about hoping on to Virgin Broadband Option 3 a simple upgrade of £2.50 PM yes.

The only concern I have is this phone line set up at home.

Main BT socket from line
This has an extension going to another box which is then split to the phone and the PC.

I am worried about the BB filter does this need to go directly into the main BT socket or can I put this on my extension socket ?

As for my current dial up speed of 52 - 54k this is due to we had a brand new line put in by BT when we moved in 2001, the line ws damaged between the main junction and our house by telewest by all accounts. So this new line was great.

The ADSL filter does not need to go in the BT master socket, it can go into your extension socket where your PC is plugged into. If you have any other devices plugged into the phone line, these would also require an ADSL filter but these can be bought for a couple of pounds.

JohalaReewi

snaffler wrote:

Well I am thinking about hoping on to Virgin Broadband Option 3 a simple upgrade of £2.50 PM yes.

The only concern I have is this phone line set up at home.

Main BT socket from line
This has an extension going to another box which is then split to the phone and the PC.

I am worried about the BB filter does this need to go directly into the main BT socket or can I put this on my extension socket ?

As for my current dial up speed of 52 - 54k this is due to we had a brand new line put in by BT when we moved in 2001, the line ws damaged between the main junction and our house by telewest by all accounts. So this new line was great.

64K/128K internet access is via ISDN (digital dial up) and is sold by BT as Home Highway. It is not broadband. You get a high installation fee, have two lots of line rental, still have to pay as you go to your dial up ISP and if you are surfing at 128K, nobody can use the phone AND the pay as you go rate doubles (it counts as two phone calls). You don't usually need a special modem for Home Highway because it has a USB connection. It just plugs into your computer's USB port. This type of internet access has been made virtually redundant by broadband which is faster (from 512K upwards), usually cheaper, always on and you can still use the phone.

Broadband internet access is not dial up, it is always on, and it comes in a few flavours. The main ones are ADSL (broadband via a BT line) and Cable broadband (via a cable TV line). Both require extra bits of equipment to connect to your PC. For cable broadband, you get everything from your cable supplier. End of story.

For ADSL (broadband via a BT line), you need an ADSL modem. This can be one that plugs into your PC (usually using a USB port) in which case, your PC is connected directly to the internet. You can also get ADSL modems which are bundled with a router. A router is a home network in a box. This solution allows your broadband to be shared between several PCs but is a bit more comlicated than the direct connection method. Most ISPs offer suitable hardware if you have none, or you can get your own.

When you get broadband via a BT line, there are two possibilities for your master socket:-

1) Your BT master socket is replaced by one with two outlets (phone and data). With this type of installation, the master socket is the BB filter and no futher filters are required. This also gives the best possible broadband connection since it is not affected by your internal wiring. The downside is that your broadband connection is at the BT master socket which might not be convenient if your PC is somewhere else.

2) Your BT master socket remains as is and you use microfilters at each telephone extension point to split the phone/data. This can be useful because broadband will be available at all of your telephone extension sockets. The downside is you will need a microfilter for each phone (and possibly annother one for your PC) and the quality of your internal wiring has a direct impact on your broadband connection. Also, the quality of microfilters can vary.

The different speeds for ADSL broadband (via BT) are typically, 512K, 1M, 2M, 4M and 8M. ISPs usually charge more for faster speeds. Also, as the speed increases, so your phoneline must be of a higher spec so even if you find an ISP offering 8M connection speeds, your phoneline might not be able to handle it.

A useful source of ADSL information is http://www.adslguide.org.uk
Check the beginners guide, How ADSL works, and the questions sections for starters.

snaffler

Thanks for all the help, I see that broadband is the cheeper and more sensible option above all.

As for my woring I guess it must be of a good DIY standard due to me still getting good connections and speeds on dial up, although I could be wrong all together.

Thanks again for all the help.