Does ADSL2+ mean Superfast Broadband?

SonOfPearl

I currently get broadband from BT on a standard 'up to 8Mb' line. I'd like to have a faster connection, so I'm thinking of moving to BE Broadband who estimate I would get 17Mb with them.

However, according to the SamKnows website, my local exchange (Newtown Llantwit) "should have ADSL2+ services installed by the 31st of March 2010".

Does this mean that I should be able to get a faster service from BT now, without moving provider? The 31 March has come and gone, but my download speed is still the same (about 4-5Mb).

Broadband is so confusing, I'm pulling my hair out!

gjchester

No, it means your exchange should have the hardware in place to offer you a faster line, not that it is enabled for your actual line.

You may not see a faster speed unless you phone and ask for an upgrade and like most ISP's faster speed will probably mean a increase in subscription.

boliston

gjchester wrote: »

No, it means your exchange should have the hardware in place to offer you a faster line, not that it is enabled for your actual line.

You may not see a faster speed unless you phone and ask for an upgrade and like most ISP's faster speed will probably mean a increase in subscription.

I'm pretty sure I started paying slightly LESS when my line was migrated from ADSL to ADSL2+ on the basis that the move to 21CN meant savings for my ISP.

SonOfPearl

I phoned BT a few weeks ago (I'm out of contract) and asked for a MAC, but they just fobbed me off. They said they could see nothing on my line about it being upgraded to a faster service, yet the website (SamKnows) says it should have been upgraded by 31/3/10.

Assuming it has been upgraded, do I just need to ask them to 'enable' my line for the faster speed? I didn't think I needed to do anything, since my current service promises 'up to 20Mb' if that sort of speed is available?

boliston

SonOfPearl wrote: »

.....

Assuming it has been upgraded, do I just need to ask them to 'enable' my line for the faster speed? I didn't think I needed to do anything, since my current service promises 'up to 20Mb' if that sort of speed is available?

It might be worth checking which "mode" your router is set for. My router has the following modes:

g.dmt (ADSL1)
ADSL2
ADSL2+

(I think there is another mode which I have not ever used)

There is also "multimode" which I think is where the router automatically chooses which mode it thinks is best.

SonOfPearl

Hmmm. I have a BT Voyager 2100 Wireless ADSL router. It doesn't have any switches to change settings. So perhaps I need a new BT router which can handle ADSL2+? I think that if I switched to BE Broadband, they say they would supply a new router.

SonOfPearl

Oh dear! I've now tried to find information about my exchange via a postcode search another website (Plusnet) and it says that "BT have advised that no current planned date for WBC on 21CN exists".

As far as I can understand (through the confusing acronyms), this means that there are no plans to update the exchange at all! How is this possible when the other site says it should now be ADSL2+ enabled? I can feel my blood pressure rising again...:mad:;)

boliston

I think the default login will be http://192.168.1.1 with "admin" as both username & password

SonOfPearl

Wow, thanks! Very interesting, but I don't seem to be able to log in with "admin" as username and password...What can that site tell me?

I'm still busy googling... and it seems my router firmware is out of date, but in any case my router appears to only be able to handle up to 8Mb.

http://www.voyager.bt.com/adsl_adsl_max/adsl_index.htm

C_Mababejive

Will it make any difference as the bottleneck will be the copper pair between you and the exchange?

Markb06

If you can find out your router stats and look for the line attenuation you can get a estimate of what speed you will get from this graph