What are ADSL speeds like these days?

gradwellmike

Hello all.


Firstly, I am aware that broadband speeds are dependent upon your line, distance from cabinets etc. I'm also aware that fibre is faster and more reliable than ADSL.


However, I've been using fibre for the past few years, and to be frank, I don't need 38Mb speed. And although there are some fairly good fibre offers available (eg £20/month inc line rental), most of those appear to be with TalkTalk or Sky - one has poor reputation and the other won't take me on a new deal because it's less than 12 months since I left them.


So, I've been considering going back to ADSL - some pretty good deals (eg £12/month inc line rental). But the issue is that these companies are only prepared to estimate about 2Mb for my line. This is strange because in the past, they were bragging about likely speeds of 18Mb via ADSL - it's almost as if they have a more profitable fibre product to sell and are now trying to make ADSL less attractive!


When I had ADSL previously I was happy with, I think I was getting over 10Mb consistently, which is fine for me.


So, are there any ADSL users who can give feedback - is it similar to how it used to be pre-fibre roll-out? Is it a decent speed? Does anyone know if the ADSL product is now being deliberatley undersold? Or throttled to make it useless/unattractive? Or any other relevant feedback which may be of value?


Thanks for any input.

Browntoa

I am near my exchange , ADSL speed under 3 meg , fibre is 76 mb

I wouldn't go back unless they used Gfast which gives up to 300mb over copper pair

Upgrade to fibre also eliminates whatever it was caused my ADSL to drop out at least 2 times a day

[Deleted User]

Look for yourself at the BT Wholesale Broadband availability . This gives the range of products available to you and the possible range of speeds. Link given below.
For accurate results, use your landline phone number. Failing that, click on the link to the address checker from the link below and use your address. Never check by postcode as it covers too large a geographical area for any meaningful results.
https://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/adslchecker.welcome

AndyPK

ASDL depends on the distance to the exchange!

The speed will be the same as what you used to have!
But if you do more than you used to. E g download films or smart tv you won't be happy with 2!

NowTV fibre is only £20! Part of sky. Mine installed today.
Don't risk 2mbps asdl !!!!!!

gradwellmike

Look for yourself at the BT Wholesale Broadband availability . This gives the range of products available to you and the possible range of speeds.

Thanks for the link, I'd used this earlier today with my landline number. It claims I can expect up to 2.5Mb with ADSL. That is surprising, as when I had ADSL at this address a few years ago, I was getting over 10Mb!


This week, when I've phoned various suppliers about their ADSL offerings, they were all playing the fear card and saying I could get 'up to' 11Mb or 18Mb, but should expect 2Mb.


I cant help but think that their aim is to peddle fibre deals (because they are more profitable) and part of that is to make ADSL appear to be inadequate (the very same product that 5 years ago we were told was some kind of spce-age improvement on the old 0.5Mb broadband)


If anyone is using ADSL, feedback is welcome.

NowTV fibre is only £20!

Thanks but that offer has now lapsed. I was considering it last week, but I looked through their Trustpilot reviews and they were diabolical. Good luck!

AndyPK

Asdl was introduced well over 10 years ago

No point getting asdl feedback from others. It's so dependent on cable length.

I had 1mpbs. It was awful/unusuable for smart tv
Parents have 7 mpbs. It's fine.

AndyPK

I'd rather risk now than 2mbps which you can do nothing with for 12 months.

Owain_Moneysaver

ISPs have been more tightly regulated in the speeds they can advertise over the last few years, so ADSL estimates now may be lower (but more realistic) than what you got a few years ago.

I don't think ADSL has been purposely downgraded, but it's possible that in the last few years the cable to the exchange has got damp/corroded which is reducing ADSL performance but wouldn't affect FTTC.

iniltous

TBH, whatever speed you used to get from ADSL2+ , will be more or less what you would get now, given that your property is the same distance it always was from the exchange, and you already know , it's the distance from the exchange that primarily dictates the speed on ADSL.
If the speed checker estimates 2-3Mb, then that is all any provider is going to guarantee , after all the only evidence of higher speed is your own recollection , and they are not going to be held to any speed guarantee , other than the BTw estimate ....if you won't order ADSL2 until a provider guarantees 10Mb , you will be in for quite a wait.

If you know approximately the distance you are from the exchange (the route OR's cables take ) then there are resources that will estimate typical speed for any given line length, for example, when I had ADSL , my line was 5Km and synced at around 3Mb, if you got 10Mb, your line length presumably would be much shorter , possibly less than 2Km from the exchange.

[Deleted User]

gradwellmike wrote: »

That is surprising, as when I had ADSL at this address a few years ago, I was getting over 10Mb!

My results still show the same as they did many years ago, 2.5Mbps for ADSL.
Good job I'm not using ADSL now.

boliston

Browntoa wrote: »

I am near my exchange , ADSL speed under 3 meg , fibre is 76 mb

I wouldn't go back unless they used Gfast which gives up to 300mb over copper pair

Upgrade to fibre also eliminates whatever it was caused my ADSL to drop out at least 2 times a day

'Gfast' would not be 'going back' - it's similar to existing 76mb fibre to the cabinet but just a bit more advanced and does depend on being *very* close to the cabinet to actually see any advantage.