Changing ISPs

CivilServant

If one were to change their ISP because their connection was poor what are the chances of a change of ISP improving things? Since it will be routed back to the same exchange do ISPs have their own connection to the backbone once the customer reaches the exchange?

Sponge Bob

frankly there is a greater chance of a problem on your line or a problem in the exchange where you are connected .

can you post your line stats please. Note on where they are

http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.htm

( eircom netopia is http://192.168.1.254/ )

Finally can you tell us what packages you pass for in the eircom line checker

CivilServant

I probably could of worded it better, the line is fine during offpeak hours but poor during peak and popular hours. The contention seems to be the issue, that or traffic shaping. Since I use the connection mainly for gaming, other torrent users may affect ping times. So if we're all connected to the same exchange will it change anything by changing ISP.

Sponge Bob

Still need stats before any conclusion can be reached

Give us a good period line stats and a bad period line stats , if they are the same ( and if they are good stats both times) it is the ISP as you suspect .

Sometimes keeping the isp and changing to a 'business' package does the trick . Businesses have a different peak to residential as you would expect.

If there is a busy time degredation in the line stats then you are possibly getting crosstalk. This is interference with your line from other dsl users .

This will not change if you change ISP or package within an isp.

CivilServant

Right it's underperforming now 1/3 capacity and high ping.

ADSL Link

---

Downstream---Upstream
Connection Speed

---

3072 kbps

---

384 kbps
Line Attenuation

---

35 db

---

8 db
Noise Margin

---

7 db

---

17 db

Sponge Bob

Its on the margins for 3mbits is the answer .

were it 35db attenuation and 10db-12db margin on the downlink it would be a fairly comfortable 3mb line

Its ONLY got a 7db margin on the downstream , indicating stress, any margin under 10 is sub optimal. you would get high pings and maybe packet loss .

the downstream always gets affected before the upstream , your upstream is fine .

Can you post the same stats in whan all is well please and we will see if they change , I do not expect them to change ...but lets see

Sponge Bob

forgot to say

can you unplug sky box and display phones right now and run those stats again please , that may get the noise margin up to 10db+ and then see what you get pingwise.

CivilServant

Really bad lag now...

ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 3072 kbps 384 kbps
Line Attenuation 35 db 8 db
Noise Margin 11 db 17 db

thats with phones plugged in.

Sponge Bob

and plugged out ??

dub45

With that noise margin you are pretty restricted - have similar myself - do you often get cut off? Who is your isp? Maybe (and I mean maybe!) changing to someone like Smart if it were possible could improve things as they use adsl2 but having said that I am with Smart and there is only so much that can be done for a poor line.

Sponge Bob

Its not actually that poor a line, by Irish standards that is . 35db is fairly OK .

According to the 'whats possible' checker here

http://www2.farina1.com/ADSL/default.aspx

He could get as much as 12mbits with an ADSL2+ operator . Thats Smart or Magnet or maybe BT where they have their own kit in the exchange . Transferring to anyone EXCEPT those operators is pointless.

Giz the stats when its good / and with gear unplugged please civil servant and tell us whether you live in a big town or city .

CivilServant

ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 3072 kbps 384 kbps
Line Attenuation 35 db 8 db
Noise Margin 11 db 17 db

This is another reading during "low performance" period with phone lines plugged out except the broadband.

Checked last night when it was good and the stats were almost the same the only number that changes is noise margin from 7-12.

Tbh it definitely feels like contention, or traffic shaping. Things were perfect up until two weeks ago. I'm with UTV 3mb atm, and I'm in Wexford so no Smart option Would changing to a symmeterical supplier have any affect on ping, eg Irish Broadband's fixed wireless?

Sponge Bob

Well its clear that there was a sizeable improvement when you plugged the gear out . Your margin became acceptable.

The only other thing you can do at your end is to get a new filter/splitter and to see if that improves matters and gets your db margin up consistently.

Otherwise , ironically, the best solution will be to downgrade to 2mbits .

I would wager its marginal 3mbits now with " interleaf " on in the exchange to stabilise it ...albeit at the expense of high pings.

A comfortable 2mbit with interleaf off (as its no longer needed) would give you better pings ..and save you money. A comfortable 2mbit line should be able to ping www.boards.ie at about 25ms (30ms max) when the line is quiet your end.

Changing carrier is most certainly not the answer at this time, try the filter first and then see about the downgrade with your own carrier.

The line stats are based on the physical line which is entirely controlled by eircom including the interleaf and are to my mind marginal for 3mbits .

Thats not to say UTV are not introducing further issues to slow it down even more.