ASDL BB, Does the Quality of the Phone Lead Make Any Difference?

blobert

Hello,

I need to get a 3m lead to go from the phone socket on the wall to the shelf where I'm putting my modem/router.

Will the quality of lead I use have any effect on speed etc? All of these leads appear unbranded so I'm guessing there probably isn't much difference? Am I right in saying it is an RJ11 lead I need?

Smart BB Modem finally got delivered today so I should be up and running soon enough:)

Thanks

jor el

It can effect it, and you'd be as well to keep the cable as short as possible. Try it and see. Yes, it is an RJ11 cable.

The best solution would be to keep the modem as close to the main phone point as possible, then use a longer Ethernet cable from the modem to the computer, or use wireless.

watty

For up to 2m it makes little difference. At longer lengths proper twisted pair rather than flat cable (CAT3, CAT5E) is best, then up to 200m makes no difference and if you are close to exchange even 2000m.

The eircom cable between you and the exchange is usually CAT3.

It's only the two middle pins of RJ11.

More important is quality of DSL filter on all the ordinary items. A high quality master DSL splitter with the phone port driving all the ordinary sockets and only one outlet especially for the modem to the modem connection of the DSL master filter.

PaddyTheNth

watty wrote: »

More important is quality of DSL filter on all the ordinary items. A high quality master DSL splitter with the phone port driving all the ordinary sockets and only one outlet especially for the modem to the modem connection of the DSL master filter.

What's your opinion on the splitters/filters supplied by eircom?

watty

As I have had no physical line for 3 years and have not recently seen them I can't comment in detail.

I do know that "proper" master DSL filter (seen an eircom model once) has more and better filtering than an eircom "micro filter" that looks like a line splitter (plugs into socket and has sockets marked "phone" and "modem") that I saw a year or so ago. I opened both in the interest of Science.

I can design such filters, so reasonably qualified to judge quality from looking at the type and quantity of parts used.

PaddyTheNth

watty wrote: »

As I have had no physical line for 3 years and have not recently seen them I can't comment in detail.

I do know that "proper" master DSL filter (seen an eircom model once) has more and better filtering than an eircom "micro filter" that looks like a line splitter (plugs into socket and has sockets marked "phone" and "modem") that I saw a year or so ago. I opened both in the interest of Science.

I can design such filters, so reasonably qualified to judge quality from looking at the type and quantity of parts used.

Interesting. I suspect the ones I have at home are the 'micro' filters. Would there be a possibility of significant interferance that wouldn't be apparent in regular use of the system, and if so is there a way for the home user to go about testing for such?

watty

Yes, but only from things you have plugged in.

No, not in any accurate way without test gear and training. A basic test is by unplugging everything except the Modem for a prolonged period and ringing your number (tests rejection of ordinary phone signal by Modem part of filter).

PaddyTheNth

Ok.

Well, as I don't seem to have any issues with the telephone, and I'm getting pretty close to my maximum specified up/download speeds with the broadband connection I don't think I'll worry about it.

Thanks for the info.