BT / Vodafone switchover NMK exchange

davegggg

Recently I've been switched over from BT to Vodafone. I'm sure any other BT customers have too. I've noticed my performance is significantly worse but wanted to check if others had seen the same. AFAIK I'm on the Newtown Mount Kennedy exchange and nothing has changed on the line / infrastructure side. Is it just higher contention?

LEIN

Whats your location?

davegggg

Damo9090 wrote: »

Whats your location?

Glenview Pk., Kilpedder

JoeTurner

Switched over to vodafone late last year from bt and it's infinitely better for me. BT was forever dropping off - no such problems with Vodafone thankfully.

I'm based on the old N11 outside Newtown heading for Gregory's Garage...

loyatemu

there shouldn't be any difference unless you are on the "up to 24mb" package.

BT consumer broadband is just eircom broadband rebadged - your line plugs into eircom equipment in the exchange and eircom pass the traffic off to BT over their core network - I doubt this has changed with the transfer to Vodafone - its really just a rebranding.

The 24mb service on the other hand does run on all BT equipment - I'm not sure if these customers are moving to Vodafone - neither BT nor Vodafone are still offering this product to domestic customers anymore (I have this service and I'm still getting my bills from BT).

cavemeister

As far as I am aware (being a BT customer) the "Up to 24MB BB" or "LLU" is migrating to Vodafone as part of the BT / Vodafone migration in March / April 2010 - The greystones Exchange is the only LLU enabled echange in Wicklow so anyone on the Newtown exchange would be on standard bitstream BB

There may be an issue with contention... What speed BB did you have with BT before you moved to Vodafone ?

loyatemu

cavemeister wrote: »

As far as I am aware (being a BT customer) the "Up to 24MB BB" or "LLU" is migrating to Vodafone as part of the BT / Vodafone migration in March / April 2010

right - thanks.

The greystones Exchange is the only LLU enabled echange in Wicklow so anyone on the Newtown exchange would be on standard bitstream BB

There may be an issue with contention... What speed BB did you have with BT before you moved to Vodafone ?

contention on bitstream would be the same for all providers - its controlled by Eircom.

cavemeister

contention on bitstream would be the same for all providers - its controlled by Eircom.[/QUOTE]

Many companies offer different contention ratios. For example, BT's 7 MB Bitstream BB had a contention ratio of 12:1 while Eircom had 24:1. Some companies go as high as 48:1

It is a factor when people switch providers and notice a drop in speed - It's not the speed but the contention

matti

I switched to Vodafone from BT too and lost access for 2 weeks! Have to say though that the guys in the helpdesk were very helpful (even if it took them 2 weeks to fix!) They said there was some crossed lines when they migrated...

davegggg

cavemeister wrote: »

As far as I am aware (being a BT customer) the "Up to 24MB BB" or "LLU" is migrating to Vodafone as part of the BT / Vodafone migration in March / April 2010 - The greystones Exchange is the only LLU enabled echange in Wicklow so anyone on the Newtown exchange would be on standard bitstream BB

There may be an issue with contention... What speed BB did you have with BT before you moved to Vodafone ?

I applied for the 20MBps package but as cavemeister mentions it wasn't available. That meant I dropped down to a 3MBps package. The line rate I got was always ~3MPS with BT. Lately it has been usually 1.5 - 1.9. Right now it's 2.2 so I can't complain too much.

d31b0y

davegggg wrote: »

I applied for the 20MBps package but as cavemeister mentions it wasn't available. That meant I dropped down to a 3MBps package. The line rate I got was always ~3MPS with BT. Lately it has been usually 1.5 - 1.9. Right now it's 2.2 so I can't complain too much.

Yeah, that's the problem. It's well within the contention ratio speeds, so chances are they will do nothing about it.

Having said that I have never dealt with the BT / Vodafone support desk so I can't say for sure.

lmryo

I live in Greystones, I moved from BT 24mb package (it was a free upgrade from 7mb) on the 8th march to vodafone option 3 24mb package which is not available, meaning if you use vodafone line checker it says broadband is available but only certain packages are available on my landline number. I have contacted vodafone who acknowledge this but still charge me €67 for a service (24mb), they cant provide,Its not available on their website, using line checker and my landline number) the best is 7mb on my line.The refuse to do anything about this unless I take out a new contract and leave my deal with BT, meaning i will lose my uk calls and move to a higher contention ratio

Any help or info appreciated

loyatemu

the BT package was "up to" 24Mb - I don't think they guaranteed any particular data rate.

24 is the theoretical max for ADSL2+ but it rate adapts depending on the quality of your line - I'm getting about 8Mb.

lmryo

@ loyatemu

the 24mb package was available on my line with bt, but with vodafone it is unailable, meaning the best = is 7mb which im willing to pay for without taking another 12 month contract

PS: you can not get the 24mb package on my landline it does not support this, the vodafone.ie site says when i use the line checker, congratulations broadband is available but your line cannot support certain packages meanin 24mb packages

cavemeister

LLU should be available from Vodafone on April 1st. (greystones exchange only) BT stopped selling it when partnership was announced in September 2009.

They will start selling it when the BT LLU customer base start migrating!

edu21

cavemeister wrote: »

LLU should be available from Vodafone on April 1st. (greystones exchange only) BT stopped selling it when partnership was announced in September 2009.

They will start selling it when the BT LLU customer base start migrating!

where did you hear about this?
So Vodafone will be using BTs equipment to offer the 'LLU' based product, but still calling themselves Vodafone...will the price of broadband be reduced then..or is there no change!?

lmryo

@ cavemeister

Im still being charged for 24mb

loyatemu

AFAIK the move from BT to Vodafone is largely a sales and marketing thing - your line is still plugged into the same equipment in the exchange.

lmryo - regardless of what Vodafone's website says, you're almost certainly receiving the same service you had before - it is LLU which means that in the exchange your line is plugged into a BT\Vodafone switch rather than an eircom switch.

I doubt Vodafone are installing their own equipment in the exchanges - BT are continuing to offer broadband to business customers, Vodafone are probably using the BT gear.

The lower speed products use eircom's infrastructure in the exchange, so unless BT\Vodafone have actually moved the termination of your line (and why would they do that?) your service remains the same.

edu21

loyatemu - LLU is cheaper than DSL since the price was slashed recently...so basically all customers that are currently with voda will be switched over to BT LLU where available...
...but they are probably still receiving the 'same' speed broadband for the moment but have actually in fact moved platform - at a cheapern rate for Vodafone and/or BT.

Mergers don't happen for just sales and marketing, but ultimately a way of making and saving more money!

lmryo

This was taken yesterday evening, please take note of ISP Esat Telecommunications, I was transferred to Vodafone on 8-3-2010

loyatemu

they're still using BT's infrastructure - the ISP is determined by your IP address.

That download speed is rubbish for a supposedly 24Mb connection - was it faster before?

lmryo

@ loyatemu
Yes it was faster before always between 4 and 7

lmryo

Results from : speedtest.net

lmryo

Yesterday evening I was contacted by a technical service agent who told me his supervisor told him to ring me about my speeds and account. I was told I was connected to LLU exchange and I was on the 24mb package. He said they control the contention ratio meaning Vodafone. If I wanted to change the only option i had was the 24mb package or 1mb package (you read right One mb). He told me the 3mb and 7mb are not available.
When checking my speeds with speedtest I was getting around 6mb compared with speeds of 1.09mb -2-5mb for the last few weeks, amazing on the day I get a call from technical support. I have been told the accounts dept. will contact me on Monday. I will keep everyone informed on an developements. My line is not capable of supporting more than 7mb so I not going to pay for 24mb


PS : When my line was tested by customer service I was told my line was not capable of 24mb

lmryo

Im being charged €67 for a 24mb connection ( Greystones LLU Exchange)Help appreciated






A quick Ping test to show my line quality







All tests have been conduced on other speed testers like irishspeed test and smart telecom speed checker and results are very very similar, I have conducted these tests using wirless N modem router and direct wired ethernet connection

loyatemu

looks like I win - still nowhere near 24Mb/s though.

cavemeister

How do you upload the speedtest image result onto boards? feel like a moron seeing as everyone else can do it

LEIN

cavemeister wrote: »

How do you upload the speedtest image result onto boards? feel like a moron seeing as everyone else can do it

Do test and in the results box you will see option on bottom right that says copy forum link. Click that and past the link here. You will end up with below. Try it.

cavemeister

Thanks Damo

cavemeister

@Imryo

If you are indeed on the greystones LLU exchange and are only getting those speeds, it might help looking at the following:

1. Are you connected to an LLU platform? Being on an LLU enabled exchange does not automatically mean you have LLU BB - you could still be on a bitstream connection (your LSP will tell you and can upgrade you if thats the case)

2. is your modem pugged in at the main phone point in your home? using secondry points can reduce speed.

3. Have you put a filter on all the phones in your house? Applies usually if you have more than one phone - phone data runs at a different frequency to Internet data and if unfiltered, can interfere with your BB speeds

4. Have you a monitored alarm in your house? If so, you need to have a splitter put on your alarm - usually costs about €100 - €150. this cuts out all alarm interference

If not, contact your isp and ask them to check your line for a fault, that may be the cause - also get them to test the max speed available on your line - your telephone line could be damaged thus slow speeds

Hope this helps.

loyatemu

cavemeister wrote: »

Thanks Damo

are you stealing my wifi? :pac:

Charlie-Bravo

Seeing such low speeds prompted me to check mine...also low...I reckon we are all getting a re-branded eircom networks broadband and capacity if crap at the moment

I know I am paying for a 7Mb package with UTV and this is what I am getting tonight:



I feel a broadband megamerge thread happening...

lmryo

@ cavemeister

Thank you for your reply, my answer to questions

1. Vodafone have told me im on LLU platform BB
2. My modem is plugged in at main point I have no secondry points
3. I only have one phone and its not wireless and filter is applied, I bought a new filter in last 24hrs just to be sure, nothing else is plugged into my phone line I dont have Sky or any wirless devices
4. No monitored alarm on house
5. No fault on line, Max speed around 5.6mb according to technical support
I have been told im been downgraded to a lower package because my line dont support the speed, I will post details when I know more and thank you to all who have gave me help

lmryo

Update

cavemeister

Nice..... What changed to give you the boost in speed?

lmryo

@ cavemeister

Eircom called to my house (1-4-2010) to check line and I was told it was green 100% working perfectly. I asked for all wiring and connections to be checked at house and told all working perfect 100%, eircon technican listened to my phone line and heard a small crackle and said he had to go to exchange, and to check a hub or junction box near my house, he came back 20 minutes later, said there was a loose wire, but did not think this was the problem, he secured it, and these are the speeds I have since then



I am now on 8mb profile with vodafone and my contention ratio is 12:1

PS: I am still paying €67 for this package (the same price the 24mb package, my line dont support it)

lmryo

Update :
Did I speak to soon

At 6-10pm yesterday evening speedtest was telling me my ISP was iol (Ireland on line), I did not take a screen shot of it sorry,
then when testing again my ISP is Internet Services Ireland


My speeds are now down

Today: Back to esat





Anyone know or guess why change in providers and speed, do you think they may have moved me to a different package

loyatemu

they're getting the ISP name from your IP address - certain IP blocks would be registered to IOL, others to Esat and other to BT or Vodafone depending on when they obtained them. If you're turning off your modem and reconnecting regularly your IP is probably changing each time. I'm currently being shown as connected by IEUnet - one of Esat's predecessor companies...

lmryo

@ loyatemu

Rang voda tech support and now

cavemeister

Ahhhh.. you have me beat!!

lmryo

Update :

Since 24th April to 5th May I have had these speeds at anytime









Tonight :

lmryo

Today : Now using Vodafone servers

lmryo

They must be updating something

Charlie-Bravo

lmryo wrote: »

They must be updating something

How the heck did that happen? Are you messing with us? Seriously, is this old BT hardware now upgraded???

loyatemu

astrofluff wrote: »

How the heck did that happen? Are you messing with us? Seriously, is this old BT hardware now upgraded???

not likely - absolute max speed for ADSL2 is 24Mb/s

Charlie-Bravo

so what you are telling me is that even if they did upgrade the exchange to say 48Mb, my router in my house is of ADSL2+ standard and can only support speeds of up to 24Mb?

***edit just checked out wiki for info - yeah, max 24Mb. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asymmetric_Digital_Subscriber_Line

MyPerfectCousin

Even the DSLAM in the exchange (the DSL switch feeding your line) can only do 24Mbps max. It's not just a limitation of the router on your end.

I doubt anyone would bother spoofing that result. Must be something dodgy with the speedtest app.

lmryo

Today



There was obviously something wrong with speedtest last night, but when I ran the test that was the results I got