Help!! Cannot use 20 MB connection to Host on XBOX Live

[rah900]

Hi

If anyone could help/guide me with the problems i am experiencing.

I have been on Virgin 4MB BB and the xbox hosting always worked. I moved house and i was always having problems trying to host games.
( have moved about 1/2 mile from old house)

Virgin have increased BB speed to 20MB but i am still having problems.

Modem signals at old house
Downstream power 1.2 db
Downstream SNR 32.5 db
Upstream power 42 db

Modem signals at new house
Downstream power -3 db
Downstream SNR 27.3 db
Upstream power 36 db

Virgin now say that UBR that i connect to is overutilised..... but even at 2 am in the morning i still have problems (is it overutilised 24/7?).

As i have access to my old house i have taken my kit and tried the BB connection there... and it works... i can host on xbox live!!

please help!!

[simpsonsFAN]

SNR (signal to noise ratio) should be over 30 otherwise your connection will always be unreliable. Basically you need a tech out to fix it.

-Chris

[rah900]

Have spoke to tech support and they say the SNR is ok.

Also has engineers out to do a cable repull... but they checked the signal levels on the cable an said they were ok. So no repull.

How would they improve the snr level? cable repull?

[fatassmichael]

If you look in your modem page again and check downstream, to see what QAM modulation you are using, eg, QAM64 or QAM256, If your using QAM256 your SNR really needs to be at 33 db or above.
The techs will adjust the levels at the cab.

Edit: which modem do you have?

[rah900]

I am using QAM64.. What is the min level? and is this something i can as BB support to increase for me? (The last time i called BB support they said all my levels were ok)

Thanks in advance

[fatassmichael]

Your SNR for QAM64 should be fine then, Tech supp cannot alter any signals remotely, they do need to be adjusted physically, either from an attenuator on the line (to lower power), or adjusted in the cab (to increase/lower power).

The min levels for power and SNR are in this thread.
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/12/26006-cable-modem-signal-levels.html

HTH, BTW :welcome: to the forum :)

Which modem do you have?

[rah900]

i have the blue NTL 250 Modem.

What i cant understand is why it works at my old house? is it because the signals levels are better?

Regarding to which UBR i connect to... would it still be the same one regardless of where i plug in the modem.

thanks

[fatassmichael]

Your signal levels are within the limits at both addresses, It may be that you connect to a different UBR, if you live in a big town/city, with lots of UBR's, that half a mile may have you connected to a different one. The modem is capable of 20meg, do you have disconnections, high pings/latency issues? Is it the same modem? Do you use a router and have you forwarded ports? If it is the UBR just being "oversubscribed", then there is nothing that you can do to improve it, short of changing supplier.

[rah900]

Thanks....

How do i check what UBR i connect to?

What i can do is see if the modem connects to the same UBR from the different addresses.

If they are different i accept i may have to change to a different supplier.
But if it is the same UBR that is being connected to then what could be the problem?

In regard to using a router... i do use one... but i know that none of the config/equipment at my end is faulty. This is because i have only yesterday taken all equipment including CM, Router, Xbox to the old address and used on xbox live perfectly...


Thanks for any info in advance

[fatassmichael]

You can check which UBR you are on by using the "connection" link at the very top of this page, or go to www.grc.com and use the shields up link, it will give you something like this, cpc*-midd8-0-0-cust***.midd.cable.ntl.com
I'm ex-ntl, but that tells me i'm connected to UBR 8 in Middlesbrough. It may differ if you are ex-telewest.