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DrAwesome
12-12-2003, 15:21
(Prt #1 The NTL phone Number 2 BT line Transfer)

The reason I'm leaving NTL to go back to BT is i want a faster connection and not for any other reason which means because NTL dont offer ADSL to residential customers i have no option but to transfer back to BT as a telephone subscriber

Transfering my NTL Number to my 2nd BT Line (the NTL phoneline to BT bit)
Having decided to have my NTL telephone number transfered to my 2nd BT line, the number transfer and the 2nd line activation was set for the 8th of Dec 2003 a BT engineer would call between 10:30am and 1pm, sure enough the BT engineer arrived (11am) and it took him just 8mins to activate the line and transfer the NTL number, (he told me before his visit he had tried on 2 occations to get NTL to release the number on the third attempt the number was transfered otherwise he would have been earlyier to activate the line).

Before the BT engineer left he told me the only problem now is when will NTL decide to release the ring tone (the problem was that the phone will ring on the NTL phoneline until NTL decide to release the ring tone) so after a 7-8 hour wait NTL still hadnt released the ring tone (prevously the BT engineer gave me a phone number for NTL, 0808 100 880 he advised me to call that number if the ring tone hadnt been transfered).

So i phoned 0808 100 880 and i just got a continues tone as if the number didnt exsist so i called my local NTL customer services to ask if someone could manually release the ring tone as it was rapidly getting to the time when NTL staff pack up and go home, i was then told it would be released some time during the rest of the day but they couldnt give me a time when.

So i thought sod this i'm not waiting around for the rest of the day/evening i did have other things i had to do so i called BT customer services 0800 521 125 and briefly explained what had happened upto the point of calling my local NTL customer services, i was put on hold for a short while and when the BT cs woman returned she told me that she had had a word with someone that would help sort the problem out "personally" and that it would all be sorted in under 30mins and apologised for the inconveinance, about 20mins into the half hour i checked the NTL line it was dead (no dial tone) the problem had been sorted.

My Free BT answering service was activated soon after (This service has to be asked for and doesnt interfear with you adsl connection).

Decided to take up BT Option #1 3p a minute for Daytime calls anywhere in the UK 6p for any Evening and Weekends calls you make in the UK - for up to an hour each call which Just £11.50 per month if paying by Monthly Payment Plan or Direct Debit, includes rental of your first line.

Tip
On an evening/weekend if you go over the hour your charged 1p per min so the best way to get by this is hang up before the hours up and re-dial the number and continue your conversation :)

I also get 5% off all calls I make to UK mobiles Reduced Evening and Weekend calls to our most called International destinations

These probably wouldnt benefit me as i dont make alot of voice calls outside the UK but theyre part of the option package as additional extras.

Additional 10% discount on five Friends & Family Overseas numbers Extra ways to save on International and Internet calls with a range of add-ons.

oH! nearly forgot if you re-connect to BT you want to get sky installed its only £1

Warning
Non of the BT options cover 0870/0845 any number Locall/National Numbers charged at local rate so if you have to queue in a BB help line etc you wont be making a saving taking any of the BT options at peek/non peek time inc weekends. (most people think that Locall and Local mean the same but they dont where options are concerened)

If anyone has any questions feel free to post them :)

Prt #2 The ADSL bit will follow in a few days

DrAwesome
17-12-2003, 12:33
added note *Transfering my NTL phone number to my 2nd BT line

Little did i know that NTL managed not transfer the ring tone correctly/at all last week as first thought, as the NTL phoneline was dead (didnt have a dial tone) i naturally thought NTL had released the ring tone but they hadnt and the result was if someone phoned the BT line wouldnt ring

(i guess NTL must have thought i was a physic) :)

I was advised by BT to check with my local NTL cs that they had released the ring tone and notified BT (under oftel regulations NTL has to notify BT that the release is/was complete)

upon ringing my local NTL cs i was told by the local NTL csr yes everything had been done at their end but she would have a word with someone and re-check, as i was put on hold the call dropped.

So i decided to call BT 150 got straight through & spoke to a BT csr i was then transfered to BT number portability & told they would re-check that NTL had sent the importing orders if the line is still the same in 20mins call back and we will investigate things further, as soon as i put the phone down it rang amazed i picked it up and it was the NTL csr phoning me back as she had realised the line had disconnected while i was on hold and to let me know the line was now released, i thanked her for phoning me back to let me know.

Problem sorted :cool:

I then phoned BT to let them know that NTL had phoned me to confirm that the problem had been rectified.

So it seems something as straight forward as transfering an NTL Number to BT phoneline can run into complications.

Lord Nikon
17-12-2003, 14:43
Is now a good time to tell you that NTL are launching an ADSL service over BT lines in 2004? lol

DrAwesome
17-12-2003, 16:20
Is now a good time to tell you that NTL are launching an ADSL service over BT lines in 2004? lol

Lord Nikon where did you hear that from and do you know what speed(s)?

Neil
17-12-2003, 16:32
It's a fairly well known fact Doc, nobody really knows much more than that at the mo-except that it will be 'Off-net'

th'engineer
17-12-2003, 19:56
It's a fairly well known fact Doc, nobody really knows much more than that at the mo-except that it will be 'Off-net'
Bet its cheaper than cable, its got to be its NTL. Bet they end up competeing with each over because the off net service will be cheaper.

asdf
17-12-2003, 21:26
I imagine that the off-net service will be about £11.50 (or the price of monthly phone service charge) cheaper so that it all adds up to the same amounts when compared.

If that makes sense to anyone.

gallego1
18-12-2003, 00:17
NO


????? what is this 'off net' about

DrAwesome
18-12-2003, 00:24
Cheers for the info all...

I guess it wont be a faster connection than what NTL BB cable is at the moment, but i wonder why NTL plans to aim for the lower market end again seems a waste of cash 2me

I thought NTL had the lower BB user market pretty much wrapped up with their lower end cable BB service and their offers combining different products offering NTL dialup customers low than normal monthly subscription.

DrAwesome
18-12-2003, 20:51
The Adsl Bit

After searching Google for an ADSL isp i came across various ISP's that offered 1meg and 2meg service and as my NTL number was now a BT phone number i had to wait 24hrs until i could use the phone number checker to see if my local BT exchange was ADSL enabled you can use your post code but (its only 80-90% accurate as its an area check) your BT number inc your area code is checked to your local exchange.

If you wanna play here is the link to Post code & BT phone Number checker (http://www.bt.com/athome/at_home_2level.jsp?showsub=internet_at_home&obsNoSee=Y&vStore=1120&obsPage=/at_home.jsp&obsType=LINK&obsOID=46435)

BT has extended the distance limit from the exchange to 6km instead of 5.5km (about 3 miles i think? you work it out) if you decide to go for 1/2/4/6 meg the closer you are to your exchange the better chance you have of getting it if your too far away to get the 1meg service you wont be able to get any of the 2/4/6meg services that the adsl isp that you have choosen can provide.

BT ADSL check
you must be within 3.5km to pass for 1Mbps and 2Mbps ADSL,(also your local BT exchange must support these speeds) and within 5.5km for the 512kbps ADSL. This is based on actual line length as opposed to the physical distance from the exchange. Secondly, BT will test the quality of your line. This test is normally based on current records for your line & geographical area, but BT may need to test your line at street level before confirming (to the ADSL ISP that you have choosen) that they can supply ADSL to your location..

While searching for an ADSL provider i looked at Pipex, Nildram, Eclipse and of course Bulldog i came across ADSL forums that were full of complaints from various other ADSL ISP (inc the ones mentioned above) and quickly came to the conclusion that NO ADSL ISP is complaint free, then i looked at reliability, level of service, how long would i have to wait in a queue for support or advice if i became a customer and then most important of all the monthly cost of the service (some ISP's offered supscriptions to be paid quartaly & annually but it made no different to the price if you settled your subscription above 1 month so why bother?), some ADSL ISP's offered a free modem free activation fee/lower price activation fee.

some other deciding factors
Is their a cap/restriction in force (how many gigs are you allowed to use per day/week/month)

Minimum Contract (if i found the service crap how quickly can i leave and choose another ADSL ISP)
examples to watch out for.. Pipex advertise 1 month min contract but if you read the very very small print if you leave in the first 12 months after activation there is a charge so what pipex mean is 1 month after the first 12 months of your contract. (its all in the wording) :)

Is there a cost for switching to a lower or highier level of service (the majority of ADSL ISP charge and it could be £15-45+)

Migration
Moving from one ISP to another by doing this you can save money on the set up fee depending on which ADSL ISP you are migrating to. in normal circumstances you should also benefit from little or no 'down time' on your service. If you have a 'self install' account you can migrate it to the equivalent service, but if your previous install was by a BT engineer its gonna cost you more.
ADSL ISP's can delay your release if they choose so try not to loose your temper.

Dont just rush into joining any ADSL ISP on your friends say so, what is good for him maybe the oposite for you, it will save you money in the long run if spend more time looking at what is on offer and the good and also bad.


How to Install ADSL yourself in 5 easy steps

Activate your BT telephone line for the ADSL digital data connection buy and install your modem software on your pc, Plug splitter into telephone socket & connect your modem/router to it Your ADSL line is now ready to be used

its that easy :)

Once your line is ADSL activated, you may experience a loss of quality until you install line splitters in any active telephone sockets


Here is a link to the cheapest ADSL line splitters (http://www.crucible-technologies.co.uk/adsl-products.asp) i could find (free postage as long as you order on line)


1meg (£29.99 ) & 2meg (£39.99 a month) ISP's (are these ADSL ISP's the cheapest?)

FireflyUK (http://www.fireflyuk.net/services/adsl.htm)

50:1 Services ideal for home or small business use.
512K, £23.99 / month
1Mbit, £29.99 / month
2Mbit, £39.99 / month

I dont know weather this ISP has a cap/restriction on Newsgroup access, if your interested in joining this ISP it might be a good idea to phone them or email them and ask.

All FireFly ADSL packages are provided with the following :

Server-side email anti-virus protection
Email anti-spam prevention
200 megabytes of webspace
Unlimited POP email addresses
Webmail
Giganews USENET Access <--This might please somebody :)
National Rate Technical Support

__________________________________________________

Silvermead Internet (http://www.silvermead.co.uk/)

.....Speed.....Contention.Usage..............Cost. (inc vat)
Home 256k 256k.50:1.......Unlimited.(No Cap).£1 9.99
Home 512k 512k.50:1.......Unlimited.(No Cap).£2 4.99
Home 1Mb..1Mb..50:1.......Unlimited.(No Cap).£2 9.99
Home 2Mb..2Mb..50:1.......Unlimited.(No Cap).£3 9.99


All packages inc. 1 free static IP address as well as all the usual features.(Email & web space)

I also found out that there is no charge if you decide to move to a lower speed or upgrade to a low speed to a higher speed (which the majority of adsl isp's charge) and the Min contract is 3 Months (not 3 months after your 1st 12 months)

About ADSL & SDSL (http://www.wewantbroadband.co.uk/index.cfm?id=wewantaboutbroadband#adsl)

ADSL Modem
I looked around at all the options (and there is a big selection of ADSL modems to choose from) i finally decided to buy a Netgear DG834 £89.99 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/electronics/B0000E0YHF/system-requirements/ref%3Ded%5Ftec%5Fdp%5F2%5F1/202-6228923-3577456) (Free postage)

Neil
18-12-2003, 20:56
Quality post Doc. :tu:

handyman
18-12-2003, 21:33
The Adsl Bit
Here is a link to the cheapest ADSL line splitters (http://www.crucible-technologies.co.uk/adsl-products.asp) i could find (free postage as long as you order on line)


Cheap Dr A but not the cheapest.

Try these (http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=39530), very good feedback on them and a third the cost.

DrAwesome
18-12-2003, 22:36
Cheap Dr A but not the cheapest.

Try these (http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=39530), very good feedback on them and a third the cost.

jeez...

cheers for the link Handyman :tu:

they are alot cheaper i guess i didnt look hard enough :)

When i read this from the link i posted"Our micro filter works reliably with Caller ID and has NO noise problems. Some cheap micro filters do not work reliably until you modify them by opening them up and cutting a wire"

made me think that not all ADSL filtres are the same.

handyman
18-12-2003, 22:49
They come as recommended by several of our customers that they are better than the 9.99 ones we supply.

DrAwesome
01-01-2004, 11:33
**Bumping this post back to the top of the forum again :)

I forgot to mention that NTL require 30 days notice when you cancel their phone service & broadband service when you cancel (if you cancel by phone ask the person who you speak to to verify the day of disconnection) you pay your phone rental and broadband service rental 1 month in advance so you should be only billed for the un-billed calls that you made on your NTL phoneline after your 30 days are up.

Your ADSL connection (depending on who/which ADSL isp you sign up with) can take just over a week to get you up & running **(subject to the result of the BT survey on what ADSL tier service you have chosen), when you phone & speak to the ADSL provider(s) you have choosen ask them to give you an estimated time if they can because some ADSL isp can take a little longer to get your ADSL line activated..

Example: If you order your line on Jan 10th our link to your exchange would be due on the 18th - this means that your line will then be live around 5 days following that date giving you an activation date of early next week, just before Jan 25/26th.

30 days should give you more than enough time to sort yourself out with a re-connection to BT or instalation of a new BT phoneline.

Sign upto an ADSL provider of your choice

Buy an ADSL modem/router/hardware firewall of your choice.

DrAwesome
16-01-2004, 11:54
**Bumping this post back to the top of the forum again :)

If your interested in Bulldogs ADSL service (http://www.bulldogdsl.com/index.asp) & you have done a phone number/post code check & your local BT exchange does not support Bulldogs adsl service you can pre-register Here (https://secure.bulldogdsl.com/shop/pre-register.asp)

it also could speed up your local BT exchange being adsl enabled.

Link provided to Bulldogs Frequently asked questions (http://www.bulldogdsl.com/residential/products/primetime/faq.asp#16)

"I want PrimeTime 1000, 2000 or AllTime 2000 but itâ₠¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s not available at my exchange... Customers are encouraged to register interest for products so their exchange is prioritised in the next block of releases. Customers can pre-register their interest in a particular product. Bulldog will then contact the customer as soon as the service becomes available at their exchange."

DrAwesome
13-02-2004, 01:27
A good website to test your ADSL (or cable) connection


here is the link (http://www.adslguide.org.uk/tools/speedtest.asp)
Also useful if your complaining about your speeds
(you can cut & paste the link in an email & send the test to your isp to show the time, date & speed as visual proof as the result is retained by the website)

DrAwesome
13-02-2004, 09:00
Another UK ADSL Bandwidth Speed Test* (http://www.speedtest.ndo.com) page
(This was past onto me by an NDO adsl customer claiming that theres no link on NDO's web page) maybe its to be added later or its just for NDO customers :shrug:

*Not tested using an NTL connection

DrAwesome
13-02-2004, 17:32
Yet another Bump!! for this thread

Here are some more useful links

If you find your connection is slowing down at peak times
(the Internet Peak is normally from 19:00 to about 23:00)
use this Capacity Local BT Exchange Report link (http://www.ndo.com/servlets/adslcreport) to find out if your exchange is affected.


Very handy to monitor the status of your ADSL line when first getting your BT line ADSL activated i have used this util myself & it works also very easy to understand.
Nifty ADSL Availability Tracker Util (http://www.the-gateway.net/files/adslchk.exe) (well i think so)


Oh & this link might come in handy :)

Latest virus info (http://www.ndo.com/ndo/Support/Latest_Virus_Info/suplatestvirusinfo.html)

DrAwesome
16-02-2004, 23:23
For the people that couldnt work out the codes for the ADSL Availability Tracker

If you getting your ADSL installed & you wanna track the status/progress.... or maybe you think that you have been put on the wrong tier?

Ok here we go..... Here is an example {AGEI}

Explaination

A = Amber On 1 or 2mb Products.
G = Green For 512kbps
E = The Phoneline is connected to an ADSL Enabled Exchange (the 1st step) :)
I = ISDN Line

Soooooooooooooooooo now you all understand...
Btw Cheers all for letting me know it is useful & yes just pm me for the util if the thread/post gets deleted later on :D

DrAwesome
02-03-2004, 17:11
**Bumping this Thread upto the top Again**

Looking around for usefull links i came across this neat website

Broadband Checker (http://www.broadbandchecker.co.uk/?irl)

Compare UK Broadband Providers available in your area.

Easy comparison of broadband services from UK Internet service providers.

Broadband Checker performs a live availability check for broadband ADSL, Cable & Satellite.

Compare offers from several major service providers including BT, Tiscali, ntl:home, Telewest blueyonder & more.

You can save yourself endless hours checking & searching for the best offers available in your area.

Broadband Checker is a free service provided by Networking Links Ltd, UK based networking and security consultants.

Hopefully Broadband Checker will have more BB ISP's added to it in the near future

DrAwesome
04-03-2004, 12:52
While reading through some of the ADSL forums i came across a very interesting post that had me wondering if the poster/poste assumption that some ADSL isp's lock the MTU value to control bandwidth/speed.
As the poster could not alter his/her mtu from 1448 to 1500 (checking each time after using various utils such as DRTCP021 also the util/patches that are on Speedguide.net) which increases or decreases the mtu.

==============================
Speedguide TCP/IP Analyzer (http://www.speedguide.net/analyzer.php)
(test your own TCP/IP see what your MTU is running at)


TCP options string = 020405800103030201010402
MTU = 1448
MTU is not fully optimized for broadband. Consider increasing your MTU to 1500 for better throughput.
MSS = 1408
MSS is not fully optimized for broadband (although it might work well for slower connections). Consider increasing your MTU value.

Default Receive Window (RWIN) = 256960
RWIN Scaling (RFC1323) = 2 bits (scale factor of 4)
Unscaled Receive Window = 64240

For optimum performance, consider changing RWIN to a multiple of MSS.
Other values for RWIN that might work well with your current MTU/MSS:
518144 (MSS x 46 * scale factor of 8
259072 (MSS x 46 * scale factor of 4
129536 (MSS x 46 * scale factor of 2
64768 (MSS x 46)

TCP Optimizer is very easy to use http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php but after setting to optimal mtu1500, apply, and then XP Pro re-boots my mtu is still at 1448 the only conclusion i can come up with (after re-installing XP Pro several times and trying to increase my MTU to 1500) is that my present isp runs their dhcp pppoa service where the MTU setting must be 1448 i wonder if they have deliberately done this to save on bandwidth?

I guess when you find that your connection is slow and you take into account that the internet does slow down from time to time and the possibility that your local BT exchange trigger level may be full but when you test your connection at non peak time 3-4am in the morning and you cant achieve a sensible speed even to your isp's web page or the bbc web page i guess its time to look at other areas of where a problem may lie?

I know adsl bandwidth is contend service/ratio is setting/locking the mtu value of ensuring that bandwidth is evenly distributed?
==================================

Hmmm interesting i know from my XBL & PS2 days of gaming setting a lower mtu value than 1500 was better for my gaming needs especially at peak time & Sat/Sundays when i was using NTL BB... I wonder if anyone else has any thoughts on the above has the users isp locked the mtu so he/she cannot change it, another thing i noticed was that the user provider uses PPPOA as their DHP which is an oddball? as i always thought PPPOE is the most common used.
PPPoE stands for point to point protocol over ethernet. It is a method of encapsulating the data for transmission to a far point. PPPoA is PPP over ATM.. from a software point of view, this is very similar to PPPoE .. in this case though, a DSL modem pumping ATM is internal to the computer, rather than being a short ethernet cable away.

If the isp cannot control/limit the bandwidth through lowering/locking the mtu i wonder why the isp decided to favour PPPoA over PPPoE?

DrAwesome
08-03-2004, 22:58
To answer my own question the reason most ADSL isp's favour PPPoA over PPPoE is probably why NTL favour telling a new customer that plugging an usb cable from a cable modem is far easy to get on line than installing & using ethernet.

PPPoA is normally used for a USB connection
PPPoE is normally used for Ethernet connection

DrAwesome
09-03-2004, 01:14
Here is another (witi) useful ADSL/cable util for monitoring your speed of your connection.

Have you ever wondered just how fast your network connection is? Not just how fast the modem is connected at, but how much data you can actually get? Does your internet connection sometimes seem slower than normal?

Forget hacking the registry or using counter-intuitive tools to get the information you want - enter the world of AnalogX NetStat Live (NSL)! (http://www.analogx.com/files/nsli.exe)

NSL is a small, easy to use TCP/IP protocol monitor which can be used to see your exact throughput on both incoming and outgoing data - whether you're using a modem, cable modem, DSL, or even local network! NSL doesn't just stop there, it lets you see how quickly your data goes from your computer to another computer on the internet; it even will tell you how many other computers your data must go through to get there! But wait - there's more! NSL also graphs your CPU usage of your system! This can be especially useful in identifying if your computer is what's slowing things down, or if it's your internet connection.
http://www.analogx.com/contents/graphics/nsl.gif
=============================
No Post specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the webmaster :banghead: :fit: :cry:

DrAwesome
09-03-2004, 08:28
Forgot to add to the above post that you can also keep track of your down/uploads with this program (if you wish to keep within NTL's Download Restrictions) :)

DrAwesome
16-03-2004, 22:42
Bumping This Thread again into view :D

Shaun
16-03-2004, 23:08
Yet another Bump!! for this thread

Here are some more useful links

If you find your connection is slowing down at peak times
(the Internet Peak is normally from 19:00 to about 23:00)
use this Capacity Local BT Exchange Report link (http://www.ndo.com/servlets/adslcreport) to find out if your exchange is affected.


Very handy to monitor the status of your ADSL line when first getting your BT line ADSL activated i have used this util myself & it works also very easy to understand.
Nifty ADSL Availability Tracker Util (http://www.the-gateway.net/files/adslchk.exe) (well i think so)


Oh & this link might come in handy :)

Latest virus info (http://www.ndo.com/ndo/Support/Latest_Virus_Info/suplatestvirusinfo.html)


That is an excelent little util, anymore like that?

DrAwesome
16-03-2004, 23:19
That is an excelent little util, anymore like that?

Not at the moment, i will keep a lookout, anything that is useful/interesting i will post.

I will however be posting some more useful ADSL information to keep my ADSL info threads from getting lost.

Shaun
19-03-2004, 23:00
Yet another Bump!! for this thread

Here are some more useful links

If you find your connection is slowing down at peak times
(the Internet Peak is normally from 19:00 to about 23:00)
use this Capacity Local BT Exchange Report link (http://www.ndo.com/servlets/adslcreport) to find out if your exchange is affected.


Very handy to monitor the status of your ADSL line when first getting your BT line ADSL activated i have used this util myself & it works also very easy to understand.
Nifty ADSL Availability Tracker Util (http://www.the-gateway.net/files/adslchk.exe) (well i think so)


Oh & this link might come in handy :)

Latest virus info (http://www.ndo.com/ndo/Support/Latest_Virus_Info/suplatestvirusinfo.html)

Have you got any links that let you track how far your order has got with BT Wholesale??? :)

DrAwesome
20-03-2004, 00:25
Have you got any links that let you track how far your order has got with BT Wholesale??? :)

Just the util that checks that BT have switch on activated your adsl service and the only other web site i have is a pre-registration - registration check web site (http://www.vote4broadband.com/) i remember checking on the http://www.bt.com/broadband/ site for a customer order checker & couldnt find one i did however find a checker that tells you if the trigger level is upto its limit i think i posted that link earlyier as some people were complaining that their 512k/1meg services dropped to 56k speeds after just getting their adsl line activated and with the link i provided they found out that the trigger level at their local BT exchange was waiting for the trigger levels to be raised (something that can take BT upto 4 months to do).

DrAwesome
23-03-2004, 12:20
There seems to be a problem with speeds over the Telefonica service at the moment so if you decide to sign up with an ADSL isp that uses the Telefonica network ask them (before you decide to sign up) when is the problem going to be sorted out.

DrAwesome
24-03-2004, 23:39
You can get limited exchange information but not all information from one single link

This link (http://www.samknows.com/broadband/search.php) will search for your exchange and when found, it will display some information like how many phonelines are connected to it & what the trigger level is set at.

here is an example of what detail the above link will give you


Full details for (your exchange name)


General Information
Name: (your local BT exchange name)
OLO Code: xxx
Approx phone lines: 25,833
Postcode:xxxx xxx
County: (your town/city)
Region: North, South, East, west etc.
Our map: View our interactive map
Other maps: Multimap or Streetmap
Data last checked: 19 February 2004, 21:37:56


ADSL Specific
ADSL Status: Enabled
Pre-Registrations: 0
Trigger Level: 0
Duplicates: 0
Trigger Set: -
Triggered On: -
RFS Announced: -
Enable Date (RFS): 31 March 2001
Pre-Reg History: Download CSV
Campaign Resources: View campaign resources (Counters, Barometers, Reg forms, Graphs)


Other Broadband Connectivity
BT SDSL: Not available
Telewest: Not available
NTL: Available
Bulldog LLU: Not available
Easynet LLU: Available


Page generated in 0.363 seconds at 22:31:15



This next link (http://www.samknows.com/broadband/checker-front.php) is a Broadband Availability Checker (yes i have posted one before) but this one requires that you enter your postcode & BT phone number and the read out you will get is something like this...


Broadband Availability Checker

Running live checks... please be patient...

Checking BT ADSL availability on your exchange... AVAILABLE
Your telephone line is capable of the following service: 2Mbps

Checking BT SDSL availability... UNAVAILABLE

Checking Bulldog LLU DSL availability... PARTIAL (ADSL is available only)

Checking Telewest cable availability... UNAVAILABLE

Checking NTL cable availability... AVAILABLE

Checking Easynet LLU DSL availability... AVAILABLE


I hope the above links will give some of you who want to gather as much info as possible on the BT exchange your conected to, personally i would only look for the trigger level totals & percentages of capacity etc as they are an important factor as ADSL is a conteded service (your local BT exchange & your isp)

DrAwesome
29-03-2004, 16:03
Major Service Outage: Manchester

A fire in cable chambers running beneath the streets of central Manchester has caused extensive damage to (underground) cables and widespread disruption to phone services in Manchester and the surrounding area.

"The fire is affecting some 130,000 homes and businesses in the centre of the city. BT is currently assessing the extent of the damage (remotely from its network management centre) and working to reroute and restore as many services as possible.

However, the true extent of the repair will not become clear until the fire authority have declared the site safe and BT engineers can gain access to the underground chambers. It is not possible at this stage to say how long it will be before all services are fully restored."
BT Statement (29/03/04 09:42)

At present, telephone numbers beginning with the following sequences are believed to be affected (based on Nildram's announcement to customers):

01252.... 01260..... 01273.... 01293.... 01298
013166.... 01457.... 016120.... 016121.... 016122
016123.... 016124.... 016125.... 016127.... 016128
016129.... 016130.... 016132.... 016133.... 016134
016135.... 016136.... 016137.... 016140.... 016141
016142.... 016143.... 016144.... 016145.... 016147
016148.... 016149.... 016161.... 016162.... 016166
016168.... 016171.... 016183.... 016188.... 016192
016194.... 016195.... 016196.... 016197.... 01625
01663.... 01895.... 019123.... 0208519

Source ADSL Guide (http://www.adslguide.org.uk/newsarchive.asp?item=1589)

DrAwesome
29-03-2004, 19:13
Fire affects phone lines

Fire crews had to descend 30m to reach the tunnel and travel along it for 150m before getting to the fire.
Assistant divisional officer Ian Bailey, of Greater Manchester Fire Service, said: †œThe fire itself is not too serious and is now basically under control but reaching it was a problem.

†œThe firefighters needed breathing apparatus and were using a lot of air up by the time they reached the fire, so we had a high turnover of firefighters.

†œWe will have to ventilate the tunnel before BT engineers can go down there, so the disruption is likely to continue for some time.ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šà ¬Ã‚Â

Here is another link i forgot to add to the above post (http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/stories/Detail_LinkStory=85641.html) (more info on the fire).

And some interesting info here (http://www.cybertrn.demon.co.uk/guardian/)

Manchester Guardian is an underground telephone exchange in the centre of Manchester built in 1954. It is 112 feet (34m) below ground and cost £4 million to construct. The main tunnel, one thousand feet long and twenty-five feet wide (300m by 7m), lies below buildings in Back George Street, linking up to an anonymous and unmarked surface building containing the entrance lifts and ventilator shafts. There are also access shafts in the Rutherford telephone exchange in George Street.

Its purpose was to resist a Hiroshima sized twenty-kiloton atom bomb, and preserve essential communications links even if the centre of Manchester had been flattened.

A deep level tunnel system runs east and west from Guardian. A mile-long (1.3km) tunnel runs west to Salford, and a thousand-yard (700m) tunnel runs to Lockton Close in Ardwick, where a modernised ventilator building marks the south-eastern extension of the Manchester deep level tunnels.

In the event of an attack warning, Guardian's main entry shaft was to have been sealed by a thirty-five-ton concrete slab that could be positioned over the entrance. Staff could escape either by using built-in hydraulic jacks to lift the slab (if covered with debris) some weeks after attack, or via the deep level tunnels to Ardwick and Salford. Emergency stores contained six weeks' supply of food rations, and Guardian had its own artesian well, generators, fuel tanks, and artificial windows and scenery painted onto rest-room walls.

The exchange was to survive even if the city it served was destroyed.

The Manchester Guardian telephone exchange and deep level tunnels were one of several such systems built in the 50s. Similar installations can be found under London (Kingsway) & Birmingham (Anchor).

DrAwesome
30-03-2004, 09:23
British Telecom says it could take several days before phone services are fully restored following the fire in a BT tunnel in Manchester

Engineers worked through Monday night to try to restore some of the 130,000 telephone lines which were blocked after Monday's fire.

Engineers entered the pitch black tunnels filled with smoke late on Monday afternoon to assess the damage, and worked through the night assessing the damage.

The are working in teams of 36 to restore hundreds of damaged fibre optic cables.

The fire has caused massive disruption - with telephone lines, internet services and Manchester's ambulance service affected.

The disruption is not confined to Manchester, as large parts of the North West have been affected.

In Macclesfield, Cheshire, the fire affected social services emergency alert lines used by pensioners in their own homes.

Two hundred mobile phones are to be issued to priority cases in Manchester and Cheshire.

Several call centres were closed by the fire as they were unable to receive or make calls.

BT said it expects some phone lines to be restored on Tuesday, but added it could not put a figure on how many premises are still without a phone line.

Source BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/3580777.stm)

Marge
30-03-2004, 15:24
This outage also affected cash machines, petrol stations and shops etc as they use an ADSL line to connect for payments. When I was driving home last night some petrol stations were shut or taking cash payments only :eek:

Shaun
30-03-2004, 20:00
Its all quite shocking really, just shows you how reliant we are on modern technology, hope your all sorted soon Debs.

ultimate
30-03-2004, 23:14
(Third time lucky)

Am I glad that I have NTL!

DrAwesome
30-03-2004, 23:18
This outage also affected cash machines, petrol stations and shops etc as they use an ADSL line to connect for payments. When I was driving home last night some petrol stations were shut or taking cash payments only :eek:


:eek: I forgot you are a Mancunium



(Third time lucky)

Am I glad that I have NTL!

:rofl:

Dont worry we all at sometime get pointed in the right direction.

themelon
30-03-2004, 23:34
Im glad im with ntl too.......just in general :D

Cant believe BT planners were so stupid to use a Cold War Tunnel lined with Asbestos to route their cables.....which in turn caused dangerous and problematic access issues to the fire services.

Also why was there no fire extinguishing CO2 or powder devices?

Our company with £5000 of calls a month is witching to Ntl:business tommorrow to get us back online.

Shaun
30-03-2004, 23:38
Our company with £5000 of calls a month is witching to Ntl:business tommorrow to get us back online.


I wouldn't bank on it, http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?p=181037

DrAwesome
30-03-2004, 23:54
Manchester Guardian (Cont)

1. The exchange is still used as a secure cable route - avoids digging up the city.

2. It is over 200' deep & is unaffected by foundations etc.

3. All equipment is largely intact except for the telephone exchange elements which were removed to comply with EEC legislation regarding some of their components (about 3 years ago)

4. "was particularly surprised to see the piano and pool table in the recreation room. They were planning to have quite a relaxing time sitting out Armageddon down there!"

Don't forget we had Power Engineers working down there until 1997 -this was their rest room! BT Power Engineers playing the piano & shooting pool :rofl:

5. "The people of Manchester paid a great deal of money for the construction of this bunker, they were given no choice in the matter, it was built without their knowledge & it was obsolete before it was completed, for these reasons I believe we should be given access to it!"

In actual fact I believe that it wasn't paid for by the British Government let alone Manchester - it was largely paid for by NATO which in those days meant America. Since then it has been maintained at the Post Office/BT's expense

BT are unable to open the site to the public for a variety of reasons mainly concerning safety and security.

Trouble is there are more of these so called deep "bunkers" around the UK, my guess after this BT will be double checking every one they currently use.

It would have probably saved NTL lots of cash if they were invited to lay cables down there.

themelon
31-03-2004, 12:24
I wouldn't bank on it, http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?p=181037

Switched across and working a treat :D all back on line using ntls fibre back bone minus the fire! :D

Shaun
31-03-2004, 14:47
Switched across and working a treat :D all back on line using ntls fibre back bone minus the fire! :D


Glad your back on-line, shame they can't treat their residential customer as well :)

ian@huth
31-03-2004, 15:30
Switched across and working a treat :D all back on line using ntls fibre back bone minus the fire! :D

Seems like NTL have really pulled their fingers out to be able to get the cables in and working in such a short time since the fire. How do you get along with having different phone numbers though?

DrAwesome
31-03-2004, 18:58
The chaos caused by Monday's underground cable fire in Manchester appears to be easing, according to the latest update from BT.

As of 7.00am this morning, seven of the 41 cables destroyed by the fire have been repaired and a couple more are nearing completion. Others are expected to be repaired throughout the day.

So far around 20,000 phone lines have been fully restored, but it still means that around 118,000 lines are plagued by an intermittent service.

A spokesman for BT said the situation "was improving", adding that that the repairs should be completed over the next 48-72 hours, if work continues at the current level.

Source The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/5/36678.html)

DrAwesome
05-04-2004, 14:21
Tiscali & its Network problems

All important link (Adsl Guide) (http://www.adslguide.org.uk/)

[Edit]-DrAwesome-Post edited.

DrAwesome
05-04-2004, 14:36
Manchester given all-clear after BT fire

Source The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/5/36797.html)

[Edit]-DrAwesome-Post edited.

Shaun
05-04-2004, 18:08
Tiscali & its Network problems

All important link (Adsl Guide) (http://www.adslguide.org.uk/)

[Edit]-DrAwesome-Post edited.

A very interesting link, thanks Doc, just for the record, I've got two family members using the 150k product from Tiscali and both are very impressed with it, neither have had speed problems, I guess they have been lucky :disturbd: :)

DrAwesome
06-04-2004, 19:18
A very interesting link, thanks Doc, just for the record, I've got two family members using the 150k product from Tiscali and both are very impressed with it, neither have had speed problems, I guess they have been lucky :disturbd: :)

As you liked that link here is another link (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/04/06/tiscali_broadband_bulldog/)
(i have searched the forum nobody else has posted this as yet)

Edit-*Notice the slick top menu revamp of The Register

DrAwesome
17-04-2004, 19:47
BT Exchange Tracker Update Link (http://www.uk-bug.net/appleyard/misc/exchangesearch.html)
(current ADSL enablement status of your chosen BT exchange).

DrAwesome
21-04-2004, 21:25
If you would like to know some information on how to apply/join the Milton Keynes BT Adsl Long Reach Broadband Trial read here (http://www.bb4mk.org/bttrial/) this link also includes question & answers about the trial.

Good luck to anyone that decides to take part.

DrAwesome
27-04-2004, 19:18
BT are to scrap the preregistration scheme & replace it with a pre-ordering system.

Link to BT's Press Release (http://www.btplc.com/News/Pressreleasesandarticles/Corporatenewsreleases/2004/nr0421.htm)

Also note: as from 27/4/2004, the registration scheme is closed.
Exchanges that have not triggered or are not within 10% of their trigger target will have an RFS date set & anounced at the end of June.

The BT availability checker (http://www.bt.com/broadband/) has already been updated to inform people of the removal of the preregistration scheme.

DrAwesome
29-04-2004, 11:47
If you live in London Bulldog (http://www.bulldogdsl.com/residential/products/primetime/p4000.asp) have a limited offer, up to 4 Mbps (off peak) & 512k at other times (8am-6pm weekdays) for £39.99 inc vat (12 month minimum contract & Connection charge £99.99) & as always terms & conditions apply.

Offer runs till the 31st of May 2004.

Chris W
29-04-2004, 12:43
(12 month minimum contract & Connection charge £99.99)

:Yikes: :Yikes: :Yikes: Now i see how Bulldog are making their profits!!

DrAwesome
30-04-2004, 20:53
:Yikes: :Yikes: :Yikes: Now i see how Bulldog are making their profits!!

Thats usually the norm when signing up for the first time with an adsl isp that doesnt waver the ADSL activation charge which BT charge for testing the BT line & connecting you up at your local exchange (its a one off charge) whats left is rental in advance.

DrAwesome
30-04-2004, 21:06
Plusnets Broadband Home Lite (http://www.plus.net/info2/residential/res_broadband_homelite.html) must be one of the cheapest 512k adsl services around at the moment at £14.99 (inclusive of vat) but with a 1gb restriction a month from July 1st.. i'm not so sure it will be suitable for everyone.

Plusnet's website details/gives an example what you can download/leech for your 1gb a month...

but wait...

if you look further down Plusnets web page it says you can bbb buy (i hate swearing)
extra gb's at £2.50 upto a max of £10 extra per month...

I hope other Adsl isp's dont follow in Plusnets footsteps to restrict adsl packages.. because if it becomes the norm then adsl wont be a cheaper option to cable BB

DrAwesome
05-05-2004, 08:17
migration prices have fallen to £11 + Vat per user, from £35 for switching customers from one BT IPStream provider to another, & down from £50 for moving a customer between a BT IPStream to BT DataStream.. 4 days on i have not seen an advertisement/announcement from the top Adsl Isp's/various Adsl Isp's even advertising these reductions asyet.. (they are not very quick to act in the interest of the customer) also something else thats interesting many ISP's charging well above the price of the BT £50 activation charge.

Link (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/04/28/bt_broadband_migration/)

I also read that on the 10th of May 2004 they will be hopefully an announcement about reducing the £50 activation cost, but if Adsl Isp's are not very quick in announcing cheaper migration prices, how long is it going to take them, if BT do reduce the £50 activation charge to pass this saving onto customers.

It will be interesting to see what happens in 5 days Time.

Link to the Ofcom website (concerning ADSL Broadband Access Migration Services) (http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/current/broadband_access/)

DrAwesome
07-05-2004, 19:43
Just register 6 customers for x10 BB & 3 for Tiscali's money saving telephone service & Tiscali will pay you £250

you receive a fixed payment (for every group of 3 customers you introduce), but you do not earn ongoing commission each month on the bill spend of customers.

Smart Talk £75 (3 Customers)
BB x10 £100 (3 Customers)
BB x5 £30 (3 Customers)
BB x3 £50 (3 Customers)

Might be an good earner for this Forum :)

More Info & Registration here (http://www.tiscali.co.uk/products/nm/register_ra.html?uin=UK-001054)

Register today & Tiscali will provide you with your own personalised website which you can use to tell people about their services & then register them online from the comfort of your home OR register customers over the phone via Tiscali's dedicated number.

no forms to complete, no paperwork to register customers. :erm:

Whether Tiscali BB/Smart Talk services are any good :shrug: who knows?

DrAwesome
12-05-2004, 14:31
Plusnet (http://www.plus.net/) calls for cheaper activation Fee, claiming that its detering people signing up to Adsl.

link (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/05/12/plusnet_broadband/)

DrAwesome
19-05-2004, 10:03
Pure.stream (http://www.claranet.co.uk/claraaccess/leasedlines/index.php) Pure.streamplus (http://www.claranet.co.uk/claraaccess/leasedlines/purestreamplus.php) Clara.access dedicated (http://www.claranet.co.uk/claraaccess/leasedlines/dedicated.php) Clara.access direct (http://www.claranet.co.uk/claraaccess/leasedlines/direct.php) Clara.access flex (http://www.claranet.co.uk/claraaccess/leasedlines/flex.php) are leasedline services from Claranet prices vary depending on the service you choose.

Below are the Pure.stream prices but if you want to checkout the prices of the other leased line services click on the insividual links above.

Claranet (http://www.claranet.co.uk/claraaccess/leasedlines/) pure.stream service is backed up by a 99.9% Service Level Guarantee & 24x7x365 support. :Yikes:

(Inc configured & managed router)

Pure.stream 250
Install £1495.0 0
Monthly £165.00
Annual £1980.0 0

Pure.stream 500
Install £1495.0 0
Monthly £245.00
Annual £2940.0 0

Pure.stream 1000
Install £1495.0 0
Monthly £315.00
Annual £3780.0 0

Pure.stream 2000
Install £1495.0 0
Monthly £415.00
Annual £4980.0 0

Pure.stream 4000
Install £POA
Monthly £POA
Annual £POA

Pure.stream 6000
Install £POA
Monthly £POA
Annual £POA

These service's have just been placed & advertised on Claranets website this morning at the time of posting the information & link the prices stated above had no indication if they included vat...

Although this service is aimed at business vat or no vat.. for anyone to have this service installed for residential use would either have loadsa ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£ÃƒÆ ’â€šÃ‚Â£Ãƒà €šÃ‚£ or won the lottery big time?

DrAwesome
19-05-2004, 19:49
Broadband Checker (http://www.broadbandchecker.co.uk/) has been updated.

Check using the link above for the best offers available in your area with the broadband isp's Broadband checker supports.

Covers ADSL, Cable & Satellite.

DrAwesome
20-05-2004, 18:02
Wanadoo UK is shunting its tech support operation to India in a move that might threaten the jobs of 200+ staff in Sheffield??? (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/05/20/wanadoo_india/)

DrAwesome
28-05-2004, 13:11
BT cut Datastream products by £1 per month (http://www.serviceview.bt.com/list/notifs/26-05-2004/Wholesale_Broadband_Services.boo/1204_2004052114111324.htm) from 1st June 2004.

Which means that the cost to providers for a Datastream connection will be £74.60 per year (£87.66 inc VAT).

BT are dragging there heels at upgrading datastream network, ADSL Datastream prices are getting cheaper, but is it also effecting the quality of service?

DrAwesome
01-06-2004, 13:17
Here are Some information links that will be useful to some that frequent this forum & my thread :)

ADSL Explained (http://www.dslzoneuk.net/adsl_info.php)

ADSL vs Cable (http://www.dslzoneuk.net/adslvcable.php)

ADSL modem Drivers (http://www.dslzoneuk.net/drivers.php)

Dialup ADSL/Cable download Time Calculator (assuming that your connection is working efficiently) (http://www.dslzoneuk.net/calculator.php)
Covers 56k Dialup
ADSL speeds 256, 4mb
ADSL/Cable 150k, 512k, 1mb, 2mb. & Cable 600k

IP & Proxy checker (http://www.dslzoneuk.net/ip_checker.php)

Tweaks (http://www.dslzoneuk.net/tweaks.php)

ADSL/ISDN/Dialup Speed Test (http://www.dslzoneuk.net/speedtest.php)

ADSL Checker (is Adsl available at your local BT exchange)? (http://www.dslzoneuk.net/checker.php)

DrAwesome
01-06-2004, 20:18
Eclipse New Flex = Speed on Demand (http://www.eclipse.net.uk/index.cfm?id=bbhome)

I just thought I'd give you the heads up on Eclipse's new service Flex Home (http://www.eclipse.net.uk/index.cfm?id=bbresidentialservices) & Flex Business + Business Plus (http://www.eclipse.net.uk/index.cfm?id=bbbusinessservices)

Eclipse Flex Explained (http://www.eclipse.net.uk/index.cfm?id=flexexplained)
Which enables Eclipse customers to increase their adsl speed as and when they want to.. similar idea to NTL's (when available) speed boost option.

DrAwesome
02-06-2004, 11:59
Vispa (http://www.vispa.net/broadband-migrate.php) has started offering free migrations, but thats not as good as it sounds as the wholesale price of migrations is now £11 plus VAT (around £15) when looking for an Adsl isp bare this in mind as many still do charge alot more than £15 for migration.

Also bare in mind that you can only migrate from BT (IPStream) Wholesale products. (Please note not all isp's offer migration & some may charge you extra to leave to migrate)
This it doesnt apply to people who subscribe to an ISP that uses Datastream products (Telefonica line) to switch from one to the other you will need to cease your service completely.

DrAwesome
07-06-2004, 18:33
I was checking out various Adsl isp websites & after entering my phone number (just to see if Bulldog had extended their offers to far exchanges) & after selecting their upto 2mb service i was Presented with the words below.

Move to Bulldog for just £1! Congratulations, Bulldog's 512kb service is available in your area . If you currently subscribe to a 512kb service with an ISP you can now move to Bulldog's award winning 512kb Broadband service for just £1!

Is it another BT (IPStream) Wholesale Migration Offer (http://www.bulldogdsl.com/migrate/)? Because looking at the Migration to Bulldog web page (http://www.bulldogdsl.com/migrate/steps.asp) it doesnt specify??

I guess if you are not on a BT IPStream & you are attracted to Bulldogs Adsl offers it will be worth giving them a call (Bulldog Support) on 0870 458 5364.

Here is a link to Bulldogs Spring Offers (http://www.bulldogdsl.com/spring/) *Note Bulldogs Primetime 500 (512k) £15.99 a month (12 month contract plus 2GB download limit per month)

DrAwesome
13-06-2004, 01:03
One.Tel Free Activation & Free usb modem (http://www.onetel.co.uk/index.php/unplugged500u) (if you sign up on-line) with their 500U product which has been reduced from £27.99 to £23.99 (inc VAT).

Static IP address & 1 e-mail account the only down side is that its a 12 month minimum contract, there are no caps/restrictions i can see mentioned on their website.

Here is a link (http://www.onetel.co.uk/index.php/bb-packages) to One.Tel's other broadband services.

(Its a pity One.Tel couldnt lower their unplugged 1000 & 2000 services as £59.99 & £79.99 a month are a tad high & no mention of a lower contension ratio)

DrAwesome
18-06-2004, 19:32
BT set to cut Adsl prices in the next few weeks to keep inline/up with the compitition (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/06/18/bt_adsl_price/) but the question is will BT bring their Adsl Price(s) down far enough to attract new Adsl customers.

Is a cheaper Adsl service the best value option? as some cheaper Adsl basic service's seem to carry restrictions or an option for the customer to pay more to download more. If you think a cheaper basic Adsl service is for you, make sure you check the service terms & conditions.

DrAwesome
19-06-2004, 09:25
Nokia takes broadband into the fast lane by introducing ADSL 2+ (http://press.nokia.com/PR/200406/949078_5.html)

The combination of the Nokia D500 IP DSLAM & ADSL2+ forms a powerful & flexible solution for operators. The new line cards will be forwards & backwards compatible with existing technologies, allowing for the smooth introduction of bundles of services to gain greater end-user appeal & reduce churn. With up to 24 Megabit connections possible, mass-market applications such as video on demand, premium access & networked gaming are improved tremendously. Greater reach will also reduce the need for remote sites bringing further savings. A smooth introduction of ADSL2+ allows operators to standardise their network engineering, reduce spares holding & reduce training requirements. :O)

DrAwesome
25-06-2004, 13:32
Firefly (http://www.fireflyuk.net/services/adsl.htm) are offering Half price connection on 256k & 512k

50:1 Contended Services
256K, £18.99 (month)- special offer, 1/2 price connection
512K, £23.99 (month)- special offer, 1/2 price connection
1Mbit, £29.99 (month)
2Mbit, £39.99 (month)

20:1 Contended Services (sadly no special offers)
512K, £29.99 (month)
1Mbit, £39.99 (month)
2Mbit, £69.99 (month)

Whats interesting is that Firefly plan to launch a 5:1 contended service which could suit people too far from their BT exchange to receive 1Mbit Adsl. 512K, £??.?? (month) TBA

DrAwesome
06-07-2004, 18:30
BT Wholesale have announced the next 150 exchanges to be enabled for their SDSL products.

What is SDSL, some of you may be asking?
SDSL stands for Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line. SDSL needs just one twisted pair (line), whereas some other earlier DSL standards needed 2, or even 3 pairs. In addition, it is useful to remember that this standard is symmetric, ie, the maximum data rate both "upstream" & "downstream" is the same. Compare this to ADSL (which also needs just one line!).

Where ADSL utilizes unoccupied frequencies & averts conflict with analog voice frequencies, SDSL takes over the whole line. SDSL eliminates analog voice capabilities in favour of full-duplex data transmission. No splitter, no analog voice-nothing but data. As a decent alternative to T1, SDSL has gotten a fair amount of attention from Competitive Local Exchange Carriers. :O)

SDSL & Voice Over Data
SDSL is a low latency technology & is ideally suited for Voice over Data applications such as Voice over IP & Voice over ATM.

SDSL can also transport a mix of traditional 64Kbps voice channels & data. This enables SDSL to address the business needs of both voice & data connectivity.

link to more SDSL Q&A's (http://www.eclipse.net.uk/index.cfm?id=bbsdslqanda2)

SDSL can be very useful for sending very large emails, voice over IP, & video conferencing, the subscription price is high. (http://www.eclipse.net.uk/index.cfm?id=bbsdslpricing)

Its not known whether BT Wholesale are using the pre-registration scheme, as they use for ADSL also there are no set trigger levels.

ATM Eclipse (http://www.eclipse.net.uk/index.cfm?id=bbsdsloverview2) is the only ADSL isp to my knowlege that has been gathering/collecting SDSL registrations but it has been enough to kick BT into motion to update their exchanges (below)

Exchange Name,County,RDA,SDSL Ready for Service

Derby,Derbyshire,East Midlands,To be confirmed
Montfort,Leicestershire,East Midlands,30/11/2004
Hinckley,Leicestershire,East Midlands,30/11/2004
Loughborough,Leicestershire,East Midlands,To be confirmed
Leicester,Leicestershire,East Midlands,To be confirmed
Northampton,Northamptonshire,East Midlands,To be confirmed
Kettering,Northamptonshire,East Midlands,To be confirmed
Duston,Northamptonshire,East Midlands,To be confirmed
Mansfield,Nottinghamshire,East Midlands,To be confirmed
Bedford,Bedfordshire,East of England,30/07/2004
Luton,Bedfordshire,East of England,To be confirmed
Dunstable,Bedfordshire,East of England,To be confirmed
Cambridge,Cambridgeshire,East of England,30/11/2004
Peterborough,Cambridgeshire,East of England,To be confirmed
Huntingdon,Cambridgeshire,East of England,To be confirmed
Brentwood,Essex,East of England,30/11/2004
Southend,Essex,East of England,To be confirmed
Colchester,Essex,East of England,To be confirmed
Chelmsford,Essex,East of England,To be confirmed
St Albans,Hertfordshire,East of England,30/07/2004
Stevenage,Hertfordshire,East of England,To be confirmed
Hemel Hempstead,Hertfordshire,East of England,To be confirmed
Watford,Hertfordshire,East of England,To be confirmed
Norwich North,Norfolk,East of England,To be confirmed
Norwich City,Norfolk,East of England,To be confirmed
Kings Lynn,Norfolk,East of England,To be confirmed
Bury St Edmunds,Suffolk,East of England,30/11/2004
Ipswich,Suffolk,East of England,To be confirmed
Earls Court,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Chelsea,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Uxbridge,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Skyport,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Hendon,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Golders Green,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Edgeware,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Colindale,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Chiswick,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Acton,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Enfield,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Bowes Park,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Barking,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Barnet,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Walworth,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Lower Holloway,Greater London,London,30/07/2004
Woolwich,Greater London,London,30/11/2004
Lee Green,Greater London,London,30/11/2004
Greenwich,Greater London,London,30/11/2004
Feltham,Greater London,London,To be confirmed
Sidcup,Greater London,London,To be confirmed
Farnbourough,Greater London,London,To be confirmed
Ponders End,Greater London,London,To be confirmed
North Finchley,Greater London,London,To be confirmed
Edmonton,Greater London,London,To be confirmed
Cricklewood,Greater London,London,To be confirmed
Chester South,Cheshire,North West,30/11/2004
Macclesfield,Cheshire,North West,30/11/2004
Warrington,Cheshire,North West,30/11/2004
Chester North,Cheshire,North West,To be confirmed
Chester Central,Cheshire,North West,To be confirmed
Manchester Moss Side,Greater Manchester,North West,30/07/2004
Manchester Mercury,Greater Manchester,North West,30/07/2004
Wigan,Greater Manchester,North West,To be confirmed
Preston,Lancashire,North West,30/11/2004
Lancaster,Lancashire,North West,30/11/2004
Burnley,Lancashire,North West,30/11/2004
Blackburn,Lancashire,North West,30/11/2004
Stockton,Cleveland,One North East,30/11/2004
Middlesborough,Cleveland,One North East,30/11/2004
Durham,Durham,One North East,To be confirmed
Sunderland,Tyne & Wear,One North East,30/11/2004
Newcastle,Tyne & Wear,One North East,30/11/2004
Aberdeen Denburn,Grampian,Scotland,30/11/2004
Edinburgh Newington,Lothian,Scotland,30/07/2004
Edinburgh Donaldson,Lothian,Scotland,To be confirmed
Hamilton,Strathclyde,Scotland,30/07/2004
Eaglesham,Strathclyde,Scotland,30/07/2004
Clydebank,Strathclyde,Scotland,30/07/2004
Dunning,Tayside,Scotland,30/11/2004
Slough Main,Berkshire,South East,30/07/2004
Reading Central,Berkshire,South East,30/07/2004
Bracknell,Berkshire,South East,30/07/2004
Reading Tilehurst,Berkshire,South East,To be confirmed
Reading South,Berkshire,South East,To be confirmed
Newbury,Berkshire,South East,To be confirmed
Maidenhead,Berkshire,South East,To be confirmed
Reading Earley,Berkshire,South East,To be confirmed
Milton Keynes,Buckinghamshire,South East,30/11/2004
Aylesbury,Buckinghamshire,South East,30/11/2004
High Wycombe,Buckinghamshire,South East,To be confirmed
Bradwell Abbey,Buckinghamshire,South East,To be confirmed
Hove,East Sussex,South East,30/11/2004
Eastbourne,East Sussex,South East,To be confirmed
Hastings,East Sussex,South East,To be confirmed
Portsmouth North End,Hampshire,South East,30/07/2004
Cosham,Hampshire,South East,30/07/2004
Basingstoke,Hampshire,South East,To be confirmed
Aldershot,Hampshire,South East,To be confirmed
Winchester,Hampshire,South East,To be confirmed
Southampton,Hampshire,South East,To be confirmed
Andover,Hampshire,South East,To be confirmed
Portsmouth,Hampshire,South East,To be confirmed
Maidstone,Kent,South East,30/11/2004
Tunbridge Wells,Kent,South East,To be confirmed
Gravesend,Kent,South East,To be confirmed
Canterbury,Kent,South East,
Ashford,Kent,South East,To be confirmed
Chatham (Medway),Kent,South East,To be confirmed
Oxford,Oxfordshire,South East,To be confirmed
Banbury,Oxfordshire,South East,To be confirmed
Guildford,Surrey,South East,30/07/2004
Woking,Surrey,South East,To be confirmed
Camberley,Surrey,South East,To be confirmed
Staines,Surrey,South East,To be confirmed
Leatherhead,Surrey,South East,To be confirmed
Byfleet,Surrey,South East,To be confirmed
Worthing Central,West Sussex,South East,To be confirmed
Horsham Carfax,West Sussex,South East,To be confirmed
Bristol West,Avon,South West,To be confirmed
Bristol Redcliffe,Avon,South West,To be confirmed
Bristol North,Avon,South West,To be confirmed
Bath Kingsmead,Avon,South West,To be confirmed
Sowton,Devon,South West,To be confirmed
Plymouth,Devon,South West,To be confirmed
Exeter,Devon,South West,To be confirmed
Gloucester,Gloucestershire,South West,To be confirmed
Cheltenham,Gloucestershire,South West,To be confirmed
Swindon,Wiltshire,South West,30/11/2004
Salisbury,Wiltshire,South West,To be confirmed
Newport,Gwent,Wales,To be confirmed
Bridgend,Mid Glamorgan,Wales,To be confirmed
Roath (Cardiff),South Glamorgan,Wales,To be confirmed
Cardiff Central,South Glamorgan,Wales,To be confirmed
Hereford,Hereford & Worcester,West Midlands,30/11/2004
Worcester,Hereford & Worcester,West Midlands,30/11/2004
Kidderminster,Hereford & Worcester,West Midlands,30/11/2004
Shrewsbury,Shropshire,West Midlands,30/11/2004
Stoke Trinity,Staffordshire,West Midlands,To be confirmed
Stafford,Staffordshire,West Midlands,To be confirmed
Burton On Trent,Staffordshire,West Midlands,To be confirmed
Warwick,Warwickshire,West Midlands,30/07/2004
Solihull,Warwickshire,West Midlands,30/07/2004
Rugby,Warwickshire,West Midlands,30/07/2004
Leamington Spa,Warwickshire,West Midlands,30/07/2004
Stratford Upon Avon,Warwickshire,West Midlands,30/11/2004
Scunthorpe,Humberside,Yorkshire Forward,To be confirmed
Scarborough,North Yorkshire,Yorkshire Forward,30/11/2004
Harrogate,North Yorkshire,Yorkshire Forward,To be confirmed
Barnsley,North Yorkshire,Yorkshire Forward,To be confirmed
Huddersfield,West Yorkshire,Yorkshire Forward,30/11/2004
Halifax,West Yorkshire,Yorkshire Forward,30/11/2004

Shaun
06-07-2004, 22:29
Montfort,Leicestershire

Well thats me, I wonder if the price will come down?

I'm also wondering if Bulldog will upgrade the exchange further to accomidate their higher products(3mbps+)? Any idea Dr Awesome?

DrAwesome
07-07-2004, 14:00
Well thats me, I wonder if the price will come down?

I'm also wondering if Bulldog will upgrade the exchange further to accomidate their higher products(3mbps+)? Any idea Dr Awesome?

My local BT exchange is also in the list but going by Eclipse SDSL pricing it is very very high (set up Inc installation by an engineer £455 :Yikes: ), probably too high for domestic users atm, eventually prices will come down as more people take an interest in SDSL plus competition from others isps offering the same service.

As for Bulldog they seem to be on the ball with their prices & special offers (if you live around/in the capital area) i dont think they will be left out, a good speculative guess would be that their prices will be lower than most of the other ISP's offering SDSL.

Ignition
07-07-2004, 21:03
Bulldog are expanding their LLU footprint considerably later in the year, going out to some major towns and cities outside of London as well as increasing availability inside London.

Ignition
08-07-2004, 07:46
To answer my own question the reason most ADSL isp's favour PPPoA over PPPoE is probably why NTL favour telling a new customer that plugging an usb cable from a cable modem is far easy to get on line than installing & using ethernet.

PPPoA is normally used for a USB connection
PPPoE is normally used for Ethernet connection

Just to correct this post none of that is accurate at all.

Using a router (Ethernet connection) the PPP connection is made FROM the router to the ISP (or more precisely BT's RAS/LAC in most cases, apart from Datastream) and you only connect to your router with Ethernet or USB (which is a transport system in its' own right and nothing to do with Ethernet or ATM). Your PC never actually 'speaks' ATM, it communicates with a modem or router which transmits PPP over ATM over ADSL (this is why the gross sync speed on an ADSL modem or router is 12.5% higher than the sold speed, at the DSL layer you lose 12.5% in error correction - not the case with DOCSIS as you are capped at IP level, not ATM level.

The reason that PPPoA is used in the UK is that BT's DSL network is ATM based, so it's more efficient to use PPPoA, as anything you send has to go over ATM anyway. Using PPPoE is doable however you lose performance as you end up doing PPPoEoA. In cases where PPPoE is used the ISP offers an Ethernet / IP network for transport rather than ATM.

NTL don't use PPP and the network is DOCSIS and then IP based, gigabit ethernet and packet over SONET links, which customers don't have to worry about, no overhead involved there.

As far as lower latency goes, with Firefly not likely - all their traffic is routed via Telefonica Germany, just right for those wanting to play on Jolt or Burstfire.

Yes - I don't just do cable modems, I also do ADSL :)

Ignition
08-07-2004, 07:48
Have you got any links that let you track how far your order has got with BT Wholesale??? :)

Yup:

https://www.cs-server1.bt.com/hhway-cls/com.bt.icm.opt.OptSummary?CUSNUM=xxxxxxx&TELNUM=xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Replacing xxxxx with your customer number from your phone bill and your BT phone number respectively.

Ignition
08-07-2004, 07:51
BT cut Datastream products by £1 per month (http://www.serviceview.bt.com/list/notifs/26-05-2004/Wholesale_Broadband_Services.boo/1204_2004052114111324.htm) from 1st June 2004.

Which means that the cost to providers for a Datastream connection will be £74.60 per year (£87.66 inc VAT).

BT are dragging there heels at upgrading datastream network, ADSL Datastream prices are getting cheaper, but is it also effecting the quality of service?

BT don't run the datastream network it's an In-span ATM handoff to ISPs, the ISPs decide how much capacity they want to buy from a particular exchange and BT supply this amount of capacity - this is a contractual agreement.

Any issues with sizes of the VPs (the connections between exchanges and the receiving ISP) are down to either the ISP undersizing the VP, or delays in BT upgrading VPs, however BT don't judge how much capacity to give any ISP from an exchange.

Ignition
08-07-2004, 07:52
Well thats me, I wonder if the price will come down?

I'm also wondering if Bulldog will upgrade the exchange further to accomidate their higher products(3mbps+)? Any idea Dr Awesome?

These upgrades are all being done by BT Wholesale, at this present time Bulldog still only offer SDSL and their 2 - 6Mbit products from their 35 unbundled exchanges in Central London. In all other locations they are reselling BTWholesale products.

DrAwesome
29-07-2004, 14:22
Information i posted way back in march this year i thought it would be a good idea to repost this again as it shows the BB speed guide table (info useful to *Cable & Adsl users)

*As NTL are soon to upgrade their cable speeds across their BB network you can work out just how fast your connection (approx) should be.

ADSL 2048/256
upload around 32kb/s
download around 250kb/s

Speed (kbps) Translated to: Speed (KBps)
128............................................... ..16
256............................................... ..32
384............................................... ..48
768............................................... ..96
1000.............................................. .125
1500.............................................. .187.5
2000.............................................. .250
3000.............................................. .375
7100.............................................. .887.5

And so on.................
The speeds above are the same factor for Upload as well.

A KiloByte = a KiloBit divided by 8

Example: 2000 Downstream is equal to 2000/8 (2000 divided by 8) Which gives you 250KBps maximum downstream.

A slower upstream (upload) speed can traded off for a faster downstream (download) speed.

DrAwesome does not suggest that you fiddle with your settings as you may be in breach of your isp BB T&C's.

DrAwesome
02-08-2004, 19:53
Adsl Migration Made Easyier? (http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consumer_guides/bbm_cop/)

Those of you that have jumped from one Adsl provider to another Adsl provider will know just how long it does/can take & the problems that can arise from jumping from Adsl isp to Adsl isp.

So far a total of 17 Adsl providers have signed up to the Migration Code of Practice which should make the process of switching Adsl isp alot easyier than it has been.

AOL
BT
Bulldog
Community Internet
Easynet
InterVivo
LCC Communications Ltd
Mailbox Internet
Netplan Internet Solutions
Nildram (Accent UK)
Spitfire
Telefonica UK
Thus (Demon Internet)
Uniworld Communications Ltd
Virgin.net
VNL (Video Networks Ltd)
Wanadoo UK plc

BTW...
The New Migration method does not cover you switching from Cable BB to Adsl

The code of practice is a voluntary measure between some, but not all, Adsl isp's lets hope it works and more Adsl Service providers join the list.

One important thing i have to add & i'm sure many of you have also thought about this when handing your hard earned cash over to pay for the activation charge, (just because an Adsl isp cannot migrate you from your present Adsl isp) why do you have to pay for an activation line test as many times as you switch provider especially when you want to stay on the same level of Adsl speed? You shouldnt need to go through the BT line test proceedure more than once... as its a waste of time & your money.

Some Adsl isp's tell customers that BT charge £50+ for activation which includes a line survey test (and they (the Adsl isp) have to pass the costs on to the customer) & that they see non of the activation money that the customer pays, when in fact its total bull, BT charge £11+ vat for line activation & line survey, the rest of the money left goes in the Adsl isp's back pocket.

DrAwesome
06-08-2004, 13:12
Bulldog 2&2 SoHoâ ¾Ã‚¢ (http://www.bulldogdsl.com/business/sdsl/sdsl.asp) have launched 2mb sdsl at a wopping £160 a month
Bulldog also do Bulldog 2&2 OfficeÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬à ¾Ã‚Â¢ which costs £200 a month, + Activation/install for either one or the other is £250.

Bulldogs 2&2 Office & SoHoââ€Å ¾Ã‚¢ 2 Mbps, both upstream & downstream, low contention, no throttle or block any ports (I should think not for that price) atm the services are only available on Bulldogââ‚à ‚¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s own central London network, so if you live outside the capital then tuff. :)

The services are aimed at businesses (unless you are mega rich) & before i forget all prices inc vat.

Shaun
16-08-2004, 23:53
An intresting article on BB prices here:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?newsid1092034925,22928,

Stuartbe
22-08-2004, 09:59
Just found some interesting info on the net for testing your line... Hope its helpfull :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The BT line test facility can be accessed from any BT (or WorldOnline) line by dialling 17070.



Quiet Line Test

Unplug any extention phones, extention cables, answer machines or fax (anything except the phone you will use to do the test!).

Plug a normal touch tone phone directly into the BT master socket.

Dial 17070, press option 2 (quiet line test)

You should hear 'Quiet Line Test' and then silence, there should be no pops, clicks, whistles, buzzing etc. If there is noise on the line, make sure it's not your phones connection to the socket (wiggle it about a bit) and that you are using the master socket. If you are sure its the line making the noise then dial BT (or WorldOnline) and report the fault, they should be able to sort it out. Remember that 'mis-reporting' a fault (e.g. if it turns out to be your phone, extention cord etc.) may be charged a call-out fee by BT (/WOL).

any probs? see It doesn't work? (below)



Distance From Exchange

Dial the same line test number as the quiet line test (17070). Then press option 3 (fast test) then press option 1 (to say you are authorised, don't worry about 'not being officially authorised'). The press option 2 (ring back test). Then put the phone down.

You will get called back by the test facility within about 10 seconds, one of the bits of information given will be distance from exchange (in kilometres).

*The distance result may not be accurate if you have a 'DACs' fitted. It is not 100% accurate but does serve as a guide.

any probs? see It doesn't work? (below)



It doesn't work?

You need a BT line (or WorldOnline).

You need to use a touch tone phone (don't think it works without one).

You have caller line id (CLI) blocked, if this is the case then on dialling 17070 the message will include 'there is no CLI detected for this circuit'. You can get round this by dialling a prefix before 17070, the prefix is 1470, so the full line test number will be 1470 17070.

Stuartbe
25-08-2004, 11:18
Here is another usefull site I have found... It explained atenuation, noise and all other conditions that can cause adsl problems... - http://www.testadsl.com/

DrAwesome
08-09-2004, 12:02
As some of you are already aware there are some important changes to ADSL availability from Sept 06/09/04.

You no longer need to be within 6km of the phone exchange to receive 512k ADSL Broadband Up to 99.8% of customers connected to Broadband enabled exchanges should now be able to receive 512k ADSL
1Mb connections now have much wider availability Up to 96% of customers connected to Broadband enabled exchanges should now be able to receive 1Mb ADSL
This is a big improvement in ADSL Broadband availability & means that more homes & businesses should now be able to receive a minimum of 512k ADSL Broadband. Fortunately, improved availability coincides with the launch of some of the best Broadband offers yet seen, for example, 1Mb Broadband is now available from £17.99 per month* with some isp's offering free modem & connection. (*Remember Restrictions may apply always read the T&C's before you decide to signup)

Broadband Checker (http://www.broadbandchecker.co.uk/) has been updated with the latest availability data, so if your line was previously shown as unable to receive Broadband or you really wanted a 1Mb connection.

poolking
08-09-2004, 13:20
So how have they over come the distance restriction?

Neil
08-09-2004, 13:53
So how have they over come the distance restriction?

Does it really matter? :shrug:

Technology moves forward at an alarming rate, & things they couldn't achieve 2 or 3 years ago they can do now. :)

Ignition
09-09-2004, 02:05
Does it really matter? :shrug:

Technology moves forward at an alarming rate, & things they couldn't achieve 2 or 3 years ago they can do now. :)

They haven't, they just changed their criteria. Nothing to do with the technology at all!

Ignition
09-09-2004, 02:08
Example: 2000 Downstream is equal to 2000/8 (2000 divided by 8) Which gives you 250KBps maximum downstream.

A slower upstream (upload) speed can traded off for a faster downstream (download) speed.

Real life performance will be around 232-235kB/s due to the synch rate on 2Mbit being less than half that of 1Mbit (1MBit synch rate downstream 1152kbit, 2Mbit synch rate 2272kbit)

There is no 'trade off' made at all, one can't swap upstream speed for downstream speed. Upstream speed on the BT RADSL 512k service is reduced if the line is too close to failing due to poor signal to noise ratio, the downstream signal takes up some space occupied by the upstream to keep the line up. You CANNOT swap upstream for a higher downstream, all BT ADSL products are locked at your max downstream.

Ignition
09-09-2004, 02:14
Adsl Migration Made Easyier? (http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consumer_guides/bbm_cop/)

Those of you that have jumped from one Adsl provider to another Adsl provider will know just how long it does/can take & the problems that can arise from jumping from Adsl isp to Adsl isp.

The MAC (Migration Authorisation Code) system is now the standard method of migrating between DSL ISPs. Basically it's a code good for 30 days that signifies your current ISP is permitting you to migrate.

Neil
09-09-2004, 07:56
They haven't

Who haven't? :confused:

they just changed their criteria. Nothing to do with the technology at all!

Either way (as I said), does it really matter? :shrug:

Surely the important thing is that more people can get DSL than ever before?

Ignition
09-09-2004, 18:11
Who haven't? :confused:



Either way (as I said), does it really matter? :shrug:

Surely the important thing is that more people can get DSL than ever before?

You would probably have pointed out that it were a management issue rather than a technical one had it been ntl doing this so just mentioned this was BT being bloody minded and penny pinching, and now it serves their purpose to get as many people onto DSL as possible they suddenly find these less strict limits are quite acceptable where they weren't before :)

ooSemaoo
21-06-2009, 07:57
kk

Hugh
21-06-2009, 12:50
And winner of the random bump award is.................................

Kabaal
26-06-2013, 11:28
Edit - ignore me

craigj2k12
27-06-2013, 02:06
And winner of the random bump award is.................................