Broadband speed

Hopefully Grant is around! Tis very weird, I have had all sorts of problems with my BB over time and when I posted the speed and noise on the line Grant commented that the noise was the issue. Telstra have maintained that we really shouldn't have BB as we are 6km from the cabinet, whereas the Telecom blokes who are continually working on the line have said it shouldn't make that much difference. Now previously I have gotten just over dial up speed for down load. This morning I log in and think it's going fast, do a speed test on consumer, and sure enough its at 250 download and 128 upload - which is the maximum we get on the plan we are on. So weird, but good weird. Wonder what has happened? I did report a fault the week before Xmas as our phone line was so noisey and there were telecom vans up here all that week working on the line. I have also found that there is a small telecom cabinet - it's tiny and has a special name, just up the road (about 100m), but it's not new. Any ideas why all of a sudden am at max speed? Hope all this speed doesn't go to my head! And I don't recall it being this fast yesterday.....

Umm if its anything like my basic copper line was, the fella between you and the exchange gets the loading first, so maybe they are on holiday.. for me it was at 7.55am the speed would drop as the different businesses plugged in for the day..
but otherwise I have absolutely no idea why you are getting an xtra xmas pressy.. make the most of it... and say nuffink, maybe they have wired you with a special connection

Comes and goes I reckon Gael. Telecom keep piling more users onto the same lines which doesn't help (I was here first!)

Tell them next time they tell you you are too far from the exchange that we usually do way better than dial up speed and are 7.9km from the exchange (probably the same one) so they can sort it out.

We are on broadband in Christchurch and should ALWAYS have good speed but this is not the case. Sometimes its fast, sometimes nothing moves.

My theory is that they have so and so much capacity in Auckland or wherever the main server sits and when its busy they give different regions priority. If the complaints start rolling in from a particular region they give that region higher priority.

So enjoy what you've got now because it won't last forever.

Well, you were right, Simkin, back to dial up speed. Still have enjoyed the last 9 days of relatively high speed. Stinko.....

Kay, we are on the Rowe Rd exchange, I am guessing you are on the one at Oropi School???

O - I am more than 5km from the exchange up here (Bombay) and get 4300kps download so the distance should not be the biggie. It really comes down to the lines and the exchange. If you are paying for a download speed, you should be getting that download speed so keep annoying them until they sort it.

With my history of one of the oldest exchanges in NZ that I believe has finally been upgraded, my question to them is "what is the exchange is capable of". What road is getting that speed?

When I discovered some years ago that my exchange had a "business XXX connection" and that was faster than mine, I screamed blue murder until they changed me to the business connection at no further cost. Here's another thought - a few techies have commented that I have the only connection at the exchange on something a rather but who's complaining, certainly not me! Ask them if there is another connection you can be plugged into. Check your speed on Speednet and do the test between Auckland and Napier and see if it makes a difference.

I hasten to add, I am not techie and this is all rather random, what I am saying, but I have learnt over the years that the squeaky wheel does get the oil! Google the company and find out who the Manager is and ring him. You don't get anything if you keep quiet and it has been proven to you that you can get the speed you are paying for! Have fun!!! What have you to lose?

The ADSL modem you are using makes a big difference. The one that comes free with the BB connection is usually the cheapest of them. I have personally had experience with a new BB connection which was at the limit (5.5 Ks) from the exchange. The free Xtra ADSL modem would connect but the speed was a little more than dial up and often the connection would drop out. We upgraded to a 4 port ADSL router and the difference was amazing. No more problems. Also it is much better to use an ethernet cable in preference to USB to connect the ADSL router to the PC.

Yes, but the point is that yesterday I was getting 256kb download (max on our plan) and today am back to between 54 and 77. Nothing has changed, certainly not the modem. Nothing wrong with this modem, my friend took it to her place in town and said it rocked, I had to go round and repossess the jolly thing!

I should add following Istrians's thread that I am with Vodafone. No complaints at all. Any other provider available to you?

Interesting point you make about the drop out - I cleaned up my brother's computer that had not had anything done to it in 6 years (OUCH!!) plus changed Telecom Dial up to "never" based on him being kicked to the curb constantly and no more problems with being cut off. It was set to 10 mins. I think these Companies rely on our being ignorant! Buggar is that he now feels he does not need a new contract (oh he so does!) so when I go down to see him, I have to live with dial up from my 4300 kbs. Scream!!!

The point I was trying to make re the modem was that if one is at the limit of distance from the exchange then the modem does/can make a difference. Of course if you take the modem to your friend's place who happens to be closer to the exchange then it will "rocket" that's what it is designed to do. A router with more grunt will outperform a simple modem when it is at the limit of distance from the exchange. But hey, what the heck, I don't have the problem. Just trying to help.

Good on you Istrian! Totally valid suggestion. Perhaps I should have just done the "I hate Telecom" thing instead as any search will tell you of the problems with some of their equipment and yet I think the ADSL router I have is the same as theirs with no problem. Perhaps I am lucky! Maybe O has a dicky one.

The main thrust of my thread was not to ignore what you said in any way shape or form but to add to it with my own experience being more than 5K from the exchange, in that distance is not necessarily the problem. However, I totally accept what you say about looking at the equpment and maybe that is the answer.

Those that know me on this site know that I am stroppy and don't accept the usual platitudes about you are more than 5K from the exchange. That may be true but if you are going to sell me a product that is capable of X then damn well produce the product. They can! Anything less and it is ripping you off.

I will add that I added a Router to my system to enable my daughter to use her Laptop at the same time and it made no difference to speed etc - just cost an arm and a leg to run.

Please don't feel as though I don't agree with you because every contribution is valid and yours just as much as mine. I read yours thinking - that could be a plan - and then I felt as though you were offended by my post. Please don't be - it was not intended that way I promise!

DiDi, you are beautiful. No way was I offended at your post, after all, we are all just trying to help each other. I respect your point of view and contribution. Actually I was trying to get through to Oskatd that just because his modem worked well at one address it does not necessarily follow that it will work the same at all addresses. Distance from the exchange is a real limiter but there are also many more variables which can affect bb. Enough from me.

Darn - thought you had it sorted what a pain it has gone slow again.

We are on the Oropi School exchange and interestingly everyone out our way gets great broadband (Telecom helpdesk will ongoingly tell us that is impossible) One thing I do think helps is that there are no electric fences between us and the exchange most of the time.

Yep, that exchange seems great - we are a good 8km from the school though....

Obviously I didn't make it very clear, the issue I had is that one day it was fine (for 9 days in fact) and then the next day it was not. Nothing has changed that I can see. I have done the modem thing to death and decided to save a wad of cash and stay with the status quo.

Now where is Grant when we need him.....

Is jolly frustrating! And, thanks Di, will indeed ring Telstra when I have an hour or so to spare! It could be the noise on the line again, as was lovely and quiet over the hols and now is noisy again...... God they need to do something, is just silly....

I wonder if it is the amount of users on your exchange? If half them went away of Christmas say you would get better speed...