DSL Line Speed Update

Downstream Upstream
SNR Margin : 15.0 12.0 db
Line Attenuation : 48.5 28.0 db
Data Rate : 4096 384 kbps

I estimate on Google that I'm about 3,2km from the exchange
An assumption therefore that 48.5db divided by 3.2km give you 15.1db per Km (slightly differrent from the suggested 13.81db/km as indicated in the link posted by fz1 - perhaps a different conductor size - SA Underground cables are 0.4mm, indoor cables 0.5mm, and overhead cables 0.65mm) therefore there might be slight variations in db/km. This being on the EWSD German Siemens exchange. The French Exchanges (E10 anD SA128E) might be completely different.
High frequencies get affected differently as the line gets longer.....therefore the db/km issue is not a linear equation!

*Please dont trust my maths here....merely a guesstimate*
 
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Just some info I found on an overseas forum.....the table pretty much fits in with what I experience......(seems looking at this that ADSL2+ wont benifit me!:mad:)

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http://www.internode.on.net/adsl2/graph/index.htm

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http://fremnet.net/article/216/adsl-theoretical-speed-calculator
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Well, from what I've read in the various forums, it would seem that you will at least get faster upload speeds...

The examples...

2.2kms = 18Mbit/1Mbit - ADSL2+ (Internode)
5kms? = 3.5Mbit/1Mbit - ADSL1 (iiNet)

Here's what another rep had to say on approx speeds on ADSL2+...
no promises attached!!

1000m 13.81dB 23338K
1500m 20.71dB 19015K
2000m 27.62dB 13774K
2500m 34.52dB 8691K
3000m 41.43dB 4841K
3500m 48.34dB 3303K
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Thanks for the info, PostmanPot and Leftfoot. Leftfoot - some good info there, but you didn't mention what kind of speeds you get with those figures in place (similar to PostmanPot's?) ;) Any issues at all with reliability?
 
fz1 said:
Hi guys

Has anyone gone through the process of upgrading their line speed (e.g. 384 to 512)?

I currently have DSL Fast (384kbps). I'm finding the upload speed a little too slow for my needs, so would like DSL Faster (?) (512kbps / 256kbps upload - twice that of DSL Fast).

I'm wondering how the process works when phoning 10219 and requesting that my line speed be upgraded. Is there something that needs to be done physically on Telkom's side (implying a delay until they can get round to it) or is this something that can be done immediately over the phone (meaning I request it, hang up, and resynch at the higher speed)?

Thanks in advance for any responses.
Click to expand...

I went to the Telkom shop at Canal Walk CT.
Was there around 7pm, spoke to the guy there and got an upgrade from Do 2 to Do 3.

When I got home at 8 pm I was getting 4m speeds.
So no problems and no phone calls needed. :)
 
Sorry...it was a little earlier in this post

"I agree with dabouncer there is so much more value for money with the 4meg line....seeing files download at 420kB/sec (4Meg) is so much better than 55kB/sec on the 512K LINE."

Using iburst speed test
http://mybroadband.co.za/general/speedtests.htm

Download 3.48Mbps
Upload 325kbps
Jitter 3ms

so far its all rock solid!
 
Fantastic. Thanks for the feedback everyone.

As soon as my IS Uncapped Express 512k account expires, I'm getting myself some SAIX bandwidth and DSL 4Mbps :)
 
lol, PostmanPot. Actually, while I am not happy with the consistency of the speed on my ISUE account, in general it works alright. I don't have the <1kB/sec problem that a lot of other people have been complaining about (although some international sites are noticeably faster than others). The bulk of my bandwidth is P2P, and for the most part, it works fine. Did 60GB in the last month ;) So, the only real problem I have with it is that I seem to get myself thresholded too quickly :D

In any case, I've decided that I want to go SAIX now since speed is much more consistent (and latencies lower) - at least from what I have experienced using the prepaid options at WA.

I'm thinking that a 4Mbps connection with some shaped bandwidth will work okay for P2P (off hours). Is that correct?
 
I agree, for p2p IS is fine :)

Yip that'll be okay. I think WA have a nice deal on a 10GB SAIX package. OpenWeb too.
 
Cool, thanks for the feedback. Yeah - WA has 10GB SAIX for R490 (shaped), R900 (unshaped). I think I may get 1 of each. Use the unshaped during weekdays, and over weekends switch to the shaped.
 
Well, as I said, most of my bandwidth is from P2P usage. So, having unshaped is obviously handy for the times when I want my download to run when I am at work (and have it finished by the time I get home).

From my (limited) experience, the shaped offering really only works for P2P in the evenings. Has anyone noticed if there is a 'time window' like there is for the IS Uncapped Express offerings, i.e. 7am-5pm P2P is throttled?

Thanks
 
I get full speed p2p any time of day with shaped accounts. Never noticed a different between before and after 7pm. Unshaped accounts are somewhat of a marketing gimmick IMO, unless you're playing games I hear.
 
Time for an update :)

Placed the 4Mbps upgrade order at about 11.30am this morning (I was told the usual 48-72 "working hours"). Got home from work around 6.30pm, resynched my line, and voila: 4096/384 :D

New noise figures, for those interested in the difference from DSL 384kbps...

Line Attenuation (Down / Up): 19.0db / 10.5 db [UNCHANGED]
Noise Margin (Down / Up): 28.9 db / 14.0 db [-1.4 db / -6 db CHANGE FROM DSL384]

Did the iBurst speed test:

Download speed: 3.41Mbps
Upload: 322kbps
Quality of service: 97%
Round Trip: 25ms
Jitter: 2.7ms
Packet Loss: 0.0%

Did some P2P as well (SAIX unshaped prepaid bandwidth) and over a 20 minute period, it averaged about 95kB/sec (peaked at around 180kB/sec) - guess I need to tweak my client to milk more speed out of it!

Browsing is not noticeably faster - in fact, it's been downright flaky - hopefully, it's just an intermittent problem on SAIX's side, and not my line...
 
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This is mine.

Downstream Upstream
SNR Margin 22.4 13.0 dB
Line Attenuation 36.8 16.5 dB
Errored Seconds 4363 277
Loss of Signal 0 0
Loss of Frame 0 0
CRC Errors 4486 365
Data Rate 4096 384 kbps
Latency FAST FAST
 
is IS Uncapped express really that bad? y not jus get some some saix local only acc's instead of that is uncapped?
 
I still can't understand why we only get up speeds of 384!
I know we can do so much more, why can't they give us 1MB or something.
 
1nsane! said:
I upgraded my 384k line to 4mbps. I phoned them, my line disconnected, was off for about 5mins, came on and was 4mbps. :D:D:D
Click to expand...

It must have been an absolute good feeling!? I know mine was when i got home and Downloaded a 175meg file in 10 min.lolololo
 
ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 4096 kbps 384 kbps
Line Attenuation 55 db 15.5 db
Noise Margin 10 db 13 db
 
raven69 said:
is IS Uncapped express really that bad? y not jus get some some saix local only acc's instead of that is uncapped?
Click to expand...

No, not at all. It's great value for money if you consider the volumes you can get out of it. If I had the patience (and not the need for speed), I would have stayed with DSL384 on an uncapped express 512k account and continued doing my 60GB/month. However, consistency of speed is problematic, and during the day (for P2P) it's pretty flaky.

In fact, I was messing around with my IS account earlier (using my newly upgraded 4Mbps line), and I downloaded a well seeded torrent at an average of 150kB/sec (so, I finished 700MB in just under 2 hours). Bear in mind that this is a supposed 512kbps account!!! Then again, it was a well seeded torrent, and perhaps I connected with some local peers...

I don't understand how getting "local only acc's" can help me. How would I browse international? What about P2P?
 
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