Changing ISP

RichDRichD Essex, UK
edited October 2009 in Science & Tech
Hey Guys,

I have been with Sky Broadband for the last year and the service has been terrible. I have just cancelled my subscription and I will be receiving my MAC code to transfer ISP shortly. I have a couple of providers in mind and I have been told that my local exchange supports ADSL 2+. So here is my question...

Will my Sky Wireless router work with a new provider (I can get in the change settings etc) or will I need a new one to get the enhanced ADSL 2+ performance?

Im off to do a bit of googling now!:)

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited October 2009
    You your router is a combo modem/router, it will need to support ADSL2 if you intend to drop it on an ADSL line.
  • RichDRichD Essex, UK
    edited October 2009
    Cheers Thrax. My Existing Router/Modem is ADSL but I dont know about ADSL2+

    I have done a bit more researching and although my line supports ADSL2+ I am 2.5km away from the exchange which is shared with 30,000 other residences!!! Explains why I can only get .5mb down with Sky!

    Have found a cheap package with Be Unlimited as they don't put download limits on their low speed packages and they give me a free modem/Router.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited October 2009
    Actually, it could mean a couple things, but not that:
    1. DSL has a maximum recommended distance from the central office (CO) of about 4572 meters. The practical recommendation is about 3200 meters, and you're at 2500. :/ Attenuation could be killing your signal strength.
    2. Your ISP might just suck.
    3. Your ISP has a poor DSLAM.

    It can't be population, though. ADSL2+, like other forms of DSL, gives each user a dedicated amount of bandwidth. Once all of the DSLAM's bandwidth is used up, the ISP must build another, or it can't shoot any more lines out to customers. This is opposed to cable where all users in a neighborhood share a limited amount of bandwidth.

    I hope Be Unlimited is better for you. :)
  • RichDRichD Essex, UK
    edited October 2009
    Does the DSLAM have a fixed number of slots or is it a simple case of dividing its bandwidth by the number of users?

    IE does it have 1000 physical terminals to plug phone lines in or if my DSLAM has a 500MB bandwith and 500 users you would get 1MB per user but the provider could chuck another 500 people on that DSLAM but the result would be that the end users suffer a cut in their individual bandwidth?

    If it is the later I would not be suprised if Sky have piled a stupid number of people onto their DSLAM and don't care about the bandwidth. Their TV was crap. They use such a low bit rate that I get a better picture through my standard Digital Freeview Box!!!

    I would have loved to get Virgin Fibre Optic but they dont serve my area!!!
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited October 2009
    The DSLAM has a fixed number of slots with a fixed amount of bandwidth.
  • RichDRichD Essex, UK
    edited October 2009
    My switchover to be happened yesterday! I got in and internet was down so I unplugged my sky router plugged in my Be Box and powered it up. Connected my laptop wirelessly and ran a speed test. 2.5mb down .6mb up! Its only five times better! And the stupid woman from sky told me that "You will get the same speed from any other service provider as the use the same phone line". Really? No. I think not!
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