wireless router

[RayD]

Thanks for all the feedback,

Dave, all the wiring is on 3 wires, Installed by ...me ... I put them in when we moved here.

In case it’s useful in future ... on mine, the BT Orange wire goes to A and the White goes to B. The extension connections on the BT box are Blue and White on 2, Orange and White on 3 and White and Blue on 5.

I’ve simplified it this afternoon, now waiting to see how we go on with the telephone.

Broadband 2.jpg

I could get the micro filter to the other end of the cable if there’s such a thing as a DIY attachable telephone plug.

I imagine using the connections on the surge protector will only confuse matters?

Surge protector.jpg

Ray

[Doug]

This is not meant to confuse but just to add info--I am by no means more than a basic meddler with phone/data/cable knowledge.

I had DSL phone internet for a few years, 5 years ago. I did not have to use the filters; it worked the same speed with or without them. (granted the speed was low then too, compared to what you would get now)

That's just my 2 cents -- I am on the other side of the world.

How about checking the phone line voltage/strength to your house and then to your sockets!? It is possible the signal strength is low and that's why using the phone line causes a drop in the line and then the router loses the signal ??

Can you not put the broadband modem at the front of the line so it gets the best signal, and then with the phones downstream from it they may not affect it as much??

so I say check into signal strength from the phone company's line . . .

[RayD]

Thanks Doug,

With regard to putting the modem at the other end ...

As you say ... To comply with the supplier’s idea the modem wants plugging into a micro filter, plugged into the primary telecom box, which would be OK but its 2 rooms and 15 metres of cable away from the computer. And, it’s wired into the back of the box rather than plugged into the front. All the cables are hidden, under the floor or set into the walls.

Even if, using a widely available 20 metre extension lead plugged into a micro filter, plugged into the primary box and into the modem ... I’m not sure about the phone on the same desk as the modem ... if it’s plugged into the extension wall socket via another filter I can’t see it being any better than it is now. The supplier would suggest running two 20 metre leads from the primary filter

Prior to me changing over from British Telecom to TalkTalk it would have been easy to ask BT to increase the signal strength on the line. Presumably now, TalkTalk needs to ask them ... I’ll have a word.

BTW it is a wireless router but I’m assuming it’s better to have it wired.

Ray

[dapinky]

Aha....... (sound of a dropping penny)..... Talk Talk.....


...i had exactly this issue last week with a mates wireless router.

TalkTalk do an online speed test where you click the right boxes and after a while it will give 2 'dials' (like a speedo and tacho). It will go through a test to see what you are actually getting at the router.

The one i looked at was getting only 1.5Mb (should be an (up to) 8Mb line)

By plugging the router into the master socket it immediately went up to 6Mb on the test - we can only assume a bad connection or wire somewhere in the extension leads??????

The router (Netgear) is more than capable of sending the signal the extra 20 feet from the master socket all round the house, and still gives a 5bar coverage.

[RayD]

Speed Test Results

6967 kbps Download

488 kbps Upload

Ray

[RayD]

With an extension lead between the BT test port via a filter (Bypassing all the wiring)

Speed Test

7012 kbps Download
501 kbps Upload

Double checked it back on the No.4 system with one phone connected and got ...

7013 kbps Download
613 kbps Upload

With 2 phones

6997 kbps Download
501 kbps Upload

Ray

[dapinky]

Ray,

All those numbers appear close enough to suggest (to me, anyway - but I'm no expert) that the phone cables are probably not the issue here......

.....so I'm stumped (over to the experts!)

[saska]

All those numbers appear close enough to suggest (to me, anyway - but I'm no expert) that the phone cables are probably not the issue here......

I'd agree, particularly given that MaxADSL (the upto 8Mb type in the UK) is RADSL (Rate Adaptive Digital Subsciber Line). AKA for the first 10 days that you are connected, the kit at the exchange (DSLAM) varies the connection speed to try to determine the best speed the line will support reliably and then fixes that speed. The major factor in line speed is physical length of line from the exchange. In very long line instances (as are common here in Cumbria) it is frequently best to go to a fixed speed line 512/1 Mb/2Mb (non-RADSL) since it is better to have a connection that is reliable than one which drops out every time it rains enough that the damp piece of copper back to the exchange fails to support the best RADSL speed and the connection drops.
Ray,
I didn't see anything wrong with your first connection diagram
You do need filters on every device which is plugged into the telephone line that has the ADSL on it (Unless you use one of the magic master sockets already mentioned but then the Netgear has to connect to it). Basically an ADSL line has 2 signals coming down the copper pair, an analog signal that you talk on and a high freq. digital signal. If you don't put in filters then the devices interfere with one another. Connecting a long RJ12 signal cable from master socket to Netgear is a bad idea. What I'd suggest is setting up the Netgear as you originally posted (on the extension near PC) and then access the router and get the following info out of the router itself (the horse's mouth):
Downstream Speed
Upstream Speed
Up & Down SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio)
Up & Down Attenuation
If you get aorund 7000down/488up then I wouldn't worry about it unless you've got single digit SNR and over 50 Attenuation.
If you get really cr@p figures (or the Netgear disconnects when you dial the phone) then go around and unplug all other devices (tels/fax/answer machines), reboot the router(power cycle) and check the figures. Make sure you've filtered *ALL* devices -- AKA some oil tank sensors, Sky boxen and alarm systems connect to the telephone line, these must be filtered as well.
Then plug the tels and other devices in one at a time, reboot the netgear and check the figures until you find which device is raining on your parade. Change the filter on that device and see if that cures it, if not it could be a faulty phone handset.
To access the Netgear Interface open a web browser and put:
http://192.168.0.1/
into the address bar and hit Enter
You'll be asked for username and password try:
admin & admin
admin & password
If they don't work ask TalkTalk
Have a look around the screens without changing anything until you find the info above -- it should be in something like Router Status > DSL Line

As regards wired versus wireless; if all you are doing is connecting to use the broadband then wireless is fine since the speed of the Wifi exceeds the speed the broadband can do. However if you are networking PCs (file & printer sharing) then wired is much preferred. Wireless G is 54Mb/sec but it won't do anything like this downhill with the wind behind it, whereas CAT5E/6 will do 100Mb/sec or even 1Gb/sec and it will do this in the real world and at full duplex -- the limiting factor is usually the kit at the ends of the link. Slowest link in the chain stuff.

Guess you can tell part of what I do for a living :)

[RayD]

Thanks for that Tony ... the http://192.168.0.1/ link doesn't seem to work but I'll try again.

Ray

[saska]

Thanks for that Tony ... the http://192.168.0.1/ link doesn't seem to work but I'll try again.

Do: Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt
Black box opens:
Type: ipconfig /all
Hit enter on Keyboard
Look in the output for Default Gateway -- note the dotted quad number down. should be 192.168.X.X
Type exit and then hit Enter -- the window will close.

Enter the Default Gateway number with http:// before it into Internet Explorer/Firefox's address bar, hit Enter on keyboard.

[RayD]

That’s something else I've learned Tony,

The Downstream Line rate was 8123 and Upstream 743.

I had to go to Advanced > status to find that but couldn’t see the SNR or Attenuation figures.

Ray

[saska]

The Downstream Line rate was 8123 and Upstream 743.
I had to go to Advanced > status to find that but couldn’t see the SNR or Attenuation figures.

In Router Status click Show Statistics -- prolly at the bottom.