"Extended Reach" trial news - new proposed limits for 512K and 1MB

From http://www.samknows.com/broadband/ though I am sure other websites will
have this news soon.

----
A total of 478 lines were provided under the trial, which operated primarily
in Milton Keynes, but also at two remote Scottish exchanges and in
Cheltenham. Of these 478 lines, 342 (76%) worked first time without any
intervention from BT. 117 (24%) of them required an engineer visit (to
further diagnose the line, and install an ADSL faceplate if required) and
only 19 (3.9%) failed.

The vast majority of 512Kbps lines working up to around 75dB line loss.
After this point, the number of engineer visits and failed lines increased
significantly. However, there was the odd line that far exceeded 75dB, and
even came close to 100dB!

Another graph showed the phenomenal difference between a face-plate install
and a wires-only install. To give you an idea of the difference, at 60dB
line loss on a 1Mbps line, 9% of wires-only connections failed, whereas only
2.5% of those with faceplates failed.

Whilst no firm new limits have yet been set, the following limits were
proposed by BT Wholesale:

- Increase the "Green" limit for 512K lines to 75dB. All lines above this
limit will be tested for viability after ordering though. If the line is
above the limit, but could receive ADSL with a faceplate, then one will be
supplied free of charge by BT.
- Increase the "Green" limit for 1Mbps to 60dB line loss.
- Leave 2Mbps alone at 43dB line loss for now.

Please note that none of this is set in stone, and the official findings of
the trial will not be announced until sometime after September 30th 2004
(when the trials end).
----

Regards
Sunil

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Sunil Sood
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>From http://www.samknows.com/broadband/ though I am sure other websites will
>have this news soon.
snip
>Another graph showed the phenomenal difference between a face-plate install
>and a wires-only install. To give you an idea of the difference, at 60dB
>line loss on a 1Mbps line, 9% of wires-only connections failed, whereas only
>2.5% of those with faceplates failed.
snip

But to ask the question I asked Sam (and also presciently on this site
yesterday)
What does the faceplate-change actually do?

Should all people with marginal setups (58db say) get a faceplate
change to be on the safe side/to get 1Mbps???
Bob

PS Sunil, the phrase is 'North of the Trent', NOT 'the north of the
Trent' (Biddulph Moor??)
>---
>
>Regards
>Sunil
>
>
>

--
robert w hall

"Sunil Sood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> From http://www.samknows.com/broadband/ though I am sure other websites
will
> have this news soon.
>
> Another graph showed the phenomenal difference between a face-plate
install
> and a wires-only install.

Can somebody please expalin the difference. I thought, naively, that all
terminated in an NDE5 box.

Chris

"Chris Watts" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:410fa9d3$0$76955$(E-Mail Removed)
> "Sunil Sood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> From http://www.samknows.com/broadband/ though I am sure other
>> websites will have this news soon.
>>
>> Another graph showed the phenomenal difference between a face-plate
>> install and a wires-only install.
>
> Can somebody please expalin the difference. I thought, naively, that
> all terminated in an NDE5 box.

A "wires only" install is where BT remotely activate the service and leave
you to it to filter everything yourself

A "face plate" install is what effectively used to be called a "engineer
install" - with BT replacing the NTE5 with one of these:
http://www.clarity.it/telecoms/adsl_faceplate.htm

The only difference now is that will post the faceplate to you (if needed
for free) and expect you to install it yourself (not difficult) - oh and you
don't get the USB modem either but thats not really relevant..

The ADSL faceplates effectively filter the ADSL signal at the master socket
and means your extension wiring doesn't impact the ADSL snigal strength

Regards
Sunil

"robert w hall" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)
> But to ask the question I asked Sam (and also presciently on this site
> yesterday)
> What does the faceplate-change actually do?

It just installs the ADSL filter at the master socket - effectively meaning
your extension wiring won't impact the ADSL signal.

> Should all people with marginal setups (58db say) get a faceplate
> change to be on the safe side/to get 1Mbps???

I don't think this is necessary unless you experience dropouts.

If you are worried about whether you would qualify for ADSL (any speed) the
best thing to do is probably disconnect the extension wiring between the
time you apply and BT/your ISP gives you the result.

> PS Sunil, the phrase is 'North of the Trent', NOT 'the north of the
> Trent' (Biddulph Moor??)

I'm from London - my geography is very poor

Regards
Sunil

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
robert w hall <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>What does the faceplate-change actually do?

I wouldn't be surprised if cutting the wires and re-attaching so that
the connection is nice new shiny copper worked almost as well...

-- Richard

On Tue, 3 Aug 2004 16:30:21 +0100, "Sunil Sood"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>"Chris Watts" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:410fa9d3$0$76955$(E-Mail Removed)
>> "Sunil Sood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> From http://www.samknows.com/broadband/ though I am sure other
>>> websites will have this news soon.
>>>
>>> Another graph showed the phenomenal difference between a face-plate
>>> install and a wires-only install.
>>
>> Can somebody please expalin the difference. I thought, naively, that
>> all terminated in an NDE5 box.
>
>A "wires only" install is where BT remotely activate the service and leave
>you to it to filter everything yourself
>
>A "face plate" install is what effectively used to be called a "engineer
>install" - with BT replacing the NTE5 with one of these:
>http://www.clarity.it/telecoms/adsl_faceplate.htm
>
>The only difference now is that will post the faceplate to you (if needed
>for free) and expect you to install it yourself (not difficult) - oh and you
>don't get the USB modem either but thats not really relevant..
>
>The ADSL faceplates effectively filter the ADSL signal at the master socket
>and means your extension wiring doesn't impact the ADSL snigal strength
>
>Regards
>Sunil
>

Sunil

I am counting down to Broadband (hopefully next January) and my
master socket is in an upstairs room - where the previous owners
had it, I think it was their main bedroom.

BT will have to come in to convert me back from ISDN, ideally I
would like the master socket downstairs in my study. Will they
move it for me do you know? If not do I lose anything by running
broadband off an extension?

I suppose I could always move it myself once they've been but I
was always under the impression you weren't allowed to touch the
BT kit?

--
Jeff Gaines - Damerham Hampshire UK
Please reply to Newsgroup.

"Jeff Gaines" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)
> I am counting down to Broadband (hopefully next January) and my
> master socket is in an upstairs room - where the previous owners
> had it, I think it was their main bedroom.
>
> BT will have to come in to convert me back from ISDN, ideally I
> would like the master socket downstairs in my study. Will they
> move it for me do you know?

I think it will depend on the engineer who visits and what extensions are
already installed (i.e. if its simple/quick to do it, then they might)

> If not do I lose anything by running
> broadband off an extension?

Not really - an extension should be fine.. unless your line is marginal for
ADSL anyway

> I suppose I could always move it myself once they've been but I
> was always under the impression you weren't allowed to touch the
> BT kit?

Yes, you are not supposed to move the BT master socket yourself.

Regards
Sunil

On Tue, 03 Aug 2004 15:51:23 +0000, Richard Tobin wrote:

> In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
> robert w hall <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>What does the faceplate-change actually do?
>
> I wouldn't be surprised if cutting the wires and re-attaching so that
> the connection is nice new shiny copper worked almost as well...
>

I doubt it would. The problem is that extension wiring has a tendency to
branch out like a tree etc. This has a serious negative impact on how well
it will work. However the line from the exchange to the NTE5 is basically
a long straight length of wire.

Consider the old coaxial 10Base2 Ethernet cabling. Nice long length and
it works fine. Start adding in branches and it all starts falling apart
rapidly. So by fitting the filter at the NTE5 and hiding all that
branching from the ADSL signal, BT have found that it makes a big
difference.

JAB.

--
Jonathan A. Buzzard Email: jonathan (at) buzzard.me.uk
Northumberland, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 1661-832195

"Sunil Sood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...

Many thanks for the post. Whilst it is good news I just think that it is pity
that it has taken BT so long to discover what is actually possible with
equipment that they could have installed in my case 2.5 years ago!


Michael Chare