PlusNet Email

I'm a little confused by the email about switching to up to 8Mb....

1)Is this a general email to all PlusNet customers or has it been sent only
to the ones which have the technology enabled at their exchanges?

2)Also if my line currently only supports 1Mb then am I likely to get
anything faster?

3)Is this RADSL?

In article <443d305a$0$33936$(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed) says...
> 2)Also if my line currently only supports 1Mb then am I likely to get
> anything faster?

Yes, but maybe not much more and maybe at the cost of latency.

>
> 3)Is this RADSL?
>

Yes.

--
Alan LeHun

On 12 Apr 2006 "Dave Boomhauer" wrote:

>I'm a little confused by the email about switching to up to 8Mb....

>1)Is this a general email to all PlusNet customers or has it been sent
>only to the ones which have the technology enabled at their exchanges?

Without the exact text from the subject line, and first paragraph or so,
it might lead to more confusion as to what e-mail you are on about. Can
you perhaps quote a few lines from it, to give us a clue, as I'm certain
(for myself at least) that telepathy isn't too common and will therefore
mean we could consider quite a different e-mail to that you are reading,
if we go much further without clarification :-) Peter M.

(Excuse replies from keen user with f-all technical expertise )

> 1)Is this a general email to all PlusNet customers or has it been sent
> only to the ones which have the technology enabled at their exchanges?

Probably to all - only very few (a few hundred out of 5000 IIRC) BT
exchanges haven't been enabled for ADSL Max. Don't get mixed up with those
where other operators are unbundling and putting in kit for ADSL2 which
supports even higher speeds (upto 24Mbps)

> 2)Also if my line currently only supports 1Mb then am I likely to get
> anything faster?

Probably, yes - see the checker at bt.com/broadband, which has been updated
with the new data. That said, the results are a bit woolly ("you should
expect to get speeds of between 3 and 5 Mbps" etc). I guess you won't be
getting near the 8Mbps, but AIUI most current ADSL lines see some
improvement when switched to Max.

> 3)Is this RADSL?

I think RADSL is what enabled more people to get the "upto 2Mb" speeds a
year or so back. So you're already using RADSL. I presume a further upgrade
has been needed to do this.. but it's a cheaper thing than ADSL2 which is
the stuff the unbundled guys use to deliver 24Mbps in the cities.
http://www.adslguide.org.uk/qanda.asp?faq=radsl

(Excuse replies from keen user with f-all technical expertise )

> 1)Is this a general email to all PlusNet customers or has it been sent
> only to the ones which have the technology enabled at their exchanges?

Probably to all - only very few (a few hundred out of 5000 IIRC) BT
exchanges haven't been enabled for ADSL Max. Don't get mixed up with those
where other operators are unbundling and putting in kit for ADSL2 which
supports even higher speeds (upto 24Mbps)

> 2)Also if my line currently only supports 1Mb then am I likely to get
> anything faster?

Probably, yes - see the checker at bt.com/broadband, which has been updated
with the new data. That said, the results are a bit woolly ("you should
expect to get speeds of between 3 and 5 Mbps" etc). I guess you won't be
getting near the 8Mbps, but AIUI most current ADSL lines see some
improvement when switched to Max.

> 3)Is this RADSL?

I think RADSL is what enabled more people to get the "upto 2Mb" speeds a
year or so back. So you're already using RADSL. I presume a further upgrade
has been needed to do this.. but it's a cheaper thing than ADSL2 which is
the stuff the unbundled guys use to deliver 24Mbps in the cities.
http://www.adslguide.org.uk/qanda.asp?faq=radsl

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, (E-Mail Removed) says...
> I think RADSL is what enabled more people to get the "upto 2Mb" speeds a
> year or so back. So you're already using RADSL.

That's what it (sort of) says in the adslguide faq but I'm not sure it's
correct. A relaxing of the limits is what allowed more people to get 2Mb
which is why everyone could get it at once. An exchange upgrade is
required to implement RADSL which is why not everyone can get ADSLmax
yet.

I am of the understanding that ADSLmax /is/ the bt implementation of
RADSL

I stand to be corrected....

--
Alan LeHun

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 17:24:35 UTC, Alan LeHun <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, (E-Mail Removed) says...
> > I think RADSL is what enabled more people to get the "upto 2Mb" speeds a
> > year or so back. So you're already using RADSL.
>
> That's what it (sort of) says in the adslguide faq but I'm not sure it's
> correct. A relaxing of the limits is what allowed more people to get 2Mb
> which is why everyone could get it at once. An exchange upgrade is
> required to implement RADSL which is why not everyone can get ADSLmax
> yet.
>
> I am of the understanding that ADSLmax /is/ the bt implementation of
> RADSL
>
> I stand to be corrected....

My understanding is that only early ADSL installations were *not* RADSL.
It became the norm round about three years ago.

--
[ 7'ism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. ]

>> > I think RADSL is what enabled more people to get the "upto 2Mb" speeds
>> > a
>> > year or so back. So you're already using RADSL.

>> I am of the understanding that ADSLmax /is/ the bt implementation of
>> RADSL

> My understanding is that only early ADSL installations were *not* RADSL.
> It became the norm round about three years ago.

Glad we're all agreed then

Happy to bow to the superior knowledge of others (as it wouldn't take much
to be superior to mine!)

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 18:24:35 +0100, Alan LeHun <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, (E-Mail Removed) says...
>> I think RADSL is what enabled more people to get the "upto 2Mb" speeds a
>> year or so back. So you're already using RADSL.
>
>That's what it (sort of) says in the adslguide faq but I'm not sure it's
>correct. A relaxing of the limits is what allowed more people to get 2Mb
>which is why everyone could get it at once. An exchange upgrade is
>required to implement RADSL which is why not everyone can get ADSLmax
>yet.
>
>I am of the understanding that ADSLmax /is/ the bt implementation of
>RADSL
>
>I stand to be corrected....

RADSL as originally defined has been in place for several years now.

But only the upstream speed would rate-adapt.

With MaxADSL, the downstream speed also does so, although AIUI, it is
supposed to settle on a speed once it has been able to determine the
fastest reliable speed for a particular line.
--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
Resistance Is Useless! (If < 1 ohm)
To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, (E-Mail Removed)
says...
> RADSL as originally defined has been in place for several years now.
>
> But only the upstream speed would rate-adapt.

Ahhh, yes. I remember now.

>
> With MaxADSL, the downstream speed also does so, although AIUI, it is
> supposed to settle on a speed once it has been able to determine the
> fastest reliable speed for a particular line.
>

Yes. We have been told to stay connected for 10 days so that the
"Dynamic Line Management" system can find the "Most Stable Rate".[1]

I went active on Monday morning and it is only this evening that the
rate has changed (from 2MBs) for the first time. I now have 5MBs and it
seems pretty stable to me so hopefully I'll get the full 8MBs without
any interleaving.

[1] Which I think should be the "Highest Feasible Rate". MSR suggests
something around DU speed to me.
--
Alan LeHun