Broadband Fix - Leaving Router connected permanently ?

[Channel Hopper]

Having had various bouts of slow, and sometimes non-existent broadband on a landline managed by BT, I made some enquiries yesterday before paying the bill (appropriately discounted for the loss of service).

One of their team then advised that following tests that had confirmed there was a problem or two at the exchange, I should be leaving the router permanently powered on under the computer for their exchange to 'acclimatise' to the line and equipment installed, and full speed would be established in around ten days.

When I queried this I was also told that disconnecting the router at night (and when I am out of the house at any other time) was the most likely cause of the broadband speed issues.

Leaving any equipment permanently connected goes against what I have been taught, and since the router power supply clearly states 'made in China' across the top of it, I would be doubly worried once out of the house.

So, is this now considered standard practice and is there any truth in the BT network restricting delivery if equiopment is not powered up at this end ?

 

[Vipersan]

Such a thing would be most inconvenient for me ..as disconnecting the router would dump the network...
No internet at home ..or in my shop..
plus my parents would neither have internet or access to the NAS..
Pathetic I says...and no excuse for crap service my ISPs..
cest la vie

 

[Lazarus]

The DLM (Dynamic Line Management) equipment used in BT Exchanges uses several criteria to establish what speed your line can support. Obviously, one of the factors is Noise, but it also monitors "disconnections" which includes powering down of routers and it's the case therefore that ISPs will indeed advise you leave your Router on all the time.

Round here, we get a lot of short power outages caused by stuff like overhead wire clashes, bird strike etc and the recloser gear on the leccy network can make several attempts to restore supply before locking out. Each interruption ramps ADSL speeds right down and you then need a period of several days stability before the speed rise once more.

I don't subscribe to this technology any more and instead use Wireless WAN delivered Broadband,

 

[timo_w2s]

I must admit I've never powered off my broadband modem except for a reboot when something goes wrong (luckily this is rare). With so many devices and people these days using it day and night it would be most inconvenient to switch it off here. It would also kill the web cams, temperature sensors, remote heating and Slingboxes which are used when we're away. Switching the modem off would be a bit like turning off the mains stopcock or master fuse every night.

I believe some ISPs do not use DLM so it might be worth finding one if you do want to regularly disconnect without speed issues.

 

[Analoguesat]

If you switch the router off regularly it makes it look like the line is dropping so the speed gets stepped back.

Leave it plugged in & connected to the line.

 

[2cvbloke]

There's a reason it's called an "Always on" service, leave the modem/router powered up and connected so the line can stabilise and deliver the fastest speed obtainable...

Though that said, ADSL services are having the DLM dropped due to a patent thing with Bell Labs across the pond, so once that's scrapped it'll be full throttle whatever the state of the line, fake-fibre lines still have it though, but that may change too...

 

[skomedal]

Is this thread fiber or adsl related?

Having lost 3 routers to lightning strikes on my copper wire adsl connection this last year, disconnect everything from the mains when 1. go to bed, 2. away from home, 3. thunderstorms ( numerous here ).

Have accumulated a store of reserve adsl routers from friends that have gone the internet fiber route.

Regards

 

[Analoguesat]

I lost a succession of external dial up modems due to thunderstorms & at 50 quid a time to replace back in the day it was an expensive game to keep online.

In the end I stopped worrying & just decided they were expensive fuses - it was far cheaper to replace the modem than the computer

 

[Channel Hopper]

Such a thing would be most inconvenient for me ..as disconnecting the router would dump the network...
No internet at home ..or in my shop..
plus my parents would neither have internet or access to the NAS..
Pathetic I says...and no excuse for crap service my ISPs..
cest la vie

Therein lies another issue (albeit slightly different here).

I have a single output router, non wireless that serves everything I need when I am in.
When I am not in, the adsl connection is switched over to another router which has four outputs and a wireless thingy on the back, for use by the family members elsewhere in the property.

I cannot use this one since the it would mean running an ethernet cable some 40 metres around the property and back to the room where the phone socket sits.

So the BT exchange also sees two different connections at this end, depending on who is in.

 

[Lazarus]

Can you not use Homeplugs instead of a long Ethernet cable?

The latest generation of Homeplugs are fast and effective. Not expensive, either.

 

[timo_w2s]

I cannot use this one since the it would mean running an ethernet cable some 40 metres around the property and back to the room where the phone socket sits.

40m is not a problem for ethernet. A couple of summers ago I ran a couple of lines of cat5 in conduit with a similar length around the outside of my parent's house as there was no easy way to get wired internet to the TV in the lounge from the study where the modem was due to the design of the house.

 

[sonnetpete]

Can you not use Homeplugs instead of a long Ethernet cable?

I use two Homeplugs to connect the VU+ into my Livebox...very effective they are too...

 

[pgh13]

40m is not a problem for ethernet. A couple of summers ago I ran a couple of lines of cat5 in conduit with a similar length around the outside of my parent's house as there was no easy way to get wired internet to the TV in the lounge from the study where the modem was due to the design of the house.

Once successfully ran a Cat5 the length of a (cheapskate) Cash & Carry, close on 100m looping it through some saddles that were carrying a large pipe at roof height.

 

[2cvbloke]

The length of how much ethernet cable you can use varies it seems, some say 100M (for everything, Cat5, Cat5E, Cat6, etc.), some say 200M (for cat6), so, 40M is well within spec...

When I had PlusNet fibre (the fake FTTC type, not real FTTP fibre) installed, the modem had to sit next to the master socket, and my wifi router is upstairs, I had previously installed a Cat5, 3x Pair twisted-pair telephone extension from the master to my bedroom as the intention was to have the ADSL modem (at the time) & wifi router up there and keep the master socket clutter free and the wifi signal nice and balanced between the house, worked fine for the ADSL using the green pair as an ADSL extension, but the fibre, not so much, the speeds received were half that of next to the master, so, I converted the extension into an ethernet cable, snapped on a properly wired RJ45 plug, connected that to the vDSL modem's ethernet socket, and that sends a 100Mbit ethernet signal upstairs to the wifi router, and everything's ticketyboo...

Still need to sort out a small UPS to power the modem in a power failure, but, no rush...

 

[hairybadger]

Lightning protection: I have lightning protection blocks (not sure what they're called in English) in the fuseboxes and most sensitive equipment is sitting behind its own surge protector. The router and NAS are connected via small UPS systems which protect them from momentary blackouts as well as giving them some additional lightning protection. Haven't fried anything yet

 

[Channel Hopper]

40m is not a problem for ethernet. A couple of summers ago I ran a couple of lines of cat5 in conduit with a similar length around the outside of my parent's house as there was no easy way to get wired internet to the TV in the lounge from the study where the modem was due to the design of the house.

Except the time in drilling/installing/ fitting connectors. Twelve walls in total and one floor, through three rooms that were finished (plastered/skirts/laminate) years ago.
Anyhow, this side of the property does not require wireless, so I would have to turn it off each time I return back to post here.

 

[2cvbloke]

Homeplugs would work for you then, plug the modem in wherever the wifi router is and leave it there, then use the homeplug in place of your single-output router, that way you have your internet connection left on so it can stabilise, and the homeplug can be turned on and off without detrimental effects to the ADSL service...

 

[timo_w2s]

Except the time in drilling/installing/ fitting connectors. Twelve walls in total and one floor, through three rooms that were finished (plastered/skirts/laminate) years ago.
Anyhow, this side of the property does not require wireless, so I would have to turn it off each time I return back to post here.

My parents house is pretty sold, with concrete floors and an open plan living room area so there was no way to hide cables without putting in false skirting so going outside was the easy option for me, just two holes to worry about.

Not sure I understand the issue with wireless. The modem/wireless router could stay at the far end of the property were wifi is required. At your end you could have a 5 port switch or something to plug in your equipment (if you need more than one network connection).

If you use home plugs it may kill off parts of the radio spectrum as the internal wires in your house start transmitting crap. I used home plugs temporarily for a year at my parents house but they occasionally lost the connection and needed a restart. it was another reason I decided to run a bit of cat5, much more stable.

 

[Lazarus]

Homeplug technology has improved markedly of late and previously justified concerns about spurious emissions are largely laid to rest. Reliability (inc. any need for restarting) and transmission speeds are greatly improved too.

I wouldn't rule them out - Indeed, they would seem to afford a quick and easy solution to CH's problem.

 

[rolfw]

The only reason Homepug/Powerline may not work for C H, is I presume they need to be plugged into points which run off the same fuse board and don't think that'll be the case. External CAT5 seems to be the only workable solution.