Anything worth adding or correcting (we are all still learning) please speak up, I'm rather bored so maybe this well help explain a few things to everyone.
BT as a retail company and a wholesale company are now starting to offer ADSL 2 (ADSL MAX) service over your copper phone line. This means you can get a theoretical maximum of 8mbps down your standard copper line. Theoretical being the keyword here, depending on the loss of signal on your line will depend on what speed your are likely to get.
While you can't help what sort of loss your line has between the exchange and your main BT socket you can however help keep any extra loss to a minimum.
To start with your modem/router should be plugged into the main BT socket, this is where the copper pair first enter your house. Its best to avoid using ANY extension cable and even if you have phone points internal to the house (like most new homes do) you should always try and keep your router/modem at your main socket.
The reason for this is the broadband signal is very sensitive to noise, the extra line(s) from your main socket act as a antenna picking up electrical noise from TVs to hairdryers. By always using the main BT socket you are not adding any extra noise or length to you phone line.
A simple method of testing the quality of your line, while you are connected to the Internet, is picking your handset and listening for any clicking or interference. If you can hear any 'noise' do the same test from your main socket, if you are not already.
If you can hear 'noise' then there are simple things to check, first disconnect any other devices plugged into your phone line. Repeat the test and if this clears the noise reconnect each device in term until you hear the 'noise' again.
If you do not have any other phone points and are using your main socket and you can still hear 'noise' it would be worth reporting to BT and going from there. (Do this with the filter, then without the filter (disconnect from the Internet when you test without the filter))
Do you have any filters laying around, if you are having a 'noise' problem try changing the filters. Its possible the high or low pass filters could have been damaged in some way. Check the quality of your cables running to and from your phone line and router/modem, any nips in the cable. Has the copper wire split in anyway inside the cable?
While the above may not help your bandwidth it could help your error rate, and this will greatly help improve the quality of your gaming.
As for the likes of BE broadband offering 24MB services, they are able to do this as they are installing their own equipment in the BT exchanges. It will all still be subject to the same 'noise' and distance limitations.
If you have any other questions then please do ask.
BT as a retail company and a wholesale company are now starting to offer ADSL 2 (ADSL MAX) service over your copper phone line. This means you can get a theoretical maximum of 8mbps down your standard copper line. Theoretical being the keyword here, depending on the loss of signal on your line will depend on what speed your are likely to get.
While you can't help what sort of loss your line has between the exchange and your main BT socket you can however help keep any extra loss to a minimum.
To start with your modem/router should be plugged into the main BT socket, this is where the copper pair first enter your house. Its best to avoid using ANY extension cable and even if you have phone points internal to the house (like most new homes do) you should always try and keep your router/modem at your main socket.
The reason for this is the broadband signal is very sensitive to noise, the extra line(s) from your main socket act as a antenna picking up electrical noise from TVs to hairdryers. By always using the main BT socket you are not adding any extra noise or length to you phone line.
A simple method of testing the quality of your line, while you are connected to the Internet, is picking your handset and listening for any clicking or interference. If you can hear any 'noise' do the same test from your main socket, if you are not already.
If you can hear 'noise' then there are simple things to check, first disconnect any other devices plugged into your phone line. Repeat the test and if this clears the noise reconnect each device in term until you hear the 'noise' again.
If you do not have any other phone points and are using your main socket and you can still hear 'noise' it would be worth reporting to BT and going from there. (Do this with the filter, then without the filter (disconnect from the Internet when you test without the filter))
Do you have any filters laying around, if you are having a 'noise' problem try changing the filters. Its possible the high or low pass filters could have been damaged in some way. Check the quality of your cables running to and from your phone line and router/modem, any nips in the cable. Has the copper wire split in anyway inside the cable?
While the above may not help your bandwidth it could help your error rate, and this will greatly help improve the quality of your gaming.
As for the likes of BE broadband offering 24MB services, they are able to do this as they are installing their own equipment in the BT exchanges. It will all still be subject to the same 'noise' and distance limitations.
If you have any other questions then please do ask.