Ethernet Cable?

eclectic

Moderator
Ethernet cable advice.

Not Picaxe, but I trust the experts on this Forum.


My Internet speed varies during the day from ~11 Mbps downwards to ~ 3 Mbps

I bought a cheapish category 6 10 Metre ethernet cable and tested two Win 10 computers

Wireless on, then Wireless off and Ethernet.

The results were almost the same
Wireless vs Ethernet

1. Would buying a Category 8 cable help?

2. Or should I just get FFTP installed and be done with it?
I don't mind paying, but it's just the hassle in the present situation.

e
 
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Buzby

Senior Member
If there's no difference between 'wired' and 'wireless' then its time for faster BB !.
 

neiltechspec

Senior Member
I run Gigabit Ethernet over a 10 Metre Cat6 cable and stream off my NAS uncompressed BluRays @ > 300Mbs
without any issues.
 

Goeytex

Senior Member
My service provider markets my service as "up to 400 Mbps.". Right now I am getting 423 Mbps per OOKLA. However at times it drops to less than 80 Mbps. This is due to the provider overselling the bandwidth in my area. When more than a certain number of users in the area start streaming NETFLIX. HULU, etal after work or at other peak usage times, speed starts throttling back. This has nothing to do with the cables or equipment. I am using CAT6 and Gigabit E. I can live with an occasional drop to 80 Mbps.
 

oracacle

Senior Member
I would suggest that test the speed each of your machines, of they are still low, then I would think that there is a problem with either your router on off your computer's. Of you can afford to get fttp I would that on the provision that they're isn't an issue with your internal network. Fyi ISP routers are generally pretty crappy.
 

papaof2

Senior Member
Still dealing with 7MBS DSL here - but it pops us to 25-28MBS in the wee hours (3-4AM). I might try their much faster fiber offering if they get it within $10 or less of the current DSL - definite possibility, considering the last couple of sales pitches ;-)
 

inglewoodpete

Senior Member
It all depends on your provider and what they have afforded in the entire path between your premises (home?) and their internet gateway/s to other providers. If the maximum data transfer rate shoots up in the wee small hours of the morning, then the "last mile" is not the problem: it's their higher order shared fibres (or should I say data capacities). If that is the case, talk to alternate providers. The cheapest deal often has congested higher-order data paths.
 

neiltechspec

Senior Member
More likely down to "Contention Ratio", how many customers on the Mux & capacity of MUX Backhaul.

I used to do 3rd Line Support for BB.
 

eclectic

Moderator
If I want to upgrade, I'm stuck with paying BT for Fibre installation and a 2 year contract.

Nothing else I can do. : -(

Thanks for all the help folks.

e
 

Buzby

Senior Member
Put your phone number ( and Captcha code, which can't tell the difference between 1 and l ) in here ....


This will tell you what speeds are available in your area. If you are with BT that probably means you are using Openreach cables, so there will probably be plenty other ISPs to choose from, you just need to find them.
 

eclectic

Moderator
Put your phone number ( and Captcha code, which can't tell the difference between 1 and l ) in here ....


This will tell you what speeds are available in your area. If you are with BT that probably means you are using Openreach cables, so there will probably be plenty other ISPs to choose from, you just need to find them.
I'm with Plusnet and the cables are ancient.
I'll need to upgrade to FFTP and have a new contract with BT.

e
 

AllyCat

Senior Member
Hi,
Nothing else I can do. : -(
I don't know any specific details for Norfolk, but IMHO there are other options. ;)

Firstly, there are other operators, including one actually owned by BT, that will use the same Infrastructure. I was with that other operator for a number of years and found their (UK based) technical support quite good.

But then we moved to a location which was clearly going to have a very poor ADSL broadband connection (nearly all the neighbours appear to be on "Cable TV " or Fibre) with a "predicted" ADSL speed of around 3 Mb/sec. Also, with no active telephone line, there was going to be a potentially high installation cost so we looked at "Mobile Broadband". We started with a "Portable" Router and 20 GB/month package, but have now graduated to an Unlimited Contract (24 months) still for less than £20pm (their current offer appears to be "£15pm) with no "introductory offers", so should only increase by the RPI after then. The "free" (included) Router has an Ethernet socket but also supports 50 WiFi channels on both 2.4 and 5GHz bands (and external antenna sockets if needed), etc.. The "headline" speed of the Router is 300 Mbits/s, but the realistic speed I've seen has been up to 40 Mbits/sec. Subjectively, the 5GHz WiFi (not to be confused with "5G" mobile coverage) is faster and has greater range than 2.4GHz, probably because the radio band is less congested (at present). The upload speed is usually much the same as the download speed. A "fixed" internet address is not available, but "No-IP" is free and supported by the (Home) Router.

No installation costs and the Router will probably be delivered "next day". You might want to install it upstairs and/or at a window (on the cell transmitter side) but ours is just next to the TV. Also a "WiFi Extender" (<£20 plugged into a mains socket) gives another (remote) Ethernet socket, 5GHz WiFi (transcoded if necessary), and greater coverage. You can check out the speed you may get by running "Speed Test" on a mobile (smart-) phone (which can also probably be configured as a temporary "tethered" Hub for trials). Tip: not only is my particular operator the cheapest, but you can get a further discount as an "existing customer" - which needs only to be one of their mobile phone numbers (e.g. a PAYG SIM). ;) Not particularly relevant at the moment, but it also allows you to take your own equivalent of "free WiFi" to many locations in the UK and around 70 other countries. Also, if you're uncertain, then both the providers I've mentioned do offer "monthly" contracts, but at around 50% higher price and of course no "free"/included hardware.

Of course there are a few "Cons", in addition to the "All your Eggs in One Basket" aspect of mobile broadband. There is no "guaranteed" speed now (or particularly for the future), sometimes it can be slow and it might not be the best solution if you primarily use catch-up TV or video streaming. At my previous address there were two commuter railway lines (and stations) between me and the cell transmitter and in the "morning rush hour" (pre Covid) the mobile broadband virtually stopped. Now, our (mobile) broadband sometimes seems "slow" and a Speed Test can occasionally be below 1 Mb/sec. However, a reboot of the Router (directly via the Admin UI) nearly always gets it back at least to double figures within a minute; it might be a bug in the Router, but I suspect the mobile connection becomes "stale" after a number of days. And I do have to admit to having wasted some hours in the provider's shops, and on the phone to their unintelligible "Customer Support" somewhere in Asia. :(

Cheers, Alan.
 

tmfkam

Senior Member
I live in a quite rural location at (10 miles from) the most easterly point in Lincolnshire. I'm quite lucky in that I get a reliable connection, close to or slightly above the advertised 80Mb I pay Plusnet for.

At work, a few miles along the coast, the connection speed dropped dramatically during the summer. Always blamed on the campsite next door sucking up the bandwidth on the shared wiring that ran a mile from the nearest cabinet. Had new wires laid directly to the cabinet, but it wasn't much better. Eventually the boss paid a few thousand to have a fibre laid just over a mile from the next nearest cabinet (across fields rather than down a road - so cheaper) and now we're getting a few hundred Mb. Not convinced it was worth the installation cost for the boost in speed, but it is more reliable.

My brother lives in Lyng, in rural Norfolk and he is again fortunate that he gets a reasonable speed.
 

eclectic

Moderator
I've checked on the site mentioned by Buzby in post 11.
There are no plans to roll out fibre to the area of town I live in.

Therefore, I will have to pay for FTTP. Ho-Hum.
e
 

grim_reaper

Senior Member
Just going back to your original question; 'standard' wireless connections are usually 54 Mbps, so if your incoming connection is between 3 and 11 Mbps (or anything under 50 Mbps) then there will be no noticeable difference between wireless and wired.
I don't think category 8 cables have been designed yet - category 7 are the newest I know of. Category 6 can handle 10 Gbps, so CAT 6 or CAT 5e should be fine your current speed.
I know everyone complains about Virgin Media - prices, customer service, etc. - all terrible - but the one thing I've had from them over the last 13 years is reliability! Might be worth seeing if they service your area.
 

eclectic

Moderator
Postscript.

Openreach installed the new system yesterday.

Download speed has increased from between 3 - 11 to between 15 -30.

Upload speed has increased from ~0.6 to 10.

Now the small matter of paying. : -)

Thanks again for the help folks.

e
 
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