PDA

View Full Version : Weird LLU availabilty check estimates


Jules
11/07/2009, 09:56
ADSL24's availability checker is throwing up results for me that are puzzling and I wonder if anyone can shed any light on them.

I've got 2 'phone lines and the checker is giving speed estimates that are the reverse of what I expected. It means that I'm not sure about switching to LLU and which line to use if I do. Here are the figures.....
ADSL ...... Line 1 = 4Mb ...... Line 2 = 3Mb
ADSL2+ .... Line 1 = 5Mb ...... Line 2 = 3.5Mb
LLU ....... Line 1 = 3.2Mb .... Line 2 = 5Mb
Line 1 is the original line to my house. Line 2 was installed many years later to provide a dedicated fax line. It goes to the same exchange, but probably via a different route taking in all the new estates built in the area since line 1 was laid. So the two lines having different results is not the puzzle. What does puzzle me is why the LLU estimate on Line 1 is lower than the non-LLU estimates and why it's the other way round on Line 2 (LLU estimate higher than non-LLU). What also puzzles me is that Line 1 ADSL estimates are better than for Line 2 (and it's been like that consistently for years) whilst the LLU estimates show the opposite, with Line 2 as the better line by a long way!

In the old dial-up days I put the internet on Line 2 with the fax machine to keep the voice line clear. (I can be called out in emergencies and having the voice line blocked by a dial-up connection wasn't good!) But with the advent of ADSL services I moved the internet to Line 1 because it had the better speed estimate. The estimate has proved accurate - my IP profile is currently 5000 for ADSL2+ on Line 1.

James
12/07/2009, 09:54
Hi Jules

Generally, any online line estimates are not going to be the most accurate. The checker queries the BT database and that database just has a figure which it thinks the line can achieve, based on its line length to the exchange. This is often either wrong, out of date, or just completely random.

I would advise you to ignore the checker, and post the line stats for each of your lines here so we can accurately give you an estimate of what you should get :)

Also, PM me the line numbers for both lines and I can do some digging to find out what the line length is according to BT.