10 Gigabit Ethernet Guide: is it time to upgrade to 10 GbE?

Ethernet cable

In this guide, we help you identify whether it worth upgrading to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (or 10 GbE for short) and the best way of doing so. Currently, Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-T) is the most widely deployed Ethernet standard in modern electronic devices currently on sale. However, 10 GbE offers the prospect of increasing transmission speeds by a factor of … Read more

Chart of Fibre Broadband (FTTC) Speed Versus Distance From the Cabinet

‘Fibre broadband’, or Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) as it is more formally known, is the technology that delivers the vast majority of superfast broadband connections in the UK currently. Often, the term ‘VDSL2’ is also used. The technology has two major weaknesses – by using the copper wires between you and the street cabinet, speeds diminish the further … Read more

Chart of ADSL and ADSL2+ Speed Versus Distance

chart

Updated February 2021. While ISPs often advertise ADSL2+ and ADSL services as having maximum downlink connection speeds of 24 Mbps and 8 Mbps, respectively, very few broadband users can expect to achieve such speeds. As shown in the figure below, a broadband signal generally has to travel considerable distances along the copper cable from the … Read more

Setting Up the Billion 8800NL and 8800AXL For BT TV (Multicast)

Billion modem

Our favourite modem routers – the Billion 8800NL and the enhanced Billion 8800AXL – provide superb performance and represent great upgrades for broadband users using either conventional ADSL broadband or fibre broadband. For fibre broadband users, they are also fully compatible with G.INP, which is an enhancement implemented on BT’s fibre network to improve error … Read more

Fibre Broadband (FTTC) Self Install and the Risks to Broadband Speeds Without a VDSL Faceplate Filter

Openreach van

The accountants seem to have been actively working in BT recently, with a number interesting, financially-motivated decisions taken. These revolve around optimising BT’s services to better reflect the practical costs of installation of fibre-optic cables for FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) on Demand and FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) equipment in residential and business premises. … Read more

Chart of ADSL and ADSL2+ Speed Versus Line Loss

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Updated: February 2021. While ISPs used to advertise ADSL2+ and ADSL services as having maximum downlink connection speeds of 24 Mbps and 8 Mbps, respectively, few broadband users achieve such speeds. Broadband signals from the exchange suffer attenuation as they travels along the cable from the exchange to your broadband modem, reducing the speeds that … Read more

Quick and Free Way to Test if a Filtered Faceplate Will Improve Your Broadband

BT plug

Updated February 2021. Before spending any money, here is a quick, painless and completely free method to determine if a filtered faceplate will improve your broadband connection. It works for standard broadband (ADSL/ADSL2+) and fibre broadband (Fibre-to-the-Cabinet – FTTC) connections. First, you should baseline your broadband connection, and determine the connection speed of your link. … Read more