Kirkian Computing

Tag: VDSL

  • VDSL modem

    Back in 2011, I had VDSL installed in my flat. As part of the installation, the BT engineer replaced the faceplate on my master phone socket and also supplied me with a new modem:

    Modem 1

    Earlier this year, the modem developed a fault and I couldn’t get online. Annoyingly, this happened on a Friday evening, so A&A’s tech support had closed for the weekend. I got in touch with them on Monday morning, then BT sent someone out on Tuesday morning and I was back online by 09:30. So, I didn’t have internet access for 3½ days, but if the same problem happened midweek then presumably it would be resolved more quickly.

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  • VDSL

    I’ve recently swapped ISP, from Zen to Andrew & Arnold. More specifically, I had an ADSL line from Zen, and I now have a VDSL line from A&A; this uses FTTC (Fibre To The Cabinet), which BT have just deployed in my local exchange. I’m happy with the new service, and it’s definitely faster than what I had before: according to Broadband Speed Checker my download speed is 24368 Kbps, whereas it was about 3500 Kbps before. Unfortunately, the transfer didn’t go smoothly, and I wound up with no internet connection for eight days; I had to rely on my Orange mobile broadband dongle, which is roughly equivalent to dial-up speed. I’m not quite sure what went wrong, but there was definitely a failure to communicate somewhere along the line. If you’re considering a similar move, this post should give you an idea of what to expect.

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