Increase your broadband speed

[Harrison]

I've been having some strange issues with my broadband connection with it suddenly dropping the connection, then reconnecting instantly. Not a huge issue when browsing, but in an online game it kicks me out of the server, and it also could be an issue if performing a server update when the connection drops.

Anyway, that isn't what I wanted to say. Whilst investigating this issue online I came across loads of posts and sites talking about removing the bell wire (ring wire) from the house's master socket as it is no longer used by modern phones and can cause extra interference on the line and interfere with broadband speeds. Now where I love the broadband speed isn't great at the best of times. On my line I average 2-3Mbits so any speed increase is good.

So I decided to try removing the bell wire (ring wire) from the BT Master Switch, to see if there was any truth in what I was reading on many sites about it reduce line noise and increasing bandwidth. After rebooted the router my download speed has almost doubled! It was running at only 2672Kb/s (2.61Mb/s) when I tested it this morning just before I removed the wire, and is now running at 4567Kb/s (4.46Mb/s). Not ground breaking speeds by many peoples connections these days (especially those in cities or other countries), but a good speed increase for me, and I can instantly feel the speed increase when browsing websites, let alone downloading anything!

So if any of you have a BT master switch I highly recommend you try this. The master switch will be your main phone socket and it should be split with the bottom half removable with 2 screws. Unscrew it and you should see 4 wires connected to it. You want to remove the Orange/White wire which is connected to pin 3. Don't cut the wire, but remove it by teasing it out because if you ever sell your house or have a BT engineer visiting you should reconnect it.

[Stephen Coates]

I did this a couple of years ago, and it didn't make any difference to my connection, but I was only on the old fashioned fixed speed 2mbps type of connection then.

Maybe it would differ now I am on ADSL2+. I suppose I could always reconnect it to see what it does.

[StuKeith]

May have to try this! Just moved into a shared house with skyBB. When the other guy is playing world of tanks its slow to dl anything and ping goes hi as well.

[Harrison]

Nice to see you around Stu. Hope things are getting back on track for you?

Sounds more like the game is saturating the network. On quite a few routers you can throttle certain IPs, so if you could find the range World of Tanks uses (BTW great game) then you could restrict the game's usage to something like 1Mbit which should be plenty for playing. Although with the ping going high and the download speed slowing right down it sounds more like the upload speed is being saturated as this will stall the download speed. So try to find a way to throttle the upload bandwidth he is using.

[DonAmiga]

I opened mine up to find I only have 2 wires A & B I think no bell wire. I have my line straight into the test socket but only get 1.5 at the best of time, no infinity either in my area

[Stephen Coates]

My DSL has got a bit slower recently and keeps disconnecting.

There is some kind of fault on the line. It seems to be connected to someone else's telephone line in some way. When I pick the telephone up, my dial tone starts, and I can hear some old lady's call. They can obviously hear my dial tone as they keep moaning about it when I pick the phone up.

When I dial 1471 I get both my last call and their last call simultaneously.

Judging by listening to their calls, they thought this 'dial tone' issue was down to a fault with their telephone set . I suppose I shouldn't be listening in, but I'm too nosy .

The line was really noisy a week or so ago, so I wonder if they may have connected something up wrong at the exchange.

[StuKeith]

Nice to see you around Stu. Hope things are getting back on track for you?

Sounds more like the game is saturating the network. On quite a few routers you can throttle certain IPs, so if you could find the range World of Tanks uses (BTW great game) then you could restrict the game's usage to something like 1Mbit which should be plenty for playing. Although with the ping going high and the download speed slowing right down it sounds more like the upload speed is being saturated as this will stall the download speed. So try to find a way to throttle the upload bandwidth he is using.

Not too bad, Going through Divorce, Finally out the tent, working now which is good, and work near your neck of the woods too. (Chichester) The new place is ok. Just a room in a shared house. WOT is a good game, ive been playing it when I got time.

Ive got a new women now and shes great, Things with the Chav Ex are over (in terms of stunt she pulled with Rozzers) but shes claiming I'm father to her unborn child (She was sleeping with 3 men)

Coming up to xmas now, so the Sh**e is about to come and slap me around the face, anytime soon.