TOT Advice

[sidelines]

Looking for a bit of guidance as I am getting nowhere with TOT call center.

Recently, I was "upgraded" from a 7Mbps package to a 10Mbps/512Kbps package and the change is reflected in my bill. However, the data on my TOT TP link has not changed.

Here are the numbers...do they look correct for a 10Mbps/512Kbps package. Thanks.

Downstream Upstream

SNR Margin 23.5 26.0 db

Line Attenuation 7.5 6.5 db

Data Rate 7168 512 kbps

Max Rate 12400 1216 kbps

POWER 17.5 12.0 dbm

CRC 0 5

Edited July 27, 2013 by sidelines

[Dork]

For a 10/512 package there is definitely something wrong. The SNR & attenuation numbers are OK but the Data Rate is too low. Typically the sync rate between your modem & the DSLAM should 15-20% higher than your package speed to compensate for the overhead. Therefore your Data Rate should be in the range of 12Mbps/600Kbps or better.

I've found you need to be persistent with TOT. You have to convince them to send a technician. Once he sees the numbers on your modem he'll know what to do. I doubt that just talking to the call centre will get it resolved.

[sidelines]

Many thanks, that is what I suspected - will get on to TOT and follow your advice about asking for them to send a technician.

[colin2]

I think TOT took their name from the words waisT Of Time !.

[Pib]

Yeap, your attenuation/SNR metrics are just fine but TOT still has your line speed set to 7Mb. Apparently the accounting/billing office updated their system but they didn't update the system to actually increase your speed. Depending on the system architecture, a technician may have to physically make some changes at the local central office/DSLAM bank which haven't been done yet.

[paulissa]

I recently upgraded tp a 3BB 13/512 package and noticed that the connecttion was only showing 7.5.

The 3BB technician came to check and reported that the problem was due to to the wiring in my condo building.

[Pib]

I recently upgraded tp a 3BB 13/512 package and noticed that the connecttion was only showing 7.5.

The 3BB technician came to check and reported that the problem was due to to the wiring in my condo building.

He could have been BS'ing you but he could have been telling the truth. A lot does depends on the type and quality of wiring used within the building. If for example some of the phone/DSL wiring which should be single solid core phone wire is actually multi-strand electrical wiring then your bandwidth/speed will be impacted. And depending on the other equipment/switches installed in the building to distribute phone line service throughout the building that could very well be another player.

It's not uncommon in Thailand for PVC/rubber protected multi-strand electrical wire to have been used in construction for phone line runs within the walls because it much less likely to break and is protected better from high ambient temp/high humidity environment and critters in Thailand. Additionally many, many buildings/homes in Thailand right now were built well before high speed DSL internet was even available so electrical-type wire was used in place of the correct type wire to handle high speed communications. Plus, wire is wire asked the Thai sparky, right? Nope, you have to use the right wire for the application....that's kinda like saying why can't I just use common electrical wire in place of my TV cable wire. And of course each connection/splice has an impact on attenuation/SNR which impacts speed.

I experienced the electrical wire being used instead of phone wire in my own home, which I bought new approx. 5 years ago. The 220V electrical line and phone line came down the pole and went into an underground conduit for about 25 meters before coming back up into my house for distribution throughout the house. Well, for the phone/DSL line the single core phone wires coming down the pole was then connected to a PVC/rubber coated electrical multi-strand wires line to run from that point through the conduit and up into the house....it was in a separate conduit from the 220V lines. Or maybe said another way it was like using a common electrical extension cord to run the phone/DSL signal over for about 25 meters. Now after it come back up into the house it was hooked to regular single core phone lines runs throughout the house walls. OK, the basic phone worked phone and even the 2Mb TOT DSL plan I had at the time work fine...I could get the 2Mb speed. TOT was my only choice of internet provides at that time...since then True cable internet has come to my moobaan and I use True now

Anyway, when I was still with TOT DSL they did an upgrade of the central office/DSLAM equipment and they doubled the possible DSL speed to the moobaan from 2Mb to 4Mb...I said yes, upgrade me. Well, they came out to upgrade me and was giving me a new modem also but we could only get around 3.5Mb Sync/Rate speed. The TOT then pulled out a electronic tester, inserted it into the connection point outside where the phone wire from the pole hooked to the electrical-type wire going into my underground conduit and got a 4Mb connection no problem. He then hooked that connection back up and then went inside the house and hooked the meter into the point where the wire entered the house again and hooked to the regular phone wire--at that point his electronic tester could only get 3.5Mb...just like the modem was indicating...that electrical-type wire being used for part of the DSL signal run was just messing up/degrading the signal. That multi-strand electrical-type wire that had been used to substitute for phone wire in the underground conduit run was just not designed to carry the higher frequency signal/pulses of a DSL signal. Of course the electrical wire is fine/better for carrying a 50/60 Hertz line voltage sine wave but just not designed or meant for carrying higher frequency digital signals.

We ended up running a separate phone line from the outside poles through the house wall directly to my modem and got the 4Mb speed no problem...and later on 6Mb speed no problem with TOT upgraded again.....then later True cable internet arrived and I switched to that...and TOT does now offer much higher DSL speed to the moobaan (like around 20Mb I think) after running fiber optics to the moobaan and upgrading the old junction boxes to electronic/fiber junction boxes...then from those new fiber optics fed electronic junction boxes high on the pole away from flood waters regular phone/DSL lines continue to run to the homes.

Summary: yes, building/home wiring can definitely impact the speed you can obtain...and if electrical wire has been used in full or partial substitution of phone wire then your DSL speed is going to suffer/be limited.

[muratremix]

Your line is capable of 10Mbits of real speed maximum, however if you use it at that speed, you may have connection problems.

My 10mbit adsl in village shows data rate of 12,240 kbits (which equals to 10.1 or 10.2 mbit real speed after deducting 17% adsl packet overhead) and my max. line speed is over 20mbits so I don't have any problems.

Your

Line Attenuation 7.5 6.5 db

Values are terrible. Without fixing those first, don't get your hopes up for 10Mbit connection.

[Pib]

Your

Line Attenuation 7.5 6.5 db

Values are terrible. Without fixing those first, don't get your hopes up for 10Mbit connection.

Line attenuation values are terrible!? Incorrect...they are excellent values. Lower is better when it comes to attenuation on the line. You must be thinking SNR...if so, yes, SNR down around 7.5/6.5 is terrible. But he also has very good SNR metrics where higher is better. If his SNR were down around 10-12db then that would be borderline and could cause problems....and below 10db SNR he would probably experience disconnects, slow speed and other problems.

Take a look at this Link regarding what is considered good and bad values for attenuation and SNR.

Edited July 28, 2013 by Pib

[muratremix]

Yeah my bad, I mixed up it with SNR values.

However, if attenuation (distance from dsl box) is so low and snr margin is so high (which is good) then why the heck is max. data rate shows as 12,400 kbit?

Perhaps op is running on ADSL1 mode rather than adsl2+ ?

[Pib]

Yeah my bad, I mixed up it with SNR values.

However, if attenuation (distance from dsl box) is so low and snr margin is so high (which is good) then why the heck is max. data rate shows as 12,400 kbit?

Perhaps op is running on ADSL1 mode rather than adsl2+ ?

I expect it's due to a DSLAM setting/limitation.