DSL ZoneUK – Common terms: http://www.dslzoneuk.net/maxspeed.php
If you’re on one of the majority of BT’s exchanges in the UK then by the 31st of March 2006 it ought to be possible to move to ADSL2 (assuming your hardware and ISP support it). If you can get access to the current attenuation and signal-to-noise figures from your modem then the above link will give an idea of what you can expect from the new service.
So, I’m up from 1Mb to 2.4Mb, which is enough to make me look at the ADSL2 ISP’s out there ready for April 🙂
Update: Ahem. :blush: the MaxDSL stuff is still plain old ADSL and has nothing even remotely to do with ADSL2…
Claire
We have just done the test that you posted and whooopeee. The results tell us that we could potentially have 9.7Mbps 😀 😎 We are now on 2Mbps and our ISP will be moving us up to 8Mbps as of June (for free) but we can do it earlier than that if we pay a paltry sum of £9.99.
Not that I want to gloat or anything…..
Not me
Dave
Isn’t the move at the end of March actually the move to ADSL Max? ADSL 2 is a completely different kettle of pirhanas…
ian
9.7 ? Hmm, sounds broken to me, so yes with a predicted speed like that you deserve to have to pay for it 😈
With regards to the Max thing, I think the firmware geek in me is starting to show: the speeds (8Mb/448kb) are those of the ADSL2 signal standard (as opposed to the 24Mb down for ADSL2+), but the BT upgrade is actually named after the cards being replaced in the exchange DSLAMs, the new ones being mAX SLAM cards which can do 1/2/2+ all in the one box, so in theory moving from 2 to 2+ should just be a case of paying some money and setting a software switch.
AFAIK ADSL2+ hasn’t yet been approved for use in the UK as there are RF emissions issues to investigate – if I’m wrong and it has been approved then it’s simply not being used because BT haven’t figured out how much to fleece everyone for it !
Oh, and for people like me with horrid attenuation figures (50dBm) there are some tips for how to get a better noise margin at the expense of needing an ADSL microfilter at all sockets to retain the ring on voice handsets.