Hi there
I have a TPG ADSL2+ broadbank connection. Yesterday, I tried replacing the ADSL cable between router and splitter and noticed the following
- Speedtest shows that the speed is about 3.5MBPS/0.45MBPS(download and upload respectively) with new cable compared to 10 MBPS/0.86MBPS with old cable.
- Internet drops off randomly(Internet light on Router turns off)
I wanted to extend the cable as the router is now near an entrance door.
so, I ordered this cable on eBay and it didn't work - Internet doesn't get connected at all.
I am connected to a Netgear ADSL2+ Modem Router.
Need suggestions from experts on "how to chose ADSl cable ?" and "What basis Speed varies?"
There is no such thing as an 'ADSL' cable. the cable you are looking for is called RJ11, which is a squarish connector that contains 6 pins that provides runs for 3 copper pairs.
RJ11 cables are used mostly for analogue and voice devices, so those oldskool landline phones and dial-up modems and even yes, ADSL modem router combos, all use the same cable.
If the cable is not wired correctly OR the cable is terminated wrongly Or it is not made according to the RJ11 specification, then you've got a bad cable and you should get a refund.
Usually it's down the line quality and distance. The further you are away from the exchange, the lower your sync speeds (download and upload speeds). ADSL2+ has a theoretical maximum of 24 Mbit/s, though the harsh reality is that 60 to 80 percent of ADSL2 users would get much lower speeds than that.
There's also congestion that comes into play, so if your area has a lot of users tapping into the same ADSL network, you get what is essentially the networking version of a traffic jam.
There's also signal noise and attenuation — signals have to be sent via a copper wire. This copper wire is looooooong and along the way, the wire has some electrical resistance properties that cause the signal to become degraded. If there's any obstacles along the way, such as frayed cabling or damaged insulation that lets in water when it rains, it might not even work!
At distances of up to 1KM, the signal is still strong to give you speeds close to the maximum, but past the 1KM mark, there is a sharp fall-off in speed.
You can't control this factor, but what you can control is to buy a modem that can cope with long copper lines and weaker signals. Broadcom-based chipsets are good for this, while Trendchip modems are generally better for shorter lines. The quality of your internal copper cabling is important too, so Telstra / Optus can sometimes come to your home and test your cables to see if they are still good (call-out fees may apply)
you should also not buy a RJ11 cable that is too long either — you're just increasing the probability the signals will degrade from wireless sources (electro-magnetic interference) so choose a cable that is as short as you can possibly make it.