2 annoying problems « My Humax Forum

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2 annoying problems

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JohnH77

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See What to expect in the first few days of broadband which says:

After your BT broadband has been turned on for the first time, it can take up to an hour or so to 'settle down'. In some cases, usually when you're a very long way from the exchange, it might take longer - sometimes up to 24 hours.

During this settling in period you may experience an intermittent connection, usually accompanied by a flashing 'Broadband' light on your BT Home Hub. (If you're using another router or modem then the flashing light might be labelled 'DSL' or 'ADSL' instead.) This is all quite normal and doesn't mean there's anything wrong with your broadband. It's caused by your BT exchange automatically trying out different speeds to find out the fastest stable speed that your particular line can support. Once this has been worked out, then your broadband should become steady.

Although you should have a stable broadband connection after the first hour, tests actually go on for another 3 days to work out the final optimum speed for your phone line. During this time, you may notice your broadband speed keeps going up and down. Again, this is all quite normal and doesn't mean there's a problem.

So if you've had broadband for 3 days or less, you should only contact our helpdesk if you completely lose your broadband service for more than an hour.

| Tue 26 Apr 2016 21:43:57 #21 |
Faust

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Pollensa1946 - 3 hours ago »

JohnH77 - 1 hour ago »
Also, every time you disconnect your broadband line, the exchange thinks the line has failed. The exchange therefore reduces the maximum speed at which the line works (the IP Profile value). The allowable maximum is then slowly increased over the next day or two as the exchange monitors the line's health.

I switch my router off most nights and usually when I'm leaving the house for more than a few hours. That has had zero impact on my speed on both my previous TalkTalk adsl and my now BT fibre vdsl. The speed consistently hovers around, or exceeds, the max contracted speed. I worked for years in the telecomms/computing business and I have seen no evidence at all to support the kind of serious impact on speeds, or network stability, that switching off is claimed to cause.

Why on earth do you switch it off? For the fractions of pennies saved is it worth it? I switch absolutely nothing off completely though most products only use tiny amounts of electric in standby. My utility bills are nothing special and are in fact quite the norm.

If I switched my router off then my NAS would be most unhappy as would other gadgets e.g. Sonos sound equipment etc. Sounds like your connected world is only connected until bedtime.

| Tue 26 Apr 2016 21:48:55 #22 |
Biggles

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JohnH77 - 36 minutes ago »
See What to expect in the first few days of broadband which says:

After your BT broadband has been turned on for the first time, it can take up to an hour or so to 'settle down'. In some cases, usually when you're a very long way from the exchange, it might take longer - sometimes up to 24 hours.
During this settling in period you may experience an intermittent connection, usually accompanied by a flashing 'Broadband' light on your BT Home Hub. (If you're using another router or modem then the flashing light might be labelled 'DSL' or 'ADSL' instead.) This is all quite normal and doesn't mean there's anything wrong with your broadband. It's caused by your BT exchange automatically trying out different speeds to find out the fastest stable speed that your particular line can support. Once this has been worked out, then your broadband should become steady.
Although you should have a stable broadband connection after the first hour, tests actually go on for another 3 days to work out the final optimum speed for your phone line. During this time, you may notice your broadband speed keeps going up and down. Again, this is all quite normal and doesn't mean there's a problem.
So if you've had broadband for 3 days or less, you should only contact our helpdesk if you completely lose your broadband service for more than an hour.

What to expect in the first few days of broadband NOT what to expect every time you switch the router ON.
And from the middle of your quote.
Once this has been worked out, then your broadband should become steady.

| Tue 26 Apr 2016 22:21:51 #23 |
JohnH77

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What to expect in the first few days of broadband NOT what to expect every time you switch the router ON.

I am posting what the BT OpenReach guy told me a few weeks ago when he came out to fix my line and he stressed I was making matters worse by repeatedly rebooting my router.

Can I suggest you do some research on IP Profile - it is the name for the static mechanism by which the ISP limits you to the speed you have bought, or the engineer forces an even lower limit during testing; and for the dynamic mechanism which varies the line speed when the system believes the line to be faulty, and sets the optimum "fastest speed with acceptable data error rate, subject always to the ISP mandated cap". Disconnection is seen as a fault. When you reconnect, you do so at a lower speed and the speed is raised over time (longer for long, noisy lines than for short, good lines) dynamcally to the fastest acceptable speed.

| Wed 27 Apr 2016 0:17:29 #24 |
Pollensa1946

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JohnH77 - 6 hours ago » ...
I am posting what the BT OpenReach guy told me a few weeks ago when he came out to fix my line and he stressed I was making matters worse by repeatedly rebooting my router...

He was misleading you, essentially overstating the problem, not unusual if you check out the BT forums. I worked in the industry, and since have done extensive research online on this subject. Yes in the first 10 to 14 days you should leave your router permanently powered on, as advised by the internet provider, in order that the exchange equipment determines the optimum settings for the physical characteristics of the line (which these days don't much change under normal conditions). Thereafter switching off has no noticeable effect. I suggest you move from cutting-n-pasting to presenting some hard facts.

As an illustration... I switched off my router last night, first thing this morning I switched on and checked my download speed. The contracted speed is 38M, I was immediately getting 41M. That's pretty much consistent.

| Wed 27 Apr 2016 7:00:44 #25 |
Pollensa1946

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Faust - 9 hours ago » ...Sounds like your connected world is only connected until bedtime...

I sleep well, and don't like to be disturbed

| Wed 27 Apr 2016 7:02:34 #26 |
Pollensa1946

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Faust - 10 hours ago » ...Why ask for advice if you've already decided the answer...

LOL! Pot and kettle spring to mind here.

Faust - 10 hours ago » ...If your products are correctly fuse rated and in good condition why is there a fire hazard...

Fuses are designed to avoid devices drawing a current in excess of the device rating in the event of a fault. They do not prevent a device spontaneously going alight under normal currents, as many fire officers will tell you. Also witness the number of washing m/c and spin-dryer recalls.

| Wed 27 Apr 2016 8:04:48 #27 |
Biggles

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JohnH77 - 8 hours ago »

What to expect in the first few days of broadband NOT what to expect every time you switch the router ON.

I am posting what the BT OpenReach guy told me a few weeks ago when he came out to fix my line and he stressed I was making matters worse by repeatedly rebooting my router.
Can I suggest you do some research on IP Profile - it is the name for the static mechanism by which the ISP limits you to the speed you have bought, or the engineer forces an even lower limit during testing; and for the dynamic mechanism which varies the line speed when the system believes the line to be faulty, and sets the optimum "fastest speed with acceptable data error rate, subject always to the ISP mandated cap". Disconnection is seen as a fault. When you reconnect, you do so at a lower speed and the speed is raised over time (longer for long, noisy lines than for short, good lines) dynamcally to the fastest acceptable speed.

At switch-on this morning my internet speed is 50% higher than my contracted speed. It may vary a bit during the day but 50%(ish) higher than contracted speed has been the norm for me for several years now. If what you are saying is correct then I can only assume I have a 'short good line'.

| Wed 27 Apr 2016 8:56:31 #28 |
JPLS

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Faust - 11 hours ago »

JPLS - 5 hours ago »
Of course I leave the fridge on, but I live in a wooden house, everything left on is a potential fire hazard, and a waste of energy.
Also some people buy digital recorders and never connect them to the internet!
Apart from the Humax's tendency to lock up, I have no problem on my network with things being switched off. My Sony TV and Oppo blu ray player connect using wifi OK, and my wired computers work. So why shouldn't I switch off at night?
Jeremy

Why ask for advice if you've already decided the answer. If your products are correctly fuse rated and in good condition why is there a fire hazard. Good luck and remember when you're saving the pennies there are no pockets in shrouds.

With respect Faust, I was not asking a question. I was trying to help the originator of this thread by suggesting a possible cause of his problem.

It doesn't matter what anyone thinks you should do as people will use things in many different ways anyway. Some people will disconnect their internet at night, or never connect it, or the phone line will go down (in my street the phones fail regularly). The equipment should be able to deal with these things.

Unfortunately software designers often assume that everybody has their technical outlook and forget how people might actually use something.

| Wed 27 Apr 2016 9:18:39 #29 |
Biggles

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Faust - 11 hours ago »
.....
If your products are correctly fuse rated and in good condition why is there a fire hazard.
.....

This sort of statement will lead people into a false sense of security. As an example I have had two computer PSU catch fire at work under normal use and both were correctly fused. I have had an LCD projector spectacularly blow a large capacitor in its power supply, also correctly fused. Only the projector blew its fuse and fortunately people were around to pull the plugs.

| Wed 27 Apr 2016 9:19:53 #30 |