On 28/07/2018 11:56, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
More on my friends Internet access issues, which I mentioned earlier..

He would seem to have several issues and is on Plusnet, which is BT
supplied.

1. He seems to be reporting his Internet connection is unstable.

2. His wifi access from the Plusnet router is desperately poor range
coverage.

Not uncommon. Not always fixable with just one router. Depending on the
house / layout etc, he may need multiple access points.

He contacted PN this am and PN has checked out 1 and agree with him.
They are sending a new router and have upsold him to fibre. They suggest
that they don't need to run anything into his house, he just needs to
switch to the new router.

Virgin recently ran fibre round the village and left little plastic
access points in the pavement, adjacent to every home. Where people have
taken up the Virgin service, they have had to run from the access point,
into the house with cable. How come Plusnet/BT don't need to do this?

Because the BT "fibre" he has been sold is not really fibre in the true
sense. They are using Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC), and then using VDSL
(a DSL varient designed for very high speed and short range) over copper
for the last few hundred metres...

The virgin option will be either a fibre or co-ax to the premises
system. (Typically FTTP or DOCSIS)

Friend bought himself a pair of BT Homplugs, to extend the range of his
wifi (2). During his call to PN, they said the Homeplug might be causing
him the problems with his poor interned - I don't really see how,
however the Homeplug access point, seemed not to be working at all,
despite it all being lit up. The AP failed to show in his devices list
of available AP's.

Homeplug devices work by injecting a RF signal into the mains wiring.
Given that was never really designed to limit radiation at those
frequencies, some of it will escape[1] - and may in theory make its way
into the telephone lines where it could interfere with the RF carrying
the broadband. In practice I have not seen this as a problem.

It sounds more likely they are not properly paired or are isolated in
some other way.

[1] upsetting the local radio amateurs.

I have the same pair of Homeplugs here, just for when I might need them
and they work absolutely fine.


--
Cheers,

John.

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