Things you can try to improve your connection

This section deals with the limited things that you can do to try and improve your internet connection and speed. Some of these are technical, and involve the temporary relocation of your modem/router to test the locations of problems. Different changes result in better or worse connection speeds with different people, depending on where you are located within Basingstoke.

Please note, that carrying out the tests and making the changes detailed below are done at your own risk. Only carry out these procedures if you are happy that you know what you are doing. We take no responsibility if you damage your equipment.

Testing your line - by your router/Modem

The first check you can carry out is by looking at the status of your internet connection via your router/modem. This will tell you the quality of your line. The method will vary from one router/modem model to the next, so you will need to check your router/modem manual for more information.

1) Open up Internet explorer or Firefox

2) In the address bar, type in the IP address of your router. This is normally printed on the base of the router/modem and will be in the format 192.168.2.1. This will connect to your router, if it asks for a user id and password, enter these. If you don't know them, they are normally something like "admin" and "password" (again sometimes printed on the bottom of the modem/router)

4) Within the menu options, there will be a router or ADSL status option. Select this, to see the status of the connection. If you have the correct area, it will list 5 or 6 items of information including Connection Speed, Line Attenuation and Noise Margin

Now in Basingstoke, it is the Attenuation which is the problem. The higher the number, the more problems you will have, and the lower your speed. For more information on Attenuation, see the history of the problem page. Make a note of all the numbers, both for up and down speeds, you will need these later.

In Basingstoke, a healthy Attenuation level is below 40 (which will give a reasonable speed. However, if you live in the more populated and distant areas (Hatch Warren, Chineham, etc), then your attenuation level will be much higher. Above 75, and you are unlikely to get any kind of connection. For the noise level (db), the higher the number the better. Any noise level below 15 may cause problems.

Testing your line - at the master socket

Now, try moving your modem/router and plugging it into the master socket. In every house, there will be near the front door or living room (on an outside wall), a master phone socket with a BT logo on. The face plate will be split in half, with a big white blank area at the top, and the point for the phone line at the bottom.

Remove the faceplate, and you will see behind the faceplate, another hidden phone point. Plug your router/modem into this master socket connection, wait for it to connect (or at least try to connect) to the internet, and then carry out the same readings as per the first step to obtain the new Attenuation level.

This test is effectively connecting your modem/router directly to the BT line, bypassing your houses internal phone wiring. If the Attenuation level in the master socket is a lot lower than where you position your modem/router normally, then the problem is your internal wiring. If the attenuation level is still high, then it's a problem with where you live, and there is not much you can do about this. Either way, its worth progressing to the next steps to see if things can be improved.

If this test shows that there is a major difference between the normal modem/router location and the master socket, you may want to consider either permanently plugging your router into this phone point, otherwise you may need to look at new internal house phone cabling.

Removing the Ring Wire

A lot of people have noted that where there is a lot of line noise (through connected devices or through the distance from the main exchange), removing the ring wire will produce a clearer signal for your internet connection.

The ring wire is a hang-over from early 1970's phone systems which was used to carry the current to old style bell phones. In the modern day this 3rd wire is no longer needed and can be a nuisance to ADSL frequencies as the 3rd wire acts like an antennae for AM radio frequencies. Disconnecting this wire usually shows improved SYNC speeds and throughput. To disconnect this wire:

1) Locate the master sock (see master socket test above)

2) Open the master socket to expose the connections (for this, you will need to remove the cover faceplate as before, and now to get to the master wires, unscrew the BT box cover from the wall)

3) Disconnect any wires connected to Terminal 3 (The ring wire is usually an Orange/White Striped wire.) The terminals will be numbered for easy identification. It is better to physically pull the cable away (and tuck it away from the terminal/other wires) than cut it

Better ADSL Filters

When you connect to broadband for the very first time, your supplier will have provided you with ADSL noise filters. These boxes clip between you normal (voice) phones and your houses phone points. Depending on the ISP, some of the ADSL filters which would have been provided are not of the best quality, and do a poorer job than their more expensive brothers.

Before you go through the expensive task of purchasing better ADSL filters, first carry out a test. Take the readings from the settings and master socket test (as detailed above), now unplug from the wall all devices (phones, faxes, answer machines etc) which are connected to the BT line. Carry out the previous tests. If the Attenuation level drops, or the noise DB goes up, it is worth swapping out your ADSL filters.

Your ISP

Your only other port of call is your ISP. They have various settings they can change at the main exchange and in their hosting environment. However, I am personally not keen on calling them up. Mostly because where they sort your problems out, it causes problems for other people, and most ISPs will deny they can change anything in the first place (when in fact there are settings they can change).

If you do try the ISP method, and they say that there is little that can be done, try talking to them about ADSL+ or ADSL2. Most people in Basingstoke are on the older (and cheaper for them) ADSL standard, whereas ADSL2 seems to stand up better to the situation in Basingstoke. However, they will need to supply you with a new router for this.

The BT Exchange (the villain of Basingstoke Internet)

All of the above are just tweaks. The real fact is that nothing major is going to improve your internet connection or speed until the Basingstoke exchange is updated. Therefore, I encourage you to take action now!

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