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Things I Never Knew about ADSL BroadBand (until BSNL did this to me)

We have a Broadband connection since 2005, same year when BSNL introduced BroadBand internet in my city. I used to categorize broadband as per bandwidth and speed offered till this incident happened.

I do not call myself a tech guru because even I am learning with you and and use Blogsolute to share what I learn. This article contributes to the same category.

Recently, I applied for an upgrade to 10MBbs plan and billing started very next month. Please mind my words, just the billing of upgrade plan started. Actual upgrade didn’t happen. Yes, I was continuing to receive merely 4Mbps as per previous plan.

After visiting their office, they said there might be technical issue temporarily or the distance of your home might be too far from the telephone exchange causing speed loss.

Why I wasn’t getting 8 Mbps even after paying for it?

Answers given by them weren’t satisfactory so I started searching about it online when I came to know about types of ADSL connections. My broadband connection was using ADSL or ADSL1 line which is brought via telephone’s copper wire. Maximum limit of this line is 8Mbps but due to quality of cabling, it could yield just 4mbps at max.

None of the ISP in India offer classification of plans according to lines but I landed on this site when I realized about the cost and quality difference.

ADSL Cable Connection

Even ADSL connection have certain Types

  • ADSL/ADSL1 which I currently have coming through copper cable with maximum of 4mbps connection.
  • ADSL2 which offers upto 12 MBps connection. Also comes via copper cable but requires high end infrastructure on both ends.
  • ADSL2+ doubles the speed offered by ADSL2 i.e. 24 Mbps.

Refer the comparison to know more about the difference.

Why is Upload Speed less than Download

Before answering, let me tell you what does ADSL mean. It is an abbreviated form for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. Asymmetric means download speed cannot be same as upload. For home users who generally consume data and do not send much, ADSL is perfect. For business owners who send data to servers, SSDL (symmetric Digital subscriber line) is suitable.

Why Skype Video delayed even on 4 Mbps Connection

Skype video calling requires downloading and uploading at the same time. As I mentioned in above answer, download isn’t equal to upload speed, person on other side might face problem with your video.

Also, it highly depends on ping of connection. This signifies how fast your request is sent – processed – and received back. This again depends upon the distance of cable coming to your home. Understand and test broadband connection.

What I Settled down with?

Current service provider was in no way going to upgrade their infrastructure to ADSL2 or ADSL2+ for a single customer so I switched my ISP. I chose cable modem connection which uses Fiber optics and offers 8MBps with less than a ping of 45 milliseconds. Yes, that’s the beauty of Fiber optics where distance doesn’t hurt much at the customer’s end.

I would have never come to know about this issue or simply I would have never took efforts to research about it. This bad incident made me a wise customer who can at least argue next time internet service provider says something.

What broadband connection are you using? Let me know in comments if you have any doubts. I will certainly help you out.

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Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 7 comments
Amandeep Singh Nagpal - September 26, 2014

In my case, I was using 2mbps line. I upgraded it to 4mbps but same happened with me. Billing got upgraded but speed wise I was struck at same position. BSNL Staff seems dumb to me. When technology comes, they do not seem to have much knowledge. I got lame answers by them all of which you have already covered.

Then I got to know the techy deptt of BSNL who manages speed and everything. I just called them (I got no. from internet only, BSNL guys know sh*t). I told them everything and they asked me to do ftp speed tests. They finally upgraded it to 4mbps from their end but I was still getting around 3mbps only. It was not 3.4 or 3.5 but 3mbps. Upon further tests, they lifted the speed to 8mbps from their end.

I now get 4mbps flat speed. I feel pity on their infrastructure that to get 4mbps, they have to set 8mbps in their configuration. I believe same thing could have happened in your case. They might have revised the speed configuration to 16mbps in order to get you 8mbps . 😛

Reply
    Rohit Langde - September 26, 2014

    That’s amusing. 😀
    Well, in my case I confirmed from the technical department and came to know that there isn’t any upgraded infrastructure available at their end for my number.

    They do provide ADSL2 lines but it is for specific areas. Maybe they do not have any plans to provide those plans in rural area and hence downgraded bill plan too.

    Reply
    Yogi Yang - September 27, 2014

    Can you share the contact numbers of these Tech Guys of BSNL?

    Reply
Akash Angle - September 26, 2014

Great article I must say Rohit….
But there are few discrepancy in yr quest to put forth to the public in a rational way…
Firstly in ADSL upload is always greater then download in any given ISP plans…but considering the copper wires stranded as seen in our country u may be right but that’s in theory….
Secondly fiber optics is the way to go for anyone who needs greater bandwidth n excellent ping rates…n they r not freaking expensive…
N I donno what u taking about Skype thing…
I guess u were on HD thing…maybe on win 8 n higher resolution monitor…
But one thing came to my notice that u never talked about the real download speed in kbps or Mbps in real life situation… Its 1/8 th of yr ISP plan I guess…
Anyways wonderful article n now u seems to be enriching in networking..
G
Cheers !

Reply
    Rohit Langde - September 26, 2014

    No Akash, Upload is always lesser than Download in ADSL. It is designed and suitable for Home connection who often receive instead of upload.
    About Ping, it is not only on Skype but when you play online multiplayer game, quick response is very much dependent on ping.

    Yes, actual is 1/8th of whatever speed is claimed.

    And thanks for the compliment Akash, just an attempt to share and have conversation with you guys 🙂

    Reply
ankit sawalkar - September 27, 2014

Hello rohit..i m in search for new broadband connection..what kind of hardware and plan i should opt for..

Reply
Sai - November 6, 2014

BSNL is not alone, Even Airtel Wired (ADSL) has most of the areas where you cannot avail Speeds more than 4Mbps, These Companies more or less not interested in upgrading the last mile Infrastructure. You Could have gone for other providers?

Reply

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