u/SpaceMonkeyAttack — reddlx

VDSL modem recs?

I'm on FttC because I offended the gods or something. I originally bought a pretty cheap router that my ISP recommended, a TD-W9960 from TP-Link. However, recently it's been extremely crashy^1, and the WiFi isn't the best^2, and I'd like to replace it. I do have a decent WiFi router I would use, an Archer AX12^3 (also from TP-Link^4) but it doesn't support VDSL.

I'm thinking I'd like to get a reliable modem that I can connect to my Archer over ethernet. Has anyone bought something like this that worked? Failing that, does anyone have a recommendation for an all-in-one router that doesn't suck?

^(1 The internet stops working, though the WiFi is still connected. I'm pretty sure it's the router freezing up, not a connection drop, because all the lights stay on, and the admin interface webpage won't load, nor will the router respond to pings. The only fix is power cycling it. This happens a couple of times a day.)

^(2 The internet is slow, but I'd still like fast WiFi for local traffic, like streaming games and media within the house.)

^(3 If you are wondering why I have this, it's because I was expecting a proper FttP connection, and bought this in anticipation, but it turns out that CityFibre and Openreach will only connect to my neighbours, not me. I also have an old router from Hyperoptic that I could repurpose.)

^(4 I should probably stop buying Toilet Paper Link products, but sometimes they are actually pretty good.)

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u/SpaceMonkeyAttack — 6 days ago

▲ 16 r/TheWire

Do you think Bunny Colvin's Hamsterdam was inspired by Brian Paddick?

Paddick was commander of police in Lambeth, South London. He unilaterally decriminalised possession of cannabis in his borough, and was eventually fired. It's not the closest parallel, but I always thought it must have been some influence on the writers. I've never heard anyone talking about it in relation to The Wire though.

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u/SpaceMonkeyAttack — 1 month ago

▲ 918 r/behindthebastards

I accidentally left my VPN connected to the USA, and it's a totally different listening experience.

Normally I just skip adverts for like fifty true crime podcasts, but now I'm skipping adverts for pharmaceuticals!

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u/SpaceMonkeyAttack — 3 months ago

▲ 1 r/UKBroadband

DIY installing a master socket / finding the telephone wire entry point

Mine is a tale of woe. The best broadband I can get currently is OpenReach SOGEA. The straight-line distance to my cabinet* is about 185m, or about 240m following the street.

My "expected" download speed is 73Mbps, my acceptable range is 60.83-70Mbps. What I actually get is about 20-21Mbps, and about 1.1Mbps upstream (sync speeds)

I'm pretty sure this is down to the crappy wiring in my recently acquired house. I'd like to be able to plug in to the master socket, but there isn't one, nor is it clear where the line enters the house.

I also cannot find a telephone engineer in my area (Inverness) for love nor money. I'm not sure if OpenReach would sort it out, even if I paid them, since it's not an issue with their network. I understand that installing the master socket is their responsibility, but I've no way of knowing if it was never installed, or if a previous occupant removed it (the house was built around 2011.)

What I've got are four telephone sockets, none of which are a master socket (yes, I've looked everywhere - if there's a proper master socket, it's bloody well hidden.) It seems like they've been daisy-chained together using CAT5. There's no telegraph poles in my neighbourhood, so the line must enter underground.

Two of the sockets are right next to each other downstairs, and I think one of these must be the first one. They both have two cables connected to the same socket pins. There are two more sockets upstairs, both of which only have one cable connected.

If I can figure out which cable is the actual entry point, then I'd be pretty fine with disconnecting the others, on the assumption that the rest of the wiring is just causing interference. Possibly I just need to shotgun-debug it by disconnecting wires and seeing what happens.

Here's some pictures of the whole situation: https://photos.app.goo.gl/st34YfftqepNHrxCA

*(I think it's my cabinet. Wholesale checker says my line is connected to Cabinet 1, and the only one I can find has a "3" on it, but there are two other unlabelled green cabinets right next to it, so I guess those are 1 and 2?)

u/SpaceMonkeyAttack — 3 months ago