[Hidden-tech] A technical question about DSL

[Matthew S. Crocker]

Jan,
 
 There is no 'compensation circuitry' never heard that term before.  Your DSL speed is based on the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) on the line. SNR is affected by distance primarily but other factors can come into play.  It is possible that the outages you see are caused by trying to run the circuit at 5.0mbps and dropping down to 3.0mbps would increase reliability.  It is a shame that Verizon won't let your downgrade without forcing you to sign another year contract.  I know we switch speeds for customers all the time without renewing their contract.

-Matt

----- Original Message -----

> From: "Jan Werner" <jwerner at jwdp.com>
> To: hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net
> Sent: Friday, July 30, 2010 11:28:51 AM
> Subject: [Hidden-tech] A technical question about DSL
> 
> ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's
> area.
>    ** If you did, we all thank you.
> 
> 
> I have been using a Verizon phone services and DSL bundle since 2004.
> 
> Last December, I signed up for a year at a new and slightly lower
> bundle 
> price that raised my maximum DSL speed from 1.5 Mbs to 5.0 Mbs, which
> 
> they assured me my line would support.
> 
> Since then, I have had sporadic problems with the DSL service.  One is
> 
> disconnects. My router (D-Link) and the Verizon supplied modem appear
> to 
> be remain connected, but I there is no service until I perform a
> manual 
> disconnect and reconnect. This happens irregularly and I usually go
> for 
> weeks without a disconnect, but there have been a few periods during 
> which I have had to reconnect several times a day.
> 
> Mostly, my d/l speed has been about 2.8 to 3.0 Mbs, but last month, I
> 
> started to experience speeds as low as 50 kbs for extended periods. 
> After checking and eliminating any of my own devices and connection as
> 
> the cause, I placed a service call to Verizon.
> 
> The technician verified that my problems originated with Verizon and
> not 
> my hookup and went off to investigate further.  He called back later
> and 
> said that I was about 2000 feet too far away to handle 5.0 Mbs, but
> that 
> my circuit would support 3.0 Mbs. He said the problems I had been
> having 
> came from their compensation circuitry trying to adapt to 5.0 Mbs and
> 
> that if my service were changed to 3.0 Mbs, the DSL should work much 
> more reliably.
> 
> Verizon, however, refuses to downgrade my service from 5.0 Mbs to 3.0
> 
> Mbs unless I either sign up for an additional 12 months or pay a $120
> 
> early termination fee and forfeit bundle pricing.
> 
> Before I take this any further, I would like to know if what the 
> technician told me about compensation circuitry makes any sense to the
> 
> DSL experts here. I'm not sure I completely believe it, but I'm not an
> 
> EE and he was wearing a nice red shirt with a big V on it.
> 
> Jan Werner
> 
> 
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-- 
Matthew S. Crocker
President
Crocker Communications, Inc.
PO BOX 710
Greenfield, MA 01302-0710
http://www.crocker.com
P: 413-746-2760