The 4G-based system has been up and running for two months now. Working
well. About 2/3 of the 70GByte monthly being used.

I have not seen 2 bars since I burnt my landline boats - but am still
beating the discontinued FTTC speed. No dropouts or significant lack of
capacity.

We get a lot of power cuts here. Two times already this week. Not a
problem now as the mobile is its own ~4 hour UPS.

It is a shame that the very memorable 'phone number allocated won't be
used much, if at all.

Less than a tenner each month; less than a tenner set-up (the cost of a
Samsung S5 on Ebay). I suppose that I should include the cost of a
charger and the charger cable - as the £9.84 'phone was just the handset
and its postage. Who hasn't got such items in the bottom of a wardrobe ;>}

PA

On 05/10/2023 11:44, Peter Able wrote:
> The 4G-based system has been up and running for two months now.  Working
> well.  About 2/3 of the 70GByte monthly being used.
>

I suppose we are heavy users. Looks like I am using about that per week.
My download usage for the past three months was around 350Gb a month....

> I have not seen 2 bars since I burnt my landline boats - but am still
> beating the discontinued FTTC speed.  No dropouts or significant lack of
> capacity.
>
> We get a lot of power cuts here.  Two times already this week. Not a
> problem now as the mobile is its own ~4 hour UPS.
>
> It is a shame that the very memorable 'phone number allocated won't be
> used much, if at all.
>
> Less than a tenner each month; less than a tenner set-up (the cost of a
> Samsung S5 on Ebay).  I suppose that I should include the cost of a
> charger and the charger cable - as the £9.84 'phone was just the handset
> and its postage.  Who hasn't got such items in the bottom of a wardrobe
> ;>}

Yes I spent a lot more than that. I assume you also have a CGNAT number
so you can't VPN back to home when out and about...

>
> PA
>

Dave

Am 05.10.2023 schrieb David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>:

> Yes I spent a lot more than that. I assume you also have a CGNAT
> number so you can't VPN back to home when out and about...

IPv6 exists. Good providers have it.

On 05/10/2023 14:35, Marco Moock wrote:
> Am 05.10.2023 schrieb David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>:
>
>> Yes I spent a lot more than that. I assume you also have a CGNAT
>> number so you can't VPN back to home when out and about...
>
> IPv6 exists. Good providers have it.
>

On mobile? I also use VPN from Spain and my ISP there has no IPv6.

Dave

On Thursday, 5 October 2023 at 18:16:51 UTC+1, David Wade wrote:
> On 05/10/2023 14:35, Marco Moock wrote:
> > Am 05.10.2023 schrieb David Wade <g4...@dave.invalid>:
> >
> >> Yes I spent a lot more than that. I assume you also have a CGNAT
> >> number so you can't VPN back to home when out and about...
> >
> > IPv6 exists. Good providers have it.
> >
> On mobile? I also use VPN from Spain and my ISP there has no IPv6.
>
> Dave

Another option (also from A&A) is to set up an L2TP tunnel to them which gives a static
IPv4 address and lots of IPv6 addresses. If you can live with 3Mbit/s for the static
IP addresses then it only costs £2+VAT/month. If you need more, then 400Mbit/s max and
5Tbyte/month costs £10+VAT/month. You also get an unfiltered connection.
John

David Wade wrote:

> Marco Moock wrote:
>
>> IPv6 exists.
>
> On mobile?

Some UK mobiles (e.g. EE) come with *only* IPv6 now ... probably varies
by contract type

On 05/10/2023 18:16, David Wade wrote:
> On 05/10/2023 14:35, Marco Moock wrote:
>> Am 05.10.2023 schrieb David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>:
>>
>>> Yes I spent a lot more than that. I assume you also have a CGNAT
>>> number so you can't VPN back to home when out and about...
>>
>> IPv6 exists. Good providers have it.
>>
>
> On mobile? I also use VPN from Spain and my ISP there has no IPv6.
>
> Dave

build your own Wireguard server on a Raspberry pi and set that at home,
set up a port forward rule in the home router

then install teh wireguard app from the appstore / playstore, use phone
to scan the QR code on teh R Pi's screen and then the VPN can then
connect and be left permanently connected.

You will however need a static IP on the home router so speak to your
ISP about that. I do not know if wireguard will work with Dyn DNS or
No-IP services.

Am 05.10.2023 schrieb David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>:

> On 05/10/2023 14:35, Marco Moock wrote:
> > Am 05.10.2023 schrieb David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>:
> >
> >> Yes I spent a lot more than that. I assume you also have a CGNAT
> >> number so you can't VPN back to home when out and about...
> >
> > IPv6 exists. Good providers have it.
> >
>
> On mobile? I also use VPN from Spain and my ISP there has no IPv6.

In Germany it is available on mobile.
If your ISP doesn't support it, try a VPN provider that supports it.

Am 05.10.2023 schrieb Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk>:

> Some UK mobiles (e.g. EE) come with *only* IPv6 now ... probably
> varies by contract type

That is a good sign.

Am 05.10.2023 schrieb SH <i.love@spam.com>:

> You will however need a static IP on the home router so speak to your
> ISP about that. I do not know if wireguard will work with Dyn DNS or
> No-IP services.

It should work, but it will be disconnected every time the IP changes.

On 05/10/2023 18:57, John Walliker wrote:
> On Thursday, 5 October 2023 at 18:16:51 UTC+1, David Wade wrote:
>> On 05/10/2023 14:35, Marco Moock wrote:
>>> Am 05.10.2023 schrieb David Wade <g4...@dave.invalid>:
>>>
>>>> Yes I spent a lot more than that. I assume you also have a CGNAT
>>>> number so you can't VPN back to home when out and about...
>>>
>>> IPv6 exists. Good providers have it.
>>>
>> On mobile? I also use VPN from Spain and my ISP there has no IPv6.
>>
>> Dave
>
> Another option (also from A&A) is to set up an L2TP tunnel to them which gives a static
> IPv4 address and lots of IPv6 addresses. If you can live with 3Mbit/s for the static
> IP addresses then it only costs £2+VAT/month. If you need more, then 400Mbit/s max and
> 5Tbyte/month costs £10+VAT/month. You also get an unfiltered connection.
> John

I just wonder if I would save anything money wise. At 350gb a month I
wonder how much a SIM for that would cost. My son is threatening to move
back. This will go up! I use a VPN in Spain to loop back through my to
UK home setup to watch TV in Spain. Would a&A be happy for me to stream
TV that way?

I like what I have now. Its not cheap but it works for what I want. In
the UK ZEN FTTP with a fixed IPV4 router. In Spain FTTP with CGNAT. The
Draytek router in Spain opens a VPN link back to the UK router.

I use the same WiFi SSDs at both locations, so when my wife wants to
watch Coronation Street on her IPAD it works just like we were in the
UK. Achieving this means there are few support issues......

Dave

On 05/10/2023 21:49, SH wrote:
> On 05/10/2023 18:16, David Wade wrote:
>> On 05/10/2023 14:35, Marco Moock wrote:
>>> Am 05.10.2023 schrieb David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>:
>>>
>>>> Yes I spent a lot more than that. I assume you also have a CGNAT
>>>> number so you can't VPN back to home when out and about...
>>>
>>> IPv6 exists. Good providers have it.
>>>
>>
>> On mobile? I also use VPN from Spain and my ISP there has no IPv6.
>>
>> Dave
>
>
> build your own Wireguard server on a Raspberry pi and set that at home,
> set up a port forward rule in the home router
>
> then install teh wireguard app from the appstore / playstore, use phone
> to scan the QR code on teh R Pi's screen  and then the VPN can then
> connect and be left permanently connected.
>
> You will however need a static IP on the home router so speak to your
> ISP about that. I do not know if wireguard will work with Dyn DNS or
> No-IP services.

I have Draytek routers. All this is built in.

On 06/10/2023 08:14, Marco Moock wrote:
> Am 05.10.2023 schrieb Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk>:
>
>> Some UK mobiles (e.g. EE) come with *only* IPv6 now ... probably
>> varies by contract type
>
> That is a good sign.
>
I think it is being used by everyone who is invisible to the end user
I *ought* to transition but life is only so long

--
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will
eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such
time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic
and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally
important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for
the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the
truth is the greatest enemy of the State.

Joseph Goebbels

John Walliker <jrwalliker@gmail.com> wrote:

> Another option (also from A&A) is to set up an L2TP tunnel to them which gives a static
> IPv4 address and lots of IPv6 addresses. If you can live with 3Mbit/s for the static
> IP addresses then it only costs £2+VAT/month. If you need more, then 400Mbit/s max and
> 5Tbyte/month costs £10+VAT/month. You also get an unfiltered connection.
> John

The A&A site says that you connect through their L2TP tunnel via your
internet device. Won’t you need a similar data allowance for that too, or
does the tunnel bypass e.g. your device ISP?

--
Spike

Am 06.10.2023 schrieb Spike <aero.spike@btinternet.invalid>:

> John Walliker <jrwalliker@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Another option (also from A&A) is to set up an L2TP tunnel to them
> > which gives a static IPv4 address and lots of IPv6 addresses. If
> > you can live with 3Mbit/s for the static IP addresses then it only
> > costs £2+VAT/month. If you need more, then 400Mbit/s max and
> > 5Tbyte/month costs £10+VAT/month. You also get an unfiltered
> > connection. John
>
> The A&A site says that you connect through their L2TP tunnel via your
> internet device. Won’t you need a similar data allowance for that
> too, or does the tunnel bypass e.g. your device ISP?

L2TP is a normal network protocol that uses UDP as a transport medium,
so it can be used over existing IPv4/IPv6 connectivity.

On Friday, 6 October 2023 at 13:11:44 UTC+1, Marco Moock wrote:
> Am 06.10.2023 schrieb Spike <aero....@btinternet.invalid>:
>
> > John Walliker <jrwal...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Another option (also from A&A) is to set up an L2TP tunnel to them
> > > which gives a static IPv4 address and lots of IPv6 addresses. If
> > > you can live with 3Mbit/s for the static IP addresses then it only
> > > costs £2+VAT/month. If you need more, then 400Mbit/s max and
> > > 5Tbyte/month costs £10+VAT/month. You also get an unfiltered
> > > connection. John
> >
> > The A&A site says that you connect through their L2TP tunnel via your
> > internet device. Won’t you need a similar data allowance for that
> > too, or does the tunnel bypass e.g. your device ISP?
> L2TP is a normal network protocol that uses UDP as a transport medium,
> so it can be used over existing IPv4/IPv6 connectivity.

Yes, you will deplete your data allowance from your normal service provider..
The data does not by-pass them, but it gets encapsulated in a way that
allows static ip addresses and by-passes most kinds of filtering.
John

On 05/10/2023 11:46, David Wade wrote:
> On 05/10/2023 11:44, Peter Able wrote:
>> The 4G-based system has been up and running for two months now.
>> Working well.  About 2/3 of the 70GByte monthly being used.
>>
>
> I suppose we are heavy users. Looks like I am using about that per week.
> My download usage for the past three months was around 350Gb a month....
>
>
>> I have not seen 2 bars since I burnt my landline boats - but am still
>> beating the discontinued FTTC speed.  No dropouts or significant lack
>> of capacity.
>>
>> We get a lot of power cuts here.  Two times already this week. Not a
>> problem now as the mobile is its own ~4 hour UPS.
>>
>> It is a shame that the very memorable 'phone number allocated won't be
>> used much, if at all.
>>
>> Less than a tenner each month; less than a tenner set-up (the cost of
>> a Samsung S5 on Ebay).  I suppose that I should include the cost of a
>> charger and the charger cable - as the £9.84 'phone was just the
>> handset and its postage.  Who hasn't got such items in the bottom of a
>> wardrobe ;>}
>
>
> Yes I spent a lot more than that. I assume you also have a CGNAT number
> so you can't VPN back to home when out and about...
>
>>
>> PA
>>
>
> Dave

This field is relatively new to me - so I had to look up CGNAT. Not
sure that I've got it right, but this implementation is a Samsung S5 on
the Vodaphone network acting as a hotspot for up to 10 devices. So no
need for IPs all round - but, as you say, no VPN capability.

Since my wife was killed off, it is just me that needs to be supplied.
As it was, the FTTC speed was a 9Mbps service with loads of contention -
and no plans for FTTP. The 4G signal here is typically -108dBm, but it
seems to be reliable. O2 is about -112dBm. Three and EE are about
-120dBM. Vodaphone is the only of these networks which holds up a 4G
connection in the house 24/7. It is a comms ghetto around here The
bit-rates - both up and down - are a lot more stable than with FTTC
where the bit-rate was down to about 2Mbps from 3 to 6pm.

One bit of extra performance data. A telephone call using the S5
handset seems to use about 3Mbps of the available bandwidth.

Current performance @ 10:00 today (Saturday) 13Mbps / 2Mbps

[ We could do with some levelling up in the Home Counties ]

PA

On Sat, 07 Oct 2023 09:20:08 +0000, Peter Able wrote:

> Current performance @ 10:00 today (Saturday) 13Mbps / 2Mbps
>
> [ We could do with some levelling up in the Home Counties ]

Well I'm in the Home Counties (Reigate, Surrey) and my FTTC is currently
giving me 70Mbps/20Mbps. The cabinet is less than 100m away and the
telephone exchange is about 300m away. Our road is cabled up for fibre
but I don't see the need for higher speeds as it's just me using the net.

--
TOJ.

On 07/10/2023 12:42, The Other John wrote:
> On Sat, 07 Oct 2023 09:20:08 +0000, Peter Able wrote:
>
>> Current performance @ 10:00 today (Saturday) 13Mbps / 2Mbps
>>
>> [ We could do with some levelling up in the Home Counties ]
>
> Well I'm in the Home Counties (Reigate, Surrey) and my FTTC is currently
> giving me 70Mbps/20Mbps. The cabinet is less than 100m away and the
> telephone exchange is about 300m away. Our road is cabled up for fibre
> but I don't see the need for higher speeds as it's just me using the net.
>
Double what I get with FTTP although I COULD get a shitload more...

--
“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the
other is to refuse to believe what is true.”

—Soren Kierkegaard

On 07/10/2023 11:42, The Other John wrote:
> On Sat, 07 Oct 2023 09:20:08 +0000, Peter Able wrote:
>
>> Current performance @ 10:00 today (Saturday) 13Mbps / 2Mbps
>>
>> [ We could do with some levelling up in the Home Counties ]
>
> Well I'm in the Home Counties (Reigate, Surrey) and my FTTC is currently
> giving me 70Mbps/20Mbps. The cabinet is less than 100m away and the
> telephone exchange is about 300m away. Our road is cabled up for fibre
> but I don't see the need for higher speeds as it's just me using the net.
>
Nor I, but a guarantee of only 9Mbps from FTTC is a disgrace.

As is -108dBm from the "strongest" mobile signal provider.

As is an intermittent and unstable electrical mains supply. Three power
cuts this last week. Voltage very regularly below spec. Lowest in
recent times, 176V - day after day; month after month; indeed year after
year. No kidding !

Gosh, I'm sounding like a northerner ;-}

PA

On 07/10/2023 12:42, The Other John wrote:
> On Sat, 07 Oct 2023 09:20:08 +0000, Peter Able wrote:
>
>> Current performance @ 10:00 today (Saturday) 13Mbps / 2Mbps
>>
>> [ We could do with some levelling up in the Home Counties ]
>
> Well I'm in the Home Counties (Reigate, Surrey) and my FTTC is currently
> giving me 70Mbps/20Mbps. The cabinet is less than 100m away and the
> telephone exchange is about 300m away. Our road is cabled up for fibre
> but I don't see the need for higher speeds as it's just me using the net.
>

No but BT may well see the need to retire FTTC. The cabinets need power
and are a pain to maintain. They are supposed to have backup batteries
which have a life cycle. With FTTP they can ditch the now obsolete
Huawei DSLAMs (Looks like these need to go as well as Huawei bits in the
mobile network)

https://techmonitor.ai/policy/privacy-and-data-protection/huawei-uk-5g

and also ditch many exchanges.....
.... if they have deployed fibre it does not have to be faster.

The "Full Fibre 2" package duplicates what you get with FTTP. Well no
phone line. Expect a van at the door...

Dave

On 07/10/2023 15:09, Peter Able wrote:
> On 07/10/2023 11:42, The Other John wrote:
>> On Sat, 07 Oct 2023 09:20:08 +0000, Peter Able wrote:
>>
>>> Current performance @ 10:00 today (Saturday) 13Mbps / 2Mbps
>>>
>>> [ We could do with some levelling up in the Home Counties ]
>>
>> Well I'm in the Home Counties (Reigate, Surrey) and my FTTC is
>> currently giving me 70Mbps/20Mbps. The cabinet is less than 100m
>> away and the telephone exchange is about 300m away. Our road is
>> cabled up for fibre but I don't see the need for higher speeds as
>> it's just me using the net.
>>
> Nor I, but a guarantee of only 9Mbps from FTTC is a disgrace.
>
It purely depends on how far you are away. I would have got 6..

So I stuck with ADSL. then FTTP arrived.

> As is -108dBm from the "strongest" mobile signal provider.
>
> As is an intermittent and unstable electrical mains supply. Three
> power cuts this last week. Voltage very regularly below spec.
> Lowest in recent times, 176V - day after day; month after month;
> indeed year after year. No kidding !
>
Sounding like a 'merkin . For shit broadband try the Land of the Free

> Gosh, I'm sounding like a northerner ;-}
>

Shit broadband is shit broadband, complain until you get better.

> PA
>

--
Labour - a bunch of rich people convincing poor people to vote for rich
people by telling poor people that "other" rich people are the reason
they are poor.

Peter Thompson

On 07/10/2023 15:27, David Wade wrote:
> On 07/10/2023 12:42, The Other John wrote:
>> On Sat, 07 Oct 2023 09:20:08 +0000, Peter Able wrote:
>>
>>> Current performance @ 10:00 today (Saturday)  13Mbps / 2Mbps
>>>
>>> [ We could do with some levelling up in the Home Counties ]
>>
>> Well I'm in the Home Counties (Reigate, Surrey) and my FTTC is currently
>> giving me 70Mbps/20Mbps.  The cabinet is less than 100m away and the
>> telephone exchange is about 300m away.  Our road is cabled up for fibre
>> but I don't see the need for higher speeds as it's just me using the net.
>>
>
> No but BT may well see the need to retire FTTC. The cabinets need power
> and are a pain to maintain. They are supposed to have backup batteries
> which have a life cycle. With FTTP they can ditch the now obsolete
> Huawei DSLAMs (Looks like these need to go as well as Huawei bits in the
> mobile network)
>
> https://techmonitor.ai/policy/privacy-and-data-protection/huawei-uk-5g
>
> and also ditch many exchanges.....
> ... if they have deployed fibre it does not have to be faster.
>
> The "Full Fibre 2" package duplicates what you get with FTTP. Well no
> phone line. Expect a van at the door...
>
> Dave

FTTP is the 'final solution' for this century. Everything else will be
phased out. Mobile or Starlink will infill the really remote places...

--
Climate Change: Socialism wearing a lab coat.

On 07/10/2023 12:42, The Other John wrote:
> On Sat, 07 Oct 2023 09:20:08 +0000, Peter Able wrote:
>
>> Current performance @ 10:00 today (Saturday) 13Mbps / 2Mbps
>>
>> [ We could do with some levelling up in the Home Counties ]
>
> Well I'm in the Home Counties (Reigate, Surrey) and my FTTC is currently
> giving me 70Mbps/20Mbps. The cabinet is less than 100m away and the
> telephone exchange is about 300m away. Our road is cabled up for fibre
> but I don't see the need for higher speeds as it's just me using the net.
>

Many (most/all) ISPs offer different speed packages on FTTP at different
prices.

As we will be forced onto the FTTP route within a few years perhaps
consider swapping over before the rush starts.

My installation was quite quick (30 minutes) but my ISP (Zen) did f**k
up at their end but was sorted with a 10 minute telephone conversation
with their technical helpline.

On the few occasions that I've had to contact Zen technical I always got
through to someone who knows about the system and can sort the problem
out immediately. They appear to be able to see the settings on your
router and can modify (some of) them at their end. In my case with FTTP
initially they couldn't see my router and I was talked through setting a
code for City Link fibre after which everything sprang into life on the Net.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

The Other John wrote:

> my FTTC is currently giving me 70Mbps/20Mbps. The cabinet is less than
> 100m away

Similar here (79.99/19.99) so the kit is running as fast as it's allowed.

> and the telephone exchange is about 300m away.

The fibre from your cabinet may well go to a different exchange, the
distance is not relevant to the speed.

> Our road is cabled up for fibre but I don't see the need for higher
> speeds as it's just me using the net.
There's Virgin fibre in my street, but I'm not interested in moving over.