Line faults

In reality no Service Provider can guarantee any speed and this is where we as consumers feel let down. Broadband is a distance dependant technology. That means the further your premises are from the telephone exchange the less speed you are likely to get. Another factor is what type of telephone cable (copper, lead or aluminium) and size of the conductor is in the ground. These three factors length, cable type and conductor size can have a dramatic affect on your broadband speed.

Their are two main types of service in use at the moment built around a variety of speeds these are Fixed Rate products and Rate Adaptive products.

Fixed rate products are 512kbs (1/2 meg), 1024kbs (1 meg) and 2048kbs (2meg) these are the download speeds and 256kbs is the upload speed. This means that your broadband service has been programmed to this specification by your ISP around one of these products.
When broadband was first implemented there were strict criteria and parameters that each type of service had to meet.

The limitations of each type of service have been proven and tested.This involves the distance, the calculated loss and the signal strength. So for instance if you lived close to the telephone exchange you could possible receive a 2Mb circuit and if you lived on the limits of ADSL technology you could receive the lesser bandwidth of 512kb circuit.
Circuits provided with the wrong type of service on a Fixed Rate product could result in no service or a service that constantly loses connection.
Broadband Max the other type of broadband delivery provides speeds up to 8 meg and is called a Rate Adaptive product that means the affects of line conditions are taken into consideration enabling the product to work at the limits of ADSL technology varying both the upstream and downstream bandwidths. Special software monitors your line and try's to stabilise your circuit to maximum bandwidth (faster speeds).
In my experience customers on the extremity's of ADSL, working on a Fixed 512kb circuit are better off retaining this service rather than making the transition to broadband Max services. You can confirm this when your broadband modem/router is synchronised. Your ISP can test your circuit and advise you if you would benefit from the transition.