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ADSL Microfilters

Hellfire - 2/12/10 at 06:43 PM

I'm looking at getting a new microfilter and a quick search on Google would suggest that this microfilter is probably the best one to buy. I know theres lots of IT bods on here so which microfilter would you suggest? Aren't they all much of a muchness, or are some makes better than others?

Phil

Ben_Copeland - 2/12/10 at 06:45 PM

I've got loads of them kicking around, just got 2 new ones with my replacment sky box. yours for the price of the stamp

[Edited on 2/12/10 by Ben_Copeland]

loggyboy - 2/12/10 at 06:53 PM

Yeah, dont buy them, they are as common as paperclips and half used biros.

blakep82 - 2/12/10 at 06:56 PM

from that same website they're considered the most advanced... the components inside are very different from other types

Ben_Copeland - 2/12/10 at 07:03 PM

But why do they need to be more advanced, when the free ones do the same thing

cerbera - 2/12/10 at 07:12 PM

Get filtered faceplate and do away with the microfilters. Best thing I did

loggyboy - 2/12/10 at 07:12 PM

indeed, all they are are high pass and low pass filters so that the hi pitch 'spectrum loading style' sounds of the dialup broadband cant be overhead on the phone and standard speach doesnt interfere with the computer signals.
I guess high quality components might help this process, but I doubt this will speed anything up, and as signals are digital they cant be made any better quality, they are either processable or not.

loggyboy - 2/12/10 at 07:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by cerbera
Get filtered faceplate and do away with the microfilters. Best thing I did

I went with cable, so dont need any at all

blakep82 - 2/12/10 at 07:18 PM

better filtration using diodes and transistors, rather than just transformers and capacitors, should mean less crossover between the data and voice channels, less errors on data transmission, should mean an improvement in speed. whether theres any NOTICABLE difference, i would doubt it, but thats the theory anyway

the original question asked if they were all the same or are some better than others, i was just saying, no they're not all the same

[Edited on 2/12/10 by blakep82]

splitrivet - 2/12/10 at 07:23 PM

Snake oil Phil they are all the same, filtered face plates are only any good if your primary point is near the router. As 90 % of peoples PC's are in a bedroom and the line enters in the hall or on a lower floor wheres the point.
Cheers,
Bob

cerbera - 2/12/10 at 07:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy

quote:
Originally posted by cerbera
Get filtered faceplate and do away with the microfilters. Best thing I did

I went with cable, so dont need any at all

I wish I could get cable

SteveWalker - 2/12/10 at 09:31 PM

quote:
Originally posted by splitrivet
Snake oil Phil they are all the same, filtered face plates are only any good if your primary point is near the router. As 90 % of peoples PC's are in a bedroom and the line enters in the hall or on a lower floor wheres the point.
Cheers,
Bob

If it's filtered at the master socket and has its own dedicated extension, it should be "cleaner" as it's not being reflected from dodgy connections around the typical spaghetti of extensions that grow in many houses. It also means not having to have microfilters at every extension.

Of course if you are using a wireless network or simply run a cable from near the master socket to your switch, you can have the router wherever the master socket is, providing there is power there. In my case there is, thanks to BT ... grrrrr! When I first moved here, they promised to activate the phone line and only after trying did they find that the line had been switched over to another house and there were no spare pairs. I had to have a Dax unit (uses frequency shifting to allow two houses to share a phoneline without interfering with each other), which limited my modem speed to around 20K and as heavy useage might flatten its rechargeable batteries, it also needed a mains supply - you can guess who had just re-wired the whole house and decorated too! I was not best pleased at having to fit and cable a new socket and even worse, as I was not there at the time, having asked my mother to be there while I was at work - they'd already drilled holes for mounting the Dax unit, so I couldn't even ask them to put it somewhere else!

MikeRJ - 2/12/10 at 10:03 PM

Micro filters are certainly not all the same, the ones that come bundles with routers etc. are the cheapest possible design that prevents interference on your phone, but they will not necessarily give optimal ADSL performance. If you live next door to the exchage with decent wiring in your house it may make little or no difference, but I went from the filters that came with my Sky router to an ADSL Nation filtered faceplate and sync speed went from just over 4000 to around 5200.

High performance filter design is complex and require more and closer tolerance components to achieve repeatable results which costs money so you don't get that kind of luxury bundled with the average home ADSL router.

[Edited on 2/12/10 by MikeRJ]

britishtrident - 2/12/10 at 11:27 PM

Filtered face plates are excellent

RazMan - 2/12/10 at 11:57 PM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Filtered face plates are excellent

splitrivet - 3/12/10 at 12:20 AM

A Dacs is a different kettle of fish its basically ISDN which is supplied by 1 copper pair and split into 2 B channels (2 lines) for this reason ADSL isnt available over these lines. Ive tried filtered sockets and seen them fitted by other installers including ADSL nation's and seen no improvement whatsoever, as in most things yer pays yer money.
Cheers,
Bob

[Edited on 3/12/10 by splitrivet]