What internet speed can copper cables handle

[Dumbguy]

Since im a gamer i need fast internet and in my area fiber isnt installed yet so what speeds can copper cables handle and are the speeds consistent ive asked my isp customer service and they’ve said that the maximum speed is 10 mbps but i sometimes receive more than that so im curious if i get a package that has more speed will the cable handle it ?

[Lurick]

Define "copper cable" because if you're talking about DSL phone line copper then it HIGHLY depends on many factors such as age, condition, distance from the DSLAM, etc. but if you're talking about coax then it's somewhat dependent on the same factors but usually has a much higher tolerance and can do gigabit or more depending on signal quality.

[SansVarnic]

7 minutes ago, Dumbguy said:

Since im a gamer i need fast internet and in my area fiber isnt installed yet so what speeds can copper cables handle and are the speeds consistent ive asked my isp customer service and they’ve said that the maximum speed is 10 mbps but i sometimes receive more than that so im curious if i get a package that has more speed will the cable handle it ?

Depends are you using cat 5, 5e, 6, 6e, 7? Are we talking relative speeds or theoretic speeds?

But honestly none of matters if your ISP speeds are limited. You also need to take into account your modem, router, switch(if you are using one) and many more variables. DSL vs Cable(coax) but you mentioned fiber for future installation. T1 will be you eventual best bet for speeds BUT your own system is also a type of bottleneck so....

 

*edit

I forgot to mention ping, that also makes a difference, you can have the best copper set up in your home but still have the worst ping times.

[Dumbguy]

9 minutes ago, Lurick said:

Define "copper cable" because if you're talking about DSL phone line copper then it HIGHLY depends on many factors such as age, condition, distance from the DSLAM, etc. but if you're talking about coax then it's somewhat dependent on the same factors but usually has a much higher tolerance and can do gigabit or more depending on signal quality.

im talking about the dsl phone line and i dont know alot about the condition age or distance

[Dumbguy]

9 minutes ago, SansVarnic said:

Depends are you using cat 5, 5e, 6, 6e, 7? Are we talking relative speeds or theoretic speeds?

But honestly none of matters if your ISP speeds are limited. You also need to take into account your modem, router, switch(if you are using one) and many more variables. DSL vs Cable(coax) but you mentioned fiber for future installation. T1 will be you eventual best bet for speeds BUT your own system is also a type of bottleneck so....

 

*edit

I forgot to mention ping, that also makes a difference, you can have the best copper set up in your home but still have the worst ping times.

english please

[DoctorNick]

15 minutes ago, Dumbguy said:

Since im a gamer i need fast internet and in my area fiber isnt installed yet so what speeds can copper cables handle and are the speeds consistent ive asked my isp customer service and they’ve said that the maximum speed is 10 mbps but i sometimes receive more than that so im curious if i get a package that has more speed will the cable handle it ?

That depends on the installation of the telephone box (DSL line) into your house/apartment. If you're able to run VDSL instead of ADSL,You may need a newer VDSL modem router from your internet provider. If they can't deliver that, you could buy something like this TP link router - https://www.tp-link.com/en/home-networking/dsl-modem-router/archer-vr900/

 

*You may need to raise your broadband speed. Your speed may be limited by the copper cables installed in your area. Ask your ISP what the theoretical max speed is over VDSL.

[Lurick]

Just now, Dumbguy said:

im talking about the dsl phone line and i dont know alot about the condition age or distance

Then it's likely old and the ISP has a low cap so that people won't complain. It's possible that your line can handle more speed but the ISP could just have looked at the average line condition over the whole area and determined that to be the best in terms of support and service calls.

[SansVarnic]

4 minutes ago, Dumbguy said:

english please

That was English, I live in Iowa... lol.

Anyhow if you have DSL you can get pretty decent speeds, I have a VDSL bonded line setup at my house, laymen terms (translation): I have 2 40mb lines that run to my house that split the signal to and from the ISP to my home. I get average 60-80 mb downloads to 5-10 upload speeds. That is probably the best DSL you can get.

[Dumbguy]

2 minutes ago, DoctorNick said:

That depends on the installation of the telephone box (DSL line) into your house/apartment. If you're able to run VDSL instead of ADSL,You may need a newer VDSL modem router from your internet provider. If they can't deliver that, you could buy something like this TP link router - https://www.tp-link.com/en/home-networking/dsl-modem-router/archer-vr900/

 

*You may need to raise your broadband speed. Your speed may be limited by the copper cables installed in your area. Ask your ISP what the theoretical max speed is over VDSL.

im sorry but what on earth is VDSL and ADSL

[SansVarnic]

24 minutes ago, Dumbguy said:

im sorry but what on earth is VDSL and ADSL

VDSL
Very high speed digital subscriber line (VDSL) and very high speed digital subscriber line 2 (VDSL2) are digital subscriber line (DSL) technologies providing data transmission faster than asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL).

 

ADSL
asymmetric (or asynchronous) digital subscriber line, a method of routing digital data on copper telephone wires, allowing high-speed Internet access and simultaneous use of the line for voice transmission.

 

*edit

VDSL bonding is a technology that combines 2 standard VDSL2 lines into a single virtual connection that allows ISPs to double the bitrate/speed of their existing customers' connection. Alternatively, it allows the xDSL ISPs to deliver the same speed/bitrate over longer distances covering customers that were previously out of reach.

[Dumbguy]

1 minute ago, SansVarnic said:

VDSL
Very high speed digital subscriber line (VDSL) and very high speed digital subscriber line 2 (VDSL2) are digital subscriber line (DSL) technologies providing data transmission faster than asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL).

 

ADSL
asymmetric (or asynchronous) digital subscriber line, a method of routing digital data on copper telephone wires, allowing high-speed Internet access and simultaneous use of the line for voice transmission.

thanks

[Dumbguy]

6 minutes ago, DoctorNick said:

That depends on the installation of the telephone box (DSL line) into your house/apartment. If you're able to run VDSL instead of ADSL,You may need a newer VDSL modem router from your internet provider. If they can't deliver that, you could buy something like this TP link router - https://www.tp-link.com/en/home-networking/dsl-modem-router/archer-vr900/

 

*You may need to raise your broadband speed. Your speed may be limited by the copper cables installed in your area. Ask your ISP what the theoretical max speed is over VDSL.

how do i know if i can run VDSL

[Dujith]

Just now, Dumbguy said:

how do i know if i can run VDSL

Go to the site of an isp and put in your adres. It will show you what is available for you speed wise

[DoctorNick]

1 minute ago, Dujith said:

Go to the site of an isp and put in your adres. It will show you what is available for you speed wise

 

You could do that or just straight up call the ISP. If you just look up your adress you will get info regarding the current installation, so if it's  set up with ADSL your speed may be lower than what you could actually get with VDSL and Pair Bonding (2 lines spliced into one) like @SansVarnic mentioned.

[Lurick]

1 minute ago, DoctorNick said:

 

You could do that or just straight up call the ISP. If you just look up your adress you will get info regarding the current installation, so if it's  set up with ADSL your speed may be lower than what you could actually get with VDSL and Pair Bonding (2 lines spliced into one) like @SansVarnic mentioned.

Or read the OP where he has called them and gotten an answer?

 

31 minutes ago, Dumbguy said:

Since im a gamer i need fast internet and in my area fiber isnt installed yet so what speeds can copper cables handle and are the speeds consistent ive asked my isp customer service and they’ve said that the maximum speed is 10 mbps but i sometimes receive more than that so im curious if i get a package that has more speed will the cable handle it ?

 

[DoctorNick]

10 minutes ago, Lurick said:

Or read the OP where he has called them and gotten an answer?

 

 

He has to ask the right questions my friend. Anybody who has worked for an ISP know this. lol

[Lurick]

Just now, DoctorNick said:

He has to ask the right questions my friend. Anybody who has worked for an ISP know this. lol

Very true, not a lot of detail from OP but that's a valid point

[Dedayog]

45 minutes ago, Dumbguy said:

Since im a gamer i need fast internet and in my area fiber isnt installed yet so what speeds can copper cables handle and are the speeds consistent ive asked my isp customer service and they’ve said that the maximum speed is 10 mbps but i sometimes receive more than that so im curious if i get a package that has more speed will the cable handle it ?

You don't need fast internet for gaming, as you understand it.  2Mb/sec or 1000Mb/sec, it's all the same.  packets are sent that are very small and the client PC (yours) handles all the graphics and physics.

 

You want internet that has a low ping, or lag.  Which varies by ISP and location and distance and router/modem, etc.  Not much in your control really.

 

Btw, copper can handle up to 2000Mb/sec I think is what I read last.  Could be more.

[Dumbguy]

2 minutes ago, Lurick said:

Very true, not a lot of detail from OP but that's a valid point

yeah im sorry about the lack of details. i just dont know alot about internet and tech

[Lurick]

Just now, Dumbguy said:

yeah im sorry about the lack of details. i just dont know alot about internet and tech

No worries, plenty of people to ask for help. I was saying that as a more along the lines of "it begs the question what did OP ask" more than anything.

So how did you ask them what speeds they support? I know it might seem stupid but sometimes the wording can make a difference.

I might try to call them back and ask something along the lines of "what's the highest tier of speed offered in my area" if you haven't already. If you did and the answer was 10Mbps then you could try once more but I doubt you'll get a different answer even if you phrase it differently.

[Dumbguy]

8 minutes ago, DoctorNick said:

He has to ask the right questions my friend. Anybody who has worked for an ISP know this. lol

apparently not ive been on hold for 15 minutes

[Dumbguy]

1 minute ago, Lurick said:

No worries, plenty of people to ask for help. I was saying that as a more along the lines of "it begs the question what did OP ask" more than anything.

So how did you ask them what speeds they support? I know it might seem stupid but sometimes the wording can make a difference.

I might try to call them back and ask something along the lines of "what's the highest tier of speed offered in my area" if you haven't already. If you did and the answer was 10Mbps then you could try once more but I doubt you'll get a different answer even if you phrase it differently.

okay thanks alot

[GDRRiley]

55 minutes ago, Dumbguy said:

Since im a gamer i need fast internet

ping is often more important. I have fiber and the 2 nice things for me are symmetrical uploads and the 9-10 ping i've got to many servers.

(I am looking at fixed based wirelss for the lower cost, 50$ gets me 300/300 vs the 60-70$ I pay for 100/100. I could get 1 gig but I don't have a need)

Edited May 6, 2020 by GDRRiley

[DoctorNick]

16 minutes ago, Dumbguy said:

apparently not ive been on hold for 15 minutes

I'm sorry anybody who has worked as support knows this

[Dumbguy]

32 minutes ago, DoctorNick said:

I'm sorry anybody who has worked as support knows this

yeah but i live in egypt so literally no one gives a shit