BSNL CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS
BSNL offers Internet connection in two ways.
THE COPPER WIRE OPTION
The traditional method is via a four strand copper wire which generally carries your phone signal. One of the reasons that copper phone works all the time is that it carries its own 50 volt DC power. At the user end, this wire is split into one for an ADSL modem, and another for the telephone connection. The splitting is a bit complicated. At the cable end, you need to convert naked wires into RJ11, and then reconvert the RJ11 into naked wires again. Once you do this, the same copper wires carry both your telephone line and your Internet data. BSNL, for some strange reason, has limited the speed of this kind of connection to 10Mbps.
THE FTTH OPTION
In the second method, BSNL draws an optical fibre cable (OFC) to your house. Inside the house, they install an OFC modem called EPON-ONU. The Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) receives signals from the Optical Network Unit (ONU) and delivers multipoint network topology including Internet, and VoIP. Theoretically, you can then draw an Ethernet cable from the modem and connect that to a switch or a router. In most cases, they give you a unit that is a combined modem plus a wireless router.
MY 15 YEAR BACKGROUND
I have been having a BSNL Internet connection for donkey’s years. The connection has always been through copper wire. I have been getting a steady 8Mbps and I was quite happy with it for many years.
The MOVE TO ACT!
Then came ACT about 6 years ago! Starting with 100mbps or so, I now have a connection that is 300mbps. In the initial stages, I had several issues with ACT. But after rounds of threatening and pleading, I now have a reasonably steady connection. Recently I removed my trusted TP-Link N750 that I have been using since the advent of ACT, and installed a Netgear Orbi mesh with one satellite. With three bands, WiFi 6, and added security, I now get some 250-290mbps wireless connectivity on compatible devices. In the initial stages of getting ACT, I was hungrily downloading a lot of media. Now, all that has come to a complete stop with OTT. I hardly download one or two TV shows a week. I use somewhere between 18-20% of the 3300GB FUP that ACT gives me. Quite a happy and comfortable situation as far as connectivity goes.
WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BSNL CONNECTION?
About two years ago, the Netgear ADSL modem I was using for the BSNL connection died. As part of the cleaning, I threw away the modem and connected the BSNL copper wire directly to the phone. And I had always been paying BSNL for data connection, though I was not using any data. This year, one of my resolutions was to slowly complete all the small tasks that I had conveniently filed away in my mind but not executed. By April end, I want to have nothing pending, and handle only current tasks. One of the small tasks was to get the BSNL connection back.
FFTH OR COPPER
So about a fortnight ago, I trudged to the nearby BSNL office and spoke to the counter people. They said my only option was to get an FTTH connection on the same number. One of the conditions I had set for myself was to give physical connection to 4 devices including my main TV, my AVR, my Audio PC, and my HTPC. This meant that the switch/router must be physically placed in my HT rack. When the company to which my case was assigned sent an OFC guy, he baulked at the placement requirement. He said, being thick, the OFC cannot take so many turns and twists. I was imagining how this issue could be solved. One method was to install the EPON-ONU near the point where the OFC comes into the home, and then, use an Ethernet cable to the HT rack. The OFC guy said that, though this was possible, I would have to do the Ethernet cable installation myself.
MORE HURDLES
I was planning to do just that when a second hurdle came up. The BSNL landline I have has been around for over 35 years, and the phone number is etched into the minds of my relatives and friends. I don’t ever want to lose that number. Since the phone line is completely underground, it works without fail, and even survived the 2015 Tsunami in Chennai. I was thinking that the OFC will be only data, and the phone connection will continue as is. But, no. Once the OFC is installed, the phone will also come through as a VoIP, and the copper connection will be removed. Otherwise, I have to apply for the OFC connection along with a new phone number. I certainly did not want to lose my underground copper connection.
There was a third hurdle, but that was external. Like all other ISP, BSNL’s OFC is carried from tree to tree to your house. That means it is susceptible to frequent disconnection. I do remember that, about 3 years ago, BSNL had complained that someone had deliberately dug their main junction point and literally burnt all the connections. Mind you, this was under a road. ACT also complains of people cutting their wires regularly. And, if there is a storm, some of these wires are sure to go.
Since I already had 300Mbps, I was wondering whether I should get another 100Mbps, and spend some 500 a month more. I decided I am going to get the Internet through copper as before and see what happens.
BACK TO COPPER
BSNL advised me to purchase an ADSL modem of my choice. So after some research, I picked up a TP-Link TD-W9970 which is a VDSL/ADSL modem cum router with 4 Ethernet ports and can support 100Mbps VDSL access. Even if I get the FFTH later, this can work as a wireless router connected to an EPON-ONU modem.
Once I had the modem/router in hand, I called BSNL and requested them to send someone to reconnect my Internet. They immediately sent a smart kid with a BE(CS) background who had expertise in ADSL connectivity. He certainly was an expert as he not only made the physical connections, he also corrected the BSNL junction box, and identified an error in the exchange. Within half a day, my BSNL connection was (re) working at a steady 8Mbps as before.
THE RESULTS
Now comes the interesting part. I connected my 4K TCL TV to the router using a Cat6 cable to see how the connectivity worked. The TV took to the connection like a duck to water. Netflix, PrimeVideo, Zee, Hotstar all worked without any issues.
I sat through the complete Jack Ryan Seasons 1 and 2 on Prime Video. The BSNL connection pampered me with a faultless connection, not missing a beat at any point. Keep in mind Jack Ryan is in 4K with HDR10. The only issue I saw was the first 10-15 seconds it took for the TV to start with the video. I have seen the same lag even with 80-90 wireless connection. So I reckon that is the time needed for the server to load the video and start the streaming.
After that it was buttery smooth with all the features of 4K. One thing I did notice was that the audio signal’s gain seemed to be stronger. I had to reduce the volume on the TV and amp to less than 30%, from about 70% when I used a wireless connection.
BSNL Internet is famed to be rock steady until it dies for some reason. Fortunately for me, the local office is quite active and they make sure that their service is good.
I am a happy user of BSNL’s copper Internet connection. Let me see if I can prompt them to give me at least 50Mbps. It is there in the plans for an additional 100 a month.
My advice to those who have a BSNL connection. Don’t lose it. Keep it as a backup. Through physical connection, you can even watch 4K video. And, it costs less than 900 a month.
BSNL offers Internet connection in two ways.
THE COPPER WIRE OPTION
The traditional method is via a four strand copper wire which generally carries your phone signal. One of the reasons that copper phone works all the time is that it carries its own 50 volt DC power. At the user end, this wire is split into one for an ADSL modem, and another for the telephone connection. The splitting is a bit complicated. At the cable end, you need to convert naked wires into RJ11, and then reconvert the RJ11 into naked wires again. Once you do this, the same copper wires carry both your telephone line and your Internet data. BSNL, for some strange reason, has limited the speed of this kind of connection to 10Mbps.
THE FTTH OPTION
In the second method, BSNL draws an optical fibre cable (OFC) to your house. Inside the house, they install an OFC modem called EPON-ONU. The Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) receives signals from the Optical Network Unit (ONU) and delivers multipoint network topology including Internet, and VoIP. Theoretically, you can then draw an Ethernet cable from the modem and connect that to a switch or a router. In most cases, they give you a unit that is a combined modem plus a wireless router.
MY 15 YEAR BACKGROUND
I have been having a BSNL Internet connection for donkey’s years. The connection has always been through copper wire. I have been getting a steady 8Mbps and I was quite happy with it for many years.
The MOVE TO ACT!
Then came ACT about 6 years ago! Starting with 100mbps or so, I now have a connection that is 300mbps. In the initial stages, I had several issues with ACT. But after rounds of threatening and pleading, I now have a reasonably steady connection. Recently I removed my trusted TP-Link N750 that I have been using since the advent of ACT, and installed a Netgear Orbi mesh with one satellite. With three bands, WiFi 6, and added security, I now get some 250-290mbps wireless connectivity on compatible devices. In the initial stages of getting ACT, I was hungrily downloading a lot of media. Now, all that has come to a complete stop with OTT. I hardly download one or two TV shows a week. I use somewhere between 18-20% of the 3300GB FUP that ACT gives me. Quite a happy and comfortable situation as far as connectivity goes.
WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BSNL CONNECTION?
About two years ago, the Netgear ADSL modem I was using for the BSNL connection died. As part of the cleaning, I threw away the modem and connected the BSNL copper wire directly to the phone. And I had always been paying BSNL for data connection, though I was not using any data. This year, one of my resolutions was to slowly complete all the small tasks that I had conveniently filed away in my mind but not executed. By April end, I want to have nothing pending, and handle only current tasks. One of the small tasks was to get the BSNL connection back.
FFTH OR COPPER
So about a fortnight ago, I trudged to the nearby BSNL office and spoke to the counter people. They said my only option was to get an FTTH connection on the same number. One of the conditions I had set for myself was to give physical connection to 4 devices including my main TV, my AVR, my Audio PC, and my HTPC. This meant that the switch/router must be physically placed in my HT rack. When the company to which my case was assigned sent an OFC guy, he baulked at the placement requirement. He said, being thick, the OFC cannot take so many turns and twists. I was imagining how this issue could be solved. One method was to install the EPON-ONU near the point where the OFC comes into the home, and then, use an Ethernet cable to the HT rack. The OFC guy said that, though this was possible, I would have to do the Ethernet cable installation myself.
MORE HURDLES
I was planning to do just that when a second hurdle came up. The BSNL landline I have has been around for over 35 years, and the phone number is etched into the minds of my relatives and friends. I don’t ever want to lose that number. Since the phone line is completely underground, it works without fail, and even survived the 2015 Tsunami in Chennai. I was thinking that the OFC will be only data, and the phone connection will continue as is. But, no. Once the OFC is installed, the phone will also come through as a VoIP, and the copper connection will be removed. Otherwise, I have to apply for the OFC connection along with a new phone number. I certainly did not want to lose my underground copper connection.
There was a third hurdle, but that was external. Like all other ISP, BSNL’s OFC is carried from tree to tree to your house. That means it is susceptible to frequent disconnection. I do remember that, about 3 years ago, BSNL had complained that someone had deliberately dug their main junction point and literally burnt all the connections. Mind you, this was under a road. ACT also complains of people cutting their wires regularly. And, if there is a storm, some of these wires are sure to go.
Since I already had 300Mbps, I was wondering whether I should get another 100Mbps, and spend some 500 a month more. I decided I am going to get the Internet through copper as before and see what happens.
BACK TO COPPER
BSNL advised me to purchase an ADSL modem of my choice. So after some research, I picked up a TP-Link TD-W9970 which is a VDSL/ADSL modem cum router with 4 Ethernet ports and can support 100Mbps VDSL access. Even if I get the FFTH later, this can work as a wireless router connected to an EPON-ONU modem.
Once I had the modem/router in hand, I called BSNL and requested them to send someone to reconnect my Internet. They immediately sent a smart kid with a BE(CS) background who had expertise in ADSL connectivity. He certainly was an expert as he not only made the physical connections, he also corrected the BSNL junction box, and identified an error in the exchange. Within half a day, my BSNL connection was (re) working at a steady 8Mbps as before.
THE RESULTS
Now comes the interesting part. I connected my 4K TCL TV to the router using a Cat6 cable to see how the connectivity worked. The TV took to the connection like a duck to water. Netflix, PrimeVideo, Zee, Hotstar all worked without any issues.
I sat through the complete Jack Ryan Seasons 1 and 2 on Prime Video. The BSNL connection pampered me with a faultless connection, not missing a beat at any point. Keep in mind Jack Ryan is in 4K with HDR10. The only issue I saw was the first 10-15 seconds it took for the TV to start with the video. I have seen the same lag even with 80-90 wireless connection. So I reckon that is the time needed for the server to load the video and start the streaming.
After that it was buttery smooth with all the features of 4K. One thing I did notice was that the audio signal’s gain seemed to be stronger. I had to reduce the volume on the TV and amp to less than 30%, from about 70% when I used a wireless connection.
BSNL Internet is famed to be rock steady until it dies for some reason. Fortunately for me, the local office is quite active and they make sure that their service is good.
I am a happy user of BSNL’s copper Internet connection. Let me see if I can prompt them to give me at least 50Mbps. It is there in the plans for an additional 100 a month.
My advice to those who have a BSNL connection. Don’t lose it. Keep it as a backup. Through physical connection, you can even watch 4K video. And, it costs less than 900 a month.
