Is BSNL Internet Relevant?

venkatcr

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2008
Messages
7,253
Points
113
Location
Chennai
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.
 
Long but good read Venkat. Liked it.

I have been arguing with people who claim mbps in 100s or Gbps is required that it's not important to have such a high speed unless you want to download huge files. Lower Latency and jitter place important role in daily usage than the top speed in my experience. People go crazy claiming that they are on 200-300mbps service irrespective of the usage they have. Right now I am on 50mbps plan and 3 to 4 HD streaming and video calls works flawlessly for me. I was using BSNL 8mbps plan before I moved to my current pw, where BSNL doesn't provide service.
 
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.

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.
Cannot agree more. For all the numerous broadband services that came and left, either for lack of quality, or service, BSNL has always remained constant at my abode. During niggles on rare occasions, the BSNL officials have always been responsive and swift.
20+ years going, and I have never trusted anyone more.
 
BSNL CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS

BSNL offers Internet connection in two ways.
Problem with the BSNL even if they have world class Infrastructure..
- No proper customer support
- No good Technicians & lack of knowledge
- Still works on traditional method . U need to visit their office for some work to be done / change of plan ..etc.
- No consistency in internet speed
- Lack of equipment for trouble shooting issue ( i have seen technicians simple visit the house without carrying any equipment).
- Not very cheap comparing to its competitors whos providing very good support and good plans.

Previously i had BSNL connection and switched to ACT , working very good. Very rare interruptions && quick resolution by ACT and consistency in speed.
 
1. BSNL offers dedicated speed. When I had 10M copper connection, I would continuously get 10M. Now I have 50M Fiber connection, I get 50M through and through. 4K streaming is no sweat. More than one stream are often active in my household.
2. Security, Other operators put Network Switch and share the connection within local set of subscribers. Each others network are accessible by all in the switch. Not with BSNL. I came to know this when this was demonstrated in my local jewellers market, many converted to BSNL.
3. BSNL has also now adopted a franchise model where local maintenance and first point services are handled by local franchise. They offer bill collection, document collection assistance.
4. BSNL OTT bundles are pretty good.
 
I stayed with BSNL (loyal to a fault) till about 2017 as it was the only connection that worked through the 2015 floods and 2016 cyclone. But too many cable cuts in my area with down times extending to a month and very poor support from local BSNL office (and a good-hearted but pretty much useless old-school broadband technician) made me shift to Airtel copper. About two years ago Airtel replaced the connection to Fibre. So far so good - reliable, very few outages. Very happy with a 40mbps connection, with a landline (unlimited calls to anywhere in India) all at just INR499+GST. I do not use any streaming services and prefer to download content that I can watch at varying speeds, depending on how interesting it is! Airtel responds quickly to any issues.
 
Problem with the BSNL even if they have world class Infrastructure..
- No proper customer support
- No good Technicians & lack of knowledge
- Still works on traditional method . U need to visit their office for some work to be done / change of plan ..etc.
- No consistency in internet speed
- Lack of equipment for trouble shooting issue ( i have seen technicians simple visit the house without carrying any equipment).
- Not very cheap comparing to its competitors whos providing very good support and good plans.

Previously i had BSNL connection and switched to ACT , working very good. Very rare interruptions && quick resolution by ACT and consistency in speed.
Problem with MTNL, BSNL is their entity provides everything, including ceramic junction boxes for connecting telephone cables, but the linesmen seldom use as it cuts their ability to "earn" citing bad or oxidised connections. I remember two decades ago MTNL gave 4 Mbps, when competitors maxxed at 1, and it worked flawlessly, till some problem occurred and these men had no inkling whats wrong. As is usual in Sarkari (Govt) department, there were no technicians or knowledgeable persons to tinker and slowly hundreds others like me abandoned. Now when they are in doldrums, they are trying to revive using third party technicians, but it is too late. I use Airtel and as backup, use Jio network.

One positive Tip for Airtel users: in Delhi, if you need them, simply pull the fibre cable out (do it while router is ON) and they immediately detect it and call on you. :p
 
I remember some decades back owning a BSNL telephone connection and a Bajaj scooter was considered to be a status symbol. My father booked and waited for 8 years to get the connection. The day it was installed was celebrated as a family function. The phone aged along with all our family members. My neighbours were the one who had used it to the fullest extent. It conveyed all the good and bad news for them, whether a new born or death of a family member everyone one of us was a part of it. Those BSNL linesmen were considered as gods. During festival times when they visit you make sure that you give them good attention or otherwise strangely your line will be dead. The downfall started during late 90's when competition cropped up and BSNL was never able to compete with the private players as the government also played a part by favoring private players instead of competing with them. Most of their good and knowledgeable employees have quit when VRS was announced couple of years back. It is a pity that they have such wonderful infrastructure but not able to use it to fully. Probably it it is only a matter of time before the Ambani's or Adani's take over. Hope they survive in the long run and the government supports them.

Sorry if it is OT, just felt nostalgic and yes I still have the landline connection.
 
The downfall started during late 90's when competition cropped up and BSNL was never able to compete with the private players as the government also played a part by favoring private players instead of competing with them.

It is a pity that they have such wonderful infrastructure but not able to use it to fully. Probably it it is only a matter of time before the Ambani's or Adani's take over. Hope they survive in the long run and the government supports them.
I share your sentiment.
BSNL has a lot of potential, but it isn't getting enough support from its masters.
I really want them to succeed because I've had nothing but positive experiences with them.
 
Have been using ACT for over 6 years. Initially had some hiccups but nowadays I am getting steady connection without any interruption. Happy with the service. I am on basic 75mbps plan with 750gb FUP. I utilize around 20-25%. Due to work from home, I added a backup plan BSNL ADSL (Through landline) which gives around 8mbps (Very much sufficient for work). Since it provides BB through landline, no cable cut problems due to wind/ rain etc. I use load balancer to connect both ISP's.
Like somebody mentioned in the above post, people go crazy over higher speeds, but they wont be needing it in reality. I have connected around 15 devices setting some routing policies. Works like a charm without buffer or latency.
 
BSNL is suffering because of their laziness and lethargy. If you see someone responding to your complaints or helping you out, they are contract workers. Full time employees don't care at all. They have one of the best equipment available in the industry. One of the engineer working in Bangalore BSNL left and joined a private competitor. He was contracted to BSNL and he learnt a lot there and moved to private sector. I used to contact him directly on his WhatsApp number and he was very friendly and helpful.
If some one takes over BSNL, it can thrive again. But that is a big political debate as usual. The people who oppose privatization are don't use BSNL that's the hypocrisy I see. But keeping my fingers crossed as their asset and reach is huge. People who travel country side understand the reach of BSNL in the remotest places. Private players don't cover the country like BSNL.
 
BSNL is suffering because of their laziness and lethargy.
+1 . Their poor attitude toward the customers is the main reason for the downfall. The private player usually (depending on Area) attends the issue the same/next day, whereas if one is super lucky, BSNL folks may attend you at least after a week.
 
Load balancing is a hardware process, right? The two connections have to land on the same device? Can you do it with ADSL and Ethernet?

Thanks
That's correct, the ethernet connections need to be terminated to your firewall, and then one can configure either Failover or Policy-Based traffic forwarding. Domestic routers hardly come with these kinds of advanced features, though.
 
Most of their good and knowledgeable employees have quit when VRS was announced couple of years back.
Internal politics, unions, and lack of appreciation also made many good employees quit. The current officers mainly were promoted from 'Line Man' with practically no knowledge of the modern internet. :(
 
Load balancing is a hardware process, right? The two connections have to land on the same device? Can you do it with ADSL and Ethernet?

Thanks
Yes you are right, it is possible. Main phone line splits into two. One line goes to phone and another to ADSL modem (RJ16). The output of ADSL modem (RJ45) is connected to the load balancer.
 
My experience with BSNL is always pretty good. Have been using BSNL landline since 1996 and my family who stay all over India and abroad have always used this number to contact us. Has never failed us. Started using dial up internet from 2007 and then migrated to broadband. Whenever any problems were faced in the speeds, BSNL engineers were very quick to check and rectify and then call us back on the landline and get confirmance of whether the problem was solved.
Then 2 years back decided to shift to BSNL fiber and the local franchise in my area just asked for a letter which I sent through WhatsApp to him and within a day the shifting process was complete. Pretty sure it wouldn't be this easy with any of the private operators. Didn't visit any office for this shift. Shifted to BSNL 749 plan and now have Sonyliv, voot, Zee5 and yupptv free as part of the plan. Enjoyed 2 years of Amazon prime free too. So no reason to complain about BSNL.
 
Has anyone here on BSNL fiber faced this issue where Windows operating system automatic time clock update (aka NTP or network time protocol) does not work?

Works on other operating systems and other ISPs, it was just my BSNL connection.
 
Buy from India's official online dealer!
Back
Top