Deco X20-DSL & NOW (Sky) Super Fibre Broadband

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Deco X20-DSL & NOW (Sky) Super Fibre Broadband

This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.
Deco X20-DSL & NOW (Sky) Super Fibre Broadband
Deco X20-DSL & NOW (Sky) Super Fibre Broadband
2021-12-09 14:23:22 - last edited 2021-12-10 15:40:00
Model: Deco X20-DSL  
Hardware Version: V1
Firmware Version: 1.0.4 Build 20210807 Rel. 46250

Since a few people have previously reported compatibility issues between the Deco X20-DSL and Sky broadband, I thought I would share my experiences so far.

 

I have the NOW Broadband Super Fibre service and am replacing a Sky NR801 broadband router (branded as NOW TV Hub Two) with the X20-DSL.

 

The configuration settings I am using:

 

Advanced > Quick Setup

Region: United Kingdom

ISP: Sky(MER)_VDSL

Connection Type: Dynamic IP

MER Username & Password were obtained using the Wireshark method as described by George Buckingham's blog post.

Internet VLAN ID: 101

 

DSL Settings

DSL Modulation Type: Auto Sync-up (manually selecting VDSL2 also works)

Annex Type: Annex Auto (manually selecting Annex A also works)

Bit Swap: ON

SRA: ON

 

I did not need to use the MAC Clone feature.

 

If I manually disable IPTV/VLAN (VLAN ID 101) then routing stops. I gather therefore that this is essential !

 

In terms of performance, prior to my disconnecting the Sky NR801 router it reported the following modem line rates:

 

Upstream: 19,999 Kbps

Downstream: 75,081 Kbps

 

So far the Deco X20-DSL is reporting:

 

Upstream: 17,773 Kbps

Downstream: 73,828 Kbps

 

This is significantly worse performance than the Sky NR801 router.

 

I don't know if Bit Swap and SRA are supported by Sky, but I gather I may get a slightly higher sync speed if I disable SRA. Can anyone confirm?

 

Other than the lower sync rate, the X20-DSL has been performing well so far. One minor gripe is I'd like to stop the router responding to ICMP ping requests on the WAN side. If anyone from TP-Link is listening, please add this as a feature request.

 

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8 Reply
Re:Deco X20-DSL & NOW (Sky) Super Fibre Broadband
2021-12-10 10:57:20

@Vandelay 

Hi, thank you very much for sharing with us.

As for the Bit Swap/SRA, I am afraid I might need to check with the senior engineers next Monday and give you a proper answer.

For the ICMP ping requests, normally there would be an option under Deco APP>More>Advanced>IPV4>” ignore Ping from WAN”.

If you cannot see It, the current firmware might not add it yet and it will be added along with the firmware upgrade.

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#2
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Re:Deco X20-DSL & NOW (Sky) Super Fibre Broadband
2021-12-10 11:04:12 - last edited 2021-12-10 11:06:02

@TP-Link

 

Thanks for your response. I have checked Deco APP > More > Advanced > IPV4 and it just displays the current network settings, there are no options or switches.

 

Looking forward to hearing more about the Bit Swap & SRA recommendations.

 

While you are communicating with the engineers, could you please confirm which modem chipset the X20-DSL uses?

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Re:Deco X20-DSL & NOW (Sky) Super Fibre Broadband
2021-12-10 11:07:23

@Vandelay 

Yes, I will.

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#4
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Re:Deco X20-DSL & NOW (Sky) Super Fibre Broadband
2021-12-11 11:03:27 - last edited 2021-12-13 16:21:32

Quick update on the sync rate, which has improved overnight:

 
Date Upstream Kbps Downstream Kbps
Sky NR801 Day 0 19,999 75,081
X20-DSL Day 1 17,773 73,828
X20-DSL Day 2 18,153 74,253
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#5
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Re:Deco X20-DSL & NOW (Sky) Super Fibre Broadband
2021-12-13 08:15:10

@Vandelay 

Thank you very much and that’s good to know.

I also checked with the engineers, Bit Swap and  SRA are mainly used to improve the DSL stability, would not interfere with the DSL sync rate.

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#6
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Re:Deco X20-DSL & NOW (Sky) Super Fibre Broadband
2021-12-13 16:20:24

Thanks for the update @TP-Link

 

What does the 'Max Rate' signify in the DSL Status screen?

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#7
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Re:Deco X20-DSL & NOW (Sky) Super Fibre Broadband
2021-12-14 02:18:53

@Vandelay 

Hi, the maximum DSL sync rate that it has ever achieved since installation.

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#8
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Re:Deco X20-DSL & NOW (Sky) Super Fibre Broadband
2022-01-18 13:54:13

 

It had been a few weeks since I last checked my DSL sync rate, so I was pleased to see that it has much improved after what looks like a re-sync last night:

 
Hub Upstream Kbps Downstream Kbps
Legacy Sky NR801 19,999 75,081
X20-DSL (initial) 18,153 74,253
X20-DSL (current) 19,999 76,941

 

I am guessing that my line had become banded at the lower rate and I gather it can sometimes take many weeks for a reset of the DLM caution counters.

 

Whatever the cause, this is a great result.

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