Topic: Adsl

Gavin McMahon shares a link to CyberSquirrel1.com, a site tracking animal-induced infrastructure outages. One host recounts a story from the era of T1 and ADSL competition where a company added capsicum to wire insulation to deter squirrels. The plan failed when the squirrels developed a taste for the spicy chemical and continued chewing the wires.

The hosts trace the history of French telecommunications from the Minitel system to modern fiber and wireless networks. While wired ADSL connections in France are described as poor, the 4G LTE infrastructure is noted for its high speed. Curry praises a T-Mobile promotion that provided free, full-speed LTE access worldwide during July and August.

During a recent trip to the South of France, connectivity issues hindered the uploading of previous podcast episodes. The local ADSL speeds were reported as low as 100 kilobits per second, significantly slower than infrastructure in Germany or Sweden. This lack of reliable internet is cited as a reason for low listenership in the region.

Technical difficulties during a previous broadcast from the Netherlands Antilles are attributed to poor local internet infrastructure. The discussion covers the limitations of 300 kilobit upstream ADSL and the potential for using WiMAX or multiplexed lines for future remote broadcasts from the island.

The "I-Plate" is a device recommended by British Telecom to boost ADSL broadband speeds by isolating the "bell wire" in telephone jacks. The device aims to reduce interference and prevent auto-throttling on copper lines. One host expresses skepticism but plans to test the device to improve his home internet connection.