Hi
Spending sometime for using the other available firmwares modem codes (Annex A)for the 2850 modem/router and i am posting some experience with it hoping may helps other users or even the Draytek developers

Please feel free to post your own experience as well, as different lines may have different results

I have also discovered a bug/Cure for the vdsl light that flashing
http://www.forum.draytek.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17565

All tests are from Kentish Town exchange but in Talk Talk LLU in a direct line (not via cabinet) 2.400 meters away(exchange) with SNR 9 and fast path line attenuator from 24-37

Both wan lines was involved (that is the inside beauty if the 2850 to handle 2 connections) with the following settings
Wan 1 TT(always on), speed vary during tests from 11+ mb to 13+ mb
Wan 2 VM (always on) speed 100mb
AutoBalance with using my own Dns servers(force router to use dns)Got one that is just about good for both connections as the isp default ones will be slower for each different isp if you got what i mean
QoS ON and ALL the rest settings OFF or at Default

None of the firmwares did any change to SNR margin, All vary from 8-10 as far i am aware

ERRORS
about the same with all different firmwares but the ones with less line attenuator (24 for my case / 37 the higher) was slightly less and also had higher synchronization
EDIT 30/8/12 after testing all firmwares have to correct that at least to me the ones with longer attenuator having in most cases less error,maybe seems it helps to be more stable the line

Firmwares with lower attenuator higher synchronism ... 2471201,2431301,244001,243701
243701 is currently in use and will give feedback about it later(this one also to me - maybe is just in my head seems is getting less hot the modem)

Also note using the adsl multi mode will find and set automatic your connection but sometimes changing the multi mode to example adsl 2 (not the plus) my line synchronised to just 8 mb ... so users having problems remember by changing manual there is critical

One more test was changing the multi mode to adsl 2 plus annex M ... not synchronise was available

An other one test was change to G DTM but synchronization was lower exaple from 13.something down to 10-11.something mbps but perhaps(pretty sure here) a more better choice for the longer or unstable or for sure the more noise lines and maybe where synchronization is not easy

Starting with the popular Standard and UK_SEG firmwares 3.6.2

Both connections monitor tests was idle
Load balance was set to wan 2 just to monitor lower latency at adsl wan 1... that 24 hrs

This is the monitor of the old TT default dsl 2680 modem
Yellow maximum latency (is small) is spread all over during the 24 hrs


This is the 2850 monitor with UK_SEG but is doing the same to ALL firmwares
Yellow maximum latency is about every 15 mins a long spike and not really much in between them


Ping according to pingtest.net the TT modem is 7-8 ms with 0-1 jitter (most of times ping will be 7 and jitter 0)
The 2850 with STD and UK_SEG ping is same 7-8 ms and jitter 0-1 ms but mainly the ping will be 8 ms and jitter 1 ms

UK_SEG will give line attenuator 29 same at default TT modem
STD will give attenuator 37

Both stable lines for adsl wan 1
Also both firmwares seems more better for wan 2, and specially the STD one because my VM 100mb connection at speed tester the noodle will stay more steady than the other frmwares
Also i notice these 2 will give/clcoked slightly better speed over 100mb more easy ...depending the time of the day of course with VM cable
users of 2850 that are having in use only wan 2/one only connection, example vm 60 or 100mb i recommend them to disable wan 1 and get the STD firmware for use just the wan 2

screenshoots
this is when i was with snr 12 interleaved..now with fast path the errors are more than 4000 in a day(24hrs)
(ip addresses are old)

Final tests with 3.6.2 firmwares (remember i am with fast path and more errors counts)
After testing all firmwares i find out that all of them for me worked fine
As was same version firmware the "all" file used to stay same settings
Bear in mind, after midnight or very early morning all firmwares will synchronise with higher rates

* Firmwares with lower attenuator higher synchronism ... 2471201,2431301,244001,243701 (in my case loop attenuator 24)

* Medium UK-SEG(232201),2211201,243601 (29)

*Longer attenuator -Standard, 2121501 (37)

I would suggest with users having very long lines with synchronization problems and still use draytek to try the STD & 212501 or maybe the 2471201,2431301,244001,243701 which lowers the attenuator(little confused here) but with the multimode switched at g.dtm


* UK_SEG and STD will give less errors
Very good and steady firmwares perhaps for most cases

* 243601, 243701, 221501 i notice the thinkbroadband monitor (will in some cases) show less blue average jitter/latency

*** 3 stars 243601 and 243701 with this firmware the 2850 is running just little warm
i can tell for sure because my 2850 never turn off but only during reboots of changing firmwares so when loaded them ones (2 times by now) after a while the 2850 was cooler
Maybe them two are ideal for hot summer days or hotter countries so guys give it a try
(If use during winter may not understand is warm the modem only joke 8) )
Errors was about 2-3 times more (compared with the uk seg, std and 247... which seems had less errors of all firmwares) but did not notice any trouble with my connection(remember i am with fast path with all firmware tests so naturally are more errors anyway with fast path)

With wi-fi i also noticed with the inSSIDer the RSSI will drop down to -29 (most -31 so it vary between -29,-31) while with other firmwares RSSI is going up to -37
( i have permanent at channel 3 so bear in mind changing channel may get better or worst but all tests of firmwares was at channel 3.if was keep changing channels then could not have correct "picture")

All In All these 2 firmwares(243601,243701) seems clearly runs more smooth in general

I have a suspect about the 221501 which build lower jitter as well if will remain the modem cool
I may try this one again (had it only for few hours) and leave it 1-2 days to notice the temperature on top of the plastic case with the 2850

*244001 show me more latency at monitor than the others but may was just the day which i loaded

Personal with a line 2.400m away i end up with 243601 which line attenuation is middle range (29) and the benefits mentioned up
In the case want lower attenuator (24 for my line) the 243701 is the one with the same benefits
(221501 had lower jitter midle attenuator and some time in future will be one more test if will match the others 2)

Any comments or your own experience is welcome

with all due respect, what you're doing is very interesting, but the way you've presented it is totally confusing.

yes sorry maybe my English but if any questions about a specific firmware i may can answer
I made again a new post trying to put in correct order

All firmwares was loaded night so that helped to get faster resynchronisation from 14 to 15 something (day was getting lower)

In sorter words all firmwares worked for me the same but with some small difference.These follow as

Resynchronisation with lower loop attenuator (24 in my case)

2471201 maybe the best
screen shoot is up to 22 hrs with 3777 errors so perhaps with 24 hrs may was less than 4000
with this one ping was by 1 ms lower and jitter most times down to 0 in most tests of the day while with other firmwares codes was mainly/usally 8 ms clocked with 0-1 jitter


2431301 very good as well
errors could be with in 24 just over or around 5000 (screen shot is up to 19 hrs)
With this i notice ping went down to 6 (at pingtest.net but did not stay)
Also with my VM connection ping gone for first time down to 13 but did not stayed(end up 14 as usual at off peak times
hmmm.....
)Modem was more hot with this firmware



244001
lost record but errors was low as almost all lower attenuator firmwares
This one don't know why the monitor showed more jitter and modem was little hotter

Medium loop attenuator (29 in my case)

UK-SEG(232201) errors lost the record but if i remember correct was about 4000-5000 in a day not bad for medium range attenuator

2211201 errors (did not keep it all day so unknown but i see checking the stats was going up pretty fast 89 with in 0 hr :37 min )

243601 seems was running more smooth than the others
errors 10000 in a day but with this i notice modem will not get very hot and also RSSI at insider was varying from -29 to -31 all day while other firmwares was up to -37(don't remember which one) plus notice latency during some small parts of the day was lower at monitor
As mentioned post up all firmwares has got in the monitor about every 15 min some longer latency spikes
This firmware is the only one that in an hour (i knowmaybe nothing special) but can get 3 spikes instead of 4 (compare with the other firmwares) but also some how will miss a spike in the 15 min period


243701 was one of the smother as well
errors can't find my shoot screen so seems did not keep record but i had it all day and was less than 10000 which the 243601 had in a day
low latecy for my VM monitor and will not show up very big spikes
RSSI @ inSSDer was -32
also this firmware modem was just very little warm

Longer loop attenuator (37 in my case)

Standard (STD) errors (lost record because i use it before long time but errors was not going fast up)

2121501 errors (did not keep it all day so unknown was 97 with in 1 hr :07 min, not a bad score)

Reloaded again the 243701

Same smooth as 243601 (both medium loop attenuator 29)
2850 will not get too hot as well
RSSI with inSSDer was varying through the day from -30 to -33
SNR margin dropped to 7 and stayed there for long time and back up to 9(my default snr)...same with the 243601
Of corse and with other firmwares will drop or go up the snr but with this one seems stayed long time unless was my connection occasional doing this and did not notice before

With this one i notice latency spikes with are present about every 15 min to the other 7 firmwares(see post up) ...during the day/night will miss some spikes
So the 243601 will not make latency spikes at sometimes
The 243701 will also not make spikes sometimes but also will make more spikes than the 15 min with adsl connection
here in the screen shot i point where the connection was idle not in use and where i state less the 2 long spikes was from my own use so from about before 12 until about 1:45 am it only had 1 spike


I also notice with my VM connection all other firmwares will have longer spikes (this is due to nature of VM latency and you can not really avoid them as VM is more congested network than BT lines)...that the 243701 cutting off the maximum latency and makes the monitor more flatter
Here what i mean
243601 and so about the same all other firmwares

243701


and a screen shot to get your own opinion about the errors of the 243701