Please can someone tell me is this OK?

[zee]

Since I have connected to O2 I have been far from happy. Its constantly slow and keeps losing conncection. Today I am connected at this speed (Wired, not much point testing Wireless at this speed), should I be OK with this? I have called support three times and tried the usual swapping filters, moving the router making sure its plugged into master socket etc etc

[neilmcl]

Can you login to your router as SuperUser and post your router stats please?

[zee]

I am connected at a better speed today but still not very stable


Link Information


Uptime: 0 days, 0:32:22

DSL Type: G.992.5 annex A

Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 1,304 / 8,187

Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [kB/kB]: 0.00 / 0.00

Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12.0 / 19.0

Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 15.5 / 30.5

SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 6.5 / 7.0

Vendor ID (Local/Remote): TMMB / BDCM

Loss of Framing (Local/Remote): 0 / 0

Loss of Signal (Local/Remote): 0 / 0

Loss of Power (Local/Remote): 0 / 0

Loss of Link (Remote): 0

Error Seconds (Local/Remote): 0 / 0

FEC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 2,936

CRC Errors (Up/Down): 0 / 0

HEC Errors (Up/Down): 560,068 / 0

[Saturday]

You have to be very methodical when trying to diagnose connection problems - it's down to eliminating possible causes until you find the problem.You haven't said how your router was connected in the last post with your stats so I can only generalise in saying that they show your line is very noisy. Line noise can arise anywhere from the exchange through to the router. Most commonly it is down to the home phone wiring.

Your attenuation at 30.5db would normally support a sync speed of ~16000kbps. You're syncing at just half that and the shortfall will be down to line noise.

Please connect your router to your test socket (hidden inside your master socket) using just the supplied router cable and filter. Those stats will show whether the noise is in the BT line or your home.

In the time between your first post and your second there have been dramatic improvements (8meg sync is hardly slow after all), however, if your connection is unstable then that would suggest intermittent noise spikes. At this time of year Christmas lights often give problems for example.

O2 can only do so much to help you. They're providing a service but it's your responsibility to sort out any problems in your home. If it turns out to be the BT line then they will try to help but that will be down to BT.

[zee]

The stats I posted are from the Test Socket. I have connected my router directly to my test socket and have connected my PC to the router using Ethernet. I am not using any extension leads as my Master socket is close to my PC.

Sorry forgot to mention since my first post I have downgraded to the lower package and support changed the noise ratio (I dont know if I have got this term right!). When I was on the premium package my speed was slower. While my speed has imporived line stablility is still the same. I seem to get disconnected at least 30 minutes if not sooner.

Should I give support another call? If the problem is with my line, will it be easier to disconnect my line and then take out a new conncection? I heard BT are not helpful in sorting out problems with the line if I havent taken out Broadband with them.

[Saturday]

If those stats are from the test socket with nothing else connected then the problem is with your BT line. Just one thing to check though to be sure: do you have any extensions in the house? If so check that they no longer work when the test socket is in use i.e. when the front plate is removed. If they do still work then the socket is incorrectly wired.

I can't see any evidence in your stats that O2 have changed your noise margin - it's at the default level. Had they changed it then you'd expect the noise margin to be set at 9db or 12db.

As you say, BT aren't great at fixing line noise problems unless it is interfering with voice or fax calls. Do you have any hissing or crackling when making calls?

How long has this problem been going on? I recall a couple of years ago that a poster over on Skyuser had similar problems and it turned out to be a neighbour's outdoor Christmas lights a couple of houses away which were on close to the BT line in the street. With luck it may be something similar and go away in a week or so.

[zee]

Thanks for the reply, I dont use my BT lines to make calls so dont know about the hissing or crackling. I will try to get a phone to test the line, and the extensions.
Unfortunately this prblem started about a week after I got connected. When I 1st got connected I was getting speed of upto 10-11 megs.

I will try to get a phone tonite and give it a go. My parents are using Sky and they have a weird set up (Virgin Media for phone calls BT for Broadband only) and never had a problem even though they have connected their router to the Extension (that I wired myself!)

[zee]

I checked the other extentions with the router plugged into the test socket. It seems the BT Socket isnt wired properly. Will I need to do that thing with the Ring wire? Could this be why I am dont have a stable connection?

[Saturday]

If you're saying that your extensions still work with the faceplate removed then yes, the master is either incorrectly wired or that's not the master. It has been known for an NTE5 to be used (incorrectly) as an extension.

Can you follow your extension cabling to the socket you think is the master or do they go to another one? If they go to the one you think is the master then they must be wired to the backplate not the faceplate. It shouldn't be a big job to wire it correctly. If they go to another socket and terminate there then that's your master - double check by seeing which socket is first after the BT line enters your home.

Disconnecting the ring wire may help but you'd be better off getting the extensions correctly wired if that's the issue, or connect the router to the real master if that's the issue. Then fit a replacement filtered faceplate.