ADSL dropping every 30 minutes?

[#1]

I was thinking (like cedlor) that the target SNRM has gone up because of the terrible weekend of disconnections. It was around 6dB before at 15500/888 I believe.
Router and phone are plugged into the master socket, with nothing plugged into any others telephone sockets. I do believe it's the NTE5 faceplate as well. Microfilter wise, I have no idea how good or bad it is, I think it's the one PN supplied, or maybe BT when we were with them a few years back. House is around 10 years old, so I don't think it'll have any aluminium wiring.

[#2]

Even with the 6dB target and speeds mentioned it ought to be better. When you have time, have a look at the wiring at the back of one of the un-used extension sockets. Need to know the wire colours and which terminal numbers they are connected to. I'll guess we have a bell-wire which might be an issue (but I have an idea that may save some hassle if it's definitely the NTE5a - do you see many BT Openreach vans around your way? - If so I'll drop you a PM).

[#3]

We had an extension 4-5 years ago, the sockets were wired with cat 5e so I could resuse them for the home network. I'll double check though. On the old side, there are only two, the master socket and one in the hallway which is where the picture is from.
There was an issued a few years back which needed an OR engineer to sort it out, our line went hella unstable - I think it was our alarm engineer who wired the phone system from the alarm to the master socket. It was permanently disconnected. Haven't seen any of the BT lads around here in a long time

[#4]

Yep, bell-wire. I'll drop you a PM later on (don't go pulling things apart right now - you may get suggestions to do so).

[#5]

Thanks Anotherone, much appreciated

[#6]

The reason I suggested not pulling things apart at that time was because you'd had so many drops previously, it was probably not a good idea to risk the wrath of DLM acting again if you had a further disconnect.
Just to answer your question about your Current Line speed (Login required) which I missed earlier as I was in a rush, it's just Plusnet's reflection of the BT IP Profile (rounded down to the nearest 100kbps on ADSL). It gets updated from "Delta reports" that the BT servers send to Plusnet when there's a change in sync speed. However they aren't always timely.
I'll post what I've posted on another thread about wiring - it's slightly rephrased from my many previous posts on the subject - and I'll edit to suit.
When you have been doing a few reboots, or have a dropping connection, or error levels are quite high, it's always wise to be cautious and do any Disconnects or Resyncs "Gracefully".
A "Graceful Disconnect" means logging into the modem/router interface, going to the Internet connection box and first clicking "Disconnect" - this drops the PPP(oA) Internet session to one's ISP (that's not the sync to the exchange), wait about a minute, and then pull the power plug of the modem/router (that's of course when sync will cease) - don't just simply unplug it from the line. If you don't have a means of dropping your PPP session, just pull the power plug.
After about another minute you can unplug it from the line if you need to change anything, investigate wiring etc, but stay offline for at least 10 minutes. When you re-connect and power up, you may need to Login to the Modem/Router and click Connect to establish a new PPP session.
Don't do this more than 5 times in an hour, then leave it for the rest of the day. The method is to help stop the Exchange DLM from thinking your sync loss was a dropped connection.
Right, before doing the "Graceful disconnect" grab a copy of the current stats and post them. Then whilst you are powered down and off-line, carefully remove the NTE5a front plate being careful not to pull out the attached wiring from the plate. Plug a filter into the Test Socket along with the modem/router. Carry on below if 10 minutes haven't elapsed since powering down. Then power up and login and grab a copy of the new stats and post them. This will give an indication of what your line might achieve. Leave it running whilst you continue below.
Look at the extension wiring connected to the faceplate. You will see the Orange+white trace wires on terminal 3 (as per your photo). It's these we need to disconnect in a broadband extension setup, the "bell-wire".
Carefully remove those wires by gently pulling them vertically from the terminals being very careful not to pull out the wires from terminals 2 & 5. Loosely twist the removed wires together and wrap them back out of the way so they won't touch any terminals when you refit the plate. Now do the same at every extension socket. If you accidentally pull a wire out of terminal 2 or 5 don't push it back in with a screwdriver in the jaws of the terminal, use a suitable bluntish instrument and push the wire down either side of the terminal. Tweezers have been used to do this. (The correct method is to use an IDC tool). The terminals are Insulation Displacement Connectors, they displace the insulation and grip the wire. Any opening of the jaws would leave a bad connection.
(If any of the wiring you see has different colours post a description of that as well as pictures.)
One you've done all that, bearing in mind the modem/router is connected to the Test socket, grab another set of stats and then do another Graceful disconnect. Remove the filter from the test socket, refit the Faceplate, refit any extension sockets not done, and re-install the modem/router. If 10 minutes have elapsed, power up, log in and grab the new stats and post them and any other relevant information.
Hope that's clear enough, ask away if you have any queries.

[#7]

Here are some stats from today:
============================================================================
   ADSL Training Status:   Showtime
                   Mode:   ADSL2+
           Traffic Type:   ATM Mode
            Link Uptime:   2 days: 17 hours: 11 minutes
============================================================================
      ADSL Port Details       Upstream         Downstream
              Line Rate:      0.895 Mbps       13.397 Mbps
   Actual Net Data Rate:      0.888 Mbps       13.365 Mbps
         Trellis Coding:         ON                ON
             SNR Margin:       14.3 dB            7.7 dB
           Actual Delay:          8 ms              8 ms
         Transmit Power:       12.1 dBm           0.0 dBm
          Receive Power:        4.7 dBm           4.7 dBm
             Actual INP:        2.0 symbols       1.0 symbols
      Total Attenuation:        0.0 dB            0.0 dB
Attainable Net Data Rate:      0.888 Mbps       13.616 Mbps
============================================================================
           ADSL Counters
          Downstream        Upstream
Since Link time = 11 min 59 sec
FEC: 6139 1243
CRC: 5 2
ES: 4 1
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Latest 15 minutes time = 12 min 54 sec
FEC: 199 194
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Previous 15 minutes time = 15 min 0 sec
FEC: 13 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Latest 1 day time = 17 hours 12 min 54 sec
FEC: 1724 412
CRC: 3 0
ES: 2 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Previous 1 day time = 24 hours 0 sec
FEC: 1940 265
CRC: 1 0
ES: 1 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Total time = 1 days 17 hours 12 min 54 sec
FEC: 6139 1243
CRC: 5 2
ES: 4 1
SES: 0 0
UAS: 54 54
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
============================================================================
Still no drops and the SNRM is dropping slowly.
Just got home from the graveyard shift in A and E, so I'll take a shot and doing what you told me in your PM a bit later on. Just wanted to clarify somethinng - when you want me to post stats from the test socket, I should do that before 10 minutes are up right?
Many thanks for the help so far all!

[#8]

Yep, post stats as soon as you are synced etc. at the test socket, ,then again just before you disconnect to revert to normal setup. It shows what the connection should do and in theory it shouldn't change between start and finish. Then more stats again once you are back at normal setup.

[#9]

Hey all, reviving a very dead post here! I never did get around to sorting all of that out! Just got some time off work so I decided to have a go. Here are the stats from normal use, plugged into the test socket and after bell wire removal.
NORMAL
============================================================================
    ADSL Training Status:  Showtime
                    Mode:  ADSL2+
            Traffic Type:  ATM Mode
            Link Uptime:  0 day: 7 hours: 0 minute
============================================================================
      ADSL Port Details      Upstream        Downstream
              Line Rate:      0.895 Mbps      13.996 Mbps
    Actual Net Data Rate:      0.888 Mbps      13.964 Mbps
          Trellis Coding:        ON                ON
              SNR Margin:      14.9 dB            6.2 dB
            Actual Delay:          8 ms              8 ms
          Transmit Power:      12.4 dBm          0.0 dBm
          Receive Power:        4.7 dBm          4.7 dBm
              Actual INP:        2.0 symbols      1.0 symbols
      Total Attenuation:        0.0 dB            0.0 dB
Attainable Net Data Rate:      0.888 Mbps      15.140 Mbps
============================================================================
            ADSL Counters
          Downstream        Upstream
Since Link time = 41 sec
FEC: 1671 316
CRC: 3 0
ES: 3 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Latest 15 minutes time = 1 min 35 sec
FEC: 55 0
CRC: 1 0
ES: 1 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Previous 15 minutes time = 15 min 0 sec
FEC: 0 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Latest 1 day time = 7 hours 1 min 35 sec
FEC: 1671 316
CRC: 3 0
ES: 3 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 53 53
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Previous 1 day time = 0 sec
FEC: 0 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Total time = 7 hours 1 min 35 sec
FEC: 1671 316
CRC: 3 0
ES: 3 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 53 53
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
============================================================================
TEST SOCKET
============================================================================
    ADSL Training Status:  Showtime
                    Mode:  ADSL2+
            Traffic Type:  ATM Mode
            Link Uptime:  0 day: 0 hour: 1 minute
============================================================================
      ADSL Port Details      Upstream        Downstream
              Line Rate:      0.895 Mbps      15.073 Mbps
    Actual Net Data Rate:      0.888 Mbps      15.041 Mbps
          Trellis Coding:        ON                ON
              SNR Margin:      16.5 dB            6.0 dB
            Actual Delay:          8 ms              8 ms
          Transmit Power:      12.3 dBm          0.0 dBm
          Receive Power:        4.7 dBm          4.7 dBm
              Actual INP:        2.0 symbols      1.0 symbols
      Total Attenuation:        0.0 dB            0.0 dB
Attainable Net Data Rate:      0.888 Mbps      16.076 Mbps
============================================================================
            ADSL Counters
          Downstream        Upstream
Since Link time = 1 min 55 sec
FEC: 0 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Latest 15 minutes time = 7 min 29 sec
FEC: 183 0
CRC: 487 0
ES: 12 0
SES: 11 0
UAS: 52 52
LOS: 1 0
LOF: 9 0
LOM: 0 0
Previous 15 minutes time = 15 min 0 sec
FEC: 0 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Latest 1 day time = 7 hours 7 min 29 sec
FEC: 1799 316
CRC: 489 0
ES: 14 0
SES: 11 0
UAS: 105 105
LOS: 1 0
LOF: 9 0
LOM: 0 0
Previous 1 day time = 0 sec
FEC: 0 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Total time = 7 hours 7 min 29 sec
FEC: 1799 316
CRC: 489 0
ES: 14 0
SES: 11 0
UAS: 105 105
LOS: 1 0
LOF: 9 0
LOM: 0 0
============================================================================
REMOVED BELL WIRE
============================================================================
    ADSL Training Status:  Showtime
                    Mode:  ADSL2+
            Traffic Type:  ATM Mode
            Link Uptime:  0 day: 0 hour: 1 minute
============================================================================
      ADSL Port Details      Upstream        Downstream
              Line Rate:      0.895 Mbps      14.034 Mbps
    Actual Net Data Rate:      0.888 Mbps      14.002 Mbps
          Trellis Coding:        ON                ON
              SNR Margin:      16.0 dB            6.2 dB
            Actual Delay:          8 ms              8 ms
          Transmit Power:      12.3 dBm          0.0 dBm
          Receive Power:        4.7 dBm          4.7 dBm
              Actual INP:        2.0 symbols      1.0 symbols
      Total Attenuation:        0.0 dB            0.0 dB
Attainable Net Data Rate:      0.888 Mbps      15.184 Mbps
============================================================================
            ADSL Counters
          Downstream        Upstream
Since Link time = 1 min 27 sec
FEC: 0 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Latest 15 minutes time = 2 min 21 sec
FEC: 0 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 53 53
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Previous 15 minutes time = 0 sec
FEC: 0 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Latest 1 day time = 2 min 21 sec
FEC: 0 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 53 53
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Previous 1 day time = 0 sec
FEC: 0 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Total time = 2 min 21 sec
FEC: 0 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 53 53
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
============================================================================
Was a bit disappointed that the bell wire removal didn't seem overtly different in terms of immediate line stats.  I've put it back into the test socket for now as the attainable rate was higher and I don't use any other extension around the house

[#10]

If you did all that lot later than an hour before sunset or after dark the noise levels will be fluctuating quite a lot, so that might be the reason for the lower sync speed with the bell wire disconnected. Make sure all extension socket(s) are proper secondary types with no capacitors and resistors. Try that again in daylight, a good hour after sunrise, somewhere around the middle of the day might be best.

[#11]

Sure enough, you were dead on. Pulled these stats 30 mins ago and the max attainable looks better!
============================================================================
    ADSL Training Status:  Showtime
                    Mode:  ADSL2+
            Traffic Type:  ATM Mode
            Link Uptime:  0 day: 19 hours: 7 minutes
============================================================================
      ADSL Port Details      Upstream        Downstream
              Line Rate:      0.895 Mbps      14.998 Mbps
    Actual Net Data Rate:      0.888 Mbps      14.966 Mbps
          Trellis Coding:        ON                ON
              SNR Margin:      15.8 dB            6.0 dB
            Actual Delay:          8 ms              8 ms
          Transmit Power:      12.4 dBm          0.0 dBm
          Receive Power:        4.7 dBm          4.7 dBm
              Actual INP:        2.0 symbols      1.0 symbols
      Total Attenuation:        0.0 dB            0.0 dB
Attainable Net Data Rate:      0.888 Mbps      16.008 Mbps
============================================================================
            ADSL Counters
          Downstream        Upstream
Since Link time = 7 min 51 sec
FEC: 30646 627
CRC: 16 0
ES: 11 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Latest 15 minutes time = 8 min 46 sec
FEC: 4 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Previous 15 minutes time = 15 min 0 sec
FEC: 226 0
CRC: 2 0
ES: 1 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Latest 1 day time = 19 hours 8 min 46 sec
FEC: 30646 627
CRC: 16 0
ES: 11 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 53 53
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Previous 1 day time = 0 sec
FEC: 0 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Total time = 19 hours 8 min 46 sec
FEC: 30646 627
CRC: 16 0
ES: 11 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 53 53
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
============================================================================
                 

[#12]

Looking a lot healthier. The other thing I noted since your stats earlier in the thread a few months back, DLM has been happy with your line as it's dropped the Target SNRM back to 6dB.
Your Current Line Speed should update (if it hasn't already) to 13.2Mbps to match the IP Profile if the current sync speed is maintained.
If your line continues to be good, then the DLM may try a 3dB Target SNRM - there will be a drop in sync when it does, but depending on the time of day/night that it tries, your sync speed improvement may not be as good as could be achieved by a resync in daytime. It will all rather depend on how much the SNRM now varies after dark.

[#13]

Awesome. If DLM doesn't push it down to 3dB, I guess I can ask PN to try it?
Just another thing, interleaving is switched on I think. Will DLM turn it off itself if the errors are low enough or would I have to ask PN to sort that out too?

[#14]

You'll have to ask PN to turn OFF the Interleaving instead of it being left on Auto (you do Gaming?). Whilst they can set it to 3dB I would recommend that bit be left to DLM as it can occasionally give an unstable outcome.
Probably best to ask on here btw!

[#15]

Yeah, I never really thought about it till I started playing some more competitive FPS's and my ping seemed abnormally high. Cool, I'll leave it to DLM for a while to see what it does, connection has been rock solid with little errors over the past 48 hours. I'm thinking of moving across to FTTC over Christmas so I'm not too fussed