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Connection but no data transfer

oliverb
Grafter
Posts: 606
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Connection but no data transfer

I have a problem where after some length of time online all data transfer stops although the router continues to report synch.
It is difficult to go through the standard diagnostic route, at present I don't have one of Plusnet's regular routers to use as a substitute, and it is hard to switch over without LAN disruption.
I know I have a poor line as a result of which the line may still be on 20CN provision not 21CN. Due to poor stats I never even triked asking for ADSL2+. Currently my impression is that the line is poor but stable at about the 4.5M mark.
I've mainly been using Draytek routers, for some time I've been using a 2600X model as I seemed to have fairly good results with it with Plusnet. Unfortunately I've had to abandon the 2600X as something is making it freeze up completely to the extent that the system light stops flashing. I don't know why it has become unusable but I suspect it is something LAN side.
So back to the 2800G, which on paper is the better model. Unfortunately I'm finding that with the 2800 my connection seems to go "stale", and it needs some form of interruption in order to recover. Restarting the router works, but so does anything that makes the router lose sync, e.g. removing and reconnecting the phone cable. Ironically line noise actually masks this problem, the more stable the line is the more I see the router with the DSL light lit but no data transfer.


3 REPLIES 3
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,918
Thanks: 9,535
Fixes: 156
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Connection but no data transfer

Quote from: oliverb
Ironically line noise actually masks this problem, the more stable the line is the more I see the router with the DSL light lit but no data transfer.

Hi Oliver,
I would suspect that line noise would cause the router to resynch thereby 'kicking' the router as you described above.
If you can hear noise on the line, there I s no point chasing a broadband issue.  Please report a phone line fault to your phone provider.  If that is PlusNet, use the phone fault link below.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

oliverb
Grafter
Posts: 606
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: Connection but no data transfer

FWIW last time I tried a quiet line test it came up clear. There USED to be a periodic line noise problem but Openreach traced it to one of our computers having a defective power supply. Every morning it would start up and the line rate dropped. The faulty computer was thrown out a long time ago.
By "bad" I mean the router consistently reports an attenuation of ~50dB, but it does give speeds of 3-5M and that is in my view an acceptable speed for a small office where no-one has a real need to watch streamed video all day. Since the line has never reported better than 50dB I'm assuming it probably wouldn't constitute a fault, but I'm thinking of asking around and seeing what stats others in the area get?
The problem I'm talking about is the one where the data transfer slows to a crawl or stops, but the line doesn't lose sync. The DSL light stays on constantly throughout, and although the usual solution is to restart the router I've found that sometimes it can be restarted by less drastic means.
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,918
Thanks: 9,535
Fixes: 156
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Connection but no data transfer

The attenuation for the line is related to its length, so that is never going to change.  The synch speed is related to the line length and the signal noise margin (SNRM).  Thereafter the effective data speed is a function of the of the background noise / errors.
There is the possibility that you have another old device causing interference - sight of the information requested in the speed issues thread (see link below) would be useful.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.