DLM period now over....any tips to boost sync + speed... (ADSL2+)

[#1]

Hey all,
So DLM is over, I recall just 1 disconnect (red light on the router so had to power cycle) and maybe 2 further power cycles (me, changing router to a bt2700hgv, no QoS so changed back to plusnet router)...
The router reports a downstream att. of 29db, so I was hoping to
sync @ approx. 16000 kbps with an ip profile of 14112 kbps (according to kitz).  but...
sync @ approx. 12647 kbps with an ip profile of 11160 kbps are my ACTUAL figures....
looking for any tips or advice to try get higher sync + throughput. 5 users, various pc's, devices, mobiles etc, so any improvement is welcome. Its a new line, new socket (NTE5 I believe, with a faceplate with a bell/ring wire filter type thing) all bt openreach branded, no extensions, new micro filter and of course the new plusnet router
I have heard of the iplate, but came across a new face plate, btopenreach branded MK2 vDSL (for fibre?). It appears to clean up/separate the voice/data streams? (I'm guessing !). Should I purchase one of these? Will it help me achieve my goal? Or is there anything else I should try.
cheers!
PJ

[#2]

Try turning off everything electrical in your house except for your router and a battery operated device that can read the router settings.  See if that causes the SNR margin to increase.  If so, turn things back on one-by-one until it goes down again.

[#3]

Hey,
Ok, I will try that. When you say see if SNR margin increases do you mean go from 6db to (say) 10db? and back down again 10db to 6db?
I just want to make sure I got the figures the right way round! Lol !
I didn't realise electrical devices could/would affect adsl. I assumed it was all due to noise/interference on the line.
cheers
pj
P.S when everything electrical has been on in the past, SNR margin (downstream) has always hovered between 5.9 - 6.5 (not sure if that's relevant)

[#4]

Let us know how you get on with those checks pj2014

[#5]

Your upload speed is currently capped, if your mix of traffic includes much uploading then it would be worth asking for this to be uncapped.
It should more than double your upload to around 1Mb/s

[#6]

Hey guys + gals,
Ok, so I turned everything off (switched off all plugs) apart from the fridge freezer (ground floor, at the back of the house) and the router (at the front of the house 1st floor)
Logged into the router via my phone so I could keep an eye on the SNR margin as I turned each and every electrical item off. (Inc. any ceiling/spot lights).....  then turned everything back on slowly while keeping an eye on the SNR margin
During the whole procedure SNR margin stayed with 6.1 - 6.4. No sudden spikes in either direction. However, during the 2nd phase whilst turning everything back on again, the stats page on the mobile was no longer working, so I went to have a look at the router. I noticed a blinking red light on the router. This has only ever happened once before maybe on 21/11 or 22/11 I think? Screen grab attached.
Maybe it was a coincidence? and It occurred at the same time? I believe so, as all the lights, plugs, electrics are the same ones on every evening (usually more! when we are all in with room lights, toys, gadgets, tv's  on...)  and this loss of adsl (xDSL linestate down) PPP link down  has not occurred before? (apart from that one instance 21/11 or 22/11). The plusnet mods would probably have access to those logs.
Can anyone shed any light on this/ know what this all means?
cheers!
PJ

[#7]

The forum Mods have no access to your account or connection logs. We are just customers like yourself.
This may be something for the Plusnet Digital Care Team to have a look at tomorrow.

[#8]

Ah, slip of the tongue! (keyboard) I meant the DCT who have been very helpful.
As have fellow forumites    I was just hoping someone who may have encountered similar issues with these linestate/ PPP link down messages suggest I try something during these evening hours. It appears  evenings is when this SNR moves around a bit!
If not, I'm sure the DCT will pick it up tomorrow.
cheers
pj

[#9]

It is easiest to see the effect of household devices on SNRM if you use a program like Routerstats to continuously poll your router.  A change of as little as 0.5dB should be perceptible as as step function increase when the offending device is switched off and a step function decrease when it is switched on again.  If you were able to establish that your computer PSU is clean then you could do this.  You will also see an increase in error rates if you switch on a REIN source.
If you switched on something that was really noisy it might cause your router to lose sync and then reconnect at a lower rate.  But then you would surely see an increase of several dB in the SNRM when you switched it off again.       

[#10]

Hey,
So hoping the DCT may have further suggestions? maybe a SNR reset? I have logged into the router today and it does show lots of errors. Are the amount of errors ok for the length of time the router has been 'up'? I really thought with a line attenuation of 29db I'd get a lot faster sync and download speeds. 
There is no noise on the landline, I did try the 17070 test and I couldn't really hear any noise, seemed nice and clear  Any tests you can try your end?
I have ordered a new adsl cable, rj45? (router to phone socket) that is shielded. Its only 2m so I don't think its going help a great deal! But have to try! I will also use the other micro filter that came with this plusnet router.
I only have the one socket, no extensions coming off from it at all, so no point trying the master socket. I was going to purchase a vdsl faceplate bt openreach mk2, but read these are only helpful if you run extensions from your phone socket. I have none!
Any suggestions, or is this the best speed/connection I'm going to get + just live with it!
cheers!
pj

[#11]

We're a bit stretched for resource today, so we might not be able help before next week.
Here is a log of your connections and disconnection though over the past week:

[#12]

Sure, that's ok.
If you or someone could pick this up next week that'd be great.
cheers
pj

[#13]

Quote from: pj2014

I was going to purchase a vdsl faceplate bt openreach mk2, but read these are only helpful if you run extensions from your phone socket. I have none!

The point of a broadband filter is to block any high-frequency interference from your telephony equipment or that has been picked up by your telephone extension wiring acting as a radio aerial.  If you don't have any telephone extension wiring and just the one socket then unplugging your telephone from the socket should achieve a better result than the best broadband filter.  However broadband filters differ and the one in the VDSL faceplate is particularly good so I don't see why it could not be helpful in your situation.  Just no more helpful than unplugging your phone.
If your broadband sync speed is not as fast as you think it should be but your target SNRM is the default value of 6dB then there are only two possible causes.  Either:

• there was excess noise/interference on the line when your router synced


• or your router, or the equipment it communicates with in the telephone exchange, is faulty.

Excess noise/interference can be caused by a bad connection somewhere on your telephone line, which often gives audible noise also.  Or it could be caused by radio-frequency interference on your mains wiring or on your neighbours mains wiring which finds its way onto your broadband signal.  There is always a certain amount of radio pick-up on your telephone wires and as radio waves travel further at night then this gets worse at night so for the best speed make sure your router re-syncs during daylight hours.   

[#14]

Hi, thanks for that.... Ok i'll invest in a btopenreach vdsl faceplate (mk2) Im sure it'll fit on an nte5 (or so the pictures seem to suggest, it sits between the nte5 back part and front part). Looks like it leaves you with two ports vertically above each other, one filtered for BB and the other for your phone(straight in, no filter)
Strangely enough that shielded adsl cable turned up, so I replaced my very thin older style one with it along with the micro filter (had old sky one >18 months old) with plusnet supplied one and now
sync before 12647 kbps
sync after  13547 kbps
so heading in the right direction. Now I just have to keep an eye on my error count.
cheers

[#15]

Yes, the rate is up and your SNRM has drifted up 0.4dB since restarting.  The HEC error rate is running at 1 per 30 seconds - keep a watch on that.  I think RouterStats monitoring would be useful.  SNRM fluctuations might shine a light onto what (if anything) is happening wrong.