Random DSL dropouts over 4 months, no solution.

[#1]

I feel your pain. Where are you at at the moment? How’s it been left?

[#2]

Slightly improved after a high resitance fault was fixed but the disconnects are still present at the same time every day pretty much like clockwork. Problem developed about two months ago and yet the source of the problem is no closer to being found. 

[#3]

So are you calling plusnet to send out Openreach most weeks? Have one of these Circet engineers visited your property?

[#4]

Just had a Circet engineer over and he solved the issue, it was the Plusnet router, BT Wholehome mesh and Sky Q box all using the same channel causing random interference. You might want to change your WiFi channels if you haven’t done so already 👍

[#5]

Might have to look out for a bill from OR.
The fault it appears was 'internal' due to multiple devices competing for wifi channel.

[#6]

Fairly certain isp’s don’t charge anymore for OP visits, no matter where the fault is. Besides, not once was I informed that if the fault is in my property I’d be charged. 

[#7]

@FishFingers33 

Clashing WiFi channels do not cause DSL drops.

Maybe you have two problems and will still notice the odd DSL disconnection.

[#8]

I asked the Circet guy that and he was adamant it does. I also asked him has he seen customers with my synptoms and it was wi if channel issues, he said yes. I’ll be honest, this has been going on for 4 months now with 5 different “engineers”, I don’t know what to believe anymore. But if it doesn’t solve it then we can discount issues in my property.

[#9]

I very much doubt that anything to do with multiple devices using the same WiFi channel is your DSL drop issue.  There are merits in multiple WAPS having the same SSID using different NON-OVERLAPPING channels (1, 6 or 11), however the whole of the WiFi system is designed to work with co-located channel use for both the same and different SSIDs.  I suggest that the Circet guy has played a red herring here - it would be quite reasonable for all of the said devices to be using the same channel.

Your fault description of INTERMITTENT disconnections, which has been encountered across two ISPs with different routers, is far more symptomatic of SHINE and REIN interference.

The usual approach to inspecting for this would be to run automated SNRM monitoring using the likes of RouterStats - see the links below.  Unfortunately RouterStats does not function with the HUB2, but does with a multitude of other hubs including the PN HUB1 (use the BTHH5a version).  Do you still have the Sky router?  Can that be configured to work with the Plusnet service?  If yes and it will that device work with RouterStats, then you have the possibility of undertaking meaningful diagnostics. **

SHINE and REIN are difficult to locate and are not going to be looked for by engineers unless they consider such as being a potential contributor.  The other issue is that it is intermittent and invariably not there when looked for.

** I wonder if Excel can be made to do this?  Might be an interesting exercise!

[#10]

Thanks Towman for your interesting and detailed reply. I do wonder about these engineers and what they claim to know, if you are correct then what he told me was nonsense. Putting that to one side I had to send the Sky router back to them, you know what they’re like with equipment lol.  However, I do have a Vodafone router, I could try that? Just need to know how to make it work with the Plusnet service, then I could monitor it with the RouterStats program. I guess RouterStats shows more info on the dropouts when it happens, is that how it works? 
One other thing to mention, the last OR guy to visit said he very much doubt RF interference is causing my issue as he would be seeing loads of CRC errors mounting up before the line drops, but he was seeing hardly any. 

[#11]

 However, I do have a Vodafone router, I could try that?

I'd pretty much guarantee that'll be a non-starter, it's almost certainly 'locked' to Vodafone

I'm afraid I must agree with the previous posters , the last engineer was talking 'bovine excrement'

[#12]

Yes, just checked and it’s not on the list.

My current stats- 

Noise margin:5.7 / 5.3Line attenuation:11.5 / 25.4

Signal attenuation:11.5 / 26.3

Noise margin is quite low…

[#13]

@FishFingers33 

Could it be that you have been getting multiple wireless clash drop outs and very few DSL drops? It could be just a coincidence that the one you reported on was a rare occurence? Have you noticed acitivity with the hub lights when you get these drops?

A stable line SNR can go as low as 3dB.

[#14]

The CURRENT noise margin is fine somewhere around 6dB is typical. If this is REIN or SHINE there will be a transient fall to zero which will cause the DSL to drop.

The point of RouterStats or similar is that they can be condition grab the stats every 10 seconds, plot the figures and thereby “illuminate” transient faults.

With sufficient examples the source of the interference might be identified. In years past I’ve found such issues caused by night time IR on CCTV and passing west coast mainline electric trains (but only the 11 coach variants).

[#15]

I highly doubt it, every time I get a dropout (when I notice it) the Plusnet router flashes orange, then a stable orange then stable blue. The Sky router showed me that the internet connection is down, the WiFi stayed light stayed on (green). This showed me that it was the internet connection itself had dropped.