Unstable Connection

[#1]

I've just checked online again and I see things have moved further so I will get the appointment sorted.

Thanks for the help and hopefully things can be improved. I'm ok with the new username.

Mike

[#2]

Picture Mike? Depending on what it shows, I may have a canny suggestion

[#3]

Online again, I've just had to reboot the router as it wasn't responding.

More pictures? canny suggestion, what do you mean?

[#4]

Sorry Mike, I missed that post with the pics earlier for some reason That is atrocious the way that's been bodged, goodness know what the individual pairs are like underneath. If any of the insulation on the pairs has been damaged, then that will give no end of earth and/or battery faults when it chucks it down with rain. They need to repair it properly and the put the standard metal cable protector over the cable.

I know what I'd be inclined to do Mike, later in the day before the engineer is due (if you can stand the potential loss of service until the engineer arrives) I'd chuck a few buckets of water over it, & pour some down it from above and see what happens. Obviously if it has no effect, then it's not that messing up  your line.

[#5]

You had me worried with the canny suggestion, I thought you meant something more drastic

Your idea sounds good as the most disconnections have always occurred during heavy showers like Saturday. I don't think an engineer has ever seen the damage, it's just been caught and left unnoticed except by me and whoever did it. 

[#6]

Looked to me that someone has taped it up with insulating tape, fat lot of good that will do if the pairs insulation is damaged I wasn't going to suggest a hack-saw, that might seriously cut a few people off

[#7]

The engineer was down today. The job lasted most of the day and he had a difficult time.

Prior to his visit the line hadn't dropped for 2+ days so I thought a fault wouldn't show. However after initial tests the line did drop with 2 incoming calls and was showing loop loss or shorting as I understand. So after various checks at the poles and exchange, he swapped the pair from the exchange and in the house to the pole. Unfortunately, being 6kms from the exchange, there were no good ones left and ended up with a slower line. It was showing less errors so it should be more stable. He got the line reset to 6db to help the speed. Alas after he went the first incoming call dropped the line with a 6db SNM drop and subsequent incoming calls also show a 6db drop.

The damaged pole cable is my line but doesn't show any faults.

He tried his best but I see it as a lost cause this far from the exchange so I've ordered fibre. Then if there are further problems it should be easier to sort. I intended going to fibre when my contract ends but phoned customer options and signed up for a 2 year deal starting next month.

[#8]

A bit of a disappointing outcome really.

---

@mikeH wrote:
The damaged pole cable is my line but doesn't show any faults.

Did you give it a good soaking though as I suggested?

What sort of estimated speed have you got for Fibre?

[#9]

Yes AO, disappointing but not surprised. I was always on a 1mb connection until a boost engineer put me on the 3mb line.

 I only put a couple of gallons on, felt a bit self conscience about doing it. If the fibre proves troublesome I will pursue it more.

The agent for Plusnet quoted 20mb minimum but the checker says lower, unless he's just quoting the non impacted speed. The checker has lowered its' estimates from last year especially the upload speed.

[#10]

I should be on fibre next month but I just wanted to post the disconnections today's heavy showers have caused. Hoping the fibre line will eliminate the cause. I'm using the Plusnet HH5 for the info.

07:03:32, 27 Apr.

( 182.120000) ETHoA is up -​ VPI: 0, VCI: 35 Down Rate=1875Kbps, Up Rate=446Kbps; SNR Margin Down=6.0dB, Up=18.9dB

09:32:13, 27 Apr.

( 9092.430000) PPPoA is up -​ VPI: 0, VCI: 38 Down Rate=1808Kbps, Up Rate=446Kbps; SNR Margin Down=6.7dB, Up=19.0dB

14:30:21, 27 Apr.

(26980.170000) ETHoA is up -​ VPI: 0, VCI: 35 Down Rate=1251Kbps, Up Rate=446Kbps; SNR Margin Down=5.8dB, Up=18.9dB

14:31:35, 27 Apr.

(27054.300000) ETHoA is up -​ VPI: 0, VCI: 35 Down Rate=1035Kbps, Up Rate=446Kbps; SNR Margin Down=7.3dB, Up=19.0dB

14:50:56, 27 Apr.

(28215.080000) ETHoA is up -​ VPI: 0, VCI: 35 Down Rate=416Kbps, Up Rate=446Kbps; SNR Margin Down=8.2dB, Up=18.5dB

I shall re-sync it now to get some speed back.

01:01:32, 23 Oct.

( 104.560000) ETHoA is up -​ VPI: 0, VCI: 35 Down Rate=1875Kbps, Up Rate=446Kbps; SNR Margin Down=6.1dB, Up=18.9dB

[#11]

Hmm, interesting Mike. I'd try chucking more buckets of water over that damaged bit to see again if anything happens again. You can by the way, reported damaged stuff like that direct to Openreach, I'll see if I can find the link.

As far as your Fibre, if the problem you are currently seeing is on your 'D' side cable (that damaged bit or not) then it'll affect your Fibre. If it's on the 'E' side then with Fibre it will affect the phone and may affect Fibre if the line becomes unbalanced.

[#12]

Anotherone,

Thanks for the advice, I looked up Openreach and called them to report the damaged cable but the phones are too busy at the moment so I will try tomorrow.

I've noticed the connection is also dropping with some incoming calls, there is always a 6db dip on the downstream noise margin. This seems worse since the line was swapped from the exchange, maybe because the line attn has increased from 55db to 67db?

Regarding the line from the cabinet there are 2 further areas I can see as potential fault sources. One is at the property when years before I had broadband, the final 4m section of the line had been covered with concrete rendering when the walls were re-rendered. Not my choice but never thought about it at the time. So if the cable is faulty there that will be my responsibility. I could re-wire it myself as there is a small BT cable joint near the cable mounting hook. I assume doing so is not allowed.

The other possible area is the line from the damaged pole cable is in contact with a tree branch as it connects to the other pole.

Anyway I will see how stable the fibre connection is.

Not much info on the Hub One but I have a Billion 8800nl for use also with fibre.

[#13]

Since my last post the ASDL connection continued to loose connection with most incoming phone calls. These calls would produce sharp spikes in the CRC errors. Despite these drops the DLM left the TSNR at 6db so I had a speed range from 1.6mb to 2mb, enough to use you tube and even BBC I player.

Today my line was upgraded to fibre and I can say I'm very pleased with the speed and stability. So far no drops with incoming calls, just a dip in the noise ratio when the call is ended. Now just the weather to check the heavy shower effect.

4. Board version:	Plusnet Hub One
5. DSL uptime:	0 days, 06:37:33
6. Data rate:	1229 / 15299
7. Maximum data rate:	1229 / 15272
8. Noise margin:	6.2 / 6.1
9. Line attenuation:	10.1 / 31.9
10. Signal attenuation:	10.1 / 26.5

[#14]

Well I hope things are still stable Mike. Did you have any luck getting through to Openreach regarding the damaged cable at the pole? If you did and they haven't done anything, chase them up again Apart from any repair to the cable they should protect the lower part with a metal cover/shield.

[#15]

Hello Anotherone,

Thank you for your help and interest. When I've phoned the Openreach line there is always a message saying they are very busy and unless it is an emergency they don't want to know. I wonder if that message ever changes?

As it is the connection has been very stable and not dropped since fibre was activated, that is 3 days+ . The noise margin never looses more than 0.5db from 6db whenever I've checked, which is also a big improvement from the 3db drop at evening time with ASDL. Being in a rural area there is not much to interfere with the line between home and the cab apart from the railway crossing

It has been better than I expected so I'm happy as it is now. Just got the weather  to change to test the stability.