Filter failed?

[#1]

I feel this case is compelling but just in case wiser heads have another view.

I have a "built in" filter (OpenReach Master socket 5C).

A couple of weeks back I had some noise on the line. OpenReach came, swapped the  line in the ground and everything was wonderful ...so much so that my detailed monitoring showed it slowly grow from 35M to 50M as each night, in the early hours my Vigor 2860 went into training and came out faster.

This morning I took landline call, it was terrible, could hardly make out the other party. Looked at my stats and the line had dropped to about 10M, then eventually recovered to 35M . The timestamp was within 1 minute of the incoming call.

[#2]

@graemev 

The easy way to tell is to simply unclip the front section from the master socket. In behind you will find the test socket. Plug a dangly filter in here and see if things recover.

You could also plug a wired phone directly into the test socket. There do a quiet line test by ringing 17070 and selecting option 2. If there's any noise on the line then report a phone, not broadband fault.

[#3]

I was offline because I was basically doing that exact set of things, in that exact sequence, with 2 different wired handsets . result, loads of noise .... called PlusNet, while on hold the noise continued, interspersed with a strange "Tone" , like a mid-tone "ping" followed by the note rising in pitch , took about 1 second each time.

The guys at plusnet could hear the noise but their tests showed no fault on the line. Anyhow they've organised a truck roll.

It's curious because of the binary switch from "best I've ever seen" to "unusable" in about a minute.

[#4]

The really crackly noise has gone away but the regular "pings" are still there...I have a audio capture

(Site won't let me upload ,mp3 file, it's here)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pw8j7f79mdkeroz/line-noise-7jul2020.mp3?dl=0

But I can attach a picture

[#5]

@graemev 

Wow an interesting one for a change!!

Couple of questions, is your phone line fed by overhead lines?

Was there any thunderstorms in the area when you experienced these 'pings'?

[#6]

I like your line of thinking. Well there were no thunderstorms in eye/earshot.

Cable is buried in the ground.

As it started to improve (not totally) it occurred to me to check if anyone was working on the green boxes. Got on my bike (so no thunderstorm) and cycled to the boxes , no hint of any BT guys ...but I was late to this party.

I had a BT visit on 20th June, DSL was dropping 30 times a day...after their visit it was great. Just got up to 50M ...when bang.

[#7]

@graemev 

Oh well, plan B!!

(tree branches touching overhead lines can cause this sort of issue)

Looking at your graphs your signal/noise is all over the place.

Can you get a GEA test from PN and post it here?

Also do you have a PlusNet Hub? (I know!!) and use that, you of course will not get the

same reporting functions as the 2860 gives, but you can get some data from it.

Also do this with the MK4 filter disconnected from the test socket, and use a micro filter as supplied with the

plusnet hub.

In addition see if there is noise on the line doing the quiet line test.

And also do a BT speed test with diagnostics (don't use a MacOsx system, you will get silly results), ensuring you use the testing computer connected via ethernet (not wifi) to the hub.

There is no rush to do this, I am entering Regeneration Mode (Borg speak for Sleep)

[#8]

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@graemev wrote: This morning I took landline call, it was terrible, could hardly make out the other party.

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I'd be more inclined to register a line (phone) fault rather than a broadband fault. If the line is bad i.e. you can't make out the calling party, there is no way the broadband side is going to be any good. One reason there is the quiet line test - Dial 17070 and see what you get.

Edit: just noticed post #2 by @Baldrick1 😎

[#9]

There are various types of noise and interference  (anything that is unwanted on a line/radio circuit etc)

Hum on the line is way low of the frequencies used by ADSL or VDSL, I had this for months, annoying when rarely using the phone, but no difference to the broadband bit.

Crackling is more wide-band and can be caused by electrical storms, electrical equipment (arcing) and defective power lines (insulators breaking down)

It can also be caused by failing filters, failing modems etc.

Doing a quiet test using both the faceplate filter and the plugin filter hopefully will narrow down the problem, however crackles due to an internal wiring or external line issue may well be intermittent, and by changing equipment may cause it to disappear for a while. Also it may be weather related, ie water ingress into the junction box's on the line (which will no doubt disappear when OR turn up!!)

A GEA test should identify a line issue, crosstalk and interference.

To avoid being charged for no fault found call out its advisable to rule out all consumer wiring/equipment and internal interference.

@graemev 

I have a 2860 also, what software are you using to monitor the line?

[#10]

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@idonno wrote:

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@graemev wrote: This morning I took landline call, it was terrible, could hardly make out the other party.

---

I'd be more inclined to register a line (phone) fault rather than a broadband fault. If the line is bad i.e. you can't make out the calling party, there is no way the broadband side is going to be any good. One reason there is the quiet line test - Dial 17070 and see what you get.

Edit: just noticed post #2 by @Baldrick1 😎

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Take a look at msg#4  🙂

[#11]

So  @dws1900  I've asked Plusnet for the test you suggested.

The OpenReach Tech is in the road crimping cables. She tested in the house and ... nothing , which is no surprise as the line is crystal clear again today.

In terms of test I'm using a modified version of :

https://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php/topic,20591.msg418113.html#msg418113%C2%A0

I've had to make some mods for the 2860 , happy to post the diffs if you're interested (I might even fix the heading bug, which I keep meaning to do)

[#12]

@graemev 

Thanks for the offer, but I made my own monitor, just wasnt aware of the one you linked to.

snmp --> telegraf --> influxdb --> grafana

Telegraf reads the snmp data from the 2860, sends it to the temporal database influxdb, and then graphed using grafana.

I am aware of a draytek monitor but if i recall it needed windows, and there was some other issue with it, hence the home made solution.

I listened to your line test audio, really strange, thats why i suggested lightening or touching branches.

It could still be the former, this site allows one to see electrical storms

http://www.lightningmaps.org/?lang=en#m=oss;t=3;s=0;o=0;b=;ts=0;

BTW kitz is a very good site for all things broadband

[#13]

I don't have access to any windowboxes , all the monitoring runs on Debian .

I just came off the phone with PlusNet, they sent me some "tests" , format is irritating, so Images only I'm afraid . Since the line is now crystal clear , I suspect we can't read too much into this.

[#14]

Checked lightning. None in UK that day it seems.

[#15]

@graemev 

Yes the line looks good, no crosstalk or interference.

Just to confirm whats the Signal/Noise like when you monitor the 2860?