Broadband connection dropping out repeatedly (Plusnet Hub2 router)

[#1]

@sallonoroff 

As a footnote to your problem, if you no longer user you landline phone you could switch to plusnet 'Fibre' product, this is still delivered over copper but offers the fastest speed your connection will allow, so for around the same price you might get faster downloads.

See https://www.plus.net/broadband/broadband-without-landline/ 

If you check your account in the members centre there maybe a regrade offer for Fibre waiting for you.

HTH

[#2]

@Dan_the_Van I'm on Fibre already (FTTC?), just not Full Fibre (FTTP?). On a 40mbps because that's the speed the line topped out at anyway even when i was originally paying for the 80mbps option.

[#3]

@sallonoroff 

You will currently be on Unlimited Fibre which is a 40/10 product, where as 'Fibre' removes the restriction applied to the speed for your account and allows the DLM to decide the speed limit, you may get nearer to the Maximum data rate: 22.643 Mbps / 72.708 Mbps your Hub has synced to.

[#4]

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@Dan_the_Van wrote:

You will currently be on Unlimited Fibre which is a 40/10 product, where as 'Fibre' removes the restriction applied to the speed for your account and allows the DLM to decide the speed limit, you may get nearer to the Maximum data rate: 22.643 Mbps / 72.708 Mbps your Hub has synced to.

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Ah, i see. Thanks for the clarification!

When i logged into my account the other day, there was an offer for (i think) 300mbps Full Fibre for £35/month but I don't believe we need that speed and i'm definitely not interested in paying that much. It would be nice if my 15+ years with PN meant I was rewarded with the same pricing as new customers when the current contract expires but they're increasingly unaccomodating on that front. I'll probably go elsewhere when I do switch over to Full Fibre.

[#5 · Accepted solution]

Just an update to note that OpenReach resolved the issue. Tests revealed a battery contact fault, which was found to be a failed bit of copper between me and cabinet.

The OR engineer also worked out why my maximum connection speed is slower than everyone forecasted. The copper runs past our house for quite a way then comes back, so we’re effectively an extra ~250M from the cabinet. Yet another reason to switch to full fibre!

Router stats now looking like this:
Data rate: 9.999 Mbps / 40 Mbps
Maximum data rate: 21.838 Mbps / 65.391 Mbps
Noise margin: 14.2 / 13.5
Line attenuation: 10.3 / 16.9
Signal attenuation: 10.3 / 20.0

[#6]

@sallonoroff Looking at that data, I'm still not quite convinced everything is as it should be : Your line and signal attenuations aren't that bad, but your noise margins, especially the downstream are high, indicating there is still a problem somewhere.

[#7]

@jab1  I would definitely say from those sync speeds that the OP is on a 40/10 service as confirmed in msg#9 of the thread. Improved speeds would be possible if upgraded to 80/20 but that would mean losing the phone service and going SOGEA, as no FTTC speed upgrades are allowed any more.

[#8]

Was that reply composed before I had re-read the topic and amended it? I'm still of the opinion those SNR figures are a problem, though.

[#9]

Thanks John. How would problems coming about from the high noise margins present?

Because the connection hasn’t dropped in 2.5 days now (a record since this started on 14th Nov) and speeds seem fine (about 38-39 down and 9-10 up).

[#10]

@sallonoroff Maybe I was a bit hasty with that comment, thinking about it - I just checked my SNR figures, and they are in the same ball-park, giving me 35-37 and 9, so if your connection stays stable, don't worry about it.