Broadband speed capped at 22mb

[#1]

@jab1  I used the Plusnet text bot a few times, and was amazed at how much easier to get things done than phoning !.

@Forcibly 

One of the reply options it gives you, is to say that if you are still experiencing a problem with your connection

then you reply with a specific word to ask for further tests, or a different word for Plusnet to phone you, etc.

Try again tomorrow in the morning, and send the text keyword back to say you want Plusnet to call you.

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[#2]

@outcast The text-bot option was not available with Zen, and calling was the only option. When I told the tech guys on there, they said, in effect, 'yep we know it is a borked cable/connection on your pole(s) - you have a noisy (very) phone, but we have to 'eliminate' a faulty router before OR will entertain sending out an engineer' - OR rules.

[#3]

Yeah I will try tomorrow, it did give me an option to reply which was speak to advisor , then said estimated wait was 2 hours . It was 7:00 pm at time. While I couldn't get in touch like now that's when i look into the internal side such as where the line comes in, travels through the eaves next to other electrical wiring to the other side of the house where the master socket is (which I find strange) 

[#4]

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@Forcibly wrote:

... the line comes in, travels through the eaves next to other electrical wiring to the other side of the house where the master socket is

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As long as the wires in the eaves are proper BT wiring that is unlikely to be an issue.

The cables being near electrical wires, shouldn't be an issue. 

The phone line being next to noisy electrical devices, such as the central heating water pump, microwaves, CRT TVs, powerline network adaptors, plug in power supplies, etc  would be more of a concern than proximity to mains wiring.

Your issue is more likely to be a corroded connection up a telegraph pole, or a loose wire in the FTTC cabinet, etc

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[#5]

@Forcibly 

WHEN you speak to Plusnet support -

Say that you started this forum topic and have been doing all the diagnostic tests suggested (which reading this they can verify)

Say that your line has had a DLM reset (which worked),  but the router's line stats still show a lot of interference on the downstream path, even when the router was plugged in to the TEST socket, therefore a line fault or interfering noise source must be external to your property.

Point out that your router's downstream data rate is below the Openreach handback threshold for your line, therefore you are handing it back to Openreach to send an engineer to fix the fault and/or interference, and to get the sync rates up to predicted speeds.

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[#6]

Hey @Marsh , as you are around today, can you take a look at this thread, and check from your end whether @Forcibly 's line has a fault, as we've exhausted any diagnostics that we as forum members can suggest.

The issues are -

• The router's line attenuation, and BTW checker indicate that this line should be capable of around 60Mbps
• The improved sync rate after a DLM reset is now 31Mbps which is well below the 40Mbps handback threshold
• The router's Line and Signal attenuation, and SNRM  suggests that there is interference or an external fault
• @Forcibly has tested the line with the new Hub2 router plugged in to the master TEST socket.
• @Forcibly tried using the "troubleshoot by text" bot, but it reported "the line is in good working order"

Thanks

[#7]

Hey @outcast thanks for tagging me in this thread.

I spoke with @Forcibly  and conducted a line test. Although no faults were found on the external line, a Bridge tap fault was detected. I’ve arranged for a Circet engineer to address the BTAP fault and I have also requested for a further in-home check if the issue is still happening then we can request a further escalation to OR

[#8]

@Marsh  From previous general comments about Circet "engineers" I doubt if any will now what a Bridge tap fault is or how to fix it. All they appear to able to do is check the correct leads are connected to your router and PC.

[#9]

Hey @RealAleMadrid,

I am not sure about other posts on our forums however Circet engineers should know what a BTAP fault is, and they should know how to repair it on our portal when we book them there is an option for BTAP faults.

[#10]

@Marsh 

Thanks for taking a look, and identifying a "Bridge tap fault"

THAT would completely explain the symptoms we've seen and the large impact on sync speeds.

It is good to see some progress with this thread.

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[#11]

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@Marsh wrote:

I ... conducted a line test. Although no faults were found on the external line, a Bridge tap fault was detected.

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@Marsh 

For my future reference, can you clarify that statement.

If the "line test" found NO FAULTS, what else did you do to discover "bridge tap fault" detected, is there a separate test ?.

If BTAP was detected by the "line test", why didn't the "troubleshooting by text" bot detect the "bridge tap" ?

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[#12]

The 'Bridge Tap' could be caused by the properties telephone extension cables, being an old Openreach master socket it might still have the Lightning protect gap, which can be a suspect.

[#13]

@Marsh was the bridge tap fault detected with the master socket faceplate installed ?

Given that it was stated earlier in the thread that there was extension wiring and its NOT a Mk4 filtered faceplate, then with the faceplate installed then won't a bridge tap be detected because of the extension wiring!. Tests that @Forcibly did from the test socket showed no difference in speeds so unless there's another bridge tap prior to the master socket (which the Circet engineer won't be able to rectify) then I doubt we'll be any further forward

[#14]

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@Forcibly wrote:

The property is a bungalow / dormer . Line comes in at the front of the property into our spare room. There's no socket in there at all so I guess it goes under the floor onto the landing where the socket is.

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Whilst I know that bridge taps can be caused by internal wiring, rightly or wrongly I also associate them with left over connections from the days of party lines. Is this not the case?

If the master socket is correctly wired and a bridge tap is identified whilst plugged in to the test socket I am at a loss as to how the bridge tap can be internal, unless there is an extension cable incorrectly connected to the incoming cable under the floor before it gets to the master socket? I guess that stranger bodges do happen.

[#15]

If the master socket is correctly wired and a bridge tap is identified whilst plugged in to the test socket I am at a loss as to how the bridge tap can be internal, unless there is an extension cable incorrectly connected to the incoming cable under the floor before it gets to the master socket? I guess that stranger bodges do happen.

I'm wondering if the property is a bungalow to dormer bungalow conversion and in the process of rewiring the electrics, adding phone extensions everything became a mess. From my experience from my passed mothers dormer bungalow conversion the then phone extensions were star cabling rather than the recommended daisy chain cabling.

In the days of the copper cable having a single use PSTN star cabling would not have been an issue