No improvement after engineer visit.

[#1]

Plusnet updated my fault ticket with the information that they had detected a high resistance fault on my connection, and that it could be either inside or outside my house.

On Sunday morning I remembered that although I'd swapped out or disconnected all the items I could think of, I hadn't tried disconnecting the extension cable to a corded phone upstairs (connected via a splitter at the master socket phone outlet.)

Voila - within 24 hours the stats had started to improve significantly, with only a few disconnections (which were probably caused by positive DLM intervention.)

Phone call yesterday from a helpful chap from PN CS, with a follow up call just now. The line appears to be banded at 35.00Mpbs which he has agreed to try to remove.

Apparently it takes 3 days to do this, so I'll let you know if it was successful.

Meanwhile, thanks for your contributions - I'm off to work out how to troubleshoot what appears to be either a faulty extension lead or phone...

[#2]

Cheers for the update,

No worries, though retesting your line now is showing that high resistance problem "Potential HR Joint or wet joint detected on GEA Service". Is your extension lead/phone still disconnected now? If so, there may still be a fault somewhere. 

[#3]

Well, that was a short-lived moment of triumph! 😞

Yes @Gandalf - phone extension still disconnected.

I'll let you arrange whatever you deem to be the appropriate next move - my availability remains the same as per ticket 223861636.

[#4]

Aye I've booked the engineer for you now and I've updated the appointment details onto the ticket ref here > https://www.plus.net/wizard/?p=view_question&id=223861636
Let me know how it goes.

[#5]

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@JayG wrote:

On Sunday morning I remembered that although I'd swapped out or disconnected all the items I could think of, I hadn't tried disconnecting the extension cable to a corded phone upstairs (connected via a splitter at the master socket phone outlet.)

Voila - within 24 hours the stats had started to improve significantly, with only a few disconnections (which were probably caused by positive DLM intervention.)

... I'm off to work out how to troubleshoot what appears to be either a faulty extension lead or phone...

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Given the update from @Gandalf I would put that down to coincidence!  Wet joints are notorious for coming and going - there is every possibility that there is nothing too much wrong with your extension wiring ... unless it is not twisted pair cable.

[#6]

Thanks @Gandalf - will update after tomorrow's visit (hope it's a different engineer who can actually find the fault this time.)

[#7]

The problem with damp joint issues is that the act of using the phone or running a line test can fix them.

Short of the problem being there at the time or the engineer looking at every joint between the cabinet and the NTE the fault might remain elusive, unless the fault report infers a precise location.

It might help if you can identify the route of the circuit on / off your property.  There have been cases of junction boxes being hidden under eves going unnoticed until an engineer intent on getting to the bottom of issues diligently traced the wire yard by yard.

[#8]

Two OR engineers arrived around 1100, ran all the usual tests on the line and could find no fault.

Having explained that as of yesterday Plusnet's testing still showed a potential HR joint they decided to swap pairs, replace the master socket, retest and then reset the broadband to 6dB margins up and down.

Engineer was 'happy' with the new pair, and although he hadn't been able to fault the old pair, said the new one was slightly better. 🤔

Now syncing at 39.99/6.76Mbps, which means the US is slightly better than before.

Long may it last - the engineer says if problems continue he'll be suspecting my equipment (which has all been either changed out or disconnected) or a faulty port in the cabinet.

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread in one way or another.

[#9]

Thanks JayG, it sounds like you've been really diligent throughout too so cheers and I'm glad that the upstream has improved at least. Do give me a shout if there's anything else we can help you with.

[#10]

@JayG 

Good result!

The problem with bad joints is that invariably when tested they are not found to be faulty - testing the circuit fixes them (dries them out).

[#11]

As a layman it's hard to understand how two separate OR tests found no line fault during a period when Plusnet's testing found a potential HR fault on the at least two occasions that I know about. The only obvious difference is that the OR tests were run from my master socket, Plusnet's performed remotely.

It would have been more reassuring to hear that a 'smoking gun' was found and rectified - all I can say at this point is that the connection has not dropped in the four days since the 2nd engineer visit, and that the up and down SNR figures are consistently at or above the 6dB target. 

(Can't say more because I'm finding it quite difficult typing with all my fingers crossed! 😉)

[#12]

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@JayG wrote:

The only obvious difference is that the OR tests were run from my master socket, Plusnet's performed remotely.

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And that in a nutshell is the key consideration.  Testing from the exchange and testing from the user premises in some cases is not the same.

I once had a business line which was very problematic which took over 8 months to sort out.  There was internal star wiring, REIN, aluminium, questionable router quality, to say nothing of West Cost Mainline Trains!!

As various issues were identified and rectified by myself, Plusnet still still found issues on the line, sent in BTOR who said there were no issues to find.  I twice stood over an engineer who was adamant that there was no fault, even when the exchange eclipse exit test reported that there was a fault.  "If there is a fault, my box of tricks will find it, so there must be a fault in the exchange test head.".

After about 15 engineer visits, got a lady who listened diligently to the saga - she went to the exchange and confirmed the fault report which did not show up on tests from the user's premises.  She went through the line replacing many of the joints - eliminating the aluminium section - after which the line's performance doubled ... leaving only REIN spikes from passing trains as cause for concern.

Yes from a layman's perspective it is confusing, but only if one presumes that tests from either end are equivalent and  fully trust worthy!  Line tests are looking for signal reflection, which might be "seen" only in one direction.  That is why even if Plusnet report no fault found when tested I still recommend doing a QLT.

The presumption that there is no fault also works (fails) the other way around - a test from the exchange can only indicate that the line tests clean - it cannot indicate that it is terminated cleanly in the right place.  Thereby yet again, a QLT will identify that the circuit (phone number) is correctly terminated where it should be.