Speed capped - out of the blue... again!

[#1]

I have absolutely no idea about the phone extensions. Stars? Looks like I need to do some research - but not just yet... I can just unplug the 'phone in the kitchen for now!!

Unplugging the phone will not address the issue, if the issue exists.  It is the wire which is the issue, it acts like an aerial which helps to pick up RFI interference.

See

 ::. Kitz - Improve your adsl connection speed .::

How does Star wiring work? - BT Community

"Star wiring has the effect of adding a Bridge Tap to your line which can cause reflections of the Broadband signal and degrade performance"

[#2]

Ahhh - I see clicking reply does not indicate anywhere to whom I am replying... good to know!

@MisterW Ok, I was hoping you would not expose yet another area where I am inept! I'm pretty sure my modem/router and a DECT telephone base are both plugged into sockets (1 each) on the front of an Openreach NTE5A Mk3 in the corner of my living room. Beyond that I'm stumped. It has been this way for 12+ years (the DECT base has changed, but nothing more). The only recent change was the addition of an extension to the kitchen phone - but I monitored my stats for a couple of days upon installing that and did not observe any changes; I accept, that does not mean it hasn't changed.

@Townman My apologies. That first reply was intended for @Baldrick1 the second reply was intended for you. I will perform the QLT but I'm guessing it requires an old telephone that plugs in and not a wireless phone (I'm guessing the wireless phones will be filtering noise?) and that needs to be unpacked; Tigger is no longer with us!!

I was under the impression that when DLM first profiles/bands your line by introducing a speed cap it also returns your SNRM to the standard 6dB target. Why waste power boosting a signal that has now been limited/slowed? I'm sure it can now perform it's usual duties of tweaking power/margins as the line allows with this new speed cap in place.

But again, I am not an expert and it has been sometime since I trawled the internet reading this stuff.

Whilst a DLM reset will not fix my problem of chronic bursts of noise... a higher SNR margin most definitely will help. And that is how I have usually been managing the line... excessive Margins, lower than max speeds.

I will lookup the wiring stuff... as you get older it gets harder to take this stuff in though! Why would this STAR wiring - if I have it - suddenly be an issue though? I have had BT/OR engineers out in the past who never mentioned it.

Ignoring this current issue, I think my line performance has been pretty darn good for a line as long as mine... yeah, its pretty bursty/noisy, buts its a bloody long line! And its getting old!! I think the only issue here is that I was needlessly and pointlessly overdoing it a bit for too long (4 days!).

[#3]

QLT - for what we are looking for, any handset will do, so long as that itself does not introduce noise.  Any handset with noise is a cause for concern.

Whilst a DLM reset will not fix my problem of chronic bursts of noise... a higher SNR margin most definitely will help

A DLM reset does not bring about a higher SNRM, which would help with line stability.  That though is exactly what DLM capping delivers.

[#4]

The only recent change was the addition of an extension to the kitchen phone

@Anywho so how is that extension wired ?

[#5]

Ok, QLT reveals crackling/popping on the line (even on the wireless/DECT phones) - so I tested in the master socket (front plate off) with a wired phone (though not a rotary dial) and the same noise was present.

When I replaced the front plate, ADSL returned at the exact same speed!

Can my VOICE fault be advanced from here? Or with a Plusnet ticket?

(Half my tongue is tethered to the floor of my mouth so I prefer to avoid speaking if at all possible!)

[#6]

Report a PHONE issue via: https://www.plus.net/help/report-a-problem/

[#7]

[-Censored-]!

Just had a lovely chat with Plusnet... all line tests performed came back with no fault showing. And when they called the landline... no noise at all! Perfectly clear line!! I could not believe it - I felt compelled to withdraw my fault report pending further investigation... and apologised profusely of course!

I performed my QLT at about 12:30 - maybe there was some external REIN at that time that had gone by the time I reported it?

The delay in reporting was unavoidable... I'll monitor and try and be more responsive if it gets noisy again.

This doesn't advance my broadband issue though

@MisterW the extension is just one of those plug-in extensions that plugs into the telephone socket (instead of the telephone) in the kitchen, then the base plugs into the extension 'chord'/lead allowing me to move the base further from the socket. It is only a convenience thing and can easily be removed. My QLT test was done at the master socket with the NTE5 faceplate off; so no extensions.

@Baldrick1 I never did get an answer on whether you could remove the banding/profile/cap on my line?

[#8]

Flat plug-in phone extensions can cause issues in an environment prone to RFI interference.

Bad joints can rectify in the presence of circuit test and ring voltages. I’ve had my broadband die completely, rang the landline … and all was fine until sometime later. Keep an ear on the QLT if you get noise again, report an intermittent noisy line.

I fear this might take time to resolve. Any progress with getting router stats working, either with your jailbreak HH5a or a native HH5a (aka Plusnet Hub One)?

[#9]

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@Anywho wrote:

@Baldrick1 I never did get an answer on whether you could remove the banding/profile/cap on my line?

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We forum moderators are volunteer Community members, we are not Plusnet staff. So if this is a personal request then I'm afraid that the answer is no.

All Plusnet staff are identifed as part of their signature.

[#10]

@Baldrick1 My apologies. I seem to remember your name from previous visits to this forum... I just assumed your were an employee... my bad!

@Townman Yeah, no... no routerstats. I'm not going to a leave PC on all night unattended even if I could predict when something bad was going to happen! I could change my current stats collection interval but honestly, I'm not going to.

I've done more than I should need to. I pay for a service.

I do not pay for nor want DLM's help to utilise that service. DLM has never done anything positive to help manage my line that I couldn't have done (and have done) myself. On the other hand, DLM has intervened and nobbled my service on more than 1 occasion at this address alone (and I've been with Plusnet for years before at other addresses and probably endured the same nonsense). I'm sure DLM is vital for many internet users.

I'd be happy if DLM just let me get on with it myself... when I get disconnects I can slow my connection. When I get unacceptable errors I can slow my connection. When I have to slow the connection so much that it becomes unusable I can contact support (exactly as I have to do when DLM nobbles me).

The only thing I can't do is change Interleaving - but I don't care if it's on or off... it doesn't make that much difference to throughput or latency.

I don't call Plusnet or post here every time I get a line reset or a dodgy slow/busy gateway. I just monitor/observe and change things to my liking as necessary.

I've always persevered with Plusnet because of how relatively straight forward it has been to get things changed/reset every few years... but affording me the odd reset every few years is obviously no longer economically sustainable for Plusnet - the fact that I pay more for ADSL than most people pay for basic vDSL at 4x the speed does not seem to count for much on the economics.

When I get the time I will progress the line noise that returns around 11am daily - but as already said, that will likely be an external impossible to trace REIN/SHINE issue. The same one that has existed here since I've been here.

For now I'm exploring other solutions - just a shame I recently signed up to a new contract for this level of service! Nevermind, its only money.

I thank those of you that have attempted to help me find a solution... but it really isn't our job!!

[#11]

My only advice is to give up on ADSL and move to VDSL, if you can. I did!

I eventually gave up fighting the DLM and banding on ADSL 2+ by moving to 40/10 Mbps broadband (no longer available?) and find it trouble free - at least it is in my environment.

[#12]

@Anywho, I thought I'd take a look and I also can't see any issues from a line test, so I've reset DLM. 

It was banded at "WBC 3M - 6M Medium delay (INP 2) 6dB Downstream\, UC Low delay (INP 0) 6dB Upstream (ADSL2+)" 

Should be running at full speed now - looks like you're back up to ~10mbps.

[#13]

Thanks @Gandalf - I was trying to game the DLM into thinking I had rock solid stability (to get Auto-unBanded!) so I tried to apply a +1.5 SNR tweak on my modem... hence the unusual synch SNR.

I'm gonna need to up my SNRM... am I currently on a training period?

I wanna repeat my apologies for this little event... I brought it on myself by running my line at its limits and not watching the errors ramp up into the millions. Just timing/life! I will try to do better.

@pvmb I agree (I think I agreed with you a couple years ago too?!) vDSL would be great - sadly my cabinet will never get FTTC. I have FTTP available but with powercuts and very poor mobile coverage I can't bring myself to quit the landline!

[#14]

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@Anywho wrote:

Thanks @Gandalf - I was trying to game the DLM into thinking I had rock solid stability (to get Auto-unBanded!) so I tried to apply a +1.5 SNR tweak on my modem... hence the unusual synch SNR.

I'm gonna need to up my SNRM... am I currently on a training period?

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No, but I'd still try and avoid making any changes for around 3 days though. 

[#15]

Okies, thanks again.

I'll try and help it out by keeping my SQM values low - but I think the lack of available bitswaps will still get me when I get a noisy burst!!

Still, my guess is if it fails it will come back up with a DLM adjusted target of 9dB... with my current +1.5 adjustment it should be perfect!