Sunny afternoon = intermittent Broadband

[#1]

@gregshaw

Try asking Plusnet forum staff to post in this topic a copy of your connection's "radius server graph".

If you look at a previous example here, you can see that the graph shows when disconnections/re-connections occur,

this can be useful to spot 'time of day' fault patterns, and in your case something to correlate with your weather observations.

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[#2]

Thanks again @Dan_the_Van  the openreach Engineer replaced the master socket faceplate when he called a week last Saturday (presumably the latest model) as a matter of course. The phone line has been perfect and the Engineer tested it all with his equipment including ringing the phone from a mobile and all passed. When the internet is down there is no interference on the phone line, which suggests the copper wire is OK.

When the replacement modem arrives, I'll swap it and see what happens, at least I will end up with a spare should it fail in the future.

[#3]

Hi @Anunnaki  Please see my posts above, the radius server graph does show the dropouts and the I asked the plusnet adviser to send me a copy, which was agreed. However afterwards a message from the adviser said they were anable to find a way to send it.

[#4]

That's why I suggested asking a forum staff member to post the image here, as they have frequently been able to do that

[#5]

I see that @willcutforth has just come online, perhaps he can help by posting your radius server graph ?

[#6]

Thanks again @Anunnaki  plusnet have agreed the graphs show the dropouts and that they have occured between 15.30 and 20.30 on sunny days, the problem is that nobody can understand why. Officially they are saying the fault is at the user end (me - well they would do!) so that's why I've purchased another modem to try, in order to put the ball back in their court. Strangely the faults mostly occur on Fri/Sat/Sun evenings, plus isolated times  afterwards 02:00 03:00am  when it's obviously DARK!

If an Engineer called right now, he would find nothing, internet is superb!

[#7]

So it's Monday, sun came out about 4.00pm, here we go I thought..........sure enough, 16:45 Internet off, perfect all day up to then, it's hard to believe my modem/router has anything to do with it. Routine now is to tether phone and use 4G data, have to switch off wi-fi on phone as it sees the internet as connected and won't use 4G.

[#8]

@gregshaw  - are you able to view your modem's upstream and downstream SNR and error count values ?

I'm thinking that if there is a problem between your router and the cabinet, that you might see falling SNR values, or an increased rate of errors being reported, during 'sunny' afternoons ?.  If your line stats don't change then that would point towards a problem with the cabinet or the connection beyond.

Perhaps when you are looking at buying a new modem, it might be worth considering one that is compatible with "RouterStats Lite", so you can continuously graph your connection stats.  The Billion 8800NL (in bridge mode) would be a good choice.

Given that "the cabinet is opposite my house",  as an experiment would it be possible to cause some temporary shade during a sunny outage, to see if the connection recovers ?  - perhaps by parking a vehicle next to it, or leaning a sheet of hardboard etc.

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[#9]

@Anunnaki I can login to my router (Asus RT-AC66U) when the internet is on and see huge error logs. When the internet is off I just see "connecting to internet" graphic. The router is not getting internet from the fibre modem downstairs, the fault is upstream of the modem (DSL light off or flashing).

I have been looking at the cabinet and it is in full sun until 7.00pm but after that the copper wires at the top of the telegraph pole next to it are still in full sun. It must be the copper wires expanding/contracting in the sunshine. The full length is in full sun until the sun goes down. It's still sunny now and the internet is continually dropping DSL light off, then flashing. The wire runs North from the top corner of my house, via two poles across the main road, so it's directly facing the sun in the West along it's length. Regards

[#10]

@Anunnaki  I now have the Radius Server Graph for this week, the problems continue unabated

[#11]

[#12 · Accepted solution]

"If it was anything in the cab, it would affect more than just you - have you seen how 'cluttered' those cabs are inside?"

Not necessarily: there are many "connections" in a cabinet, each is unique, and not dependant on any other connection.  (and if that were the case, why can ONE connection go full-time noisy due to a dodgy connection, but not the adjacent one?)

Heat can affect wire joints, and if the joint has, over time, become 'borderline', then the heat may be enough to make it fail. Wait another 6 months, and it'll be happening without the heat.

(Historically, back in the days of dialup modems, we had a customer who had issues only when it rained: wire came via a pole. I'm sure you can work that one out!)

[#13]

Another openreach Engineer arrived this morning 08:30am, again good response. This man had travelled from another area as a troubleshooter, however my heart sank as it was again morning when the internet always works perfectly. He carried out all the Tests and as expected produced a "Pass", BUT this chap was more thorough and diligently, methodically set off to trace some higher than optimal resistance readings. I left him to it for a couple of hours, outside my property.

When he finished he reported finding the problem with my connection at one of the three cards in the cabinet, interestingly he told me that on my "pole" (telegraph) for some reason  I was the only connection to that card, so none of my neighbours would be affected. He also agreed that heat from the sun could affect the card and he had now marked that connection as "Faulty".

He reconnected me to a different card and monitored all the resistance readings down at more like optimal values .After resetting my connection to the Exchange speed readings are now 80Mbps (up from 70Mbs and higher than the speeds advertised by plusnet.

FIXED!! - It's been a sunny afternoon and my internet has been running without any issues. There is nothing wrong with my modem, router or copper wire to the house, the fault was down to a card in the cabinet facing the sun.

[#14]

@paul_blitz  absolutely correct. A diligent Engineer traced some higher than optimal resistance readings to my connection at one of the three cards in the cabinet. A new connection to a different card has eliminated the problem. The Engineer agreed that the sun/heat on the cabinet was a likely cause of the resistance variations on my connection causing it to drop in and out.