service with a snarl

[#1]

In a nut shell, if there is noise on the line, the steps are as follows.
Disconnect all devices from the line including filters, phones, modems/routers, sky boxes and such. Attach a single (preferably corded) phone to the line. This test should be conducted from the master socket, which is the first socket the line attaches to where the line enters the property. You can usually identify it with the following link.
http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/troubleshooting/test_socket.shtml
Lift the handset and dial a single digit to remove the dialtone. Do you hear the noise now?
If so, instantly report it to your voice line supplier. Advise it is noise and is not related to the broadband, given it is not physically connected. As them if they can hear the noise, if they say yes, ensure that they record in the notes they witnessed the noise (this may be useful at a later and obvious if it applies, time).
If the noise is not there, connect a filter and your modem and router at the same point as the phone, ensuring the phone is filtered. Again, lift the handset and dial a digit and listen for noise.
If you can hear the noise, swap the filter for an alternate one and try again. If you can still hear the noise, I recomend swapping the modem, but this is understandably harder (can you load one, purely for the purpose of a noise quality test?).
If you continue to hear noise, the modem/router/filter is faulty. If within warranty, raise a support request with the company you purchased them from (if this is us, raise a ticket and referance this forum post).
If there is no noise, the cause will either be other internal cabling of devices you attached within the first few steps.

[#2]

Hi there and thank you for your help.
I plugged a wired phone into the test socket (I already had the master socket removed cover to connect the ADSL filter directly for the fault finding tests). The "quiet line test" still showed noise with no filters or other devices plugged in apart from the wired phone, which means, I think (hope), that the fault is in the BT wiring. So... I've booked a BT engineer for this Thursday (and hope I'm not going to find myself £120 + VAT lighter!)

[#3]

Quote from: Taxisofevil

In reply #3 have a look at the attached files:- Corrected blocks=3036 Uncorrected blocks=34155 You would expect these figures to be reversed. Your router should be able to correct blocks with a small number of errors, but fail to correct blocks with many errors. So it's a fair bet that that your router is seeing intermittent (serious) interference.

Hi there and thanks for this.
As I'm fairly new to all of this can I ask you to explain a little more?
Does this mean a fault with the modem/router (this is a new/aditional one I bought in order to eliminate the possibility that my existing one was causing the problems).
Or is it a line fault that the modem/router can't resolve?
Thanks again

[#4]

If your line sends data, under broadly constant conditions:-
In a block each bit will have some (small) probability of being flipped - ie an error.
Provided the cause of the error is just noise or some random effect, then the chances of getting 2, 3, 4... etc errors are progressively smaller and smaller.
When a block is transmitted, extra data is sent which allows for a small number of errors to be corrected and a larger number of errors to be detected (but not corrected).
So your figures indicate that you are sending a small number of blocks with a few errors (probably normal),
and about ten times as many blocks, each containing many errors - perhaps these are sent under very bad conditions????
I would think that this could indicate random periods of interference...possibly...

[#5]

Thanks

[#6]

Over two months later and the fault isn't resolved.
BT renewed the external wiring and installed a brand new master socket.
PN staff were actually pretty helpful over this period (thanks PN) and after some messing around, my IP profile was raised again and I enjoyed a couple of weeks of 5Mbs+ connection speeds, albeit with my connection made in the test socket, which cuts out the external ringer on the home phone.
The last guy I spoke to said the problem I'd been experiencing of late was probably down to a faulty master socket, even though this was brand new and fitted by a BT engineer who clearly new what he was doing. I got  the distinct impression that this particular member of staff found my questions an irritation and just wanted to get me off the line; he was very condescending and spoke to me like I was an idiot. Of course, I may be an idiot, but I am also a customer: not somebody begging a favour. It irks me that I've shelled out £23 a month for about five years, yet have not had customer service commensurate with a "premium product" over this time.
Anyway, I decided to keep my gob shut and console myself with the fact that the broadband service was now working...
or was...
Yesterday, download speeds had dropped again to 0.9Mbs measured by ThinkBroadBand (BT speedtester resolutely refuses to run) and are the same today.
I really don't know what to do. I even phoned Virgin to enquire about their premium broadband, which shows how desperate I must be!

[#7]

There looks to have been a couple of days of instability on your line (dropping connection very frequently), but that's stabilised since yesterday morning.
Can you let me know what your sync speed is?

[#8]

Thanks Mand
Being very dense here, but whereabouts on the router configuration page do I find the sync speed?
It's a  Draytek Vigor 2600 and I've tried to attach a screenshot:

[#9]

It's on the bottom line labelled as 'Down Speed'. The value '5600000' is in bits per second so 5600kbps in the more usual units.
David

[#10]

Thanks David...
Mand - does this give you the info you need?

[#11]

Yeah, that ties in with what you were seeing before doesn't it? Approximately 5Mb speeds?
It will take a day or two for your profile to be updated, and that's not something we can control unfortunately.
Did anything change on Friday? That's when the drops started, and they ended again Sunday morning.

[#12]

I too had my line speed reduced from 7Mb to just over 5 about 5-6 months ago. This was after a fault where i was disconnected constantly for a period of two weeks.
I am still being disconnected every few days and this is getting ridiculous now. Every time I call an operator, all I get is the script, and this is doubly frustrating since Im a trained PC technician and frankly, I know what Im talking about.
As usual I am told my equipment maybe at fault.  Really? Then how can I make this post? I have new equipment, a stable phone line, as checked by BT wholesale about 3 months ago,  I'm connected via the Master socket, and still I get disconnections (for about 2 mins each time)
I NEVER got disconnections with Virgin, BT or any other provider like this.
So basically what the hell is going on?

[#13]

Hi Mand
Thanks for the reply - nothing has changed since I plugged the router into the test socket as requested a few weeks ago.
I rebooted the router once early last week, but there've been no changes since Friday.
I don't understand why these periodic disconnections keep happening; BT has renewed the wiring & master socket and I've tried differet routers, USB modems and now have a box full of filters too.
I appreciate your response on this because I was starting to feel very ignored, but as this has been going on for over a year, my frustration is starting to get the better of me!!

[#14]

They've stopped now, which is the good news.
The bad news is it can take 72 hours to get your profile upped (which takes us to Wednesday morning :().

[#15]

@Lovebump
It's possible you were affected by the pipe drop we experienced earlier today http://usertools.plus.net/status/archive/1269265759.htm