Need some advice concerning Socket Wiring

[Ninny]

My speed and ping have been awful for the last 3 - 4 days now, it sped back up by late Thursday night, but by Friday the syncspeed had gone rubbish again and since I've been on a 135k IP profile even though the sync has been over 3,000 since. The phone intereference is really bad but I only get it for a while every 2 - 3 days, but it means every other night my speed drops to nothing for the next week and I can't put up with it any more. Most of the time it takes most of the day for the speed to pick back up but I really can't wait days and days for an improvement that might not happen and will likely go back to useless by the next morning.

This is getting incredibly annoying for me as I've been having this kind of problem for months now and I haven't got a TV so I watch stuff online - so this means I've had nothing to watch most of the week time and time again.

I've realised that I don't think it's a weather problem, the phone noise ONLY happens when the router is switched on. Therefore I think it's either a problem with the router itself - an E-tec 8411G, or more likely a problem at the exchange? As before I was on idnet I was using a BT Homehub and was getting the same appalling speeds. Please give me some advice on what I might be able to do, as I really am getting upset by this constantly happening.

Every time I run the BT speedtester I just get this, and no improvement in my Profile:

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
    Your DSL connection rate: 3360 kbps(DOWN-STREAM),  448 kbps(UP-STREAM)
    IP profile for your line is - 135 kbps
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 124 kbps

[Glenn]

From the what you have described above, it sounds like a filter issue to me, have you replace the filters in the house with something like ADSL Nation filters? Does the router run directly off the mains circuit in the house, if so, ideally run it via a UPS failing that try a surge protected extension lead. Is it possible to plug the it into another wall socket, ideally on a different ring main in the house.

Can you borrow another router to try from a friend/colleague? I know you have said it was the same same with the BT home hub, so changing router may not help, but it isworth a shot.

[Gary]

My speed and ping have been awful for the last 3 - 4 days now, it sped back up by late Thursday night, but by Friday the syncspeed had gone rubbish again and since I've been on a 135k IP profile even though the sync has been over 3,000 since. The phone intereference is really bad but I only get it for a while every 2 - 3 days, but it means every other night my speed drops to nothing for the next week and I can't put up with it any more. Most of the time it takes most of the day for the speed to pick back up but I really can't wait days and days for an improvement that might not happen and will likely go back to useless by the next morning.

This is getting incredibly annoying for me as I've been having this kind of problem for months now and I haven't got a TV so I watch stuff online - so this means I've had nothing to watch most of the week time and time again.

I've realised that I don't think it's a weather problem, the phone noise ONLY happens when the router is switched on. Therefore I think it's either a problem with the router itself - an E-tec 8411G, or more likely a problem at the exchange? As before I was on idnet I was using a BT Homehub and was getting the same appalling speeds. Please give me some advice on what I might be able to do, as I really am getting upset by this constantly happening.

Every time I run the BT speedtester I just get this, and no improvement in my Profile:

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
    Your DSL connection rate: 3360 kbps(DOWN-STREAM),  448 kbps(UP-STREAM)
    IP profile for your line is - 135 kbps
    Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 124 kbps

I would give support a call support tomorrow tbh, they can have a look at your line from their end, after that if they think its a good idea call your service provider and and say you have a really noisy line for voice calls and do NOT mention ADSL at all. They will send BT out to take a look that way if its voice issues, if you say its ADSL they will sting you with a £160 call out fee if they find nothing wrong. They may swap you over at the exchange by doing a 'lift and shift' so you are on a different pair, that can take time depending on how many free pairs there are. Do try another router as well though as Glenn suggested. Maybe plug it into a different socket in your home as well, just in case there is a problem with the electrical outlet itself.

Is there a pattern to this noise? Have you got any industrial units near you? Or even a fridge kicking in that could provide interference. Ideally you want to have noise at the test socket on a corded phone, not a cordless when doing the quiet line test as well. Rik, or Sebby or Glenn will help, but check your own internal wiring to your router, make sure its cat5 not flat ribbon as that's prone to interference, write out the time of days this happens to establish a pattern, it may help you diagnose the issue, and it may help support to see if their is a pattern to it as well also its good for BT to see. I know its a pain but to get BT to do something on the voice side is probably the only way you may improve your ADSL, unless its something obvious IDNet can sort out.

[Glenn]

http://www.anomalousaperture.com/2008/08/a-simple-telephone-line-quality-test-for-adsl-uk-only/ has details on how to test your line for noise

[Ninny]

Thanks for your thoughts. I did have a BT engineer around a few weeks ago, and as the interference wasn't happening at the time he came he just did a quiet line test, said all was well and left. We dont not have any cordless phones in the house, or industrial eqipment. The interference seems to be at its strongest in the morning and in the evening, but just there are days when there is no noise then it just appears very loudly all of a sudden. I have 3 filters - cheap ones that came with the BT modem and a chunkier one that came with the Homehub and these have no effect.

I've had the router in different power sockets, and in different parts of the house, connected using different cables - one of which is a cat5, and the interference was still there. Other than normal house equipment, a fridge, microwave, thermostat which are nearby I don't know what could be doing it. Though living in close proximity to other bungalows who knows what the neighbours have - the guy next door runs a taxi service so who knows? If the interference comes back I'll try turning everything else in the house off and see what happens.

I thought about getting a new router - but I don't think that's the problem, but the only decent one available in the local shop is the Netgear DG834G, would that be a good choice? They don't sell any ADSL faceplates but I might try buying a more expensive filter as well.

However - I'm thinking it's probably something at the exchange - but I will keep my eyes peeled for anything else.

[Steve]

 Others have flashed the home hub for use with another isp

  http://irj.sefier.com/?p=28

[Glenn]

The interference seems to be at its strongest in the morning and in the evening, but just there are days when there is no noise then it just appears very loudly all of a sudden.

Though living in close proximity to other bungalows who knows what the neighbours have - the guy next door runs a taxi service so who knows?

Technology Overview

The vast majority of copper local loops only carry analogue voice signals over a very narrow band of audio frequencies and until recently the major digitalisation of TO networks has had very little impact on them. When TOs expanded their network in the past, hundreds of subscriber loops were bundled together as multi-paired cables. These were usually buried in the ground or, in remote locations, hung on distribution poles. Many have been in place for decades and carry a complex mix of direct and alternating current, audio tones, dialling pulses and voice signals. They pick up interference from many external sources such as noise from overhead power-lines, arcing electrical machinery, and private mobile radio (PMR) transmissions as used by taxi operators. These cables are also very poor transmission lines and suffer problems such as high-frequency attenuation, signal reflections from the terminations (resulting in echo), excessive signal delay, signal distortion, and crosstalk . Longer cables can consist of several sections of different gauge wire and can contain isolating and noise neutralising transformers. All of which reduce the cable's ability to carry wide band data.

http://www.gare.co.uk/technology_watch/copper.htm

It maybe your neighbour that is causing the problem if the above article is correct.

[Ninny]

Flashing the Home Hub is a good idea but unfortunately mine is a black 2.0 model which I don't think is compatible with that tool.

Also the guy next door does run a taxi but he may only use a mobile to carry out his operation, will have to investigate it further.

[Gary]

You can get adsl faceplates from here Ninny http://www.adslnation.com/products/xte2005.php its a great faceplate and does help. The 2700 routers that have their own part of the forum here are great for bad lines, you can get them cheaply from ebay, I'm sure someone would help you with one of these and how to set them up, they make  great difference on long lines.

Does the noise coincide with the street lights? If the Taxi driver is working for a company he will have a radio and that will cause interference, how long are these bursts though? Is he into amateur radio perhaps? These are things to checkout.

[Rik]

Like Glenn, I suspect a filter problem, but if it proves not to be that, it may be that getting the SFI team involved is the way forward, Ninny. However, you need to be absolutely certain it's not your wiring/equipment before going there as it would prove expensive if it was.

[Gary]

Like Glenn, I suspect a filter problem, but if it proves not to be that, it may be that getting the SFI team involved is the way forward, Ninny. However, you need to be absolutely certain it's not your wiring/equipment before going there as it would prove expensive if it was.

I think he tried three different filters already, Rik.

[Rik]

Though we don't know the quality, Gary. I'd like to see an ADSL Nation used, if the problem persists then it isn't the filter, even though the symptoms are typical of a failed or poor filter.

[Glenn]

It's not a router issue either as far as I can see, as the line was the same when Ninny was with BT, using a home hub. So it's something at the exchange, interference picked up along the line from the exchange or internal wiring, both comms &/or power I would think.

[Gary]

Though we don't know the quality, Gary. I'd like to see an ADSL Nation used, if the problem persists then it isn't the filter, even though the symptoms are typical of a failed or poor filter.

I agree Rik, some filters are awful, especially the ones from PC World, the Excelsus Z-blocker ones are ok, but if the ADSL Nation fails then we will know for sure, If Ninny gets an ADSL Nation faceplate then that would be the best bet I think, mines been rock solid since I bought it two years ago now, and it made a difference stability wise compared with the cheap ones that most people get packed in with their some modems and routers. Its a odd one for sure.

[Rik]

Ninny needs to use something like an ADSL Nation filter just to prove it's not his equipment before involving BT. It's a shame the fault isn't permanent, it would speed up the testing process.

[Gary]

It's not a router issue either as far as I can see, as the line was the same when Ninny was with BT, using a home hub. So it's something at the exchange, interference picked up along the line from the exchange or internal wiring, both comms &/or power I would think.

I'm wondering if there is a connection block somewhere, I live in a Bungalow but my BT line is underground, some in our close are via poles though and ten you have a small connection box as it enters your property, they can get corroded, our one in our last house was in the kitchen where the cable entered and got a lot of moisture in it from cooking etc, BT replaced that and it helped a bit, we just suffered from the noise of overhead street lighting at night there after that.

[Gary]

Ninny needs to use something like an ADSL Nation filter just to prove it's not his equipment before involving BT. It's a shame the fault isn't permanent, it would speed up the testing process.

The fact that its in the morning and evening is suspicious as that's when street lighting is on, and turning off, or industrial units in the area are firing up and shutting down. It does seem like interference externally, I have an ADSL Nation soap on a roap type lying around somewhere I think, I'll see if I can dig it out then he can try it. I'll PM him if I find it.

[Glenn]

That's a nice offer Gary, thanks, it should save Ninny a few pounds just to test the line.

[Sebby]

To me, this sounds like an external line issue, but I agree that a quality filter should be tried before taking it further.

[Gary]

That's a nice offer Gary, thanks, it should save Ninny a few pounds just to test the line.

Well I can't find it, but I do have a brand new BT Filtered faceplate he could have, they are pretty good. I'll pm him anyway as that should sort the issue out as I know it works fine if its just a filter.

[Ninny]

I'd like to thank Gary for his kind offer.

But I think I will delay taking him up on it for a few days at least. Yesterday I followed some previous advice of wiring the A + B points using the expectoration method, I had tried it a few days earlier but didn't see any 'fizzle'. Though this time I did find the blue wire made some very slight bubbling so I hooked this to the A pin and t'other to the B. Since doing this I haven't heard any interference, but it's early days yet. The interference does disappear for a few days before turning up again.

Assuming this may have been the problem, is the only reason I'm still getting terrible speeds is due to BT's IP profiling? If you look at the BT Speedtester results I pasted earlier my Profile is set to 135kbs but I actually received 124kbs during the test, so would that indicate if I'm being capped that I'm not even achieving the roof level anyway? So even with my sync speed being over 3,000 I'm not even receiving the maximum 135k rate.

When it's sank to this rate before my Profile recovers within a day, but this has been like this for around 4 days now with no improvement. Do I need to phone Idnet to get them to tell BT to raise my IP profile manually?

[Rik]

The profile will recover in BT's timeframe, Ninny. Sometimes, IDNet can get it kicked, often BT insist on the system being allowed to manage it. If you've had more disconnections, and the re-wiring may have been seen as one, then it can take up to 5 days.

You'll never achieve the full profile as throughput due to the overheads attached to the transmission. You lose about 10% for that.

[Ninny]

Ok, Rik. But this is a truly dreadful system, just a simple disconnection can mean you're basically without internet for a week! And for people like me who rely heavily on it for multimedia - TV and games etc, it means a week of staring at the walls of a night! Though thankfully it's barely fast enough to read some websites/e-books!

I really hope if the IP Profile recovers I don't find the rate has sunk again by the morning.. If so I will take Gary up on his kind offer and probably try and find one of these 2-wire routers.

[Rik]

It is a dreadful system, instigated by BT for their convenience. There's no technical reason for profiles, but they save computing power at BT Towers, so we are lumbered with them.

[Sebby]

Dreadful is an understatement. It can be so frustrating at times when your sync improves but you're limited by the profile. That said, yours should raise more quickly as you currently have such a low profile. More here.