Dropping connection

[Ninny]

Didn't know where else to post this. I recently got my broadband switched over to a different line which has no phone on it and seems more stable, with less noise on it. I asked for interleaving to be turned off which was meant to take effect as of today, however my router is still saying the line is interleaved, no change in ping, and now I am having problems even loading web pages and online gaming is impossible - totally intermittant connection, keeps dropping etc, red light on router. And my tracerts look thus:

1     1 ms     1 ms     3 ms  home [192.168.1.xxx]
2     *     1021 ms    45 ms  telehouse-gw2-lo1.idnet.net [212.69.63.51]
3  1201 ms    42 ms    44 ms  telehouse-gw3-g0-1-400.idnet.net [212.69.63.243]

4   162 ms    44 ms    58 ms  redbus-gw2-g0-1-331.idnet.net [212.69.63.5]
5    45 ms    42 ms    42 ms  redbus-gw1-fa2-0-300.idnet.net [212.69.63.225]
6   924 ms    44 ms    44 ms  www.idnet.net [212.69.36.10]
_________________________

1     1 ms     1 ms     1 ms  home [192.168.1.xxx]
2  1999 ms    45 ms    44 ms  telehouse-gw2-lo1.idnet.net [212.69.63.51]
3    43 ms    45 ms    44 ms  telehouse-gw3-g0-1-400.idnet.net [212.69.63.243]

4    45 ms    45 ms    44 ms  redbus-gw2-g0-1-331.idnet.net [212.69.63.5]
5    43 ms    45 ms    44 ms  redbus-gw1-fa2-0-300.idnet.net [212.69.63.225]
6  2071 ms    45 ms    42 ms  www.idnet.net [212.69.36.10]

And those are the ones that don't time out. I am getting really fed up with having to complain but everything has been cr*p for months now and I am getting sick of it. I just want a stable line with a low ping is all. My router has disconnected a load of times just in the time of writing this message, and I had to leave posting it for 10 minutes while it was showing red on the internet light! ARGGHHHHHHH!!

[Sebby]

I've split this off into a new thread.

Could you post your router stats?

[Lance]

If it is your router disconecting (dropping sync) then it is something local to your house or between you and your exchange b

[Rik]

If the line is dropping, Ninny, it will probably cause interleaving to turn straight back on.

[Ninny]

Here are the router stats:

DSL Line (Wire Pair):     Line 1 (inner pair)
Protocol:    G.DMT Annex A
Downstream Rate:    2880 kbps
Upstream Rate:    448 kbps
Channel:    Interleaved
Current Noise Margin:    8.0 dB (Downstream) 12.0 dB (Upstream)
Current Attenuation:    55.3 dB (Downstream) 31.5 dB (Upstream)
Current Output Power:    18.8 dBm (Downstream) 4.2 dBm (Upstream)
DSLAM Vendor Information:    Country: {0xB5} Vendor: {TSTC} Specific: {0x00}
PVC Info:    0/38

The weird thing is when I first got broadband activated on this line, I had a rock solid noise margin at 6db and 3,900 sync. But after a day or two the noise margin started to fall slowly to 0db, I started to get occasional line drops and the noise margin was up and down, yesterday I was getting tons of line drops all day. Noise margin all over the shop.

Now when I plugged the phone in to listen I could hear noise on the line again, but when the broadband dropped the noise would stop. I can't find anything in the house that could be causing this problem. Also inside this phone socket there are no wires attached to the faceplate, it has 4 wires that disappear behind the top section of the socket to the A and B pegs, so I can't see if there's a ringwire. The line was stable for the first day or two it was connected which is why I asked for interleaving to be turned off, the other line in the house has been far too unstable to have interleaving off at all.

[Rik]

There's only a ringwire on the internal wiring, Ninny, so you won't have one. TBH, I think you are describing a typical training period, which starts fast and gradually slows down as the line finds its level. For example, I had a new line activated recently. It's initial sync was at 4672 @ 6db, fast path. That dropped to 4416 as interleaving turned on after 24 hours, then to 3744 as the target margin was increased to 9db, before stabilising in the 39-4000 range.

[Ninny]

The interleaving seems to be turned off now, Idnet said it would take 24 hours but it took over 3 days, probably because BT were slow to act. I am now getting a nice 30 ping, how do I make sure interleaving doesn't come back on again? Turn my router off at night or something?

My line is more stable than it was the other day, but it's still dropping 5 - 6 times a day and my sync rate is awful - 2,500, it has been at 3,500 - 3,900 in the past. I don't want the line drops to make interleaving switch back on as I'm much more pleased with a low ping rather than a high sync rate, but getting the sync higher would be great! Just annoyed I can't work out what's making the line drop so much. Do TV aerial coaxial cables effect telephone sockets/wires? As they are in very close proximity and there's not much I can do about it.

[Glenn]

I don't think you can ensure Interleaving remains off, it's a function the BT line monitoring.

[Simon]

Do TV aerial coaxial cables effect telephone sockets/wires? As they are in very close proximity and there's not much I can do about it.

I think there's a way of laying out the cables to minimise interference - i.e. not having them cross each other at certain angles, but Rik will explain more clearly. 

[Rik]

TV signals are in a much higher frequency band, and are very low powered, so shouldn't affect ADSL. Noise pickup is minimised if cables cross at right angles.

[Simon]

Told you. 

[Rik]

 

[Ninny]

Ok, thanks guys. Looks like the cause of this line dropping thing is going to remain an eternal mystery, gah! Since both lines old and new are effected I guess that points to it being a fault between here and the exchange then, hrmm.

[Rik]

Has to be, unfortunately.

[Sebby]

Ok, thanks guys. Looks like the cause of this line dropping thing is going to remain an eternal mystery, gah!

That's usually the way.

[James_D]

I don't think you can ensure Interleaving remains off, it's a function the BT line monitoring.

Just an FYI there are three stats with interleaving and BT, always on / always off / Auto so you can effectivley opt out of interleaving of course this leaves you open to more CRC errors etc.

If you have a spare router I'd try that, try powering off your router for a few minutes and seeing how it does over a few days, if the signal keeps dropping in strength then thats a good indicator of a faulty router.

[Sebby]

Afaik, interleaving can still be switched on automatically, even if set to off...

[James_D]

Afaik, interleaving can still be switched on automatically, even if set to off...

Probably can but if youve opted out of interleaving it shouldnt ;-)

Forgot to mention on ping's / tracerts the ping is a low priority when going through gateways so if it's busy (as it will have been after a core failure) then get ignored hence the occasional high pings, the * is not a good sign.

[Sebby]

It shouldn't, but I'm pretty sure there's no way off having interleaving off 100%.

[Lance]

I agree, sebby. Even it's set to off, if the BT systems decide it's needed it'll be put back on automatically. That is why it's extremly hard to get BT to turn it off for a second time.

[Rik]

Thirded.