Xmas slowdown - here we go again :(

[Gee]

Hello

I have a repeated problem that I will name now a "Xmas slowdown".

Over the year, my connection and speeds are near perfect. But it seems every Xmas time, my speed drops to ridiculous speeds and last until January. And before you think you know the answer and it is the Xmas lights - I don't have any on, nor have I seen any of my neighbours have them on yet. And being on 76Kbps until January is not acceptable to me anymore. I need to get to the bottom of this. Normally I connect at 6.4 Mbps

We have tried solving this problem here last Xmas here: http://www.idnetters.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=17681.25 and couple of years ago here: http://www.idnetters.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=5048.0 .  One year the conclusion was a faulty filter. Which proved wrong. Last year the conclusion was perhaps a frog. Which proved wrong. As now I have a router. So I now strongly believe that the problem is not my hardware here. Its a Xmas thing, so how do I sort it?

I have not changed anything in my hardware set up nor installed anything. I have not used the phone for a week. The line is noisy, same as previous years, but no fault showing on exchange or BT site or IDnet. Same as previous years.

The problem started when I switched the router and computer back on last night.  Earliest in the year so far.

Hardware:

Zyxel Prestige 660 ADSL2+ Modem/Gateway
Windows XP prof sp2
Package: ADSL Max 8mbps
Location: London

#Router is connected -as always- via the 5 meter extension cable, to the filter to the MAIN (and only) BT point in the house - as it was for a year (I cannot move PC closer). Telephone is connected to the filter. The speed the extension cable has reduced is negligible. On the other side router is connected to pc via crossover cable. Again, as always has.


BT problems http://btbusiness.custhelp.com/app/service_status_consumer/ss_cat/2468,2470 shows no problems in London.

ID net status http://www.idnet.net/support/status.jsp shows no problems


BT test:

Download speedachieved during the test was - 76 Kbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 50-250 Kbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :4384 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 135 Kbps

Speedtest.net:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1047330209.png





ping idnet.net

Pinging idnet.net [212.69.36.10] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 212.69.36.10: bytes=32 time=25ms TTL=59
Reply from 212.69.36.10: bytes=32 time=26ms TTL=59
Reply from 212.69.36.10: bytes=32 time=26ms TTL=59
Reply from 212.69.36.10: bytes=32 time=27ms TTL=59

Ping statistics for 212.69.36.10:
   Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
   Minimum = 25ms, Maximum = 27ms, Average = 26ms

Router diagnostics:

Upstream noise margin:

noise margin upstream: 19 db
output power downstream: 19 db
attenuation upstream: 9 db
tone   0- 31: 00 00 00 05 56 66 66 66 67 66 66 76 66 66 66 60
tone  32- 63: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone  64- 95: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone  96-127: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 128-159: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 160-191: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 192-223: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 224-255: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 256-287: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 288-319: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 320-351: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 352-383: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 384-415: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 416-447: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 448-479: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 480-511: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

Downstream noise margin:

noise margin downstream: 4 db
output power upstream: 12 db
attenuation downstream: 16 db
tone   0- 31: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone  32- 63: 00 22 44 55 55 55 55 55 45 54 55 45 55 55 55 55
tone  64- 95: 05 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 66 66 56 55 55 55
tone  96-127: 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 65 66 66 66 66 66
tone 128-159: 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66
tone 160-191: 66 66 66 65 55 56 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66
tone 192-223: 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 65 55 55 55
tone 224-255: 65 65 55 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66 66
tone 256-287: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 288-319: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 320-351: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 352-383: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 384-415: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 416-447: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 448-479: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
tone 480-511: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00




I've contacted IDnet as well, and am waiting for their call.  

Any ideas guys?
Thank you

Gee

[DorsetBoy]

One thing to note, unless you are away from home for prolonged periods (ie. holiday ) your router should remain on 24/7.

You will have slow throughout because at present your line profile is at its lowest setting of 135 kbps which would suggest there has been a noise burst or other line problem.

You need to leave that router on so that the exchange equipment can see the connection and repair itself. A router being turned on/off frequently will suggest to the exchange a line error, this will result in the equipment restricting your throughput.

[Gee]

One thing to note, unless you are away from home for prolonged periods (ie. holiday ) your router should remain on 24/7.

Ok, good point,  I didn't know that, lately I've been switching the router off almost daily when computer is turned off at night, to save on electricity.

You will have slow throughout because at present your line profile is at its lowest setting of 135 kbps which would suggest there has been a noise burst or other line problem.

For some reason, I think this is exactly what caused this problem every year some major noise thing. But what?  And why just around Xmas, why not in April or August or October? What major thing is happening at the end of the year?

You need to leave that router on so that the exchange equipment can see the connection and repair itself. A router being turned on/off frequently will suggest to the exchange a line error, this will result in the equipment restricting your throughput.

Will do. I didn't think that switching router off once a day would be recognised as a line error.. Or did you mean not to keep trying today? I'll leave it on now for a few days

Thank you for the quick response.

[Gary]

I leave my router on 24/7 it only would get turned off if I was going away for a few weeks. It does no harm to be left on, they are really designed to be left on anyway so you should be fine.

[Rik]

Your line stats show you should be connecting much faster, I'd have expected an 8182 sync from a 16db line. Clearly, though, you've had a much lower sync event to trigger a 135 profile, something below 287k. This suggests a massive burst of noise. You say you're using a 5 metre extension lead, is that flat or round?

The sync speed is purely an issue between you and the exchange, ie it's something IDNet have no control over. Support will try and help, and will test your line, but they can't do anything directly.

I would expect them to tell you to move your router to the master socket, to try a different filter and to try a different router. Tedious as they are, these self diagnostics are essential if you're to avoid a £195+VAT BT callout charge.

Have you reported the noisy line to your voice provider?

My best guess would be that the colder weather, combined possibly with dampness, and aided by the increased propagation of radio waves during dark evenings is hitting your line with bouts of noise to cause this. Tracking it will be difficult though, and require some effort on your part before thinking about a BT visit.

[Gee]

Your line stats show you should be connecting much faster, I'd have expected an 8182 sync from a 16db line. Clearly, though, you've had a much lower sync event to trigger a 135 profile, something below 287k. This suggests a massive burst of noise. You say you're using a 5 metre extension lead, is that flat or round?

Hi Rik, how you been?
Its a round extension.

When you say "massive burst of noise", could you give me some examples please? Whatever it is, it doesn't seem to happen at any other time of the year except Xmas Or it doesn't affect it at any other time.

My best guess would be that the colder weather, combined possibly with dampness, and aided by the increased propagation of radio waves during dark evenings is hitting your line with bouts of noise to cause this. Tracking it will be difficult though, and require some effort on your part before thinking about a BT visit.

I know that you are good at this stuff Rik, I considered weather too, but apart from weather going down to zero, the things is that in London, it wasn't really raining much in the last week or two, and the radio waves and cold weather are probably the same in January and February, but this problem always clear by early January.

I've been wrecking my brain to think of something I did differently between Thurs and Fri, but I did absolutely nothing different here. Between me and exchange there are no major town centres which would have lots of Xmas lights switched on either. There are some road works going nearby though but I'm not sure if they are electric or what. Could that be it? Again, these things surely happen at any other time of the year,but it never affects my line. Oh I don't know I'm going spare!

I'm going to investigate some more tomorrow on my side, and then nagg BT to do some deep checking.

Thank you again for all your help guys.

[Glenn]

Gee, are you getting any noise on your phone line when making calls? Dial 17070 then select the quite line test option, the most you should hear, is a gentle hum in the background.

[Rik]

Hi Gee

I'm fine thanks.

OK, with the extension out of the way, we can think about other possible sources. Have you ever tried the MW radio test? You need a battery-powered MW radio. De-tune it so all you can hear is white noise, then follow your phone line from where it enters the house to the router. Any increase in the volume of the noise is interference.

I can't begin to explain the seasonal nature. Once we've ruled out weather, and you seem to have done that, then there's no rational explanation except electrical noise somewhere between you and the exchange. The 'what' is the difficult part. If you make the tests I've already suggested, ie new filter, move router and try a different router if possible, plus reporting the noisy line to your voice provider, then you can approach IDNet to do some testing. Unfortunately, though, unless the cause is blindingly obvious,  they will have to get a BT 'SFI' engineer out, the going rate for which is £195+VAT if no fault is found or it's found on your side of the master socket.

IDNet will not normally contact you for a speed problem out of hours, so don't expect a reply till Monday.

[cavillas]

Do you have a large warehouse, that has extra traffic around this time, near you?  It could be everyone on your exchange is doing their Xmas shopping on line now.   Are ther any other larfge companies nearby?

[Technical Ben]

The only thing I could think of is a noisy heating system. But I doubt you turned it off in Jan this year!