Strange Problem

[Takeshatt]

First off be gentle with me, this is my first post.

I have a strange problem with my net connection. Around 6.30pm on Monday, Tuesday and today my connection dropped/drops and almost immediately re-connects. This will go on until around 11pm then the router reconnects and my normal speeds. I'm on a fixed 2mb connection. During these periods of disconnection/re-connection my speed is around 12kps. I have changed router, cables and even PC, all to no avail.

I have reported this IDNET, who have confirmed that BT can find nothing wrong. IDNET have offered a call from a BT engineer, which I will probably take up. Have any of you guys heard of this type of problem?

[Simon]

Hi Takeshatt, and   

I can't give you much in the way of technical advice (hopefully others will), but do be aware that if you have a BT engineer out, and they find a fault 'your' side, you may be looking at a bill in excess of £160.

[Takeshatt]

Yeah been told that, however if it fixes the problem its ok.

One thing I did forget is that the disconnects are every 2 mins 15 secs....exactly.

[Lance]

welcome to the forum!

This really is a strange one! I can't think of anything at the moment which way be causing it.

[Sebby]

When you say the connection drops, do you know if it is just your connection to the ISP or does the sync drop?

I assume it's the sync. Fixed rate products tend to be less susceptable to noise spikes, but I suspect that is what's happening here.

Can you think of anything that happens around the time the disconnects start? Perhaps your boiler coming on, street lights, etc?

Lastly, could you post your stats?

If you're not sure on anything I've said, just shout.

[Takeshatt]

I use a Netgear DG834v2 router, and yes the green light goes orange when the DC's happen.

by Stats I think you mean these:

Down Speed 2272kps Up 288kps
Line att Down 52db Up 15.5db
Noise Down 13db Up 22db

Not aware of the lights etc thing. Been with IDNET for around 2 years, this is the only problem I've ever had.

If you guys got any ideas, it would be great. I've got a 17 year old WOW freak, missing out on something called the Black Temple ...he keeps giving me the "your a bad father look"

[Sebby]

Okay, so it seems you're losing sync, which means it's the BT side rather than IDNet.

Your stats are okay, but not great for a fixed rate service, and it's possible the noise margin is dropping low enough to cause the router to lose sync.

Do you have a master socket that had a removable lower half? If so, could you carefully remove it and connect the router to the socket behind. This is the test socket and eliminates internal wiring, which is prone to noise pickup. Then re-post your stats.

[Rik]

Hi Takeshatt, welcome to the forum.

I agree with Sebby, this has to be a noise issue. How many phone sockets do you have, and what is connected to them - in particular - do you have a Sky box? Before you get a BT engineer out, talk nicely to IDNet and see if they'll lend you a router. The v2 Netgear is quite old now, and could be contributing to the issue.

[Takeshatt]

I use an Asdl Nation faceplate, the sexy one that splits the adsl line and landline. The router is connected to that with the cable that came with the router. No extensions anywhere in the house. Yes I have Sky+. I have tried a different router, same problem. Its the time thing that is getting me. Why between 6.30pm and 11 pm? . My son is playing WOW at the moment and the connection has been live for over 8 hours, everything is as it should be.

As for the age of the router, what is the recommended one these days

Ta for the help so far.

[Sebby]

In that case, you should theoretically have better stats than that, though I guess you could've been on the boundaries of being able to receive the fixed 2Mb service.

Could you try the test socket, just to rule out the faceplate as the cause? Then we'll take it from there.

[Rik]

Yes I have Sky+.

If you don't have multi-room, try unplugging it for a few days (from the phone, that is). How does the Sky dish cabling relate to the phone cabling physically? That is, do they run close together at any point?

Why between 6.30pm and 11 pm? .

That's fairly classic for electrical noise. Do you have any industrial units on the same mains phase as you, any takeaways?

[Takeshatt]

Unpugged the Sky+ phone connection, cabling shouldn't be an issue. No takeaways or such. Residential area. I am around 3km from exchange. Will post stats minus face plate later. As I said before been with Idnet for around 2 years and using broadband for around 4. Never had this issue before. Speeds and connection have been rock solid up until now.

If it is a noise thing; industrial, how would i solve that?

Ta again.

[Rik]

It depends on the cause. It could require BT to fit an RF filter to the line. One thing you can try is to de-tune a MW radio, so you're getting only white noise, then walk around with it during the problems hours and see if the noise gets worse in any areas.

[Sebby]

This isn't an IDNet issue, it's something to do with the line. The fact you've not had problems before doesn't mean there couldn't be a new noise source.

I'll wait to see the stats from the test socket.

[Takeshatt]

Ok Stats from Test Socket are:

Speed Down 2272 Up 288
Line Down 53db Up 15.5
Noise Down 13db Up 21db

[Rik]

No significant difference, so it doesn't appear o be your internal wiring as such. Try the MW radio trick. If that doesn't give you any clues, contact IDNet, let them know you've tried the test socket and give them both sets of line stats.

[Takeshatt]

Will do.

[Takeshatt]

Could this be a contension issue?. I was looking at the IDNet web site and saw that if I went with the "Premier" package, my data would get priority. I assume this means moving from 50:1 to 20:1, or something along those lines.

[g7pkf]

Contention no.

now lets look at the facts.

between 6 and 11PM  every 2m 15 seconds you lose connection?

yes?

you live in a residential area?

what happens between 6 and 11pm is this weekdays or weekends as well.....

do you have a friendly neighbour on adsl? is it happening to them as well?

have you tried the MW trick?  Tune to a distant MW station and walk around with the radio till the signal goes and you get lots of interferasnce, heard this works well on 5 live?(from a bt eng). you can do it from the car and drive the rough way your line runs to the exchange.

one instance they had was a dodgy dvd player.  2 houses each side couldnt get adsl when this was switched on.

dean g7PKF

[Rik]

I agree, Dean, this is not contention it's almost certainly noise from an internal or external source, tracking it down is the way forward.

[g7pkf]

also it may be worth knowing EXACTLY what date this all started.

then if a neighbour bought a piece of electrical equipment on/around that date......

i once heard (on TB) a wifes pleasure toy would cause just this issue but running it from 6-11 every day? cant belive that but you never know....

this is just an example. i have heard of dvd/cd/televisions especially supermarket specials all causing this.#

[Rik]

Not to mention Sky boxes, of course...

[Inactive]

i once heard (on TB) a wifes pleasure toy would cause just this issue but running it from 6-11 every day? cant belive that but you never know....

Orgasmic .. 

[Rik]

I think it would beat our recent seismic upset, In.

[Inactive]

Indeed, and last a bit longer..