At my wits end with line issues and stuck IPProfiles!

Ever more frequently I am getting issues with my ADSL line - probably twice in the last month. I get a number of disconnections and sync issues followed by a drop in IPProfile which never automatically resets and I have to wait a couple of days before getting the plusnet tech guys to reset it manually. I have checked all my line and everything seems fine. BT have been out and found nothing wrong yet this issue keeps on cropping up and I just cant seem to make any headway into getting it resolved. It is getting increasingly frustrating as my job requires that I am on call 24/7 and need at least a semi reliable service. Im currently stuck at 0.3mb/s after a number of disconnects this afternoon for no apparent reason.

I can go for weeks with a stable connection and then it will descend into this unreliable mess again for about a week.

I just need to be pointed in the direction of someone who can actually get this resolved instead of being told "it's a BT issue" and then being told by BT that there is nothing wrong. My guess is that it's weather related as we did have some rain today and the last time it went to s**t it also rained.

Is there anyone here who can actually help???

Have also raised the same question as ticket 104653916

This might seem like a daft question, but what do you mean by the IP Profile never automatically resetting? (Bear in mind we have no information about your depth of knowledge about ADSLx connections). Is it the IP Profile as seen in the Further Diagnostics of the BT Wholesale Performance Test, (ignore the red instructions, just click that you have done them), or is it the Current line speed seen in your Member Centre?

Plus, are you on ADSL (Max) or ADSL2+?

Are you able to see the line stats, that's at least the connection/sync speed, attenuation and noise margin (SNRM), in your router? What router do you have?

I know that's all questions and no help, but we need to know these things in order to try to come up with a solution.

If you still have the low speed, please can you copy and paste the down and up data from the text boxes of that BT test - we don't need the graphics, plus the Current line speed from your Member Centre (Connection settings >> High speed broadband). The line stats from your router as well if possible.

Edited by RobertoS (Sun 24-May-15 22:17:14)

Hi,

With regards to the ip profile, its the one on the BT test that normally gets stuck; it will go down to a very low value and stay there for days. I was under the impression that there was an algorithm to double the speed every hour or so on a stable connection, but that was from years ago so it may no longer be used.

I'm currently getting 3.5mbs on the member center one. Yesterday I was on 0.35 on the BT one, but as a bit of a shock to me, it''s actually risen to 2.5 this morning with no intervention. I think im on ADSL Max, not sure. Im on the Nordelph exchange if that helps.

I used to get a constant 7.5mbs on this line, now i'm lucky to get above 5.

Router is a TP-Link TD-W8970 v1 00000000

Stats are

Upstream Downstream
Current Rate (Kbps) 448 4512
Max Rate (Kbps) 1208 5056
SNR Margin (dB) 24 16.5
Line Attenuation (dB) 12.5 28

My theory is that it is in fact weather related or something related to the state of the physical line, but have no way of proving that. It will be rock solid for weeks then i'll have a week of faffing around trying to get my speed back up.

If you need any more info, let me know.

Thanks for your help

"that there was an algorithm to double the speed every hour or so on a stable connection" while for slow lines it will increase faster, no algorithm of that exact nature existed.

The upstream speed suggests this is a small exchange with IPStream Max only, so you are stuck with the old IP Profile system that takes between 1 hour and 5 days to recover, and you are losing a LOT of speed due to the high target noise margins - suggesting the line has an instability issue the DLM has reacted to in the past.

For you the only option if you cannot get ISP to get someone to look at line is to switch to LLU where there is no IP Profile system, or a fibre based service.

Largely as MrSaffron says, but a few other thoughts that might help.

It does look as though you are on ADSL Max, as that exchange doesn't have ADSL2+ according to samknows - the site we use to check. (On some aspects that site can be a bit out of date but is probably right for your exchange).

You've no LLU option there either so we need to concentrate on making the best of ADSL Max.

I'll ignore the basic problem at this point, which is the question as to why you are getting the disconnections. That will take a while. Let's concentrate initially on making the best of what you have.

First, as MrSaffron says, you are on the old style DLM. If you look at the table there, you will see your current rate of 4512kbps should have an IP Profile of 3,500. But you are telling us it is 2,500. That means you disconnected and reconnected either before or after doing the BT test to read the current value. The Member Centre saying 3.5 surprises me in either case, unless it is something like 3.49 and you have rounded up for easier typing.

Which way round did you do things please?

If you read the rest of my page that has that IP Profile page you will see how the system actually works. The IP Profile should rise after a period as described, and the Plusnet copy within a few hours. The way the copy is updated that when the IP Profile changes BT Wholesale should flag it up, and Plusnet checks for the flags three or four times a day. As said on that page, it can go wrong. However the copy never updates immediately the IP Profile does, and it is whichever is the lower at any given time that limits your speed.

I have to go now until later today, but it looks as if your router has a Broadcom chipset. That means we can probably do something to speed up the recovery time from the bad periods such as you started the thread with. I need to check out some old methods and discuss the most suitable approach with you after that.

What you must not do is disconnect and reconnect your router frequently in the hope of speeding up the recovery. You will nearly always have exactly the opposite effect, and delay it. Plus often causing a longer term but recoverable slowdown. Which could be why you never get above 5Mbps now.