Sky to AAISP - expected issues?

Been with Sky for a while now, always been happy with their service, but over the last few weeks, the service has deteriorated beyond acceptable.

We get random yet frequent line drops. No rhyme nor reason, the router just loses sync but immediately reconnects. These disconnects can be an hour apart, or fifteen hours.

I have tried 4 different routers - the 'white' Sky supplied one, a Netgear one, a second Sagem Sky router and now a Zyxel 660HW. All have experienced the same issue.

I have gone through the usual 'tests' with Sky to no avail, finally resorting these last 24 hours to disconnecting our voice phone and having the router plugged directly into the BT master socket (NTE5 faceplate removed)

The problem still remains, so it is clearly a fault with the line.

I have become more and more frustrated with Sky as they insist the fault lies within my premises, despite the fact we only have one phone connected (a DECT cordless) and no other equipment (no Sky box, no FAX, no alarm, nothing) I have even unwired the original extension sockets throughout the house so there is nothing else connected to the NTE5.

Still every time I call Sky with the SAME issue, they expect me to go through the basic diagnostics. I am at my wits end with them as NOTHING gets done.

I have finally resolved myself to the fact that I need to migrate away from Sky, and, as a previous AAISP customer, I'm keen to take up their service again.

Apart from the cost of migrating LLU to AAISP, are there any other pitfalls I can expect in respect of the 'technical' aspect of my line? I'm not going to get the speed I do with Sky, but I am going to get the customer service that AAISP are renowned for.

Thanks in advance.

In reply to a post by tx2online:

Been with Sky for a while now, always been happy with their service, but over the last few weeks, the service has deteriorated beyond acceptable.

We get random yet frequent line drops. No rhyme nor reason, the router just loses sync but immediately reconnects. These disconnects can be an hour apart, or fifteen hours.

I have tried 4 different routers - the 'white' Sky supplied one, a Netgear one, a second Sagem Sky router and now a Zyxel 660HW. All have experienced the same issue.

I have gone through the usual 'tests' with Sky to no avail, finally resorting these last 24 hours to disconnecting our voice phone and having the router plugged directly into the BT master socket (NTE5 faceplate removed)

The problem still remains, so it is clearly a fault with the line.

Clearly it's noise on the line - probably your end.

Noise on the line - my end?

Can you enlarge on your 'diagnosis', bearing in mind everything else was removed from the line and I was plugged straight into the BT 'test' socket.

AIUI, anything 'past' that socket is BT and nothing to do with me, so I don't get the "my end" part of your statement.

After you enlarge on it "clearly" being a line fault. Evidence?

The evidence is that I have tried four different routers; I have unwired all extensions in the house; I have no other comms equipment connected to the phone line; the current router is connected directly to the BT 'test' socket at the rear of the NTE5 faceplate which has been removed. The problem remains.

What more evidence did you require?

Edited by tx2online (Wed 27-May-09 00:03:15)

Incidentally, it just disconnected again... no phone connected, just a Zyxel 660HW router directly into the BT master socket.

That's a distinct lack of evidence. You only seem to have ruled out a router fault.

When do the disconnections happen, any particular time? Day or night?
Does the noise margin fluctuate?
What are the line stats reported by the router?
Do the line stats change when you use the test socket?
What package are you on?
Are you certain all your extensions are wired to the faceplate?
Are all your extensions filtered?
How can you have sky without a sky box connected to the phone line?

That sort of thing

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

That's a distinct lack of evidence. You only seem to have ruled out a router fault.

When do the disconnections happen, any particular time? Day or night?
Does the noise margin fluctuate?
What are the line stats reported by the router?
Do the line stats change when you use the test socket?
What package are you on?
Are you certain all your extensions are wired to the faceplate?
Are all your extensions filtered?
How can you have sky without a sky box connected to the phone line?

That sort of thing

The disconnections occur randomly, there is no pattern that I can identify. I've already mentioned that.

I haven't checked or noted the noise margin. You assume I have the technical ability to do so. Let's assume I haven't, the stance that most ISP Help Desks will take. I haven't been asked to yet when contacting Sky.

I have done all that my ISP has asked, I can do no more to improve my lot. If the noise on my line is a problem given I am now using the BT master socket with nothing else wired in, then that is not anything I can improve upon.

I am on the Sky Max package (?) 16mb LLU

We do not use the extensions which were previously wired into the master socket. We have a DECT phone with 3 satellite handsets, we only require the base unit to have a comms connection. The extension wiring has been removed from the NTE5.

The router is ordinarily connected via its own phone lead into an RJ11 socket which in turn is connected to the master socket by a short run of CAT5, which is punched down in the back of the filtered NTE5. For the purpose of testing, the router has been plugged directly into the socket, bypassing the CAT5 run.

We are not obliged to have our Sky satellite box connected to the phone system, therefore it isn't and hasn't been for a long while.

As for that being a distinct lack of evidence, I completely disagree. I have ruled out everything within my premises that it could have been; yes to the point of even trying 4 routers.

What else, within the constraints I have as a consumer, could I have done?

In my opinion, the fault is clearly with the line. I have done all that is necessary for me to do to prove the fault cannot possibly be within my premises.

As a footnote, Sky had already acknowledged errors on my line, but have failed to take the matter any further or notify me of the outcome of an 'investigation' they were going to run.

Notwithstanding then, can you answer my original question?

In reply to a post by tx2online:

Notwithstanding then, can you answer my original question?

For that, you'll need your router stats.

Why are you running the Zyxel?
What router did Sky give you?

i'd just sign up to aaisp... and have them kick bt until they fix it...