I should be able to rule out the equipment in my house. Only the Home Hub 5 was connected to the NTE5. Here is a screenshot of the latest noise margin instability:

http://s29.postimg.org/ofn47ciqv/RSHub_Noise_Margin_...

For a few hours it had stayed connected with 5199 downstream speed and 33.2 noise margin until that burst of noise occurred.

It reconnected at the same downstream speed so already it appears to be banded at 5199.

5. VDSL uptime: 0 days, 00:28:59
6. Data rate: 19999 / 5199
7. Maximum data rate: 22479 / 81859
8. Noise margin: 6.4 / 33.2
9. Line attenuation: 0.0 / 17.2
10. Signal attenuation: 0.0 / 17.2

In reply to a post by os1:

I should be able to rule out the equipment in my house. Only the Home Hub 5 was connected to the NTE5. Here is a screenshot of the latest noise margin instability:

http://s29.postimg.org/ofn47ciqv/RSHub_Noise_Margin_...

You need to demonstrate that to a Openreach SFI engineer if you can get one - I had exactly the same issues with ADSL where noise was causing the broadband to drop. I ran RouterStats whilst he was at my house, called in to the landline number using a mobile and he was able to see the graph and the broadband drop.

It's certainly increasing likely that you have a fault somewhere on the D-Side line. There may me an issue with the interstitial plate's filter but that is unlikely.

Thanks again you've been a great help.

So I am to ask for a SFI engineer. Is that a Special Faults Investigator?

I plugged in the phone cable to check for noise as the broadband was disconnecting and the upstream and downstream noise margin was very unstable and for the first 15 seconds there wasn't even a dial tone just a clicking sound and then it changed to the sound that occurs after the dial tone times out and when I hung up and then listened again the dial tone was there and was the brief crackling/popping sound then it disappeared and the broadband reconnected and seems to be stable again:

http://s3.postimg.org/wdy8qn4tv/RSHub_Noise_Margin_2...

Here are some stats during the noisy period:

6. Data rate: 13756 / 5199
7. Maximum data rate: 9985 / 19290
8. Noise margin: 2.4 / 16.1
9. Line attenuation: 0.0 / 23.9
10. Signal attenuation: 0.0 / 24.2

6. Data rate: 12625 / 5199
7. Maximum data rate: 6344 / 18196
8. Noise margin: 0.4 / 16.2
9. Line attenuation: 0.0 / 24.7
10. Signal attenuation: 0.0 / 25.0

6. Data rate: 12625 / 5199
7. Maximum data rate: 12782 / 17156
8. Noise margin: 6.4 / 15.1
9. Line attenuation: 0.0 / 24.7
10. Signal attenuation: 0.0 / 25.0

6. Data rate: 20000 / 5199
7. Maximum data rate: 21283 / 65348
8. Noise margin: 6.0 / 33.5
9. Line attenuation: 0.0 / 17.0
10. Signal attenuation: 0.0 / 16.9

This is what it settled at:

5. VDSL uptime: 0 days, 00:10:45
6. Data rate: 20000 / 5199
7. Maximum data rate: 21250 / 65094
8. Noise margin: 6.0 / 33.3
9. Line attenuation: 0.0 / 17.0
10. Signal attenuation: 0.0 / 16.9

So plugging in and engaging the dial tone appeared to cause the noise to disappear. I watched it in RouterStats for over 5 minutes and it only stopped when I ran upstairs to check the phone for noise on the line.

I forgot to say I tested without the MK2 interstitial plate last Wednesday. I used a standard ADSL filter in the test socket and the broadband sync was pretty much the same as before and the noise on the line and broadband disconnections still occurred.

The noise margin was slowly dropping then it spiked twice before disconnecting:

http://s10.postimg.org/a6mhhf8p5/RSHub_Noise_Margin_...

5. VDSL uptime: 0 days, 00:03:36
6. Data rate: 20000 / 5199
7. Maximum data rate: 21890 / 81780
8. Noise margin: 6.5 / 33.3
9. Line attenuation: 0.0 / 17.4
10. Signal attenuation: 0.0 / 17.4

In reply to a post by os1:

So I am to ask for a SFI engineer. Is that a Special Faults Investigator?

Yep, I reckon you need one to investigate your line, the help that you have received from BT Retail so far seems pretty useless.

It's so frustrating when one does everything possible to eliminate potential issues premises side of the NTE5 and the fault continues - one feels so powerless to do anything about issues with the incoming BT line.

Yep and it goes on and on with little or no progress. I'd go as far as suggesting it's a form of psychological torture. It can cause people to become broken although I also realise it's not intentional.

When I was talking to the engineer I got the impression he was powerless to help me because of Openreach standard procedures when responding to a customer reported fault. Also the way he punched the save button on his device and said something along the lines of "I'm definately saving that" when he saw 80/20 and no CRC errors. I was hopeful but as far as he was concerned it was solved yet the fault is now even worse than before.

I've considered ordering another line and I would learn how to configure the network where most traffic goes through the unlimited package but should it go down or become unstable like it is now I'd route with restrictions via the non-unlimited premium package.

I wish I had a line with AAISP as I've read they're very good at fixing faults.

I was with Plusnet for ADSL when I had a broadband fault, line rental was with BT Retail. Initially I went down the route of reporting a voice fault to BT Retail but they seemed unwilling or unable to help since they apparently couldn't see a fault on their system. So after some time of badgering Plusnet they booked a SFI and he immediately diagnosed the problem from the NTE5 test socket after he first examined my home wiring and I had explained/demonstrated the issue.

My problem was somewhat different to yours in that it was only incoming calls on the ringing tone that was causing the broadband to drop. He investigated the line through to the cabinet and then to the exchange discovering that the fault was actually at the exchange. As a SFI he had access to all sections of the line including the exchange equipment and the job took about 2 hours to investigate and repair. However getting to the stage of a SFI home visit took many weeks to achieve!

Edited by 4M2 (Sun 06-Jul-14 16:48:55)

You should gather some evidence to show the disconnections and noise margin hikes like you have and request an SFI engineer for the obvious fault from BT Retail. If or when they refuse, you should email the CEO and explain how badly you're being treated.

www.ceoemail.com says this is gavin.e.patterson at bt.com http://www.ceoemail.com/s.php?id=9591

That's the problem in that ISPs only seem to see drops in the PPP link and it often incumbent on the end user to provide details about the indications of a fault and unintentional resyncs. From my experience it's much easier to provide the evidence via a ticket system - never had BT Retail's broadband, do they have a means for an end user to provide such evidence?