BT Broadband Keeps Dropping

Annoyingly, for the past three weeks my BT Broadband connection randomly drops. The orange light comes on by Hub 6. It usually comes back in a minute oir two, sometimes an hour! The speed is also down from 62 to about 50. I could live with that as long as the line stayed connected.

I have tried a different router, no change. Have changed the wire from the router to the socket, no change.

I have reported the issue to BT and an engineer came. He unplugged a phone connection from the socket (no phone is actually connected) and said that might be the issue. he tested the line with his box of tricks and said all looked fine, but a day after his visit, it starts to play up again.

I have reported to BT again and an engineer will visit week after next (I am away for several days, hence the delay).

The line is in a block of flats, which were totally refurbished 5 years ago.

The line has been rock steady until June this year when a car smashed into the green cabinet down the road knocking out mine and a neighbours connection. The line was repaired at the cabinet and was OK for most of July, then the issues started - is this a possible cause of my current issues I wonder.

Below are details from my router (I have removed user name, although I think it generic plus wifi names)

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Product name: BT Hub 6A

Serial number: +084316+NQ71235010

Firmware version: SG4B1000B316

Firmware updated: 22-Jul-2017

Board version: 1.0

Gui version: 1.64.0

DSL uptime: 0 Days, 0 Hours 22 Minutes 18 Seconds

Data rate: 15.00 Mbps / 55.81 Mbps

Maximum data rate: 18178 / 56951

Noise margin: 9.6 dB / 6.1 dB

Line attenuation: 13.2 dB

Signal attenuation: VPI / VCI: 0/38

Modulation: G_993_2_ANNEX_B

Latency type: Fast Path

Data sent / received: 8197 MB Uploaded / 8192 MB Downloaded

Broadband username:

BT Wi-fi: Active

2.4 GHz wireless network name:

2.4 GHz wireless channel:
Smart (Channel 6)

5 GHz wireless network name:


5 GHz wireless channel:
Smart (Channel 36)

Wireless security:
WPA2 (Recommended)

Wireless mode: Mode 1

Firewall: On

MAC address: A0:8E:78:19:32:19

Software variant:
-

Boot loader:
7.33.1

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I am currently using the BT mobile dongle thing supplied for my internet connection.

I would be interested if anyone has any ideas so I can at least suggest something to an engineer or BT in case they try to fob me off!

Happy to try and fine more information from my router if needed.

Thanks

Have to ask, are you on the Erdington exchange by any chance?

I've had the exact same thing happen with very similar stats. SNR Up margin slowly drops to zero causing the line to drop which'll happen for an hour or so at random times. Had one engineer who was very helpful and said he'd change the pair since there was voltage on the line, didn't see any problems for two days then it unfortunately returned. Second engineer came out this week and was hopeless, was more interested on my older LJU socket being the problem even though it was replaced a few years prior.

In reply to a post by Coalhill:

Annoyingly, for the past three weeks my BT Broadband connection randomly drops. The orange light comes on by Hub 6. It usually comes back in a minute oir two, sometimes an hour! The speed is also down from 62 to about 50. I could live with that as long as the line stayed connected.

The speed drop could be down to the line dropping and or crosstalk as the cab ultilzation increases.

Have you tried removing the master socket front panel to the test socket and trying a fresh micro filter ?

In reply to a post by Coalhill:

I have tried a different router, no change. Have changed the wire from the router to the socket, no change.

which router?

In reply to a post by Coalhill:

-----------------------

Product name: BT Hub 6A

Serial number: +084316+NQ71235010

Firmware version: SG4B1000B316

Firmware updated: 22-Jul-2017

Board version: 1.0

the hub 6a is a very old router, whilst that isn't an issue in itself the lack of firmware update for nearly 6 years is.

I assume your device count since you've first had the service has increased too



Thanks

Yes you've got an old firmware version on that router !!!!

Here is mine.

Product name:
BT Hub 6A

Serial number:
+084316+NQ70534884

Firmware version:
SG4B1000E081

Firmware updated:
24-Feb-2023

Board version:
1.0

Gui version:
1.126.0

I would suggest trying a pin hole reset of the router to see if that forces it to do an update. To do that press and hold with a pen, the reset button on the back of the router until you see it turn green. Once it turns green on the front, then you can let go of the reset button and let it reboot and do what it needs to do, then leave it alone and don't reboot it again or mess with it for a good hour, which will allow it plenty of time to pull an update down.

the hub 6a is a 5 year old plus modem router, if the op is puting too much strain on the router, it may just reboot. I've seen this with a archer c2 not coping with 10 wifi devices, plus wifi calling...

It just kept rebooting every five minutes, hence one of my questions..

I have had this problem for a few months now. I’ve had 43 disconnects in the last month. 2 of those weeks there weren’t any disconnects. My ISP (I’m not with BT) had told me there is a fault with BT are trying to resolve. Probably why there are 2 separate weeks when there were no disconnects, then it went wrong again.