random disconnects

We went FTTC back in Sept 2012. Fine at first, 3 times the speed of ADSL2+, but subject to random disconnects.

Complained to ISP and went through the usual routine with a visit from Openreach to check things out. Nothing found.

Problem re-occurs and we have another visit. Nothing found but speed, when connected, is dropping off. I say when connected but that is 99% of the time, just random disconnects.

We have another visit and Openreach technician goes down the road for half an hour or so and comes back saying,"fixed a fault at the box???"

In the meantime Plusnet are running diagnostics. I'm not sure I can post the screen grabs here but the first shows on line no problems for 12 days then a disconnect at 13:00, then 17:00, then 18:30.

Next day disconnect at 15:45. Then OK for 3 days but off at 15:00. Then OK for one day but off at 13:00 back on and then off again at 16:00. Then OK for one day but off 5 times between 01:00 and 08:00. Next day off again at 01:00.

Now I can accept that something in the house is triggering these disconnects during the day, maybe? But in the early hours of the morning when we are well asleep, I assure you, and everything is turned off? Maybe power cuts, which would not be unusual in this rural area but they would cause the backup to cut in and the phone to reset. Neither happened.

I wonder if anybody has seen this pattern, or lack of pattern? We are on the Cranleigh exchange, about 700 metres from the cabinet and more than double that from the exchange.

I should emphasise that this is not a slag-off of the ISP, which is why I haven't mentioned their name. I think we are all mystified.

In reply to a post by robertdelamare:

I should emphasise that this is not a slag-off of the ISP, which is why I haven't mentioned their name. I think we are all mystified.

Sorry, not a useful reply about the problem but...
You may want to edit the post and remove the ISP's name ("In the meantime ******* are running diagnostics")

In reply to a post by robertdelamare:

I wonder if anybody has seen this pattern, or lack of pattern? We are on the Cranleigh exchange, about 700 metres from the cabinet and more than double that from the exchange.

Nope. On the whole, it seems we don't get many reports of this kind of disconnection problem on FTTC.

But they *do* occur to some people - "Bald Eagle" on here being one victim. When present, they do seem to be harder to eradicate than normal - perhaps because the more "obvious" faults are eliminated by having an engineer install the service in the first place.

The pictures that "your ISP" are looking at are the PPP re-connects, as this is all they can see. Unfortunately, it would be more helpful for you to see what is happening on your line in a little more detail than is available to PN... if you are up for it. Three sources spring to mind...

1. Easy: You can discover your IP profile value by performing a BT Speedtest. Use either (a) the BT Speedtester here, and keep track of the IP profile values each test reports, or (b) The BT Wholesale tester here, but you have to request the extra diagnostics after the initial speed test.

From the profile, we can calculate the actual sync speed (multiply by 1.033, I think). If these numbers are changing regularly (and changing significantly) then you might be seeing a problem.

2. Harder: You can monitor the latency of your connection using a TBB Broadband Quality Meter, BQM or Ping graph. You really need a static IP for this to work well.

Changes in latency can indicate that DLM has intervened, as a result of errors or disconnections on the line.

3. Harder: You can unlock the modem, making the line diagnostics & statistics available. This gives people the clearest picture of what is going on, but requires you to reflash the firmware in the modem, and add an extra networking cable. Take a look here, and you could make the diagnostic information visible.

4. Middling. Once unlocked, you can install some scripts onto your PC to interrogate the modem for statistics, building graphs as a snapshot, or over longer periods.

The graphing scripts were created by Bald Eagle, and he used them to good effect with PN to investigate his fault.

You neglected to mention he needs the Huewi HG612 modem for collecting the stats, he may have the ECI modem. The HG612 modems can often be picked up on Ebay for reasonable money.

ooops. I keep forgetting that the ECI modem is getting more common now...

But the link you gave now gives a non-soldering way of unlocking it as well as the soldering. Not as straight-forward as the Huawei though.

I did realise that almost immediately and edited it out but it seems to have got through anyway

quote

3. Harder: You can unlock the modem, making the line diagnostics & statistics available. This gives people the clearest picture of what is going on, but requires you to reflash the firmware in the modem, and add an extra networking cable. Take a look here, and you could make the diagnostic information visible.

4. Middling. Once unlocked, you can install some scripts onto your PC to interrogate the modem for statistics, building graphs as a snapshot, or over longer periods.

The graphing scripts were created by Bald Eagle, and he used them to good effect with PN to investigate his fault.



We did have an Huawei modem up to yesterday's visit but it has been swapped for ECI B Focus V-FUB/r.

Interestingly the latest graph shows connected for 8 days over the holidays with the first disconnect yesterday about the time of the visit (presumably when the modem was changed) and then again today at 11:00 when we were all out and nothing working.

Will have to look at this again over the weekend but in the meantime thank you to all for the input so far.