Is this a BT line or exchange issue with our home broadband?

We have BT FTTC ADSL connected to exchange code SWCFATE receiving 40Mbps when it works.

The broadband frequently drops out while we are connected as follows:
- One BT socket in our new build house running directly from the BT line outside;
- PC connected via 1m ethernet to BT Hub connected directly to socket via microfilter;
- WiFi is disabled, wired broadband connection drops out 20-30 times per day;
- This is the second Hub that BT have sent us and the problem is identical.

Is this likely to be a BT line or exchange issue?

Is there anything else we can do or try?

Have you tried swapping the microfilter?

Also, what type of master socket and faceplate do you have? It seems odd that in a new build they didn't give you a modern one with the two-socket faceplate.

http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/40812...
https://btbusiness.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a...

Any chance you might post the stats hidden away in router�s settings ? Attenuation, SNR, max attainable etc etc.

This detail can help diagnose things.

Router line stats as follows:

Product name: BT Hub 6A
Data rate: 10.00 Mbps / 49.00 Mbps
Maximum data rate: 14806 / 56671
Noise margin: 10.2 dB / 8.1 dB
Line attenuation: 18.9 dB
Signal attenuation: VPI / VCI: 0/38

Edited by deleted (Sun 18-Nov-18 09:26:47)

The line just dropped out again. So I immediately consulted the latest entries in the router's event log which over the preceding 60 seconds comprised the following:

09:19:18, 18 Nov. eth1:An Ethernet port is now connected (2/1000/FULL)

09:19:15, 18 Nov. eth1:A device has been disconnected from an Ethernet port (2)

09:19:13, 18 Nov. eth1:[Device Connected] MAC Address:c4:9d:ed:e5:36:84 Host Name: DESKTOP-SO9V0EC IP Address: 192.168.1.218, lease duration is 86400 seconds.

09:19:13, 18 Nov. BR_LAN:The DHCP options that are offered by the device (id:6): DiscoverOptions: | DiscoverOption55: | RequestOptions: 53,61,50,12,81,60,55 | RequestOption55: 1,3,6,15,31,33,43,44,46,47,119,121,249,252 | HostName: DESKTOP-SO9V0EC | VendorId: MSFT 5.0

09:19:13, 18 Nov. : DHCP Confirmation of Request

09:19:13, 18 Nov. BR_LAN:The DHCP options that are offered by the device (id:7): DiscoverOptions: 53,61,50,12,60,55 | DiscoverOption55: 1,3,6,15,31,33,43,44,46,47,119,121,249,252 | RequestOptions: 53,61,50,12,81,60,55 | RequestOption55: 1,3,6,15,31,33,43,44,46,47,119,121,249,252 | HostName: DESKTOP-SO9V0EC | VendorId: MSFT 5.0

09:19:13, 18 Nov. : DHCP Confirmation of Request

09:19:09, 18 Nov. wl1:A WiFi device <BC:83:85:E2:C0:05> has successfully connected to SSID (Device/WiFi/SSIDs/SSID[WL_PRIV2G])

The only device connected to the BT Hub is my Surface Pro "DESKTOP-SO9V0EC" to the Hub's ethernet port 1.

Does this information shed any light on the situation?

Only 10 minutes later and it the line has dropped again, with the event log over the preceding 60 seconds plus every entry since the last dropout at 9:19:18 stating the following:

09:29:32, 18 Nov. eth1:An Ethernet port is now connected (2/1000/FULL)

09:29:29, 18 Nov. eth1:A device has been disconnected from an Ethernet port (2)

09:29:26, 18 Nov. BR_LAN:The DHCP options that are offered by the device (id:7): DiscoverOptions: 53,61,50,12,60,55 | DiscoverOption55: 1,3,6,15,31,33,43,44,46,47,119,121,249,252 | RequestOptions: 53,61,50,12,81,60,55 | RequestOption55: 1,3,6,15,31,33,43,44,46,47,119,121,249,252 | HostName: DESKTOP-SO9V0EC | VendorId: MSFT 5.0

09:29:26, 18 Nov. : DHCP Confirmation of Request

09:29:26, 18 Nov. eth1:[Device Connected] MAC Address:c4:9d:ed:e5:36:84 Host Name: DESKTOP-SO9V0EC IP Address: 192.168.1.218, lease duration is 86400 seconds.

09:29:26, 18 Nov. BR_LAN:The DHCP options that are offered by the device (id:6): DiscoverOptions: | DiscoverOption55: | RequestOptions: 53,61,50,12,81,60,55 | RequestOption55: 1,3,6,15,31,33,43,44,46,47,119,121,249,252 | HostName: DESKTOP-SO9V0EC | VendorId: MSFT 5.0

09:29:26, 18 Nov. : DHCP Confirmation of Request

09:29:23, 18 Nov. wl1:A WiFi device <BC:83:85:E2:C0:05> has successfully connected to SSID (Device/WiFi/SSIDs/SSID[WL_PRIV2G])

09:23:18, 18 Nov. wl1: Device <BC:83:85:E2:C0:05> was disconnected on SSID (Device/WiFi/SSIDs/SSID[WL_PRIV2G])

09:22:24, 18 Nov. eth1:An Ethernet port is now connected (2/1000/FULL)

09:22:21, 18 Nov. eth1:A device has been disconnected from an Ethernet port (2)

09:22:19, 18 Nov. BR_LAN:The DHCP options that are offered by the device (id:7): DiscoverOptions: 53,61,50,12,60,55 | DiscoverOption55: 1,3,6,15,31,33,43,44,46,47,119,121,249,252 | RequestOptions: 53,61,50,12,81,60,55 | RequestOption55: 1,3,6,15,31,33,43,44,46,47,119,121,249,252 | HostName: DESKTOP-SO9V0EC | VendorId: MSFT 5.0

09:22:19, 18 Nov. : DHCP Confirmation of Request

09:22:19, 18 Nov. eth1:[Device Connected] MAC Address:c4:9d:ed:e5:36:84 Host Name: DESKTOP-SO9V0EC IP Address: 192.168.1.218, lease duration is 86400 seconds.

09:22:19, 18 Nov. BR_LAN:The DHCP options that are offered by the device (id:6): DiscoverOptions: | DiscoverOption55: | RequestOptions: 53,61,50,12,81,60,55 | RequestOption55: 1,3,6,15,31,33,43,44,46,47,119,121,249,252 | HostName: DESKTOP-SO9V0EC | VendorId: MSFT 5.0

09:22:19, 18 Nov. : DHCP Confirmation of Request

09:22:14, 18 Nov. wl1:A WiFi device <BC:83:85:E2:C0:05> has successfully connected to SSID (Device/WiFi/SSIDs/SSID[WL_PRIV2G])

09:20:13, 18 Nov. wl1: Device <BC:83:85:E2:C0:05> was disconnected on SSID (Device/WiFi/SSIDs/SSID[WL_PRIV2G])

09:19:18, 18 Nov. eth1:An Ethernet port is now connected (2/1000/FULL)

What are the possibly causes of this issue?

It continually makes working over VPN or Skype impossible

So nothing to do with the FTTC or exchange

It may be a slightly dodgy Ethernet cable or socket, or even the cable is not clicked into place.

If problem is PC dropping due to DHCP quirks then setting a manual IP address, gateway, subnet and netmask is one thing to try.

Could it potentially be the Microsoft Surface dock (link) that are connecting the laptop to the ethernet cable?

Or the microfilter, really? Ethernet cable and BT socket have been professionally replaced within the last fortnight and issue remains identical.

Could you recommend a link to a guide for setting a manual IP address, gateway, subnet and subnet mask please?

Edited by deleted (Sun 18-Nov-18 10:17:35)

Out of interest, does the telephone line sound clear and clean ?

In reply to a post by RhysP:

Could it potentially be the Microsoft Surface dock (link) that are connecting the laptop to the ethernet cable?

Yes, it could. (Aside: the link you provided is not a valid URL).

If you have a different PC that you could plug in instead (preferably one with built-in ethernet), and see if the ethernet connection is stable with that device, that would be a very good test.

In reply to a post by RhysP:

Or the microfilter, really?

Based on the original theory that the broadband line was dropping, yes it could have been. However it now seems much more likely that the broadband line is stable, and it's the local ethernet link that's dropping.

Does your hub tell you how long the VDSL link has been up, or when the last retrain occurred? That would demonstrate with certainty that the broadband link itself is fine.

From that, can you confirm the blue light is staying on? Which would mean as the others have said, the connection itself is not dropping, only your connection to the router.

There would seem to be something connecting to the WiFi as well as the Ethernet port you are using.

Thank you - link updated.

Line stats do also state:

DSL uptime: 3 Days, 17 Hours 22 Minutes 30 Seconds

I now have a different Surface Pro laptop connected via the dock.

Moments ago, I just switched on our WiFi TV, which we do once a month(!), and the line dropped again:

The BT Hub's event log displays the following over the last 60 seconds covering the drop-out:

10:21:39, 18 Nov. eth1:[Device Connected] MAC Address:c4:9d:ed:e5:36:84 Host Name: EU-TRICO-Surface-AC IP Address: 192.168.1.218, lease duration is 86400 seconds.
10:21:39, 18 Nov. BR_LAN:The DHCP options that are offered by the device (id:6): DiscoverOptions: 53,61,50,12,60,55 | DiscoverOption55: 1,3,6,15,31,33,43,44,46,47,119,121,249,252 | RequestOptions: 53,61,50,12,81,60,55 | RequestOption55: 1,3,6,15,31,33,43,44,46,47,119,121,249,252 | HostName: EU-TRICO-Surface-AC | VendorId: MSFT 5.0
10:21:39, 18 Nov. : DHCP Confirmation of Request
10:21:31, 18 Nov. eth1:An Ethernet port is now connected (2/1000/FULL)
10:21:28, 18 Nov. eth1:A device has been disconnected from an Ethernet port (2)

I also noticed yesterday that the wired broadband dropped out when I sent a job to the WiFi printer.

As you might imagine, I have an Android smartphone which connects by WiFi to the hub frequently.

These regular dropouts occur whether the WiFi is set to 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz or both.

Should I disable WiFi on the Hub again and continue monitoring how often it drops?

Throughout every single dropout, the Hub's blue light always remains solidly on.

Edited by deleted (Sun 18-Nov-18 10:36:33)

@Zarjaz - Yes the line sounds very clear and clean. The quietest I have ever head.

I also have an old HP laptop with a built in ethernet port which I will test with the line shortly.

https://kb.netgear.com/27476/How-to-set-a-static-IP-...

The exact settings may be different, though if I recall the BT Hub does use the 192.168.1.x range

What I am less sure on is the IP address of the hub i.e. what should go in the gateway and DNS fields, may be 192.168.1.254 or 192.168.1.1

The way to know is to look at the IP address settings of the device when it is connected and working.

Broadband to original Surface Pro laptop just dropped out again with the last 60 seconds of the Hub's event log as follows:

10:47:10, 18 Nov. eth1:[Device Connected] MAC Address:c4:9d:ed:e5:36:84 Host Name: DESKTOP-SO9V0EC IP Address: 192.168.1.218, lease duration is 86400 seconds.

10:47:10, 18 Nov. BR_LAN:The DHCP options that are offered by the device (id:6): DiscoverOptions: 53,61,50,12,60,55 | DiscoverOption55: 1,3,6,15,31,33,43,44,46,47,119,121,249,252 | RequestOptions: 53,61,50,12,81,60,55 | RequestOption55: 1,3,6,15,31,33,43,44,46,47,119,121,249,252 | HostName: DESKTOP-SO9V0EC | VendorId: MSFT 5.0

10:47:10, 18 Nov. : DHCP Confirmation of Request

10:47:07, 18 Nov. eth1:An Ethernet port is now connected (2/1000/FULL)

10:47:04, 18 Nov. eth1:A device has been disconnected from an Ethernet port (2)

No WiFi devices were connected or being actively used at the time that this happened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01sjoXheIIo&vl=en

Seems to be the classic case of disabling power saving on the Ethernet adaptor, other search results on Surface Pro Ethernet problems point towards this and this has been an issue for devices before

Have you tried with the HP laptop? It is quite possible the surface dock is dodgy and dropping out.

RhysP

I agree with others that your docking station is likely to be the source of the issue.

Can you connect the laptop by Wifi ( I assume it has no ethernet port itself.) or get a Wifi dongle to use to do this.

If that is stable it will prove the docking station is faulty. It sounds like the fault could be sensitivity to changes in voltage when the Printer/TV/other switches on.

When devices were more powerful this was a common issue but now they are much lower power it is rarer. ( Years back we has an office full of 21" CRTs and could blow the desk fuses by starting too many up at once!)

@MrSaffron - Thank you for the link to that great video. I have just disabled the Surface Dock's "Energy Efficient Ethernet" and "Selective Suspend" settings in the Surface Ethernet Adapter Properties.

@ian72 - Meanwhile, I tested the old HP laptop to see if this experienced any wired broadband dropout and after over an hour it had been absolutely fine. I then went back to the Surface Pro with the increasingly suspicious looking Surface Dock and started working again.

@kitkat - I would never have dreamed that a seemingly professional piece of kit would cause so many problems from inherently poor stock configuration. I guess the power of persuasion is a dangerous thing.

I am very grateful to everyone for the help. I am now able to work uninterrupted at last. Thank you