Broadband keeps dropping out, what should i do?

Hello all
currently i am with the Post office for broadband and phone, however every few days the broadband drops out and then resets. This has now become more frequent with it happening most days.I have been creating quality graphs on here but each time the broadband dropped out the address changes and i have to make another graph. i have now worked out how to get the router to email every day and send me the log.
Before i star complaining to the post office should i be looking at anything else? i know all providers will blame the equipment in the household but to me the dropping out looks like it is due to the combined bandwidth of many customers strains or exceeds the capacity of the local exchange?
I know all the companies are struggling with the virus, so i would like to gather all the information and check all my stuff first. hopefully the lock down will end soon then i might feel better about complaining to the post office to get this sorted.

Any help greatly appreciated.

My Broadband Ping

Edited by deleted (Sat 02-May-20 18:32:17)

The link to your graph doesn't look right, you may want to recheck it

Corrected graph link.

Edit: As of midnight, that is.

Edited by RobertoS (Sat 02-May-20 09:34:07)

So basics first ... is the telephone line noise free when listened to ?

Is your router plugged into the master socket with all other extensions and equipment disconnected ?

Do you have a different router to try ?

The yellow is just showing things are busy during the day - working from home and someone starts streaming TV around 4pm?

If by drop out and reset you mean a resync then every few days will not qualify as a fault. DSL does not resync because of the bandwidth strain of others, since you don't see that between the modem and exchange since it is a dedicated link for you.

Getting the broadband connection stats and details of how it is all connected in the home might help.

In reply to a post by mr_fid:

each time the broadband dropped out the address changes and i have to make another graph

You can get around this by creating a dynamic DNS hostname at noip.com. Just set up an account, input those details into the dynamic DNS page of your router, and change the graph IP to the hostname. That way the graph will also link to your new IP address whenever it changes.

While this will avoid the long blocks of red, you will still see a smaller block of no response (red) until noip has updated the IP. So if the result of a resync will be time for sync (+PPPoE) and time of noip update

Thanks for all the replies.

So to answer them..

yes the yellow is normal usage and the kids are allowed 1.5 hours from 16:00 to 17:30 hence the step up at 16:00.

My phone line doesn't seem to be noisy. The router is connected to the master socket with no filter, however it is on an extension. i only have the one phone connected.

I don't have a spare router to try, i tend to bin the routers when i get a new one.. else i end up with loads gathering dust in the cupboard.

Should i get rid of the extension and connect directly to the master? i checked the speed directly to the router and via the extension and it made no difference.

So when were the drop outs? The BQM is not showing any apart from the block of red starting at 9.45pm, but its so long it is probably an IP address change or similar, rather than a simple resync

In reply to a post by mr_fid:

The router is connected to the master socket with no filter, however it is on an extension. i only have the one phone connected.

We have slight problem with the exact description there, and it is very important to get it clear. It can have an effect of many Mbps and disastrous results on stability.

If the router is connected to an extension, it is by definition not connected to the master. Or do you mean it is on a telephone extension wire that plugs into the master socket, rather than on a wired-in extension socket in a different room?

Following on from that, if it is on an extension wire, does the master socket have both a phone socket and a DSL socket? In which case is the router connected to the DSL socket, and what sort of and quality of extension cable is it?

If the extension is in another room, is that directly connected to the master socket and the same question about the sockets on the master? Or is it possible the extension and the master are both fed from a junction box between them and the point the phone line enters the promises?

Finally, as requested by MrSaffron, are you able to obtain the connection statistics from the router please? If you don't know how, what make and model of router is it please?

Edit: Hang on a second. I just spotted this: "Should i get rid of the extension and connect directly to the master? i checked the speed directly to the router and via the extension and it made no difference".

I don't understand what you are saying there. Unless it is what I queried above about an extension wire in the room with the master.

Edited by RobertoS (Sat 02-May-20 20:19:39)

Thanks for your reply, So my router is the post office supplied unit which is a ZYXEL AMG1302-T11C. I can log into it, but dont know what you need from the settings?

As for the extension, my phone line comes into the house and is straight crimped in the garage (jelly filled crimps done by BT) then the cable goes to the master socket. the extension was wired to another "dumb" socket but i have used it as a junction and and now have the router running on the wires which have been put into the back of the master. (mk 4)

I will move the router to the master tomorrow and disconnect all other wires.

Post deleted by mr_fid

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

broadband connection stats and details of how it is all connected in the home might help.

What do you need to see please? i will take a screen shot of the router page.

The figures people are looking for are connection speed, attenuation and SNR/Noise margin figures. Should be two sets of these download/downstream and upload/upstream

Hello All
Sorry for keeping this thread going but i would really like to get to the bottom of my problem.

So i moved the router so it is connected directly into the master socket. And only one phone is connected. That is it.

However after a promising start on Sunday, yesterday was next to useless for broadband, but it wasn't just me so i guess something else was going on? any way today when no one was on the internet it disappeared and then came back again. I took derby13 advice and creating a dynamic DNS hostname at noip.com. so you can see the short gap in the service below.
How do i get the SNR/noise margin figures please?
My Broadband Ping

You say you only have one phone connected, it is filtered isn't it? Either via a filtered NTE socket or via a dangly filter? If the phone isn't filtered it could cause all sorts of issues.

filtered socket.

Am i asking too much? should i expect the internet to drop out every few days (more at the weekend)?

Try an additional filter.

1 resync every 3 or 4 days is not going to be treated as a fault, especially given the chance that its just a random source of noise rather than anything wrong with the line.

In reply to a post by broadband66:

Try an additional filter.

It should be noted that the suggested ‘additional filter’ would be connected after the original filter, therefore only ‘double filtering’ the voice side of things ... which is not the issue being reported by the OP.

Double filtering the DSL will result in no sync. Not ideal.

This was suggested years ago and it worked for me years ago.

Only a suggestion. Worth a try and can be tested quite quickly with a mobile to see if phone rings.

Good morning all.
so this will probably be my last post on this problem. i moved the router so it was directly connected to the master socket then i even removed the phone. The line still keeps dropping out. As you can see from the list below it happens every other day and nearly always on both weekend days. It's been suggested that this is acceptable but i really can't remember this happening in the past and i would really like it to stop happening as it messes up a "smart" TV with constant IP address changes (i think)

So is this a fault or not?

Apr 30 08:53:31 INFO Internet down
Apr 30 08:54:17 INFO Internet up, PPPoA VC-Mux, 0/38, IP=79.64.119.254
May 1 21:33:03 INFO Internet down
May 1 21:34:25 INFO Internet up, PPPoA VC-Mux, 0/38, IP=79.72.109.144
May 1 23:19:40 INFO Internet down
May 1 23:20:58 INFO Internet up, PPPoA VC-Mux, 0/38, IP=79.72.110.234
May 2 09:25:14 INFO Internet down
May 2 09:26:36 INFO Internet up, PPPoA VC-Mux, 0/38, IP=79.64.6.91
moved router
May 3 10:42:24 INFO Internet up, PPPoA VC-Mux, 0/38, IP=88.144.124.75
May 5 14:17:49 INFO Internet down
May 5 14:18:32 INFO Internet up, PPPoA VC-Mux, 0/38, IP=79.72.111.1
May 7 18:14:30 INFO Internet down
May 7 18:15:13 INFO Internet up, PPPoA VC-Mux, 0/38, IP=79.64.117.70
May 9 17:13:41 INFO Internet down
May 9 17:14:24 INFO Internet up, PPPoA VC-Mux, 0/38, IP=79.64.119.3
May 10 22:42:19 INFO Internet down
May 10 22:42:59 INFO Internet up, PPPoA VC-Mux, 0/38, IP=79.72.111.250
May 12 06:41:07 INFO Internet down
May 12 06:41:49 INFO Internet up, PPPoA VC-Mux, 0/38, IP=88.144.124.31
May 14 15:40:38 INFO Internet down
May 14 15:41:23 INFO Internet up, PPPoA VC-Mux, 0/38, IP=62.64.183.90
May 16 14:11:10 INFO Internet down
May 16 14:11:52 INFO Internet up, PPPoA VC-Mux, 0/38, IP=62.64.183.90
May 17 20:32:22 INFO Internet down
May 17 20:33:01 INFO Internet up, PPPoA VC-Mux, 0/38, IP=79.64.6.106

We just switched to the Post Office Fibre Broadband from Plusnet after our contract expired and the price was bumped up.
Installed the new ZYXEL VMG3925-B10A Router - worked ok on Ethernet or on WI-FI with nearby devices, but my Desktop PC which is upstairs and not near the router kept getting cut-off after a few minutes.

After restarting and tweaking various settings on Zyxel Router (Nightmare - need a degree in Telecoms to even understand it) - which DID NOT solve the problem - I despaired, panicked and ordered a beefier Wi-Fi Dual Hub USB Adapter, thinking this would solve the problem.
In the meantime, I wondered if the old PLUSNET router would still work with the Post Office Broadband?
Answer: YES! Just use the old password and BINGO problem solved - no more dropped connections!
In your face ZYXEL!
Did not ask or tell the Post Office that we are using a competitors Router.

Those dodgy Chinese ZYXEL routers don't seem to be setup properly!

Thanks for your reply I thought this post was dead! My connection just keeps getting worse it’s now most days it drops out and restarts. Only about 2 minutes but still really annoying. Unfortunately I binned all the old routers as I was fed up with having them lying around. But I have raised the problem with the post office again, but have yet to have a reply.... (I just checked I raised a ticket on the 3rd and they haven’t got back to me) I only have 3 months left on the contract so I think it will be time to move on…

In reply to a post by mr_fid:

Thanks for your reply I thought this post was dead! My connection just keeps getting worse it’s now most days it drops out and restarts. Only about 2 minutes but still really annoying. Unfortunately I binned all the old routers as I was fed up with having them lying around. But I have raised the problem with the post office again, but have yet to have a reply.... (I just checked I raised a ticket on the 3rd and they haven’t got back to me) I only have 3 months left on the contract so I think it will be time to move on…

Yeah, I know what you mean about the old routers - we have a few we need to get rid of - some people sell them on Ebay. We only left Plusnet because they hiked the Tariff, but they did actually offer us a better deal when they found out we were leaving for the Post Office. I would recommend Plusnet (although the phone charges are a bit pricey), as our Plusnet Hub One router seems pretty solid compared to the ZyXel Router.
I am a bit suspicious of those Chinese branded ones - look at what's happening with Huawei and the 5G spyware allegations - I wouldn't be suprised if ZyXel gather data and send it back to China somehow!

If you have only 3 months to go, you could stick it out with the Post Office. Basically, I was told that the ISP's in our area use the same exchange and fibre network anyway, it's all serviced by BT Openreach, unless you are using Virgin who have their own Cable network.
The actual Telecoms behind it seems to be a Black Art - from Talking to the Technical Support of the ISP's I get the impression that even they don't fully understand it! I could talk to them all day and no one would suggest using the old router!

If you are trying an old Router, you need to reset it first. Eg. on the Plusnet Hub One this means pressing a ballpoint pen in the reset hole for 30 seconds while power is on, then entering the Password that comes with the Router into your device.
Anyway Good Luck mr_fid - especially with the Lockdown etc. although we have now switched to the Post Office, I tried contacting their Tech Support but it was closed as their Hours were reduced.
We will probably switch back to Plusnet again in 12 months time. It's like Car Insurance we have to Switch to get a good deal or haggle