In reply to a post by wannabemedic:

I was asked to unplug the filter from the test socket and just plug in the phone. I did this and there was no hissing noise.

When you are sync'd to the exchange, i.e. have an ADSL connection, then it seems that problems occur - an OR SFI engineer is probably the only one able to fix the fault, I would insist that the ISP arrange for a SFI visit and not mess around with some sort of a CUBE person.

ISP's offer broadband over ancient copper phone wires in many cases and since they are taking the risk of offering an acceptable broadband service over those wires it is their responsibly to ensure and maintain a sound connection - that has to be encompassed by their financial strategy of which an SFI diagnostics/repair would be part.

I just spoke with BT who agreed to do a CIDT test which came back with no faults. I was asked to unplug the filter from the test socket and just plug in the phone.

Oh dear ...... the CIDT test is run to an in sync adsl modem. So again, smoke and mirrors from all concerned.

Last time I tried BT they said they couldn't do a CIDT test but today's agent claims to have done it with no issue found, so what does this mean for the suspect HR fault?

It means those you spoke to at BT, haven't got a scooby-do.

If there's anything else in terms of diagnostics you could suggest I'd be grateful

Take a look and see if your routers stats page shows errors, if so, you should see this rise heavily when the phone is used, might even see the SNR drop.

Good luck. Keep us posted.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

Take a look and see if your routers stats page shows errors, if so, you should see this rise heavily when the phone is used, might even see the SNR drop.

Good luck. Keep us posted.

Cheers, just called 17070 for the silent line test while looking at the router stats. Noise ratio went from 9db to 6db and then it lost sync.

A few mins after it reconnected the noise margin showed as 2147483647db (this is new to me) and it lost sync again.

Anyway, it's connected again with a noise margin that's fluctuating between 6-9db.

I will keep updating as things develop, thanks again for all the help and advice.

The cube engineer visited & brought a new AOL branded router (Huawei Echolife HG532).

He had a tablet PC which he plugged into the new router via an ethernet cable & proceeded to watch the following page for 15 mins (screenshot):

http://i46.tinypic.com/2v83eqa.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/2up7msz.jpg

His view was that because the number of error seconds (see above screenshots) was 0 over the 15 mins, there was no line problem. He then put it down to the Netgear router & left the new one here.

He also put the front plate of the master socket back which has now reintroduced the internal wiring of the house, which isn't ideal for pinning down a problem on BT Openreach's line.

The connection has continued to drop since his visit & I heard the crackling/hissing noise this evening when making a phone call.

What's confusing is that the number of error seconds has remained at 0. The Netgear router that was being used didn't have the ability to display errors. Yet the connection has definitely dropped at least twice since it was last rebooted.

In reply to a post by wannabemedic:

The Netgear router that was being used didn't have the ability to display errors.

It might here: http://www.kitz.co.uk/routers/netgeardg834_interleav...

Might have missed someone saying this but if the hiss is present at the test socket when no broadband device is connected and no filters, just a corded handset and particularly if any pops and whistles then report it as a noisy telephone line, the broadband problem is irrelevant. Report as in who ever you pay your telephone line rental to.

Noise usually affects the broadband first, and the High Resistance fault that people suspect and seems most likely generally get worse until they can be heard, then eventually the broadband totally dies followed by at some point the voice line. This may take months or years to happen.

Thanks. The broadband is still unstable.

The hissing noise comes and goes. It's proving difficult to pin down (when I hear it, I call BT who do a line test and claim all is well). The noise is faint when it's a corded phone in the test socket, but it sometimes sounds worse when the broadband is up.

When the broadband goes down I call AOL who claim all is well with the line, or they use their powers of telepathy to diagnose an internal wiring fault.

In both cases there is a significant charge if an engineer attends & can't find a fault. It seems to me this should still be a broadband issue (i.e. Openreach SFI).

That reminds me, I'll need to remove the front plate of the master socket again so that I can isolate the internal wiring again.

Is there any fool proof way to get a CIDT test done, either by making a formal complaint to BT or to AOL? It's clear that talking to the morons who staff both companies' call centres isn't going to achieve results.

If you can try various dangle filters, adsl leads, and routers in the test socket again (?) and the problem persists then it's almost certain that an SFI engineer is needed.

If you wish, it is possible to monitor a fault by installing an app called RouterStatsLite on your computer and when the phone is in use, i.e. both calling in and calling out, a sudden drop of the SNRM to zero might be seen on the graph at which point the adsl connection may drop.

Edit: if calling in, allow the phone to ring at least 8 times before answering or hanging up when monitoring with RouterStatsLite.

Edited by 4M2 (Sun 27-Jan-13 13:50:09)

In both cases there is a significant charge if an engineer attends & can't find a fault. It seems to me this should still be a broadband issue (i.e. Openreach SFI).

Of your two options, AOL and BT, it can only be AOL who might raise an sfi visit.

In reply to a post by 4M2:

If you can try various dangle filters, adsl leads, and routers in the test socket again (?) and the problem persists then it's almost certain that an SFI engineer is needed.

AOL have suggested I replace the faceplate on the master socket. At the moment, the filter is plugged into the test socket which bypasses the faceplate completely.

It may be a co-incidence, but it seems uptime/stability is better when the faceplate of the master socket (BT Openreach branded) is plugged in.

They also said if I hadn't mentioned a hissing noise on the line, they'd have sent out an SFI, but the hissing is supposedly a line issue (I've told them BT can't send an SFI but I may as well tell the cat). Yet the hissing is only noticeable when the router syncs up. Next time I call I'm just going to mention the dropping connection. Getting really fed up with this now.