why have i poor service with southern electric broadband?

A few months ago, I signed up my grandparents to southern electric broadband on a cheap and basic deal so that I could gently ease them into the world of computing.
Everything has gone well except for being able to rely on an active connection from which they can explore the web and the many wonderful horizons it expands...

I usually see them once or twice a week and at least every time I go there I get a connection issue to the web (not the router), sometimes we can only get online for a few minutes. It is a a cheap Zyxel router that I suspect is working at 54g, over a small house. After speaking to a helpful but ultimately ineffective lady on the telephone, we experimented with different frequencies the router used, we changed the filter and the wall socket the router was using. I even moved the router to 2 different locations to see if it would allow us an unhindered connection.

I'm going to try using an Ethernet cable to see if it allows me to pin point the problem to the router which I'm dubious about. I've heard that ISP's 'cut off' customers to sustain their connection speeds but I don't know whether this is just me being cynical!?

What do you think might be the problem here? I've thought about getting my grand parents to keep a diary concerning usage and successful connections(waste of time/good idea?)
Thanks for any interest shown.

Ps I will be going round their house tomorrow afternoon and I will note the router model and do a speed test to help diagnosis

Cutting off a customer to sustain connect speeds? No idea what you mean care to elaborate?

Checking with ethernet cable something ISP support should have covered already, also is this ADSL2+ service, or a hangover from when they did Powerline trials?

If ADSL then get the router stats form the modem at usual location and test socket.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Cutting off a customer to sustain connect speeds? No idea what you mean care to elaborate?

Checking with ethernet cable something ISP support should have covered already, also is this ADSL2+ service, or a hangover from when they did Powerline trials?

If ADSL then get the router stats form the modem at usual location and test socket.

As I said, I'd heard, perhaps from an unreliable source! -something about during peak times isp's cut/restrict internet connections to manage all their customers overall connection? i dont understand it all.

sorry, i dont know how to check whether it is adsl2+ service?

also, im not really sure what details are helpful...but here is a list of some, as well as the two files of a speed test and the first page on the router...

channel06 2437MHz channel 6
security- WPA2-PSK
encryption- TKIP/AES
WPA group update timer-3600 seconds
QoS-enabled
----------------------------
adsl mode- auto sync up
annex type-ANNEX A/L/M
encapsulation-PPPoA
multiplex-VC
VPI-0
VCI-38
obtain an IP address automatically-enabled
connection-keep alive

thanks for your interest in helping

In reply to a post by jaymar13:

sorry, i dont know how to check whether it is adsl2+ service?

Some routers can tell you, depending on the model. What make and model router do you have?

Edited by deleted (Sat 03-Nov-12 14:35:41)

sorry i dont know how to attach a picture file to the message ive got the first page on the router with some settings and the speedtest results -which are,
down speed-4.44Mbps
up speed-0.37Mbps
60ms ping

Well as you are posted ADSL type information we now know it is not an old powerline or wireless trial that parents may have been left on.

The cutting at peak times will be either

1. Traffic management where you use certain applications it may be slower for that app at peak times - providers are required to display information on whether they do this
2. Contention - varies from provider to provider, and some resellers which SEB will be, buy too little and thus everyone sees thing slow down at peak time
3. Problems with the ADSL line, so that there are lots of errors at peak times which are also when its dark and noise that affects ADSL is more likely

Those are the router's initial settings/configuration, We need its running status. Look for Statistics or Status.

Which router is it? See here: How to get your router line stats

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

Those are the router's initial settings/configuration, We need its running status. Look for Statistics or Status.

Which router is it? See here: How to get your router line stats

Okay, I've checked how to find the line status for this router, hopefully I'll be heading out to their house tomorrow and I can get the line status details, as for now I can tell you the model number is ZYXEL AMG1202-T10A.
Thanks for your help and patience so far; XRaySpeX, MrSaffron and BatBoy

If it's SSE then it runs over BTW's WLMS service using 20 / 21C where applicable.

First line support is provided by SSE with 2nd / 3rd line done by BTW.

Get standard diags / checks done including at the master socket and get it pushed through as an ADSL fault where appropriate.

hi i think this is what you need, let me know if you need other stats.

Dsl line status;

relative capacity occupation: 59%
noise margin upstream: 19.0 db
output power downstream: 20.0 dbm
attenuation upstream: 29.5 db
carrier load: number of bits per symbol(tone)
tone 0- 31: 00 00 00 04 66 78 87 88 88 77 77 66 55 54 32 20
tone 32- 63: 00 33 34 66 78 99 aa ab bb bb cc cc cc cc cc bc
tone 64- 95: 0c bc bb bb bb bb bb bb bb ab bb bb bb ab aa aa
tone 96-127: aa aa aa aa aa aa aa aa a9 aa 99 9a 9a 99 99 99
tone 128-159: 99 99 99 99 89 99 99 88 68 88 89 98 88 78 65 78
tone 160-191: 64 67 55 78 77 87 75 64 67 77 77 66 43 46 56 66
tone 192-223: 36 33 45 55 23 44 33 23 32 00 00 02 02 20 20 20
tone 224-255: 20 02 22 00 00 02 22 23 33 23 02 22 22 22 00 20
relative capacity occupation: 114%
noise margin downstream: 9.5 db
output power upstream: 12.5 dbm
attenuation downstream: 55.0 db
carrier load: number of bits per symbol(tone)
tone 0- 31: 00 00 00 04 66 78 87 88 88 77 77 66 55 54 32 20
tone 32- 63: 00 33 34 66 78 99 aa ab bb bb cc cc cc cc cc bc
tone 64- 95: 0c bc bb bb bb bb bb bb bb ab bb bb bb ab aa aa
tone 96-127: aa aa aa aa aa aa aa aa a9 aa 99 9a 9a 99 99 99
tone 128-159: 99 99 99 99 89 99 99 88 68 88 89 98 88 78 65 78
tone 160-191: 64 67 55 78 77 87 75 64 67 77 77 66 43 46 56 66
tone 192-223: 36 33 45 55 23 44 33 23 32 00 00 02 02 20 20 20
tone 224-255: 20 02 22 00 00 02 22 23 33 23 02 22 22 22 00 20