ADSL - Very poor SNR (2 dB), can't find master socket!

I had my ADSL moved to a new address this week, which means I
automatically quality for ADSLMax. Hurrah.

The line has been activated, but I'm getting a very poor 2 dB SNR, and
CRCs in the hundreds. Eventually, the line drops and has to retrain.
This occurs for any period from 10 minutes to one hour.

Weirdly, I can still get download rates of 1900 K/s when the line is
actually up, which surprises me.

All sockets have filters installed. I've tried unplugging all other
devices, and plugging the ADSL router into different sockets. The SNR
remains very poor. The hardware has been "proven" at a previous
address where I had no problems.

A twist is that I can't find the BT Master socket! Where could it be? I
followed the wires outside the house, but they eventually go into the
wall, and the only BT Master Socket I found was in the study BUT is not
active (BT tell me there used to be a second line at this address).

What can I do? Is this a case of my ISP raising the fault so BT can
come and stick a proper master socket in? Or at least tell me where it
is!

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> I had my ADSL moved to a new address this week, which means I
> automatically quality for ADSLMax. Hurrah.
>
> The line has been activated, but I'm getting a very poor 2 dB SNR, and
> CRCs in the hundreds. Eventually, the line drops and has to retrain.
> This occurs for any period from 10 minutes to one hour.
>
> Weirdly, I can still get download rates of 1900 K/s when the line is
> actually up, which surprises me.
>
> All sockets have filters installed. I've tried unplugging all other
> devices, and plugging the ADSL router into different sockets. The SNR
> remains very poor. The hardware has been "proven" at a previous
> address where I had no problems.
>
> A twist is that I can't find the BT Master socket! Where could it be? I
> followed the wires outside the house, but they eventually go into the
> wall, and the only BT Master Socket I found was in the study BUT is not
> active (BT tell me there used to be a second line at this address).
>
> What can I do? Is this a case of my ISP raising the fault so BT can
> come and stick a proper master socket in? Or at least tell me where it
> is!
>

For the initial period of operation, an ADSL Max line will
adjust its speed until it finds the maximum rate at which it
will operate without retraining - at that rate, the noise
margin will generally be 6dB. Yours will probably keep
adjusting (if you leave it switched on) until it finds that
level.

As for the master socket, look for the point of entry to the
building. The master, if there is one, will probably be
close to there. If the house and line pre-date the
introduction of the new sockets, the line might have been
converted unofficially, using a non-BT master.

JW wrote:
> For the initial period of operation, an ADSL Max line will
> adjust its speed until it finds the maximum rate at which it
> will operate without retraining - at that rate, the noise
> margin will generally be 6dB. Yours will probably keep
> adjusting (if you leave it switched on) until it finds that
> level.
>
> As for the master socket, look for the point of entry to the
> building. The master, if there is one, will probably be
> close to there. If the house and line pre-date the
> introduction of the new sockets, the line might have been
> converted unofficially, using a non-BT master.

I've followed the point of entry, and it disappears into the wall
outside. The nearest point from here would be the study (where the
non-active master socket lives, and also one "normal" socket). It is
this normal faceplate that the router is plugged into.

I suppose this could be a master socket, just with a non-standard
faceplate? Is this something BT would replace with a "real" one, given
the nature of the faults?

You are correct that I am still in the ADSL Max training period. I
just wish for now the router and DSLAM would negotiate at a lower speed
in order to stabilise the connection. I do get 1.9 Meg/second when the
connection is up, mind you (BRAS throttling I suspect).

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> JW wrote:
>> For the initial period of operation, an ADSL Max line will
>> adjust its speed until it finds the maximum rate at which it
>> will operate without retraining - at that rate, the noise
>> margin will generally be 6dB. Yours will probably keep
>> adjusting (if you leave it switched on) until it finds that
>> level.
>>
>> As for the master socket, look for the point of entry to the
>> building. The master, if there is one, will probably be
>> close to there. If the house and line pre-date the
>> introduction of the new sockets, the line might have been
>> converted unofficially, using a non-BT master.
>
> I've followed the point of entry, and it disappears into the wall
> outside. The nearest point from here would be the study (where the
> non-active master socket lives, and also one "normal" socket). It is
> this normal faceplate that the router is plugged into.
>
> I suppose this could be a master socket, just with a non-standard
> faceplate? Is this something BT would replace with a "real" one, given
> the nature of the faults?
>
> You are correct that I am still in the ADSL Max training period. I
> just wish for now the router and DSLAM would negotiate at a lower speed
> in order to stabilise the connection. I do get 1.9 Meg/second when the
> connection is up, mind you (BRAS throttling I suspect).
>

I had a similar issue with a line where SNR varied from 0.5 to 3.0 and
was at times highly unstable. Zen (my ISP )
asked BT to 'set a higher target SNR' and the SNR now varies from 4.0
to 7.0 and things are generally a lot more stable.

JP

Normally sockets are wired in series, so if you unscrew the faceplate off
the wall, you should see a cable in and a cable out. If the correct cabling
has been used there will be pairs of wires with the following colour
schemes - orange/white + white, blue/white + white, green/white + white etc.
The last faceplate in the chain will only have ONE (cream) cable. The first
faceplate will have a cream cable and a cable from the outside line with
normally only one pair of connections, this should be the master socket.
Unfortunately you have no way of knowing whether the cabling has been
installed correctly, other than checking the terminations. (BT used to
supply the information with there extension kits. I have some information if
you need it.). If you don't have a new master socket for this line or the
old rounded oblong type with a central screw it looks like a DYI change.
Check the faceplates as well as BT ones will have BT on them.
BT will not check your internal wiring but if you do find the "first" one
and it is not the proper master, you could ring BT saying that you have
taken over the line and there doesn't appear to be a master socket and ask
them if they will fit a "freebie".
Alan
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> I had my ADSL moved to a new address this week, which means I
> automatically quality for ADSLMax. Hurrah.
>
> The line has been activated, but I'm getting a very poor 2 dB SNR, and
> CRCs in the hundreds. Eventually, the line drops and has to retrain.
> This occurs for any period from 10 minutes to one hour.
>
> Weirdly, I can still get download rates of 1900 K/s when the line is
> actually up, which surprises me.
>
> All sockets have filters installed. I've tried unplugging all other
> devices, and plugging the ADSL router into different sockets. The SNR
> remains very poor. The hardware has been "proven" at a previous
> address where I had no problems.
>
> A twist is that I can't find the BT Master socket! Where could it be? I
> followed the wires outside the house, but they eventually go into the
> wall, and the only BT Master Socket I found was in the study BUT is not
> active (BT tell me there used to be a second line at this address).
>
> What can I do? Is this a case of my ISP raising the fault so BT can
> come and stick a proper master socket in? Or at least tell me where it
> is!
>