How best to resolve ADSL problems?

A number of people in our village have perpetual problems. Others
including myself are fine. We can only get 512k because of the
distance to the exchange.

Those with problems get either fobbed off by BT or have endless and
fruitless conversations with someone in India.

With dial-up it was easy just to take a working laptop to the problem
spot and test out.

Anyone got any tips on how best to get to the bottom of the problem
installations?

Many thanks

--
AnthonyL

AnthonyL wrote:
> A number of people in our village have perpetual problems. Others
> including myself are fine. We can only get 512k because of the
> distance to the exchange.
>
> Those with problems get either fobbed off by BT or have endless and
> fruitless conversations with someone in India.
>
> With dial-up it was easy just to take a working laptop to the problem
> spot and test out.
>
> Anyone got any tips on how best to get to the bottom of the problem
> installations?
>
> Many thanks

Check the normal telephone is working properly and without noise. If there
are problems here they must be fixed before attempting to resolve any ADSL
problems. These problems should be reported to BT.

Disconnect everything from all telephone sockets except the ADSL
modem/router. Ensure the ADSL modem/router is connected to the master
socket. If the master socket is the latest (NTE5), with a removable lower
front half, remove this and plug the ADSL modem/router into the socket
revealed (this should have disconnected *all* extensions and associated
wiring and is the best test). If the problems still exist the next step is
to use a different ADSL modem/router, again plugged into the master socket.
If problems still exist, and these tests have been properly undertaken, then
the problem is with BT/the ISP. You have to report the fault through your
ISP, not direct to BT. Mind, as another gentleman will point out if he is
around, you might still have to pay for the call out if it is a fault
between the cable entry to your premises and the master socket.

--
Old Codger
e-mail use reply to field

What matters in politics is not what happens, but what you can make people
believe has happened. [Janet Daley 27/8/2003]

Old Codger wrote:
> AnthonyL wrote:
>> A number of people in our village have perpetual problems. Others
>> including myself are fine. We can only get 512k because of the
>> distance to the exchange.
>>
>> Those with problems get either fobbed off by BT or have endless and
>> fruitless conversations with someone in India.
>>
>> With dial-up it was easy just to take a working laptop to the
>> problem spot and test out.
>>
>> Anyone got any tips on how best to get to the bottom of the problem
>> installations?
>>
>> Many thanks
>
> Check the normal telephone is working properly and without noise. If
> there are problems here they must be fixed before attempting to
> resolve any ADSL problems. These problems should be reported to BT.
>
> Disconnect everything from all telephone sockets except the ADSL
> modem/router. Ensure the ADSL modem/router is connected to the
> master socket. If the master socket is the latest (NTE5), with a
> removable lower front half, remove this and plug the ADSL
> modem/router into the socket revealed (this should have
> disconnected *all* extensions and associated wiring and is the best
> test). If the problems still exist the next step is to use a
> different ADSL modem/router, again plugged into the master socket.
> If problems still exist, and these tests have been properly
> undertaken, then the problem is with BT/the ISP. You have to
> report the fault through your ISP, not direct to BT. Mind, as
> another gentleman will point out if he is around, you might still
> have to pay for the call out if it is a fault between the cable
> entry to your premises and the master socket.

That will depend on just how far out they are. AFAICFO if the loop
attenustion is in the high 50's then long line procedures are allowed
to take place, which can mean a virtual rewire in some cases, whilst
in others it's just a quick rearrangement of the filters/filter. Bear
in mind that with the advent of Openretch & the many grey areas which
still abound, this loophole could be closed at any time in the future.

On 03 Mar 2006, (E-Mail Removed)lid (AnthonyL) wrote:

>Anyone got any tips on how best to get to the bottom of the problem
>installations?

Have you a router you can take round with you ? Quite a few have
status pages showing numbers for attenuation, CRC errors, and a
few other stats... From here I can check stats off a friend's router
down in Dover (and run the diagnostic test on it, too). If you're
all using USB modems life is less easy...

On Fri, 03 Mar 2006 22:59:53 +0000, poster <us-(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>On 03 Mar 2006, (E-Mail Removed)lid (AnthonyL) wrote:
>
>>Anyone got any tips on how best to get to the bottom of the problem
>>installations?
>
>Have you a router you can take round with you ? Quite a few have
>status pages showing numbers for attenuation, CRC errors, and a
>few other stats... From here I can check stats off a friend's router
>down in Dover (and run the diagnostic test on it, too).

What router is that?


--
AnthonyL

On Fri, 3 Mar 2006 22:07:06 -0000, "Old Codger"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>AnthonyL wrote:
>> A number of people in our village have perpetual problems. Others
>> including myself are fine. We can only get 512k because of the
>> distance to the exchange.
>>
>> Those with problems get either fobbed off by BT or have endless and
>> fruitless conversations with someone in India.
>>
>> With dial-up it was easy just to take a working laptop to the problem
>> spot and test out.
>>
>> Anyone got any tips on how best to get to the bottom of the problem
>> installations?
>>
>> Many thanks
>
>Check the normal telephone is working properly and without noise. If there
>are problems here they must be fixed before attempting to resolve any ADSL
>problems. These problems should be reported to BT.
>

Presumably a test to a dial-up isp would then give spme indication of
the line quality?

>Disconnect everything from all telephone sockets except the ADSL
>modem/router. Ensure the ADSL modem/router is connected to the master
>socket. If the master socket is the latest (NTE5), with a removable lower
>front half, remove this and plug the ADSL modem/router into the socket
>revealed (this should have disconnected *all* extensions and associated
>wiring and is the best test).

I think many properties still have the old style sockets. Presumably
they are not upgraded foc.

How reliable are line tests that BT carry out? This is quite an old
village and I would guess that a lot of the BT cabling is problematic.
It is still overhead delivery to the properties. I wouldn't be
surprised if there are DACS and similar around. How best to find out
whether these are interefering either before ordering or after
installation?


--
AnthonyL

AnthonyL wrote:
> On Fri, 3 Mar 2006 22:07:06 -0000, "Old Codger"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> AnthonyL wrote:
>>> A number of people in our village have perpetual problems. Others
>>> including myself are fine. We can only get 512k because of the
>>> distance to the exchange.
>>>
>>> Those with problems get either fobbed off by BT or have endless and
>>> fruitless conversations with someone in India.
>>>
>>> With dial-up it was easy just to take a working laptop to the
>>> problem spot and test out.
>>>
>>> Anyone got any tips on how best to get to the bottom of the problem
>>> installations?
>>>
>>> Many thanks
>>
>> Check the normal telephone is working properly and without noise.
>> If there are problems here they must be fixed before attempting to
>> resolve any ADSL problems. These problems should be reported to BT.
>>
>
> Presumably a test to a dial-up isp would then give spme indication of
> the line quality?
>
>> Disconnect everything from all telephone sockets except the ADSL
>> modem/router. Ensure the ADSL modem/router is connected to the
>> master socket. If the master socket is the latest (NTE5), with a
>> removable lower front half, remove this and plug the ADSL
>> modem/router into the socket revealed (this should have disconnected
>> *all* extensions and associated wiring and is the best test).
>
> I think many properties still have the old style sockets. Presumably
> they are not upgraded foc.
>
> How reliable are line tests that BT carry out? This is quite an old
> village and I would guess that a lot of the BT cabling is problematic.
> It is still overhead delivery to the properties. I wouldn't be
> surprised if there are DACS and similar around. How best to find out
> whether these are interefering either before ordering or after
> installation?

ADSL will not work on a DACS line, therefore if you order broadband the
DACS, if you have one, will be removed.
--
Adrian A

AnthonyL wrote:
> On Fri, 3 Mar 2006 22:07:06 -0000, "Old Codger"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> AnthonyL wrote:
>>> A number of people in our village have perpetual problems. Others
>>> including myself are fine. We can only get 512k because of the
>>> distance to the exchange.
>>>
>>> Those with problems get either fobbed off by BT or have endless and
>>> fruitless conversations with someone in India.
>>>
>>> With dial-up it was easy just to take a working laptop to the
>>> problem spot and test out.
>>>
>>> Anyone got any tips on how best to get to the bottom of the problem
>>> installations?
>>>
>>> Many thanks
>>
>> Check the normal telephone is working properly and without noise.
>> If there are problems here they must be fixed before attempting to
>> resolve any ADSL problems. These problems should be reported to BT.
>>
>
> Presumably a test to a dial-up isp would then give spme indication of
> the line quality?

I believe the best test is your ears.

>> Disconnect everything from all telephone sockets except the ADSL
>> modem/router. Ensure the ADSL modem/router is connected to the
>> master socket. If the master socket is the latest (NTE5), with a
>> removable lower front half, remove this and plug the ADSL
>> modem/router into the socket revealed (this should have disconnected
>> *all* extensions and associated wiring and is the best test).
>
> I think many properties still have the old style sockets. Presumably
> they are not upgraded foc.

They used to be but only if necessary to solve problems. Don't know if this
still applies though.

> How reliable are line tests that BT carry out? This is quite an old
> village and I would guess that a lot of the BT cabling is problematic.
> It is still overhead delivery to the properties. I wouldn't be
> surprised if there are DACS and similar around. How best to find out
> whether these are interefering either before ordering or after
> installation?

If you have a DACS this will be removed when ADSL is installed. I have
overhead lines and have a 1 Mb connection.

--
Old Codger
e-mail use reply to field

What matters in politics is not what happens, but what you can make people
believe has happened. [Janet Daley 27/8/2003]

On 04 Mar 2006, (E-Mail Removed)lid (AnthonyL) wrote:

>On 03 Mar 2006 22:59, poster <us-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>>Have you a router you can take round with you ? Quite a few have
>>status pages showing numbers for attenuation, CRC errors, and a
>>few other stats... From here I can check stats off a friend's router
>>down in Dover (and run the diagnostic test on it, too).

>What router is that?

sorry for delay - was doing some checks on Ebay and elsewhere to
see if same models were still available... The one used in Dover is
an old model from Dabs (DabsValue/Hasbani) while others used
have been from Dabs but marked PTI. They used the Conexant
chipset and had similar firmware. However, a couple that a chap
I know bought for his firm had no diagnostic menu in, as they had
added a firewall. The main statistics (CRC errors, attenuation and
SNR figures, etc) are still in the software, however, and that's not
always easy to find with some routers - on the AR11 and AR41
(cheap units from Ebuyer, from 30+ months ago, I think) the data
is not visible using the browser, but can be found using telnet to
get into a 'command line' interface.

The most recent units I've seen with stats and diagnostic test at
fairly low prices are the Edimax 4-port ADSL router, and one from
Safecom. You can buy the Safecom unit at under 22 quid (note
that I saw some on Ebay at 26.99 + 9.99 post!!) plus delivery at
http://www.linuxadsl.co.uk/

Scan.co.uk has an Edimax unit, and Ebuyer.com has a couple
of Safecom units, including the latest ADSL 2/2+ at about 23
quid plus VAT and delivery. I know that models seem to be
replaced every few months, so unfortunately I cannot give
a guarantee that these all include the same software - but
I noticed the photo on the linuxadsl site shows the model
which is in use at my sister's home (it can be vertical or
horizontal, while the Ebuyer unit is a different design for
only horizontal use, from the look of it - I will also need to
ask a neighbour whether it includes the diagnostic test, as
I don't have 'remote access' to change/check settings on
that one). Good luck with getting one... The one that my
sister is using was s/h on Ebay for under 15 quid inc post,
but you may as well buy a new one at 22 with a guarantee!

On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 15:28:08 +0000, poster <us-(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>On 04 Mar 2006, (E-Mail Removed)lid (AnthonyL) wrote:
>
>>On 03 Mar 2006 22:59, poster <us-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>>Have you a router you can take round with you ? Quite a few have
>>>status pages showing numbers for attenuation, CRC errors, and a
>>>few other stats... From here I can check stats off a friend's router
>>>down in Dover (and run the diagnostic test on it, too).
>
>>What router is that?
>
>sorry for delay - was doing some checks on Ebay and elsewhere to
>see if same models were still available...

<snipped>

>Good luck with getting one... The one that my
>sister is using was s/h on Ebay for under 15 quid inc post,
>but you may as well buy a new one at 22 with a guarantee!

Many thanks for that. I'll look into getting a suitable box for the
purposes of checking out these problems.


--
AnthonyL