Broadband fault diagnosis process

My broadband service has been down almost a month as I wait for the provider
to find and fix the fault. I'm LLU'd and have handed over line rental to
the same outfit. I wonder if anyone can answer a few questions:

- would a cease order prevent a current provider from carrying out full
investigations of a broadband fault?

- where can I find details of the full investigation process a provider
would follow in trying to find a fault?

- does the provider really need the modem/router plugged into the test
socket (via a filter) and powered up all the time?

The router doesn't sync, and I've tried 5 different ones with several
replacement filters and adsl cables.

Thanks

On Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:08:09 +0100, PeterL made love to the words:

> My broadband service has been down almost a month as I wait for the
> provider to find and fix the fault. I'm LLU'd and have handed over line
> rental to the same outfit. I wonder if anyone can answer a few
> questions:
>
> - would a cease order prevent a current provider from carrying out full
> investigations of a broadband fault?
>
> - where can I find details of the full investigation process a provider
> would follow in trying to find a fault?
>
> - does the provider really need the modem/router plugged into the test
> socket (via a filter) and powered up all the time?
>
> The router doesn't sync, and I've tried 5 different ones with several
> replacement filters and adsl cables.
>
> Thanks

Who is the provider?

On 09/03/2011 23:08, PeterL wrote:
> My broadband service has been down almost a month as I wait for the provider
> to find and fix the fault. I'm LLU'd and have handed over line rental to
> the same outfit. I wonder if anyone can answer a few questions:
>
> - would a cease order prevent a current provider from carrying out full
> investigations of a broadband fault?

I would imagine so. Whilst we use BT Wholesale, a pending cease order
would certainly cause problems for Plusnet when investigating/raising a
fault.

> - where can I find details of the full investigation process a provider
> would follow in trying to find a fault?

Ask them?

> - does the provider really need the modem/router plugged into the test
> socket (via a filter) and powered up all the time?

Powered up yes, as it saves confusing/misleading test results being
returned when your kit is off.

Plugging into the test socket helps irradicate the potential for your
internal wiring to be interfering with your DSL signal. However if you
can't get sync at all then I'd say it's unecessary in your case as long
as you've at least tried it for a moderate amount of time.

> The router doesn't sync, and I've tried 5 different ones with several
> replacement filters and adsl cables.

That pretty much rules the router out as being the cause of the problem
then!

--
|Bob Pullen Broadband Solutions for
|Support Home & Business @
|Plusnet Plc. www.plus.net
+--------------- twitter.com/plusnet ----------------

On Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:08:09 +0100, "PeterL"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>My broadband service has been down almost a month as I wait for the provider
>to find and fix the fault. I'm LLU'd and have handed over line rental to
>the same outfit. I wonder if anyone can answer a few questions:
>
>- would a cease order prevent a current provider from carrying out full
>investigations of a broadband fault?
>
>- where can I find details of the full investigation process a provider
>would follow in trying to find a fault?
>
>- does the provider really need the modem/router plugged into the test
>socket (via a filter) and powered up all the time?
>
>The router doesn't sync, and I've tried 5 different ones with several
>replacement filters and adsl cables.

Does your phone work?

Who is your current ISP and who are you moving to?
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) Due to the amount of spam posted via googlegroups and
(")_(") their inaction to the problem. I am blocking some articles
posted from there. If you wish your postings to be seen by
everyone you will need use a different method of posting.

> A good ADSL service provider will handle all this for you. If your
> current provider can't answer all your questions, change to a provider
> that can.

I had a cease on the line to take the line rental back to BT. However, I
couldn't be sure that the unresolved fault on the line would not become a
major problem; why would another provider would want to inherit a faulty
line. Consequently, I cancelled the cease to allow the provider to fully
investigate and reading Bob Pullens post above, this would seem to have been
the right thing to do.

Or have I got that wrong?

In response to some of the other posts, I'm not sure how it would benefit
this thread to name the provider involved?

To Bob, how long would it take Plusnet to resolve a fault involving loss of
broadband connection, and what's your approach?

(Incidently, voice calls can still be made, although quality of service is
poor if the router is powered up.)

Thanks

"PeterL" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> A good ADSL service provider will handle all this for you. If your
>> current provider can't answer all your questions, change to a provider
>> that can.
>
> I had a cease on the line to take the line rental back to BT. However, I
> couldn't be sure that the unresolved fault on the line would not become a
> major problem; why would another provider would want to inherit a faulty
> line. Consequently, I cancelled the cease to allow the provider to fully
> investigate and reading Bob Pullens post above, this would seem to have
> been the right thing to do.
>
> Or have I got that wrong?
>
> In response to some of the other posts, I'm not sure how it would benefit
> this thread to name the provider involved?
>
> To Bob, how long would it take Plusnet to resolve a fault involving loss
> of broadband connection, and what's your approach?
>
> (Incidently, voice calls can still be made, although quality of service is
> poor if the router is powered up.)

Other suppliers (typically A&A) actually advertise that they will resolve
problems of faulty lines if your bring your account to them.

If there is more audible noise when the router is powered up that suggests
either a faulty microfilter or a diode-like junction somewhere along the
line - or both. Openreach won't attempt to faultfind the diode-like
junction - they will simply swap your line with another to move the fault
away.

--
Graham J

On 10/03/2011 18:30, PeterL wrote:
> To Bob, how long would it take Plusnet to resolve a fault involving loss of
> broadband connection, and what's your approach?

Depends on the nature of the fault TBH but assuming a genuine line fault
(and assuming repeat engineer visists aren't required) it typically
takes about a week to resolve.

Happy to oversee any faults that anybody may have with us, and where I
do the process is admittedly accelerated somewhat. The main hinderances
being the Wholesale systems/processes we're reliant on.

--
|Bob Pullen Broadband Solutions for
|Support Home & Business @
|Plusnet Plc. www.plus.net
+--------------- twitter.com/plusnet ----------------

I've just got back in to find the router syncing as mysteriously as it broke
a few weeks back. The provider hasn't done anything, they say line and
network testing is showing all clear. These are the stats. Do they look
okay?

Mode: G.Dmt.BisPlusAuto
Bit Rate: 2003Kbps - 511Kbps
Cell Rate: 4724 - 1205
SNR Margin: 10.0dB - 9.0 dB
Line Attenuation: 46.5 dB - 36.5 dB

What's the reason for losing the sync simply by swapping over the router?
If I want to try this, is there anything to configure in the setup to
mimimise the risk?

Thanks

"PeterL" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I've just got back in to find the router syncing as mysteriously as it
> broke a few weeks back. The provider hasn't done anything, they say line
> and network testing is showing all clear. These are the stats. Do they
> look okay?
>
> Mode: G.Dmt.BisPlusAuto
> Bit Rate: 2003Kbps - 511Kbps
> Cell Rate: 4724 - 1205
> SNR Margin: 10.0dB - 9.0 dB
> Line Attenuation: 46.5 dB - 36.5 dB
>
> What's the reason for losing the sync simply by swapping over the router?
> If I want to try this, is there anything to configure in the setup to
> mimimise the risk?

Synchronisation is achieved between the router and the DSLAM (or equivalent)
at the exchange. If you swap the router of course sync is lost, but the new
router should re-synchronise within about a minute of being connected.

If it takes longer, or loses sync more than once per day (unless during a
thunderstorm), then complain to your ISP. If they don't take you seriously,
change ISP.

--
Graham J

"Plusnet Support Team" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) o.uk...
> On 10/03/2011 18:30, PeterL wrote:
>> To Bob, how long would it take Plusnet to resolve a fault
>> involving loss of
>> broadband connection, and what's your approach?
>
> Depends on the nature of the fault TBH but assuming a genuine
> line fault
> (and assuming repeat engineer visists aren't required) it
> typically
> takes about a week to resolve.
>
> Happy to oversee any faults that anybody may have with us, and
> where I
> do the process is admittedly accelerated somewhat. The main
> hinderances
> being the Wholesale systems/processes we're reliant on.
>
> --
> |Bob Pullen Broadband Solutions for
> |Support Home & Business @
> |Plusnet Plc. www.plus.net
> +--------------- twitter.com/plusnet ----------------
>


I would wholey support Bob's comment. BT are a nightmare to deal
with under fault circumstances. The fault has to be resolved by
Openreach but the customer - no matter how big - is not allowed
to communicate with Openreach under any circumstances bar one.*
The complaint has to go in through BT Wholesale or BT Global
whichever is the supplier, then it usually gets lost in a black
hole.

*The 'one' is the automated process that calls to say they are
coming to fit your line on ....day am or pm and you have to ring
to say it is not convenient. Mind you you still have to go
through four IVRs - each warning they cannot deal with anything
other than appointment time - before you get to a human.


--
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com