BT Line Fault?

Hi,

Some time ago I called BT about my lack of being able to get higher speed
broadband. They did a test of the line and rang me back saying that the
line showed to have a fault. Then they asked me if the line had anything
connected to it. Of course it did, I was talking to the BT person using a
telephone connected to the line for starters. The line also had an active
ADSL connection running at the time of the test, as well as at least 3 more
phones connected to the line.

My questions are:

1. Would the line automatically show a fault if any equipment was plugged
into the line at the time of the test?

2. Would the line show a fault if ADSL was enabled on the line (which it was
at the time)

3. Would the line show a fault if ADSL was connected and active at the time
of the line test (which again, it was).

Our linebox is NOT one from BT and it was fitted in the early to mid 80's
If I remember correctly (to enable use of a more modern phone, replacing a
wired box).

4. Is it likely an old linebox would cause the line to show a fault?

5. Could it be old linebox that needs replacing that is causing the
problems?

6. How do BT assess the quality of the line and how often are the records
updated?

7. When I check for available broadband speeds on
http://www.adslchecker.bt.com/pls/ad...hecker.welcome am I getting a
realtime result, or something that is down on record and may be old? What
I mean really is, if the line improved at different times during the day and
I checked this site at different times, would the results vary?

The line in question has been installed since 1979 with no maintenance by BT
whatsoever since that date.

I would apprecite your comments/advice on the above.

Thanks
Tony

Things used to be reliable and worked smoothly when there was only the
old Post Office Telephones. Engineers and other staff were well
trained, highly concientious, worked overtime for no extra pay and
responded magnificiently to emergencies.

A fine mess Maggie and her ilk have made of it. Handing over the
family jewels to unregulated City of London stockbrokers.

The trains also used to run on time.

And government ministers managed to keep their love affairs with their
secretaries out of the newspapers. Or rather the newspapers at one
time did that for them.

The World's gone mad. There are too many people on it. But Aids,
tuberculosis, etc., and the Americans are doing their best.

Just leave the Chinese to sort things out.

Tony wrote:

> Some time ago I called BT about my lack of being able to get higher speed
> broadband.

What current speed, attenuation, SNR margin do you have ?
http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.htm

> 1. Would the line automatically show a fault if any equipment was plugged
> into the line at the time of the test?

not unless the equipment generated the fault. Depends what type of
fault it was.

> 2. Would the line show a fault if ADSL was enabled on the line (which it was
> at the time)

no, otherwise they wouldn't be able to test 8m lines.

> 3. Would the line show a fault if ADSL was connected and active at the time
> of the line test (which again, it was).

not unless your kit is faulty. You can do tests via www.bt.com and
unplug everything first if you like.

> Our linebox is NOT one from BT and it was fitted in the early to mid 80's
> If I remember correctly (to enable use of a more modern phone, replacing a
> wired box).

An illicit master socket :-)

> 4. Is it likely an old linebox would cause the line to show a fault?

bit ageist. If it was installed correctly it owuld not contribute to a
fault. If its the wrong type (which it may be) it could confuse the
test gear.

> 5. Could it be old linebox that needs replacing that is causing the
> problems?

unlikely, but extension wiring can contribute to problems as can DIY
wiring bodges.

> 6. How do BT assess the quality of the line and how often are the records
> updated?
>
> 7. When I check for available broadband speeds on
> http://www.adslchecker.bt.com/pls/ad...hecker.welcome am I getting a
> realtime result, or something that is down on record and may be old? What
> I mean really is, if the line improved at different times during the day and
> I checked this site at different times, would the results vary?

the fixed speed result is a combination of records and test
measurements. The MacDSL speed (lower one) is based on capacitance.

> The line in question has been installed since 1979 with no maintenance by BT
> whatsoever since that date.

its a wire. How much maintenance does it need ?

Phil

On 4-Jun-2006, "Reg Edwards" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> The trains also used to run on time.

OT - but the government wanted us off the trains, lobbied by
the oil and motor industry they built motorways, you can bleed the
motorist dry with ever increasing taxes.
Tax on fuel, Road Tax, new cars, VAT on everything, insurance tax,
do they spend it on repairing the roads, no they don't.
And what happened to the motor industry !!!

They sold off the branch lines, now colleagues who live in
Station Roads, get stuck in urban gridlocks every morning,
even if the use the bus. Bristol, surrounded by defunct
Station Roads, now wants congestion charging.

Parking Meters will fund off-street car parks they said.
It'll clear the streets they said.
All we got was an army of wardens and administrators.

Now they want us out of our cars and back on public
transport. The idea of satellite tracking and charging
is to bolt on speed limit enforcement, a justifiable
safety measure they will say.

Reg Edwards wrote:
> Things used to be reliable and worked smoothly when there was only the
> old Post Office Telephones. Engineers and other staff were well
> trained, highly concientious, worked overtime for no extra pay and
> responded magnificiently to emergencies.

And there was a waiting list for a telephone and you could be forcibly
changed from a private to a party line.

> A fine mess Maggie and her ilk have made of it. Handing over the
> family jewels to unregulated City of London stockbrokers.

It is at least arguable that the results are overall an improvement

> The trains also used to run on time.

In Germany perhaps.

> And government ministers managed to keep their love affairs with their
> secretaries out of the newspapers. Or rather the newspapers at one
> time did that for them.

They just had a better class of secretary

> The World's gone mad. There are too many people on it. But Aids,
> tuberculosis, etc., and the Americans are doing their best.

True

> Just leave the Chinese to sort things out.

Be interesting to see how the Americans cope with a new Chinese superpower.

--
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]

>
> A fine mess Maggie and her ilk have made of it. Handing over the
> family jewels to unregulated City of London stockbrokers
>
>


There is no disputing that industry (inc the unions) needed to b
reformed at that time.
However, the medicine Maggie introduced virtually killed the patient

--
jannerboy

"Tony" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
| Hi,


| My questions are:
|
| 1. Would the line automatically show a fault if any equipment was plugged
| into the line at the time of the test?

No not unless there was a fault

|
| 2. Would the line show a fault if ADSL was enabled on the line (which it was
| at the time)

No

| 3. Would the line show a fault if ADSL was connected and active at the time
| of the line test (which again, it was).

No, the line tester removes the ADSL before the 'ballistic test

| Our linebox is NOT one from BT and it was fitted in the early to mid 80's
| If I remember correctly (to enable use of a more modern phone, replacing a
| wired box).

Whilst not ideal from a network separation perspective, it is unlikely to be an
issue.

| 4. Is it likely an old linebox would cause the line to show a fault?

Not unless it is faulty.
|
| 5. Could it be old linebox that needs replacing that is causing the
| problems?

Doubtful

|
| 6. How do BT assess the quality of the line and how often are the records
| updated?
|
| 7. When I check for available broadband speeds on
| http://www.adslchecker.bt.com/pls/ad...hecker.welcome am I getting a
| real-time result, or something that is down on record and may be old? What
| I mean really is, if the line improved at different times during the day and
| I checked this site at different times, would the results vary?

Line tests are dynamic and done in real time. The Network Analysis tool that is
used for loss is either based real data from customers on the node concerned, or
in the absence of this, the old CSS (BT's main database of line records) results
taken for loss figures for the ISDN boom of yesterday.

| The line in question has been installed since 1979 with no maintenance by BT
whatsoever since that date.

Are you sure? Did they not upgrade the line from Electro-mechanical Strowger
Switches to Digital in the 80's?
Have they never changed any cables in the other x miles of line outside of your
home?The line in question has been installed since 1979 with no maintenance by
BT
whatsoever since that date. Have they not enabled it for ADSL? I hate to be
picky but just because an engineer has not walked through your door and sampled
your tea since then does not mean that your line has not been worked on,
upgraded or 'maintained' as you put it.