OT - Odd BT Home Highway question

Here's the setup - my wife connects to BT Click (in order to get on to her
company VPN) using the BT-supplied USB software and cable .(Compaq laptop).
I connect to the same box, (different dialup - NDO) via a Terminal Adapter
and Cat 5 cable. (Toshiba laptop). Both running Windows XP SP1.

This is what appears to happen - wife dials up and all connectivity is OK. I
switch my laptop on, (not connected) and her connectivity appears to slow
down. If I am dialled up, she has great difficulty in going on line. if SHE
is already dialled up, I have no difficulty in going on line or with
connectivity.

Any one else experienced this? Could it be a problem with the BT Home
Highway box, or the Compaq setup? (I'm not overly impressed with the Compaq
and the way it has been set up by her IT dept anyway)

Ta.

On Fri, 25 Jun 2004 13:01:11 +0100, Rifleman <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Here's the setup - my wife connects to BT Click (in order to get on to
> her
> company VPN) using the BT-supplied USB software and cable .(Compaq
> laptop).
> I connect to the same box, (different dialup - NDO) via a Terminal
> Adapter
> and Cat 5 cable. (Toshiba laptop). Both running Windows XP SP1.
>
> This is what appears to happen - wife dials up and all connectivity is
> OK. I
> switch my laptop on, (not connected) and her connectivity appears to slow
> down. If I am dialled up, she has great difficulty in going on line. if
> SHE
> is already dialled up, I have no difficulty in going on line or with
> connectivity.
>
> Any one else experienced this? Could it be a problem with the BT Home
> Highway box, or the Compaq setup? (I'm not overly impressed with the
> Compaq
> and the way it has been set up by her IT dept anyway)
>
> Ta.
>
>

Hi,

The only explanation I can think of that makes sense is that your Terminal
Adapter is trying to monopolise the D-Channel of the Home Highway. (ISDN
is made up of 3 channels, 2 64k carrying the data and a 3rd that is
permanently connected to the exchange that does the dialling and sets up
channel bonding). Even if the Terminal Adapter isn't trying to dial,
because the D-Channel is permanently connected it may be sending data down
it which interferes with the USB cable.

--
Regards,

| Dave Tomlinson Broadband Solutions For
| Technical Support for Home & Business
| PlusNet Technologies Ltd. @ http://www.plus.net
+ ----- My Referrals - It pays to recommend PlusNet -----

PlusNet Support Team wrote:

> On Fri, 25 Jun 2004 13:01:11 +0100, Rifleman <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Here's the setup - my wife connects to BT Click (in order to get on to
>> her
>> company VPN) using the BT-supplied USB software and cable .(Compaq
>> laptop).
>> I connect to the same box, (different dialup - NDO) via a Terminal
>> Adapter
>> and Cat 5 cable. (Toshiba laptop). Both running Windows XP SP1.
>>
>> This is what appears to happen - wife dials up and all connectivity is
>> OK. I
>> switch my laptop on, (not connected) and her connectivity appears to slow
>> down. If I am dialled up, she has great difficulty in going on line.
>> if SHE
>> is already dialled up, I have no difficulty in going on line or with
>> connectivity.
>>
>> Any one else experienced this? Could it be a problem with the BT Home
>> Highway box, or the Compaq setup? (I'm not overly impressed with the
>> Compaq
>> and the way it has been set up by her IT dept anyway)
>>
>> Ta.
>>
>>
>
> Hi,
>
> The only explanation I can think of that makes sense is that your
> Terminal Adapter is trying to monopolise the D-Channel of the Home
> Highway. (ISDN is made up of 3 channels, 2 64k carrying the data and a
> 3rd that is permanently connected to the exchange that does the dialling
> and sets up channel bonding). Even if the Terminal Adapter isn't trying
> to dial, because the D-Channel is permanently connected it may be
> sending data down it which interferes with the USB cable.

I would seriously doubt that. It sounds like something is actually wrong.

Unlike modems or ADSL where the "quality" of a link can be subject to
"interference" from other factors, ISDN and USB are meant to operate
with no bit errors in normal use or be susceptible to normal RFI levels.

[Modems and ADSL are designed to make the most of an analogue signal
path and "the most" will depend on factors including interference, and
so being affected by such interference is "normal", albeit a nuisance]

As for monopolising the D-channel, that is used for call set up, and not
something that would or even could be monopolised.

Something is probably wrong with the equipment or the cables, IMHO.

On Fri, 25 Jun 2004 14:59:46 +0100, Rev Adrian Kennard <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> PlusNet Support Team wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 25 Jun 2004 13:01:11 +0100, Rifleman <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>> Here's the setup - my wife connects to BT Click (in order to get on to
>>> her
>>> company VPN) using the BT-supplied USB software and cable .(Compaq
>>> laptop).
>>> I connect to the same box, (different dialup - NDO) via a Terminal
>>> Adapter
>>> and Cat 5 cable. (Toshiba laptop). Both running Windows XP SP1.
>>>
>>> This is what appears to happen - wife dials up and all connectivity is
>>> OK. I
>>> switch my laptop on, (not connected) and her connectivity appears to
>>> slow
>>> down. If I am dialled up, she has great difficulty in going on line.
>>> if SHE
>>> is already dialled up, I have no difficulty in going on line or with
>>> connectivity.
>>>
>>> Any one else experienced this? Could it be a problem with the BT Home
>>> Highway box, or the Compaq setup? (I'm not overly impressed with the
>>> Compaq
>>> and the way it has been set up by her IT dept anyway)
>>>
>>> Ta.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> The only explanation I can think of that makes sense is that your
>> Terminal Adapter is trying to monopolise the D-Channel of the Home
>> Highway. (ISDN is made up of 3 channels, 2 64k carrying the data and a
>> 3rd that is permanently connected to the exchange that does the
>> dialling and sets up channel bonding). Even if the Terminal Adapter
>> isn't trying to dial, because the D-Channel is permanently connected it
>> may be sending data down it which interferes with the USB cable.
>
> I would seriously doubt that. It sounds like something is actually wrong.
>
> Unlike modems or ADSL where the "quality" of a link can be subject to
> "interference" from other factors, ISDN and USB are meant to operate
> with no bit errors in normal use or be susceptible to normal RFI levels.
>
> [Modems and ADSL are designed to make the most of an analogue signal
> path and "the most" will depend on factors including interference, and
> so being affected by such interference is "normal", albeit a nuisance]
>
> As for monopolising the D-channel, that is used for call set up, and not
> something that would or even could be monopolised.
>
> Something is probably wrong with the equipment or the cables, IMHO.

That does make more sense than my idea, I was just remembering something
from a long time back where a customer had a router and a TA connected to
the line at the same time and had a similar problem.

--
Regards,

| Dave Tomlinson Broadband Solutions For
| Technical Support for Home & Business
| PlusNet Technologies Ltd. @ http://www.plus.net
+ ----- My Referrals - It pays to recommend PlusNet -----

"Rifleman" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Here's the setup - my wife connects to BT Click (in order to get on to her
> company VPN) using the BT-supplied USB software and cable .(Compaq
laptop).
> I connect to the same box, (different dialup - NDO) via a Terminal Adapter
> and Cat 5 cable. (Toshiba laptop). Both running Windows XP SP1.
>
> This is what appears to happen - wife dials up and all connectivity is OK.
I
> switch my laptop on, (not connected) and her connectivity appears to slow
> down. If I am dialled up, she has great difficulty in going on line. if
SHE
> is already dialled up, I have no difficulty in going on line or with
> connectivity.
>
> Any one else experienced this? Could it be a problem with the BT Home
> Highway box, or the Compaq setup? (I'm not overly impressed with the
Compaq
> and the way it has been set up by her IT dept anyway)

How long is the cable to your Toshiba laptop? If it's more than 3m that
might be the problem. If it runs close to a mains cable or a cordless phone
that could also cause it.

It could also be interference from your laptop. If the problem goes away
when it's running on batteries then it's coming from the mains connection.
If not, it's harder to fix - an inductor clamped around the CAT5 cable might
help. Changing your wife's connection from USB to S-bus might help, but
might be expensive.

Another possible solution is an ISDN router, with the laptops connected to
it by ethernet. Also relatively expensive, but you would save phone call
costs because you could share one call between the two machines.


--
Phil McKerracher
www.mckerracher.org

"Phil McKerracher" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news_gDc.3449$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Rifleman" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Here's the setup - my wife connects to BT Click (in order to get on to
her
> > company VPN) using the BT-supplied USB software and cable .(Compaq
> laptop).
> > I connect to the same box, (different dialup - NDO) via a Terminal
Adapter
> > and Cat 5 cable. (Toshiba laptop). Both running Windows XP SP1.
> >
> > This is what appears to happen - wife dials up and all connectivity is
OK.
> I
> > switch my laptop on, (not connected) and her connectivity appears to
slow
> > down. If I am dialled up, she has great difficulty in going on line. if
> SHE
> > is already dialled up, I have no difficulty in going on line or with
> > connectivity.
> >
> > Any one else experienced this? Could it be a problem with the BT Home
> > Highway box, or the Compaq setup? (I'm not overly impressed with the
> Compaq
> > and the way it has been set up by her IT dept anyway)
>
> How long is the cable to your Toshiba laptop? If it's more than 3m that
> might be the problem. If it runs close to a mains cable or a cordless
phone
> that could also cause it.

1.8 m from the TA to the HH box
>
> It could also be interference from your laptop. If the problem goes away
> when it's running on batteries then it's coming from the mains connection.

Didn't think of that - I'll try that next time.

> If not, it's harder to fix - an inductor clamped around the CAT5 cable
might
> help. Changing your wife's connection from USB to S-bus might help, but
> might be expensive.
>
> Another possible solution is an ISDN router, with the laptops connected to
> it by ethernet. Also relatively expensive, but you would save phone call
> costs because you could share one call between the two machines.
>

If it's none of the above - I think we'll just wear it until we get
broadband - we are on one of the exchanges that are being adapted by summer
2005, so not sure yet when that will be. (Can't wait - we apparently have a
2 MBit-capable line! And it will be the end of this odd problem!)

On 25 Jun 2004, in uk.telecom.broadband, PlusNet Support Team wrote:

>The only explanation I can think of that makes sense is that your Terminal
>Adapter is trying to monopolise the D-Channel of the Home Highway.

I cannot xplain the slowing down aspect, but know some of the routers I've
tried only seem to be able to make a connection if the first channel isn't
already in use. If a call is already present, the router fails to connect
(even though there's one channel free). It might be some setting in this
router, and doesn't now concern me so much as I have ADSL on other lines.