Regular ADSL crashes (through Plus.net)

Our ADSL connection at work crashes fairly regularly, usually between
1600 and 1700, and stays off for about 1/2 hour.

The ISP (plus.net) reckon it is a fault at the exchange or with
another user on the same rack. Another ADSL user, on a different ISP,
and on a 1MB service (we're on 512K), but geographically very close,
isn't having any such problems.

When the fault happens, it seems we can usually ping a couple of
adjacent IP addresses to our assigned one, but not the DNS servers or
any IP addresses on the internet.

The ISP claim not to have any control over the problem, we've
monitored our traffic from the firewall logs and don't see any unusual
activity before the fault, and the router claims it is still
connected, so we don't seem to have any way to stop it happening

Does anyone have any suggestions how to track this down? Do BT have
someone responsive to contact? Are there any Windows or Linux
diagnostic tools beyond the pings I have mentioned above which will
help us to pin down the problem?

Thanks,

Nigel

Nigel,

Ask your ISP to escalate this problem to BT who will have an engineer visit
both your location and your local exchange in investigate the fault if
required.

Paul



"N Orr" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> Our ADSL connection at work crashes fairly regularly, usually between
> 1600 and 1700, and stays off for about 1/2 hour.
>
> The ISP (plus.net) reckon it is a fault at the exchange or with
> another user on the same rack. Another ADSL user, on a different ISP,
> and on a 1MB service (we're on 512K), but geographically very close,
> isn't having any such problems.
>
> When the fault happens, it seems we can usually ping a couple of
> adjacent IP addresses to our assigned one, but not the DNS servers or
> any IP addresses on the internet.
>
> The ISP claim not to have any control over the problem, we've
> monitored our traffic from the firewall logs and don't see any unusual
> activity before the fault, and the router claims it is still
> connected, so we don't seem to have any way to stop it happening
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions how to track this down? Do BT have
> someone responsive to contact? Are there any Windows or Linux
> diagnostic tools beyond the pings I have mentioned above which will
> help us to pin down the problem?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Nigel

Have you tried plugging it in to the test socket with everything else
disconnected? If you have a current type main socket with a removeable
faceplate then it is quite stariaghforward. You really need to do that
before going any further. The wiring from the facplate onwards is your
responsibility and may have a fault.

"Peter Crosland" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
> Have you tried plugging it in to the test socket with everything else
> disconnected?

This fault typically occurs within a couple of minutes of 4pm. Before
I go unwiring things, could you suggest how a wiring fault might be
responsible for such a regularly repeated problem?

Nigel

> This fault typically occurs within a couple of minutes of 4pm. Before
> I go unwiring things, could you suggest how a wiring fault might be
> responsible for such a regularly repeated problem?

What I am saying is that neither BT or your ISP are likely, or indeed
liable, to do anything unless, and until, you have tried the system with all
the internal wiring disconnected. If you do this and plug the router/modem
into the test socket it will prove if the system is working up to that
point. Anything after that point is your responsibility. As for possible
faults with the internal wiring is this done to the correct specification
using approved wiring to CW1308 specification connected in the correct
manner. If it is not the wiring could be picking up excessive interference
from something time related like a thermostat. Until you have done the test
suggested above and work through the problem in a systematic way you will
not get much further.

N Orr <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Our ADSL connection at work crashes fairly regularly, usually between
> 1600 and 1700, and stays off for about 1/2 hour.
<snip>
> Does anyone have any suggestions how to track this down? Do BT have
> someone responsive to contact? Are there any Windows or Linux
> diagnostic tools beyond the pings I have mentioned above which will
> help us to pin down the problem?

As you can ping other sites with IP addresses next to yours, assuming they
are not local, it's either got to be a problem with your router, or the
bit behind the ADSL linecard in the exchange, as you're not losing the
ADSL connection.
My first step would be to do some traceroutes at the time it happens.
Then I'd probably swap over the router.