req adv: handheld dsl line tester

I work in computer repairs doing onsite visits and I'm getting an increasing number of homes lately with what appears to be a
faulty phone line on the broadband. I'm trying to locate a handheld tester that will test the dsl line and give me accurate
readings of the status of the line. Plugging a modem or a router in and waiting for the flashing light to stop isn't good enough
for my needs. I'm looking for a device to test the dsl signal on a professional level. Thanks for any advice.

tg wrote:
> I work in computer repairs doing onsite visits and I'm getting an increasing number of homes lately with what appears to be a
> faulty phone line on the broadband. I'm trying to locate a handheld tester that will test the dsl line and give me accurate
> readings of the status of the line. Plugging a modem or a router in and waiting for the flashing light to stop isn't good enough
> for my needs. I'm looking for a device to test the dsl signal on a professional level. Thanks for any advice.

Me too - although I now always carry a Draytek router to problem sites -
the DSL status information and spectrum analysis feature are very
useful. Just not portable enough.

In Paris last year I was able to convince the Frane Telecom engineer
that because the bottom of the status window was not green (it shows red
when no DSL is present) that FT hadn't provisioned DSL on the line. He
spoke to his controller, assured him/her that the English engineer had a
special tester and no DSL had been provisioned and while we had a coffee
FT fixed the problem and it went green.

In message <44fef290$0$27301$(E-Mail Removed)>, tg
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>I work in computer repairs doing onsite visits and I'm getting an
>increasing number of homes lately with what appears to be a
>faulty phone line on the broadband. I'm trying to locate a handheld
>tester that will test the dsl line and give me accurate
>readings of the status of the line. Plugging a modem or a router in and
>waiting for the flashing light to stop isn't good enough
>for my needs. I'm looking for a device to test the dsl signal on a
>professional level.
Don't the BT engineers use a Voyager USB modem for the 'whoosh' test?

You could try
http://www.sunrisetelecom.com/mtt/mtthome.shtml
but I suspect it's going to be way outside your price bracket.

> Thanks for any advice.
>
>
>
>
>

--
Clint Sharp

Clint Sharp wrote:
> In message <44fef290$0$27301$(E-Mail Removed)>, tg
> <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>> I work in computer repairs doing onsite visits and I'm getting an
>> increasing number of homes lately with what appears to be a
>> faulty phone line on the broadband. I'm trying to locate a handheld
>> tester that will test the dsl line and give me accurate
>> readings of the status of the line. Plugging a modem or a router in
>> and waiting for the flashing light to stop isn't good enough
>> for my needs. I'm looking for a device to test the dsl signal on a
>> professional level.
> Don't the BT engineers use a Voyager USB modem for the 'whoosh'
> test?
>
> You could try
> http://www.sunrisetelecom.com/mtt/mtthome.shtml
> but I suspect it's going to be way outside your price bracket.
>


The Openreach engineers use a Voyager 105 USB modem along with some in
house software, the Whoosh Test is still available but it is not
accurate, especially on longer lines....

All hand held testers are even to exspensive for BT/Openreach to
consider seriously

"Colin Forrester" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> tg wrote:
>> I work in computer repairs doing onsite visits and I'm getting an increasing number of homes lately with what appears to be a
>> faulty phone line on the broadband. I'm trying to locate a handheld tester that will test the dsl line and give me accurate
>> readings of the status of the line. Plugging a modem or a router in and waiting for the flashing light to stop isn't good enough
>> for my needs. I'm looking for a device to test the dsl signal on a professional level. Thanks for any advice.
>
> Me too - although I now always carry a Draytek router to problem sites - the DSL status information and spectrum analysis feature
> are very useful. Just not portable enough.

which exact model draytek do you use?

"Clint Sharp" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:Z68uagEY8v$(E-Mail Removed)...
> In message <44fef290$0$27301$(E-Mail Removed)>, tg <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>>I work in computer repairs doing onsite visits and I'm getting an increasing number of homes lately with what appears to be a
>>faulty phone line on the broadband. I'm trying to locate a handheld tester that will test the dsl line and give me accurate
>>readings of the status of the line. Plugging a modem or a router in and waiting for the flashing light to stop isn't good enough
>>for my needs. I'm looking for a device to test the dsl signal on a professional level.
> Don't the BT engineers use a Voyager USB modem for the 'whoosh' test?
>
> You could try
> http://www.sunrisetelecom.com/mtt/mtthome.shtml
> but I suspect it's going to be way outside your price bracket.

thanks for the advice, I've sent an e-mail to sunrisetelecom. For some reason they won't give out the price of their gear at their
site, (wierd).

"tg" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:44fef290$0$27301$(E-Mail Removed)...
|I work in computer repairs doing onsite visits and I'm getting an increasing
number of homes lately with what appears to be a
| faulty phone line on the broadband. I'm trying to locate a handheld tester
that will test the dsl line and give me accurate
| readings of the status of the line. Plugging a modem or a router in and
waiting for the flashing light to stop isn't good enough
| for my needs. I'm looking for a device to test the dsl signal on a
professional level. Thanks for any advice.

BT use Presto
(http://www.trendcomms.com/trendweb/t...s/AuroraPresto)

But due to the cost, there is usually only one per exchange and they are only
used to check the line within the exchange.

Outside of this BT engineers use cheapo modems and poor inhouse software.

In all honesty, no matter how good a tester you have, it tends to be either go
or no go and nothing more than a basic modem is really required to test it from
an 'outsiders' point of view. As yourself these 2 questions:

1) Even if your tester will work and say all is fine, if you walk away leaving
the customers kit not working do you think you will get paid?

2) Even if you identify errors on a really amazing tester or network/protocol
analyzer, do you think you will find anyone to come out and say 'You clever
engineer! Thanks for pointing out the minor errors on our aging copper network.
We will get a team of engineers to renew the 7 miles of cable at once so your
tester is satisfied'

It all depends if you are interested in fixing the customers issues or looking
cool and like you know what you are doing because you have a complex tester.
Don't take that the wrong way I am not flaming you, it's just you come across
people who need such comfort toys to cover their doubt. The crux of it is, no
matter what you identify to be wrong, from the customers point of view it either
works or it does not work, and no amount of begging Openreach will have them
chasing faults that are not obvious to an engineer with a meter!

tg wrote:

>>> I work in computer repairs doing onsite visits and I'm getting an increasing number of homes lately with what appears to be a
>>> faulty phone line on the broadband. I'm trying to locate a handheld tester that will test the dsl line and give me accurate
>>> readings of the status of the line. Plugging a modem or a router in and waiting for the flashing light to stop isn't good enough
>>> for my needs. I'm looking for a device to test the dsl signal on a professional level. Thanks for any advice.
>> Me too - although I now always carry a Draytek router to problem sites - the DSL status information and spectrum analysis feature
>> are very useful. Just not portable enough.
>
> which exact model draytek do you use?

An older 2600we model for this purpose. You should be able to get one
second hand for less than about £75.00.

"Pier Danone" <Pier (E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> In all honesty, no matter how good a tester you have, it tends to be
> either go or no go and nothing more than a basic modem is really required
> to test it from an 'outsiders' point of view. As yourself these 2
> questions:
>
> 1) Even if your tester will work and say all is fine, if you walk away leaving
> the customers kit not working do you think you will get paid?
>
> 2) Even if you identify errors on a really amazing tester or
> network/protocol analyzer, do you think you will find anyone to come out
> and say 'You clever engineer! Thanks for pointing out the minor errors on
> our aging copper network. We will get a team of engineers to renew the 7
> miles of cable at once so your tester is satisfied'

So what do you do when the ISP says the line *is* enabled, but every
piece of equipment you try on the line be it router or USB modem can't
get a connection? If you're prepared to sit on an 0870 number for an
hour or so then you get to talk to someone with a script who just runs
you through installing their Speedtouch software again, even though you
tell them you've installed plenty of ADSL modems, and routers that don't
need drivers installed and their crappy software configured. Support
people don't seem to understand routers and ethernet, only USB with its
inherent problems.

If you can't get any negotiation, there's no way of knowing whether
there is actually an ADSL signal on the line but it's so lost in the
noise that nothing can connect, or whether they've enabled the wrong
line, or not enabled anything at all despite their records showing they
have. That's when some kind of testing device would be useful, and it's
happening more and more as the maximum distance from the exchange is
increased with improvements in the technology.

--
Pd

Pier Danone wrote:
> "tg" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:44fef290$0$27301$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I work in computer repairs doing onsite visits and I'm getting an
>> increasing
> number of homes lately with what appears to be a
>> faulty phone line on the broadband. I'm trying to locate a handheld
>> tester
> that will test the dsl line and give me accurate
>> readings of the status of the line. Plugging a modem or a router in
>> and
> waiting for the flashing light to stop isn't good enough
>> for my needs. I'm looking for a device to test the dsl signal on a
> professional level. Thanks for any advice.
>
> BT use Presto
> (http://www.trendcomms.com/trendweb/t...s/AuroraPresto)
>
> But due to the cost, there is usually only one per exchange and they
> are only used to check the line within the exchange.

Beg to differ Pier, some of the exchanges around here have not got a
Presto & they still have to resort to using the old test router (via
the harwired test circuit)in order to do any test at all