Internet / Phone probs - any comms whizzes on here?

[Milkfloat]

Not completely. Unless it's an ISP-owned modem/router and cable, try the modem with two different cables connecting it to the test socket and check the same problem occurs with both. There will still be a very small chance that it's the modem socket but I've never heard of that being the case unless the modem's been really yanked out of the wall soon before the problem started.

You forgot this bit at the beginning of my post - "If you are sure that it is not your equipment".

 

[mjr]

You forgot this bit at the beginning of my post - "If you are sure that it is not your equipment".

Or I was elaborating how to make surer that it's not your equipment.

 

[Reynard]

If you get problems when plugged into the test socket of the master socket fault is in the openreach (bt) network . Sound like a high resistance (hr) fault due to a poor connection or corrosion which could be anywhere between the exchange and your master socket. You need to contact your comms provider ( who you pay the bill too ). Personally I would just mention the broadband dropping out and not the line noise as the line and broadband are treated differently and you really want a broadband engineer . All broadband lines are monitored and every dropout is recorded .
( I am a openreach engineer so I now how frustrating we are to deal with )
Good luck on sorting it out .
The line will probably tests ok as the test system does not pick up Hrs so you will be strongly advised about charges but it sounds like you have done everything to prove the fault is outside your control

This is pretty well much the conclusion I've come to - poor connection / broken wire / corrosion. It's pinning down whether the fault is internal or external that's been the "aaargh" bit.

The master socket is on an inside wall, so there's about 12 foot of cabling between it and the outside.

My router has been plugged into the test socket since Friday, and I've had no dropouts since (other than unplugging it to test a phone). Plus today, my broadband speed has gone up from 1/10 of what it should be to 1/3 of what it should be. The downstairs corded phone has a good dial tone in spite of the fact the outside box is in full sun. I think that categorically rules out a) my equipment and b) my ISP (plusnet). My landline is with BT, btw.

P.S. Thanks for all the suggestions, folks xxx

 

[13 rider]

This is pretty well much the conclusion I've come to - poor connection / broken wire / corrosion. It's pinning down whether the fault is internal or external that's been the "aaargh" bit.

The master socket is on an inside wall, so there's about 12 foot of cabling between it and the outside.

My router has been plugged into the test socket since Friday, and I've had no dropouts since (other than unplugging it to test a phone). Plus today, my broadband speed has gone up from 1/10 of what it should be to 1/3 of what it should be. The downstairs corded phone has a good dial tone in spite of the fact the outside box is in full sun. I think that categorically rules out a) my equipment and b) my ISP (plusnet). My landline is with BT, btw.

P.S. Thanks for all the suggestions, folks xxx

Openreach (bt) maintain up to the nte ( master socket ) for fair ware and tear so the 12 foot of cable inside is still openreach responsibility

 

[PaulSB]

If you get problems when plugged into the test socket of the master socket fault is in the openreach (bt) network . Sound like a high resistance (hr) fault due to a poor connection or corrosion which could be anywhere between the exchange and your master socket. You need to contact your comms provider ( who you pay the bill too ). Personally I would just mention the broadband dropping out and not the line noise as the line and broadband are treated differently and you really want a broadband engineer . All broadband lines are monitored and every dropout is recorded .
( I am a openreach engineer so I now how frustrating we are to deal with )
Good luck on sorting it out .
The line will probably tests ok as the test system does not pick up Hrs so you will be strongly advised about charges but it sounds like you have done everything to prove the fault is outside your control

Apologies for going off at a tangent. I’ve been a happy BT customer for years but the charges are now so unrealistic I have no choice other than to move.

Can you tell me if my BT box will still record programmes?

 

[raleighnut]

If you get problems when plugged into the test socket of the master socket fault is in the openreach (bt) network . Sound like a high resistance (hr) fault due to a poor connection or corrosion which could be anywhere between the exchange and your master socket. You need to contact your comms provider ( who you pay the bill too ). Personally I would just mention the broadband dropping out and not the line noise as the line and broadband are treated differently and you really want a broadband engineer . All broadband lines are monitored and every dropout is recorded .
( I am a openreach engineer so I now how frustrating we are to deal with )
Good luck on sorting it out .
The line will probably tests ok as the test system does not pick up Hrs so you will be strongly advised about charges but it sounds like you have done everything to prove the fault is outside your control

We had problems for years after going to 'Broadband', every time it rained the internet would cut out then reset itself after a couple of minutes, no-one could find the fault. Then all the Sky customers got new 'black' phone lines from the pole but the guys who did this (Openreach) disconnected our line, or so the engineer who fixed that fault told us (Sky fitted free satellite dishes to almost every house on our street but having previously been customers of theirs we said no to them changing us from being the only house with a dish to the only one without one) but still the intermittent 'rain' fault persisted.

Then finally some idiot drove into the Cabinet on Liberty Rd and wrecked it so BT/Openreach had to replace it and then we had no phone or Broadband so out came the engineer who plugged a tester in which gave a reading of nearly 500metres (taken to be the distance from the Cabinet to us) so he duly went to check the green box thinking the fault would be there, no, it turns out that the underground wire to the pole had a break in it 20 metres from the Cab which had probably caused the 'rain' fault all along. We did however get the cable from the pole to the house renewed (from an old grey one to a new black one) which was when we found out that it was Sky customers who'd had their lines renewed and that we were the only house on our street that were BT customers but for some reason they didn't know that and assumed the overhead cable to our house was redundant.

Never had a problem since but it took 5yrs or more to get there.

 

[Milkfloat]

Apologies for going off at a tangent. I’ve been a happy BT customer for years but the charges are now so unrealistic I have no choice other than to move.

Can you tell me if my BT box will still record programmes?

Yes it will. Plus most catchup services will work too. Obviously not the BT ones though.

 

[Reynard]

Everything still stable while plugged into the test socket. Broadband still at the same speed as yesterday, good dial tone on the phone.

It's really weird though, the dropouts only happen in hot weather. Temperature inside the house doesn't change much from winter to summer (only a couple of degrees or so), but the line and box coming off the pole face south and are in full sun. Hate to think how hot *that* gets right now...

In the winter (and in cooler weather) both phone and broadband are fine when everything is plugged in normally i.e. not through the test socket.

 

[PaulSB]

Yes it will. Plus most catchup services will work too. Obviously not the BT ones though.

Thank you. The sales people from various potential suppliers have said this but I’ve been of “they would, wouldn’t they” persuasion.

This is a big help to me.

 

[13 rider]

Everything still stable while plugged into the test socket. Broadband still at the same speed as yesterday, good dial tone on the phone.

It's really weird though, the dropouts only happen in hot weather. Temperature inside the house doesn't change much from winter to summer (only a couple of degrees or so), but the line and box coming off the pole face south and are in full sun. Hate to think how hot *that* gets right now...

In the winter (and in cooler weather) both phone and broadband are fine when everything is plugged in normally i.e. not through the test socket.

If everything is stable in the test socket it now suggest a fault on any wiring beyond this . If broadband sees a fault is slow down to try and be slower but stable . When the fault goes it does not just jump back to full speed but increases gradually . Give it another 48 hrs in the test socket and check the speed . In my experience hot weather rarely puts faults on

 

[Reynard]

If everything is stable in the test socket it now suggest a fault on any wiring beyond this . If broadband sees a fault is slow down to try and be slower but stable . When the fault goes it does not just jump back to full speed but increases gradually . Give it another 48 hrs in the test socket and check the speed . In my experience hot weather rarely puts faults on

Really appreciate the insight.

Yes, I know broadband can take several days to come back up to speed - usually three to four days in my experience with past dropouts. But that's my plan exactly, namely to give it more time and see where it goes. I've been plugged into the test socket since Friday morning, btw.

If it doesn't get any faster than its current 0.4 mb/s, then that, I assume, points to an external fault. I normally run at 1.5 mb/s here.

Sometimes though, once you've eliminated all the obvious things, the weird and wonderful, however unlikely, is the solution.

 

[13 rider]

Really appreciate the insight.

Yes, I know broadband can take several days to come back up to speed - usually three to four days in my experience with past dropouts. But that's my plan exactly, namely to give it more time and see where it goes. I've been plugged into the test socket since Friday morning, btw.

If it doesn't get any faster than its current 0.4 mb/s, then that, I assume, points to an external fault. I normally run at 1.5 mb/s here.

Sometimes though, once you've eliminated all the obvious things, the weird and wonderful, however unlikely, is the solution.

Running a 1/3 of your normal rate suggest you have a issue with the broadband . Sometimes cps cap broadband at around .5 mb/s to give a stable service so it may be worth a call to check this .

 

[Reynard]

Running a 1/3 of your normal rate suggest you have a issue with the broadband . Sometimes cps cap broadband at around .5 mb/s to give a stable service so it may be worth a call to check this .

Mmmmmok, thanks, didn't know that. xxx Will check.

Really appreciate the help @13 rider you've been a star.

Will snag some pics of the external wiring and box just to satisfy myself that everything is ok up there. It's right up in the eaves, not accessible from a window and I don't dare get the ladders out for a closer look.

 

[Reynard]

Well, broadband is almost back up to speed. This morning's check saw it at 1.2 mb/s (as opposed to 1.5) so think this scuppers a problem with the broadband itself.

I do, however, think I may have found a possible culprit. (sorry about the cobwebs) I'm sure the lid on that junction box isn't on properly... Surely it should sit square on the base, and the slots in the lid ought to be flush with the wires feeding in and out of it? Would that gap be enough to let moisture / crap inside and corrode the connections?

 

[13 rider]

Well, broadband is almost back up to speed. This morning's check saw it at 1.2 mb/s (as opposed to 1.5) so think this scuppers a problem with the broadband itself.

I do, however, think I may have found a possible culprit. (sorry about the cobwebs) I'm sure the lid on that junction box isn't on properly... Surely it should sit square on the base, and the slots in the lid ought to be flush with the wires feeding in and out of it? Would that gap be enough to let moisture / crap inside and corrode the connections?

View attachment 417744

The lid isnt quite closed properly but it's not designed to be watertight so I dont think its an issue .any moisture should fall downwards off the actual connecters which will be gel filled crimps and are reasonably moisture resistance . But that said those boxes are no longer used and a watertight closure is now standard fit. On what I can see I would not be concerned about the box it seems to sit under the ledge of the tiles so is not exposed to running water from above . Hopefully you have no more issued