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Author Topic: what to do in advance of engineer visit?  (Read 6205 times)

EFT

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what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« on: March 12, 2018, 09:30:35 AM »

Hello all,

Very occasional lurker. But since first visiting and switching to HG612 and good SP08 FW have not had any reason to.

Have had consistent line performance for past three or four years now. I get 27 down and 5.7 up.

For the past fortnight I've experienced repeated disconnects. Over the weekend my speed was down to 12 down and 244 bits up!

Have reported a noisy line and have an appointment booked.

Am guessing I need to dig out my HH5 from its box and swap out my HG612 before he/she arrives? Just checking it's the right thing to do?

Any advice gratefully appreciated.

E.
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jelv

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Re: what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2018, 09:46:40 AM »

If the line is noisy with the modem and router disconnected and the phone plugged direct in to the test socket without a filter you don't need to do anything except perhaps try a different handset.
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Broadband and Line rental: Zen Unlimited Fibre 2, Mobile: Vodaphone
Router: Fritz!Box 7530

EFT

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Re: what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2018, 11:32:57 AM »

My question was more about whether or not the BT engineer will not like the sight of seeing my unlocked HG612 plugged in as my modem as opposed to the older supplied TR069 rebooting HH5 Type A?

That thing caused me to endure months of problems and performance - which mysteriously all went away once I read the helpful advice available on this forum.

I didn't have the time to go through the usual call centre script telling me to 'see how things are for a few days' - so reporting noise on the line seemed to get an appointment made much quicker.

Plus I am on FTTC service so I think I've posted to the wrong forum!
« Last Edit: March 12, 2018, 11:36:19 AM by EFT »
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jelv

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Re: what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2018, 11:43:48 AM »

If you've reported a noisy line it will be a engineer looking at a telephone fault not a broadband fault. What modem you have connected is irrelevant. In any case even if he was looking at a broadband fault he wouldn't be bothered by a HG612.

Don't forget he will be an Openreach engineer, not a BT engineer, who deals with faults for all ISPs.
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Black Sheep

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Re: what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2018, 01:38:34 PM »

As jelv points out .....

If you have reported a noisy line, your service provider will perform an electrical line test on the pair of wires that run from the Tel Exchange to your premises.
It depends on what this test result reveals as to how the task should progress ??

I haven't time to go through all scenario's, but I can tell you that if the test is LTOK (Line Tests OK), then a 'Voice only' engineer will turn up at your premises and perform three of his own tests that your service provider will also have vision of ....

1) Eclipse/Fast Test 2 - basically a remote test exactly like your service provider carried out when you spoke with them.
2) PQT (Pair Quality Test) - basically a test of the pair of wires but more in-depth.
3) QLT (Quiet Line Test) - basically, listening to an automated voice service to ascertain if there is any audible noise on the line.

If any one of the 3 tests fail, then subsequent action should be taken to repair the issue. If they all pass, then someone has to pay the bill for us turning up ??!!.

So, long story short ............ I hope it is an actual audible noisy line you have.  :)
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EFT

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Re: what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2018, 05:29:33 PM »

Thanks for the response Black Sheep really appreciated.

I have got noise on the line - and I suspect it's giving me broadband problems. I live in a very remote spot with abnormal weather conditions.

I've also go no problem with paying the bills for people turning up.

My connection has got worse in the past two weeks. I've been working away from home so have not been able to monitor it like I would be able to at other times of the year. It's a busy period in my industry.

I'm not a knocker of BT or OR as I often see others do. It looks like a profession with its own set of difficult challenges at times.

I don't think there's an issue with my equipment or internal wiring - as nothing has changed there in the past five years or so.

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burakkucat

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Re: what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2018, 05:35:28 PM »

I don't think there's an issue with my equipment or internal wiring - as nothing has changed there in the past five years or so.

Ensure that the audible noise is still present with all of your equipment disconnected and just a classic wired telephone connected to the "test socket".
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EFT

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Re: what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2018, 06:36:07 PM »

Thanks.

I managed to leave work early today. I've just done the 'quiet line test' with my ancient wired phone. There's a crackling on the dial tone. I'm not great with words, but it sounds like a crisp packet a little bit. Should it be totally silent and clear?

I mostly make video calls via laptop these days so not used to hearing that dial tone at all really.
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Ixel

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Re: what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2018, 06:38:20 PM »

'Quiet Line Test' shouldn't have crackling noises. It should be quiet.
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EFT

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Re: what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2018, 06:38:48 PM »

this is what my HG612 log is showing me. Can't even set the date via Terminal on OSX! Tsk!
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burakkucat

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Re: what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« Reply #10 on: March 12, 2018, 06:44:03 PM »

I've just done the 'quiet line test' with my ancient wired phone. There's a crackling on the dial tone. I'm not great with words, but it sounds like a crisp packet a little bit. Should it be totally silent and clear?

There shouldn't be any "crisp packet" noises. So I'm fairly confident that there is a line fault.

I forgot to mention the quiet-line test that you could do (with a BT Wholesale based service) -- make a (free) call to 17070, listen to the menu that is offered and take the relevant option. You should hear total silence; no crackles, buzz, hum, crosstalk, etc.
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Black Sheep

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Re: what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2018, 06:49:39 PM »

Thanks for the response Black Sheep really appreciated.

I have got noise on the line - and I suspect it's giving me broadband problems. I live in a very remote spot with abnormal weather conditions.

I've also go no problem with paying the bills for people turning up.

My connection has got worse in the past two weeks. I've been working away from home so have not been able to monitor it like I would be able to at other times of the year. It's a busy period in my industry.

I'm not a knocker of BT or OR as I often see others do. It looks like a profession with its own set of difficult challenges at times.

I don't think there's an issue with my equipment or internal wiring - as nothing has changed there in the past five years or so.

I appreciate your comments, EFT.

I absolutely understand people having issues with a paid-for-service, I would myself ....... but there's some folk in life who either get a kick out of complaining, are professional internet trolls or just like stirring the sh1t-pot for the hell of it.

This takes the shine somewhat of the genuine folk with genuine faults.

There is a 'Cone of Acceptance' that engineering faults-men have to work to regarding the quality of the 'pair of wires', and I reckon most faults will be picked up and dealt with, within this CoA.
The problem arises when our tests pass within this CoA but either miss an intermittent fault, or the fault itself isn't 'developed' enough to detect whilst on-site.
However, the customer with broadband monitoring software would notice it as errors or interleaving applied on their broadband circuit.

There has to be a line drawn in the sand as to how much time can be spent on this kind of thing, and the debate has been done to death previously.

So going back to your issue, there's wise words above from burakkucat about using the test socket with a corded telephone, as opposed to a wireless phone, and if the audible noise is still present then a) You are covered by your rental payments, and b) Audible noise will have an effect on your broadband performance.
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Black Sheep

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Re: what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« Reply #12 on: March 12, 2018, 06:50:24 PM »

Couple of other posts made whilst I penned the above.
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EFT

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Re: what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« Reply #13 on: March 12, 2018, 08:11:03 PM »

Thanks to everyone who has read my post and offered their thoughts.

There is noise on the quiet line test so it looks like there is a fault. I'll wait and see what the engineer reports.

I dug out my ancient HH5A and looked up how to reconnect it. It's been a few years since I've done so, and I recognise I just don't have the time to spend on stuff like this anymore - what with having young kids around these days.

My HH5A was up for about ten minutes before it reset itself with what I think was the "TR069" "4 value change" error. I read somewhere this issue was fixed with a later Hub revision. But I remember it causing me serious headaches and time several years ago.

My HG612 with SP08 FW has been rock solid for *a long time* now - last year I think I got around 340 days uptime before we suffered a power cut in the local area.

Everything has been fine until a few weeks ago. This coincides with the recent spate of poor weather.

Also would like to ask about this:

What's the latest on being able to order FTTP? The BT Wholesale checker gives me the "available to order" line - but when I looked into ordering that product two years ago I was told it wasn't possible to order at all. I'm 775m away from my cabinet.



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jelv

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Re: what to do in advance of engineer visit?
« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2018, 08:21:07 PM »

Does the checker say FTTP or FTTPoD? There is a huge difference in the cost.
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Broadband and Line rental: Zen Unlimited Fibre 2, Mobile: Vodaphone
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