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[JoshShep]

Hi everyone,

To cut the long story short, since moving to Fibre in December last year I have been having issues with my broadband.

After numerous Engineer visits, and lots of work been carried out to try and solve my issues nothing has worked.

I was estimated 35 Mbps, and I'm about 560M from the cabinet with an attainable rate of 45 Mbps.

After getting my profile reset, it only takes a couple of days for my sync rate to drop to 28 Mbps and it normally stops there.

There are always errors on the line and I get regular disconnections throughout the day. More often on a night from 7pm onwards.

Today I had another friendly Engineer visit and was told because everything possible has already been done, the last resort must be REIN interference.

He drove around the street whilst on the phone to a REIN Engineer with his radio tuned into the 612KHz frequency, and discovered 4 doors down there is interference. They both agreed that there is a problem and a REIN Engineer is booked to visit in the next few days.

I would just like to say thank you to BT Openreach for all the help so far, they've been great and tried there very best to fix the issues I have been experiencing.

Cheers,

Josh

[Bald_Eagle1]

Interesting Josh.

Can anyone describe what REIN sounds like, or even better, post a link to where we could hear an audio clip?

Also, on discovery of REIN, what powers (if any) do BT have in getting the person(s) responsible for it to fix it?

REIN has been more or less ruled out regarding my own connection issues, but having just driven the recently confirmed route with the car radio tuned to 612 KHz AM frequency, I do hear the background sound change to a fairly loud humming/buzzing sound in a couple of spots.

It will be really interesting to hear how this pans out for you Josh.

 

[JoshShep]

Hi Paul,

"If you get a distinct noise enveloping a larger area, then this may be picked up by your router causing an SNR problem (or even drop of sync). By using the radio you may be able to get an idea of where the noise is coming from. Switch the suspect appliance off & retest your DSL connection. By distinct noise you're looking for a clear buzz, whistle, clicking etc. White noise or a general shhhhh noise is less likely to be the cause of the problem, same as any radio broadcast"

And to answer your question on what powers BT have, I don't have a clue, I believe if it's coming from someone's home and is faulty equipment all they can do is ask the person to replace/fix it. I just hope if this is the case they also have broadband and welcome them with open arms because more that likely there also having issues. 

I'll keep you updated mate.

[Black Sheep]

As you know BE, I've already posted up info regarding REIN and the legalities surrounding it. To get a first hand idea of what it sounds like, tune your radio into 612Khz on the MW scale and drive under a high-voltage electrical distribution cable, the ones that are attached to the large pylons.

It is akin to your description below, but it's more of a buzzing noise than a hum. Bear in mind REIN is everywhere, just drive around like a saddo (me) with your radio on the frequency mentioned, and you'll hear it regularly and sporadically. It depends on the level of 'noise' as to whether it's service-affecting.

What Josh describes above is perfect for fault-inducing REIN. IE- The circuit will reset to it's 'max' but DLM will drop it down due to high-error counts caused by REIN. This is assuming that the D-side cable has been PQT tested and has an AC Balance of >-50dB. I personally think it should be above -60dB or even -65dB, but the REIN team will take the case on -50dB or above.

With minimal REIN interference on ADSL, we can fit an RF3 filter which when coupled with the SSFP will halt the REIN in its tracks. Now, I'm not sure if this same product will work on VDSL and its higher frequency band-plans

HTH a little,

[Black Sheep]

Hi Paul,

"If you get a distinct noise enveloping a larger area, then this may be picked up by your router causing an SNR problem (or even drop of sync). By using the radio you may be able to get an idea of where the noise is coming from. Switch the suspect appliance off & retest your DSL connection. By distinct noise you're looking for a clear buzz, whistle, clicking etc. White noise or a general shhhhh noise is less likely to be the cause of the problem, same as any radio broadcast"

And to answer your question on what powers BT have, I don't have a clue, I believe if it's coming from someone's home and is faulty equipment all they can do is ask the person to replace/fix it. I just hope if this is the case they also have broadband and welcome them with open arms because more that likely there also having issues. 

I'll keep you updated mate.

In a nutshell and also in laymans terms, The 'Radio & Telegraphy Act' only applies if someone is 'knowingly' broadcasting. If a neighbours set-top box has gone faulty, for example, then he isn't 'knowingly' transmitting. Without going too deep, a certain broadcaster will allow us to contact them with the S/N's of the faulty equipment and then despatch another to the 'offenders' house if we localise the REIN to that piece of equipment. Otherwise, we localise the source, inform the ISP, and it then becomes their baby.

As mooted many times before, REIN is a gratis service that Openreach offer, and timescales are pretty tight because of this. Don't despair too much though as my guess would be 80% can be sourced by a limited REIN engineer, anything of substance goes to our 'Precision Test Officers' who utilise PSD meters, osc'ies, directional finders and anything else that costs over £50 to purchase.

[burakkucat]

I find that my ICOM IC-R5 rather useful in that respect as it:

(1) can be tuned to 306 kHz
(2) be tuned to 612 kHz
(3) cost more that £50 to purchase (second-hand)

 

[Black Sheep]

Then you can entitle yourself a 'PTO', B*Cat. Good luck with Josh's REIN issue bud. 

[JoshShep]

I find that my ICOM IC-R5 rather useful in that respect as it:

(1) can be tuned to 306 kHz
(2) be tuned to 612 kHz
(3) cost more that £50 to purchase (second-hand)

 

I'll book you in for an appointment on Sat if you want mate? 

[burakkucat]

Then you can entitle yourself a 'PTO', B*Cat. Good luck with Josh's REIN issue bud. 

Thanks! As long as Bald_Eagle1 "picks me up" -- careful with those talons -- and "drops me off" -- onto the back of a nice woolly Black Sheep -- I'll be willing to assist with resolving Josh's troubles. 

[burakkucat]

I'll book you in for an appointment on Sat if you want mate? 

Certainly, providing others co-operate! See my post, above. (Suffolk to Yorkshire would be hard on the pads, otherwise.)

[asbokid]

I'll book you in for an appointment on Sat if you want mate? 

Certainly, providing others co-operate! See my post, above. (Suffolk to Yorkshire would be hard on the pads, otherwise.)

Cats in cages (and not occupying a seat) can travel free on National Rail.

Change at Ely and/or Peterborough for an East Coast Main Line service.

cheers, a

[sevenlayermuddle]

I'm curious folks, of all the frequencies used by DSL, why does 612kHz seem to be a kind of reference frequency for REIN?

I'm not questioning that wisdom, I just want to know if I'm missing something. 

[Black Sheep]

It's not a 'specific' channel as such 7LM. It's just that there's nothing else around that particular frequency that could 'interfere'. There's a similar frequency that can be used on the LW scale as told to me by one of our PTO experts, but I can't for the life in me remember what it was ??!!

[Ezzer]

Its not 612kHz thats the reference point but nearer 300 khz that actually IS the "reference" point. Its just that a typical radio dosn't go that far down, you can use the next harmonic which is at 600 or 150khz.

Any major REIN at that frequency will make a marked affect on dsl service. To a lesser degree further up the frequency range will do as well. Unless its at a harmonic (by harmonic I mean nice round intergers like double or half trebble/third,quad'/quarter. The effect depreciates a degree each harmonic further away from the key frequency your concerned with.

Its the same principle with musical notes, octives, keys etc.

Havnt been on this site in ages and the 1st thing I click on is REIN, typical. If you want nasty broadband try the U.S.A. I feel as if I'm getting the service as if I'm on the end of an 11km long line I often worked on in norfolk.

[waltergmw]

Welcome back Ezzer !

I hear of other parts where they've done amazing things. Somewhere I have a picture of an old "dobbin" pulling overhead fibre over fields and forests and doing much less damage than an infernal combustion engine - and doing the job faster as well.

There are a few chinks of light over here too, but it ain't happening by tea time !

Kindest regards,
Walter

PS

http://b4rn.org.uk/north-lancashire-residents-make-broadband-history

(@ B S = RP for Ezzer) Perhaps this and your managerial broadcast are not unrelated ?
One is actually achieving something, the other sounds like - lies, damned lies & statistics. IMHO the behemoth will NEVER get to the places I walked for the first time in a howling wind. I thought I'd found evidence of elephants up on the fells above Caton near the windmills !! Later discovered it was only bison - but VERY impressive @ 5 Ins Diameter !
V sorry for the digression !

PPS - Have a look at my news report yesterday.