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[jamesbob]

After 3-4 years of uneventful performance, I've started to see drops in my FTTC DSL connection.

The Fritsbox charts show a pattern with DSL errors peaking at 9pm every evening - see attached screenshot.

The error pattern seems to be:

• peak around 9pn with high statistical significant
• slow rise for the hours beforehand

Nothing in the house has changed with regard to electrical equipment - and the set up is:

• washing machine is not used late evening
• the boiler doesn't go on until 6am and room heating is off during the day
• the master fuse box has always given a slight audible hum and has done so for 7 years, it is not new so likely not a factor
• kettles/cooking/oven or even the printer is not used around 9pm
• there is no telephone in the house, and  the phone sockets wires are disconnected from the master socket (it used to be a star topology, now is a simple extension to the modem)
• house is detached, albeit thin-walls new build so neighbour / flat apartment issues unlikely

Question: do you recognise the error pattern? What could be the likely cause?

[tubaman]

A couple of thoughts from me:
1. A sudden rise in errors at a certain time does suggest electrical interference and just because nothing has changed in the equipment you have it doesn't mean that one of the existing devices isn't causing this. Prime suspects will be anything switching a heavy load or anything with a switched-mode power supply that is being used at that time such as a mobile phone charger for example. The interference could also be outside your property even though you are in a detached property.

2. The hum from the main fuse board concerns me as that is not normal as far as I am aware. Can you identify exactly where it is coming from as I can't think why anything in there should cause any audible sound at all.

[jamesbob]

Thanks for the reply.

1. I will think hard about what could be causing it.

2. The fuse box has always had a small hum. Not sure where exactly. We did get an electrician to look at it and he suggested poor electrical contacts but didn't feel it was worth fixing.

It's all a new build so none of the wiring or fuse box is more than 8 years old.

[tubaman]

...
The fuse box has always had a small hum. Not sure where exactly. We did get an electrician to look at it and he suggested poor electrical contacts but didn't feel it was worth fixing.
...

  But after 8 years any poor contacts would have either burnt out or caught fire!

[Alex Atkin UK]

But after 8 years any poor contacts would have either burnt out or caught fire!

Indeed, "not worth fixing" is a frightening thought given its at common cause of house fires.