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[IBeAdam]

Could you take a pic of you Master Socket and faceplate?

Sure. On checking its a 5C with a MK4 faceplate.

It hasn't made any difference from the old socket (probably ancient) but with my Solwise faceplate, or the Excelsus filter I've tried.

[IBeAdam]

Another update.

Usual resync at 2am (no change to G.INP, SNM etc)
Another drop at 8:40am today, during which I couldn't dial any outside line as dial-tone wouldn't break. Line stats show nothing special before or after. ISP still haven't raised a fault with OpenReach as I've not agreed to pay if no fault found.

Update (Sun 26th)

Today I re-wired everything (for the umpteenth time) adding a Tacima 6 Way Mains Conditioner and also my fourth modem (a Zyxel VMG1312-B10A). As expected, no difference other than the Zyxel gets a slightly faster sync.

Three drops (without warning) today. Last resync had my Attn going from 27db to 30db which is a bit weird.

I'm going to migrate to Andrews & Arnold, who say they'll take on a line with a fault and sort it. If they can get someone out to the cabinet/pole/exchange I expect they'll find something corroded somewhere.

[IBeAdam]

An update.... it’s still dropping daily, sometimes more frequently. 

I moved ISP to A&A, who sent me a load of preconfigured kit including a ZyXEL VMG3925-B10B, cables, micro filter etc. It’s been connected to the test socket for many months now.

I am still seeing daily drops. There appears to be no pattern. Stats are as before with high FEC but little else.

A&A don’t seem keen on an engineer callout as they say they will be unlikely to find anything. So, here we are back at square one except that in these times we rely on our internet to home school my autistic son and my wife is attempting to teach remotely.

You’d think trying 5 different modems, many different cables, 2 master sockets, 4 filters, etc etc would be enough!

Latest modem stats

Code: [Select]

xdslctl: ADSL driver and PHY status
Status: Showtime
Last Retrain Reason: 1
Last initialization procedure status: 0
Max: Upstream rate = 3042 Kbps, Downstream rate = 33579 Kbps
Bearer: 0, Upstream rate = 3042 Kbps, Downstream rate = 32259 Kbps
Bearer: 1, Upstream rate = 0 Kbps, Downstream rate = 0 Kbps
Link Power State: L0
Mode: VDSL2 Annex B
VDSL2 Profile: Profile 17a
TPS-TC: PTM Mode(0x0)
Trellis: U:ON /D:ON
Line Status: No Defect
Training Status: Showtime
Down Up
SNR (dB): 3.5 6.2
Attn(dB): 31.2 0.0
Pwr(dBm): 11.0 7.1

VDSL2 framing
Bearer 0
MSGc: -6 26
B: 227 95
M: 1 1
T: 0 36
R: 10 12
S: 0.0000 0.9965
L: 8470 867
D: 4 1
I: 238 108
N: 238 108
Q: 4 0
V: 0 0
RxQueue: 75 0
TxQueue: 15 0
G.INP Framing: 18 0
G.INP lookback: 15 0
RRC bits: 0 24
Bearer 1
MSGc: 90 -6
B: 0 0
M: 2 0
T: 2 0
R: 16 0
S: 10.6667 0.0000
L: 24 0
D: 1 0
I: 32 0
N: 32 0
Q: 0 0
V: 0 0
RxQueue: 0 0
TxQueue: 0 0
G.INP Framing: 0 0
G.INP lookback: 0 0
RRC bits: 0 0

Counters
Bearer 0
OHF: 0 252330
OHFErr: 0 0
RS: 40093680 491833
RSCorr: 99338 0
RSUnCorr: 0 0
Bearer 1
OHF: 140887 0
OHFErr: 0 0
RS: 844950 0
RSCorr: 9 0
RSUnCorr: 0 0

Retransmit Counters
rtx_tx: 89104417 0
rtx_c: 478891 0
rtx_uc: 137757 0

G.INP Counters
LEFTRS: 44 0
minEFTR: 32204 0
errFreeBits: 223787137 0

Bearer 0
HEC: 0 0
OCD: 0 0
LCD: 0 0
Total Cells: 140237577 0
Data Cells: 1052757 0
Drop Cells: 0
Bit Errors: 0 0

Bearer 1
HEC: 0 0
OCD: 0 0
LCD: 0 0
Total Cells: 0 0
Data Cells: 0 0
Drop Cells: 0
Bit Errors: 0 0

ES: 45 68
SES: 32 0
UAS: 454 422
AS: 2264

Bearer 0
INP: 53.00 0.00
INPRein: 1.00 0.00
delay: 0 0
PER: 0.00 9.00
OR: 0.01 28.43
AgR: 32330.18 3070.67

Bearer 1
INP: 2.50 0.00
INPRein: 2.50 0.00
delay: 0 0
PER: 16.06 0.01
OR: 47.81 0.01
AgR: 47.81 0.01

Bitswap: 371/481 2/2

Total time = 1 days 23 hours 8 min 50 sec
FEC: 39718977 705
CRC: 1995 76
ES: 45 68
SES: 32 0
UAS: 454 422
LOS: 2 0
LOF: 2 0
LOM: 2 0
Latest 15 minutes time = 8 min 50 sec
FEC: 18830 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Previous 15 minutes time = 15 min 0 sec
FEC: 36730 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Latest 1 day time = 23 hours 8 min 50 sec
FEC: 14523942 604
CRC: 1945 34
ES: 36 34
SES: 32 0
UAS: 312 280
LOS: 2 0
LOF: 2 0
LOM: 2 0
Previous 1 day time = 24 hours 0 sec
FEC: 25195035 101
CRC: 50 42
ES: 9 34
SES: 0 0
UAS: 142 142
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
Since Link time = 37 min 43 sec
FEC: 99338 0
CRC: 0 0
ES: 0 0
SES: 0 0
UAS: 0 0
LOS: 0 0
LOF: 0 0
LOM: 0 0
NTR: mipsCntAtNtr=0 ncoCntAtNtr=0
I’m really at a loss where to go next.

[ktz392837]

I don't know what other members think but if you can pursue more as a voice fault that may help.  Not able to dial out, noisy clickly line, can't hear people talk.  Record it if you can as proof.  Make sure testing with old style non dect phone.  Not sure if the charges for no fault found are more lenient for voice faults?   

If AA are not able to help with their very premium prices I have to say that is very disappointing.  Surely just a few graphs from dslstats with severe db oscillations and their record of frequent disconnects should be enough to prove fault.

[IBeAdam]

Hi

Thanks for the suggestion.

I did try that route but with A&A I no longer have a normal phone line, only VoIP so it’s a lot more difficult to prove.

I’m going to try pushing again today because this is ridiculous.

[IBeAdam]

An update:

I had an engineer out, who seemed extremely helpful. Nothing particular come up on his tests but he went to check the wiring at the top of the pole and rewired my connection as he said they were looking in poor shape. He also told me a “replacement tag” was already on the pole for the cable from beneath the ground up the pole. He placed a second tag, but didn’t sound confident it would be actioned.

Unfortunately line drops continued, however there were thunderstorms in the area so we left it a week.

Another engineer came out as line still dropping and ran the usual tests which all passed, as always. He did agree to check the cabinet connections and left. He also did a dlm reset, which moved margin from 3db to 6db with resulting loss of speed.

We then had connection up for 2 days! That’s the best in the last few months, but unfortunately it dropped last night 12:40 with retrain reason 8000. Noise margin remained the same, but interleaving down from 8 to 4. Not sure if this is a true drop, or line management being applied.

No idea what the next step is? Wait and monitor? How to chase the replacement of the pole cable?

[burakkucat]

No idea what the next step is? Wait and monitor? How to chase the replacement of the pole cable?

Go out to the pole, find the two "A1024" tags and take a photograph of each one. If you cannot understand the terminology that may have been used by the Openreach technicians when writing out those tags, provide a link to the images and one of us will attempt a translation.

Your next step depends upon what is written on those tags. 

[IBeAdam]

Thanks 

There appears to be only one tag. Photos attached.

[burakkucat]

Ah, I see. A recently applied A1024 and nothing with an earlier date. The relevant phrase is --

"Renew block and tail."

The "block" is the pole-top point of connection for all the individual aerial drops. The "tail" is the multi-pair cable that runs down the pole, from the "block", and connects to the underground D-side cable (which then runs to the PCP).

As the date is relatively recent (June 15th, 2020) and due to the current global circumstances, your next step is to just be patient. Obviously if there is a total failure, i.e. you and your neighbours loose service, then service restoration by actioning the specified work would occur.

[IBeAdam]

Ok, thanks. At least it’ll be actioned sometime.

Strange that there isn’t an earlier one as the engineer said there was one already, perhaps he took it off. My neighbour three down did have a total failure last week, and an engineer was working on the pole, so perhaps that explains it.

[burakkucat]

You might be interested to read a related topic, started by NewtronStar in late 2016 . . . concerning a "block and tail" replacement.

[Chrysalis]

did you try a super short cable.

[IBeAdam]

did you try a super short cable.

Yes, tried 3 different cables including the extra short one I’m currently using.

I haven’t tried something like this though https://www.bcedirect.co.uk/products/broadband-stabiliser-and-line-conditioner-faster-more-reliable-broadband-increase-broadband-speed-lower-broadband-dropouts as both the faceplate and zyxel modem are supposed to have built in filters. Worth a try?

Ps. Internet managed 2 days before dropping, that’s the best so far. Currently on 1 day 11 hours. It’s definitely better.

[mrk26]

This will increase line attenuation slighty. I put one of these on mine, got fairly low amount of FEC errors (about 1000 / day, unless there is a storm then much more). I'm on eci cabinet with draytek vigor 2760. Fastpath on booth directions, and what I realised, attienable speed drop and snr drop on vigor, then attienable speed go back up snr go back up, without this filter snr on vigor never came back, always keep dropping. Just my observations. Only put this as I bought a while ago and forgot to test it. I got this plugged for last two weeks and didn't see any issues also we had few storms here and my line survived without being interleaved.

[IBeAdam]

Useful info thanks.

Attenuation currently 31.3 although this may be the current modem reading differently as it’s usually around 28. Might be worth a try.

Used to be fast path, rarely dropped, few fecs but now interleaved depth 4 with those daily drops and millions of fecs a day. Nothing will fix the cable until they actually replace it, but it might help.

Another question if I may Currently the modem is plugged in to a Tacima mains conditioner. The phone cable is direct from the master socket. Would there be any advantage to plugging the modem in to the CyberPower Sinewave UPS, which I believe also has efi filtering and additionally routing the modem cable via it? I haven’t so far in order to keep things as direct as possible, plus the Tacima is well reviewed. I know I could just try it, but I’m attempting to minimise the number of times I have to bring the connection down, so thought I’d seek opinion here first.