JamieMacdonald

Right I'll try to keep this as brief as possible but get all the important facts in.

We are having a nightmare with our broadband connection. We've had it a couple of months but every day or two we get really bad connection problems. We always lived too far away from the exchange for ADSL (2-3 miles) but BT have recently done 'something' to beef up our line (overhead line down our lane) to enable ADSL access. We get about a 470kbps connection to our ISP (AoL I'm afraid) which is good enough.

So, onto the problem... Every now and again (not necessarily every day) we get a sustained period (a few hours) of connection problems. What basically happens is:- ADSL light is on on the modem, you connect to AoL ok, within a few minutes the ADSL light flicks off on the modem, and you are disconnected from AoL - "Goodbye!" . The ADSL light flickers as it retrains which takes about 15 secs, then stays on again, you sign back on, then precisely 5 mins later the same thing happens (light goes out etc.). And this carries on for hours.... [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

A few more points:- have done all the basic things AoHell suggest; reinstall firewall, modem, ISP software, alter USB power managment, plus have also tried completely different cables, on another PC (laptop), plugged into the main phone socket with all other devices in the house unplugged, run a cable to a different socket - none of the above cleared the problem, although sometimes it can be fine for a couple of days with no problems.

We've tried speaking to AoL and BT but I would get more sense out of my Mum's cat! I am sure it must be something to with the exchange/line, I'm positive it's none of our equipment - and what's that 5 minute 'on the dot' thing all about eh?!

Any help appreciated...
Cheers,
J

rogp

What ADSL modem/router are you using?

You could try updating the firmware?

[Edited by rogp - 12/4/2003 6:21:06 PM]

JamieMacdonald

BT Voyager 100 mate.

HHxx

Can you get diagnostics info from that modem? I know you can with routers and other modems. Just to prove if its the signal strength/quality affecting you.

I don't know the exact working of radsl and how it adapts. Im assuming you have radsl?

H

markbluemica

say no more absolute bag of **** i should no i work for em change it for a router but it might not be the only cause of your problems try that first but the voyager is really pants could also be the exchange gateway kicking you off or many other problems but try router first

judgejules

Yeah change the router mate. I have a friend up the road here that's getting the same problem with his router. I put mine in there for a few days, no problems.

I'm 4.8k's from my exchange and my adsl has only had about an hour of downtime in almost two years. The friend in question is a few hundred meters closer to the exchange on the same route yet he's got the probs you're describing.

G'luck.

~Jules

PS. If you want a pukka modem try a Vigor2500 ADSL Router or a Vigor2600 ADSL Router if you want something with more oomph (options)

[Edited by judgejules - 12/4/2003 8:12:33 PM]

JamieMacdonald

Good question! Going by our distance from the exchange I would assume so, but the modem always connects at 288/576 Kbps and everything says "ADSL". I really think it is something to do with the exchange, because if it is working fine at any given moment in time on the desktop PC, and you take the modem and connect it to the laptop it works fine and holds a connection. But if it is playing up on the desktop PC and you try it with the laptop, it has the same problem with disconnecting every 5 minutes. Have tried explaining this to BT but "as you are not a BT openworld customer, please refer to your ISP" . AoL and BT working together - my @rse!

As for replacing the modem with a router, I really don't want to have to spend any more money - AoL shouldn't be providing equipment which is not up to the job. I still think it's the exchange though, might break in tonight and have a look!

JamieMacdonald

Just read the replies above and maybe it does sound like the modem could be at fault. But I don't understand why some days it can connect for 10+ hours without a problem???

JamieMacdonald

Bastids!!!

HHxx

Hmmmm

Get a friend on aol and borrow their modem. If it still does it then its most likely the line.

You could always phone up and ask for a Whoosh test to be carried out on your line, I think you do this through BT. I believe they don't do this test all the time anymore for wires only installs. Try and time the test for when the drops are happening.

H

markbluemica

it wont be the line if it not doing it all the time and only doing it for a couple of hours during the day

JamieMacdonald

Will try to find someone with an ADSL modem.The line drops every 5 minutes on the dot, you know it's gone because the ADSL light goes out on the modem (the link between the modem and the ADSL exchange?).

Cheers,J

hedgehog

It might be worth adding that BT seem to have having a lot of problems with the ADSL network over the last few weeks. A mate who logs such things got kicked off something like 96 times in a few days despite only being dropped a handful of times in the previous months. I have also noticed my connection dropping out quite a bit more than usual over the last while, though I don't log the events.

As others suggest it may well be a modem problem but it might be that BT problems are making it seem worse at present.

markbluemica

as i said before could be the exchange gateway

NotoriousREV

What other USB devices do you have? A mate of mine was having the same trouble you describe and after a lot of buggering about we discovered that if you disconnected his USB HP fax/printer it worked perfectly.

Of course it was the last thing I could think of after being on the phone to BT Whoosh testing, checking wiring, checking firmware etc etc

JamieMacdonald

Yep tried that too REV, like I said I've tried with a laptop and the only common factor is the modem and the fact it is using the same ADSL line as the desktop PC. Well that and the fact that they both run WinXP!

I agree with markbluem, I think it is the excgange gateway (whatever that is !)!

J

JamieMacdonald

Lol - 'excgange' - I cold do with a bit of de-stressing actually

jhdee

Had similar line drop out problems when we first got our broadband connection. Fixed by changing the modem - still don't understand why the original was dropping out though !!!

jhdee

jjones

no point asking for a whoosh test.

if you "fail" with a too noisy line then they will disconnect your adsl. they are under no obligation to provide a broadband connection and if it means you are going to complain and you have failed there standard "if you fail tuff ****" test then they will simply disconnect you. it could cost them a small fortune trying to fault find a line fault between your house and the exchange.

i would exhaust all hardware possibilities first before requesting this test!