ADSL Line troubleshooting advice:

W

Waaib

Executive Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2007
Messages
5,808
Reaction score
3
Hi All,

I need some help on where to start looking for a solution for my issue. I'm an 'average' in terms of technology know-how. Hopefully I can describe the issue we'll enough for you to give me hints on how to fix.

My issue is my ADSL line at home seems unstable or inconsistent. When I do downloads from iTunes store or download programs using anything except a download manager the downloads always fail because the line seems to go up and down. When browsing 1 or 2 pages will load and the I'll get "page not found' errors. Click refresh and the page loads. When a few people are using the internet (Kids on PC, me on iPad) it seems to come to a complete stop.

- Line is from Telkom. 384k ADSL line. It's 90% for home email and we're usually at work etc so speed isn't really an issue.
- Data is from MWEB (uncapped option).
- Modem is a Netgear DGN2000 with latest firmware (updated about 2 weeks ago).

It's been like this for about a year - ever since I moved into the place actually - I've never really cared but now my kids are getting older and more into using the PC and internet so it's becoming more important to have an at least consistent line if not fast. I have had the line at 1mb speed in the past and the behaviour is the same. When I tried to use it at 4mb it wouldn't sync. Telkom said it's because we're too far from the exchange.

Hope that's enough info for you to give any advice.
 
I did speed tests on MyBB - SA was ping of about 340ms, Download was 180kbps, Upload was 110kbps.

I cant remember the international numbers but they where about the same.
 
Are you able to find your SNR and Attenuation Rates from your router?
 
Not sure what those are but will google and find them out when home later this afternoon.
 
Ok, what i will check is that all phones of fax are connected via a filter, this might be that you have a faulty filter, do you speed test on http://speedtest.net , open a free account and then you can keep record of your test's , the ping seems a bit hi , also check and see waht rate is your adsl line set via telkom, becuase for example if it is set at say 10mb/s and your line can only handel say 4mb/s , you will have bad performance. Not that you use that speed , but it can have a impact , then also , maybe ask telkom te reset your port for you , might have corrupt port.
 
Waaib said:
Not sure what those are but will google and find them out when home later this afternoon.
Click to expand...
those values are listed on the router's web interface, usually under a diagnosis/status sub-menu. we're interested in them as they roughly indicate the quality of the line and or signal
 
mustangsa said:
Ok, what i will check is that all phones of fax are connected via a filter, this might be that you have a faulty filter,
Click to expand...

Oh! I have several filters AND a fax machine on the line. I'll remove them too and see if it improves. The fax is used about 1 per year so not required. Not sure why I have 3 filters there. Will have to go trace all the lines etc. There are 2 telephones connected .. normal telkom and a Siemens cordless.
 
Waaib said:
Oh! I have several filters AND a fax machine on the line. I'll remove them too and see if it improves. The fax is used about 1 per year so not required. Not sure why I have 3 filters there. Will have to go trace all the lines etc. There are 2 telephones connected .. normal telkom and a Siemens cordless.
Click to expand...

What you can also do is maybe unplug all your phones and fax machines and only run your Adsl and see if it improves it. as mustang SA says, you may have a faulty filter. also check that all the devices have a filter on them. you need to get the results from your router for attenuation and SNR values and margins to see the quality of the line. Honestly I cannot see Telkom's excuse of being to far away from the exchange as being the thing since you are only running at 384kbps.
 
Log in to router page and check uptime. Is the line falling over fairly regularly?

http://192.168.0.1/start.htm
("Show stats" button at the bottom of landing page)

You can also see Line Attenuation and Noise Margin there which is what was asked above.
 
Update. Apparent improvement.
I moved the router from upstairs to downstairs where the telkom line enters the house i.e. the FIRST telkom jack.
I removed all other things connected the line and ran the modem into the telkom line with only the Netgear supplied filter in place.
What I can't remove is the house alarm that is connected to the phone line inside the wall (behind the faceplate of the line jack)

New stats
Download Speed: 314 kbps (39.3 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 95 kbps (11.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Latency: 143 ms
 
Line Attenuation 50.0 db 27.0 db
Noise Margin 22.3 db 12.0 db
 
Your ADSL line will definetly be affected by having so many jack points plus the alarm
 
Make sure that , equipment plug in, is behind a filter , very important , alarm , telephone , ect
 
The only device plugged into the line direct , without a filter is a the modem. The rest all in serial with a filter inline
 
I've changed as advised and it's much better already. Only problem is alarm is attached to line inside the wall - behind the faceplate - so I don't want to mess around with that.
 
Waaib said:
Update. Apparent improvement.
I moved the router from upstairs to downstairs where the telkom line enters the house i.e. the FIRST telkom jack.
I removed all other things connected the line and ran the modem into the telkom line with only the Netgear supplied filter in place.
What I can't remove is the house alarm that is connected to the phone line inside the wall (behind the faceplate of the line jack)

New stats
Download Speed: 314 kbps (39.3 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 95 kbps (11.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Latency: 143 ms
Click to expand...


You can put the filter in the alarm box, if it isn't there already. Very few alarms will communicate with the monitoring station with a non-filtered ADSL line working. They either send tones (DTMF) or a series of pulses (4x2) and the noise of the DSL connection interferes with the handshake which the monitoring stations equipment sends to the alarm after it transmits a signal.

You will need a RJ-11 adaptor. Take out the flying lead from the RJ-11 adaptor. Connect the incoming telephone line inside the RJ-11 adaptor. Plug the POTS filter's flying lead into the RJ-11 adaptor. Plug the flying lead you took out the RJ-11 adaptor into the TEL socket of the POTS filter. You might have to clip one side of the flying lead's connector so it can fit into the alarm boards TIP and RING connection. I have done hundreds of these. Now and then (once every 2 years) I find a faulty POTS filter, but the damage is usually lightning induced
 
Update - since moving the router to 'first' in the queue the stability has been MUCH better. Thanks for the help folks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X