Flaky ADSL connection

I had the exact same problem from October at the OP has. I tried everything, having the technicians change the cable to the pole etc etc. A nightmare of probably a 100 calls over 2-3 months to make them fix it.
In the end all i could do was laugh at the quality of the line, and the Telkom techs had no answer either.
Then around 3 weeks ago i tried an old Marconi V1 adsl router from Telkom, and guess what? I dont get disconnected AT ALL. I had been using a D-Link 504 for around 1-2 years with no issues up until the 4mbit upgrade took place.
So maybe they upgraded some software at the exchange which make many routers incompatible?
I dont get disconnected at all now. I mean at all. Stays connected for days.
I remember one techie saying that they didn't understand the feedback that my D-link was sending back to the Dslam about the connection status/disconnects.
Also, i remember that after the October "upgrade" with the D-Link the line SNR would drop from around 10 to 0 all the time, hence the disconnects. With the Telkom router this does not happen and the SNR ratio has nearly doubled to around 20, and does not drop at all.
Try a rusty old telkom router and see if it works!
 
When my internet disconnects, I pick up the phone and I can hear the modem trying to connect (sounds like a dial-up modem connecting) and after 20 seconds of being on the phone my modem syncs again with the exchange, also sometimes I unplug the modem cable from the wall socket for 10 seconds, plug it back in, and that will sync the modem. I do have pots filters on all my phones. I also have a D-Link modem (DSL 300T), maybe I shall try a different modem. I was thinking of going wireless soon anyway. Do you have any suggestions on a good compatible wireless modem?
 
ravetoad said:
Chances are he is a Radio Ham - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_ham - which I am, and it has absolutely no effect on my ADSL line.

The RF that my antennas produce do buzz the TV a bit, but the ADSL line is solid while I operate my radios...
Click to expand...

OK, thanks. I just heard on the web that some AM radios interfere with the line. A telephone line can act as a big antenna which sometimes picks up interference.

I am exploring every possibility and I think I can cross out RFI now.
 
Up until Wednesday last week my random disconnects persisted, then I went to CT on business, returning on Tuesday 30th of Jan. Since then I have not had 1 SINGLE DISCONNECT !

My DSL line has been rock steady for the last 3 days (well except for a 1 hour outage this afternoon...)

I am still using exactly the same setup as I was using before, no equipment or setting changes.

A Telkom techie must have accidentally fixed whatever was broken. My original fault reference from 08/01 is still open, still "waiting for the next available technician"...

Whatever, it seems to be working now :confused:
 
This is absolutely baffling. Well I guess I will try log a fault and see what happens.

Can I ask anyone who has 4mb and has a very stable connection to plz post what router they have. If I can get the right router maybe that will do it.
 
Hey Wild_Cat

I am also on the Linden excahnge.

Haha I expeirence the same crap as you......when it rains you can pretty much forget about a connection.

I also have a lot of disconnects in the evening. When I first got 4mb line about 5 months ago my SNR on the line was excellent (was over 20DB) now I'm lucky if I get 6DB when it synchs at 4mb!! I pretty much synch at anything between 2.5mb and 4mb now.

Using a Billion 7300G router.

I think the real problem is with the rain and it getting into the ground. It gets into the pipes that hold the cables and cause problems for months. Prolly clear up again when winter hits and there is no rain. (At least I hope)
 
Hope so. A friend of mine who was also connected to the Linden exchange and had the same problems. He called Telkom and when they eventually got round to sorting out his problem, they found Ants all over the DSL contact points(Linden Exchange) Another friend also had an ant problem in Bryanston.
Rain does cause the ants to come out of ground for better shelter.

I have also noticed that my line gets much worse in the evening. This suggests that as more people login and use the net in the evening that maybe our exchange can't handle the extra capacity?
 
Could the people who get stable 4mb connections also post which exchanges they are on and roughly their physical distance from their exchange.

The reason why I am asking is that I read somewhere (Either on these forums or one of the articles on myadsl homepage) that Telkom will be upgrading their exchanges to ADSL2, even though they wont be offering ADSL2 speeds. However If I remember correctly ADSL2 Technology can achieve the greater speeds because it gets a better sync.

Maybe the reason why some people have got stable lines, or recently found that "All of a sudden" their lines work properly is that their exchanges have been upgraded to ADSL2? I don't know, I just want a 4mb line with a stable sync. I don't wanna go down to 3mb,2mb,1mb...

To Hades, it sounds like when it rains our exchange gets screwed and we suffer during the rainy season. You were saying 4-5 moths ago you got a decent SNR? Either since then they have done something to the exchange (Like overloaded it) or the lines have got wet and we are sufffering because of it. Obviously we need a couple of weeks with no rain for the underground water to dry up...just have to wait and see.

Also how far away from the exchange are you? I think the exchange is on 3rd Avenue Linden. I live close to Roosevelt High School (Go up 5th avenue and I'm a street down fro the high school). My SNR is 14/12 normally and drop before I get disconnected. You closer or further away from the exchange?
 
I think I am closer to the exchange....prolly about 1 to 1.5km from the exchange. (opposite emmarentia dam on the north side)

I am currently connected at 4096kbs with an SNR of 4DB!! and line attenuation of 36
 
so you are closer with a worse SNR and attenuation...how the hell does that work. I think I'm the one nearest Roosevelt High with their Cellphone Mast...

Sigh...I think we both should log faults and tell them we think rain is getting into the cabling. Maybe they will either fix that or totally rewire us. Gonna make a complaint at the Telkom shop when I go to Cresta.
 
Okay WildCat post what they tell you.....lol I have always had issues with rain even back when I had 56K. They never seem to be able to fix.

Yeah and I agree with you my SNR and Line Attenuation are not up to scrath fro the distance that I am away from the actual exchange.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X