Help me isolate my line fault

[Flanders]

Some time ago there was a thread on mybb (can't find it now) where a poster mentioned that if your SNR was bad, you could boost your performance by lifting the handset on your landline and reconnecting. Something to the effect that it slightly raises the voltage running through the line and so mitigates the effects of the fault...or something? Anyway, to that poster, I owe you a case of Bells. This little trick has saved me from insanity on numerous occasions because it really does work.

With the bad JHB weather over the weekend, my line was really struggling. As soon as it rains, my internet recoils in horror. I had downstream SNR of around 6 and CRC errors through the roof. It would only sync at 3Mbps. I forgot to take a 'before' screenie but with a simple lifting of the landline handset and reconnect, here are my stats:



Running like a dream. Now, I'd like to know, with this particular problem (or solution), are there any pointers on where to look to isolate this or is it simply a case of less noise over the entire line=greater performance? Why I ask is because, for example, when the landline handset is off the hook, I no longer get CRC errors. Could it be the handset itself? Does the problem possibly exist on the portion of line between the landline handset and adsl split (landline is on other side of house to router)? I have checked the filter and replaced numerous times without any joy.

Any pointers would be helpful because as I say, when the handset is up then the line seems fine/better and telkom sure as hell don't have any helpful suggestions to make when they come to fix faults.

 

[jdido87]

I have a similar problem with my SNR dropping very low with the lowest being 0.1db down. The SNR downstream is problematic while upstream is fine. I am getting no joy with telkom. I am thinking about buying cable tester (Cable Tester for UTP/STP RJ-11/12/45 & BNC). Will the tester help me diagnose the problem?

 

[Geoff.D]

I will have to think about this a bit. Not sure what "lifting the handset" does. Will experiment with my line.

There are really only a few things that can go wrong with telephone line.

(1) Broken connection somewhere --- line will go completely "dead"
(2) A dry joint somewhere ---- This will cause intermittent performance, noise etc.
(3) A split leg ---- where the pair associated with you service is no longer the same all the way to the exchange.

It is only Telkom that can help you with this diagnosis.

Having your own cable tester will only help you sort out issues within your premises. It may help is giving you more information to pass on to Telkom when reporting a fault.

Dry joints can appear anywhere. For example how many "extensions" do you have on your line? Or does it simply terminate at one point in your home where you have the handset and the ADSL modem plugged in?
Have you physically checked the connection points? From the drop wire point to where your ADSL modem and phone is installed? Any signs of ants in the terminating blocks? they can cause all sorts of issues especially if they have decided to use the block as place to incubate eggs?

 

[jdido87]

I actually moved my line over the weekend because the idiots who installed it let it touch my jet master. The casing have become thin where it touched but as I found out on the weekend it was not the problem. At least my router is not centrally located and away from electrical point and lines. where can I buy those plastic connectors telkom use to connect the phone like. I want to run a new line at my place.

 

[Geoff.D]

I actually moved my line over the weekend because the idiots who installed it let it touch my jet master. The casing have become thin where it touched but as I found out on the weekend it was not the problem. At least my router is not centrally located and away from electrical point and lines. where can I buy those plastic connectors telkom use to connect the phone like. I want to run a new line at my place.

I have seen them at Builders hardware, Incredible Connection and Hi-Fi Corporation.

 

[ponder]

With the bad JHB weather over the weekend, my line was really struggling. As soon as it rains, my internet recoils in horror.

You have expose copper somewhere along the path, rain makes it worse. If you lift up your receiver and dial '0' do you hear hissing or crackling on the line?

I had a similar problem a few months back, the tech was busy with my fault for halve the day driving up & down the road climbing up poles to find the exact location. End result was he could not pinpoint it except for a specific length of cable so he moved me over to a spare pair in that cable and bliss, no more dropped syncs or hissing on the line. Going like a boeing!