Weird Telkom ADSL Problem

[SNot0ssie]

This is really very sad, more so for us ex Telkom employees that actually do know how things work!

(1) There are many of us who live close enough to node points where the DSLAMs, MSANs, ISANs whatever are installed whop DO NOT need to have their services "controlled" by the ASSIA system, who should be able to get systems set on Fastpath permanently.
(2) Who want to get their lines tested properly, by competent technical people and not by the normal call centre people who half the time just irritate the H out of us when we phone them
and they start giving us the normal run around.

It is way past pathetic!



Why is it necessary for users to have to pull the stunts on their own? Why can't we get to persons who can test lines properly and determine what the real problem is?
Why must we put up with anything but the best possible service on the line we have? Why can't we opt out of the LCD solutions if we choose to do so?

Why can't we push the limits on a line that may be theoretically out of range but if it works let it work? What is wrong here? We are not all sheep, who want to be labelled as dumb customers!

We are more than able to understand the compromises we are making and what to expect as a result.

The thing that made me give up was the fact that the tech that was attending to the fault keep on insisting the the line if fine and working, but he was never in my house to test the line from my house to the DB in the complex, this cable was patched before because it was damaged when a manhole cover fell in and did some damage.

I just find it sickening that I am so desperate that I am willing to pull my own cable and maintain telkoms network but pulling a cable from my house to the DB and patching it in myself.

I just get told sorry, more than 5km from the exchange nothing we can do, but why did I get a line syncing at 4905 for the first few months? if it was distance would this not have been a problem from day one when they did the installation?

 

[Impulse_One]

Hi guys, it seems I'm having similar problem.

In short, my line stats drop once a day, along with speeds. Yet if I use phone, router loses sync and line stats regenerate back to usual condition, but sync speed is stuck on slow speed (shown below).

I checked POTS filter and it is fine, tried plugging directly, same thing.

This is quite inconveniencing, as for example last month it dropped sync speed to 4096/128 which was unusable, this month is just slower.

 

[SNot0ssie]

Hi guys, it seems I'm having similar problem.

In short, my line stats drop once a day, along with speeds. Yet if I use phone, router loses sync and line stats regenerate back to usual condition, but sync speed is stuck on slow speed (shown below).

I checked POTS filter and it is fine, tried plugging directly, same thing.

This is quite inconveniencing, as for example last month it dropped sync speed to 4096/128 which was unusable, this month is just slower.

View attachment 452069

Phone the call centre and ask them to recreate the port at a lower speed, I have noticed that the lower the speed the more stable it becomes. Also play around with the ADSL mode on the router, the first 2 checks boxes must be on and the rest off and check what that does.

 

[SNot0ssie]

If all else failed.....
Are you below 1Km from the ADSL exchange-?....then...
Just a quick question:If you connect the router to power, without the Line-Cord plugged in, wait till it booted fully. If you now plug in the Line-Cord to the router, does it sync reasonably fast, like within 15-20 seconds-? If you repeat this 10 times, does it varies up to 5 minutes to sync some times.
If you have this scenario, and port change did not help, try a 200-500Ohm resistor in one leg of the ADSL line, and see if you get quick syncs...

So you add the resistor in to one of the wires?

Please explain to me how the resistor changes tings, I am trying to understand the method behind your madness but cant find a reason by my own methods....

 

[Moto Guzzi]

My 2nd attemp at your problem(Yes its 5KM=Paid and proved to have worked)....):I feel that if a paid subscriber should start having abnormal difficulties, the company involved should go the extra mile at least once. By replacing everything related to SYNC at your home side, you went the extra mile yourself.The extra mile excludes a CAll Centre. A Call Centre is just too remote for this.
I hate to observe you suffer if theres a chance it could work out. I assume everything was tried by the Call Centre-Book, and no joy, as I understand it did worked to your satisfaction before, then something happened.
Try the following, and you may want to visit the tech's base and ask to speak to the supervisor or manager(The manager/supervisor know his techs extra capabilities), so a tech can be assigned to your problem from A-Z. The CAll Centre will be a waist of time here, try to explain this to them.
1-Ask them to re-port your ADSL to another free correct port on another module, or another shelf even better. This is not that big of a deal. This will give you another port as well as new cross connect wiring terminated properly.This will also have you on another lightning protection strip.
If this does not work...
2-Ask them to get your line info, go to each street cabinet, replace each crossconnect wire involed(not remade it), up to the last box near your house, as well as termination at your house. Its important to replace the cross connect wires. This is not that of a big deal either.
If this does not work...
3-Another thing to do is to assign another cable pair in the cable, this will make sure crossconnect wires are made off on different connection points than before throughout the boxes up to the home.
This is not that big of a deal either.
If these did not work....
4-Ask them to pull out a megger, and disconnect exchange side + your EQPT, then test the cable between each box involed(Shorts/opens/contacts/spec etc), and see if cable conform to Type versus Spec of that cable, for each section up to your house. They should be able to draw these specs from their source.This is a bigger deal, more work, but may identify the faulty cable in the A-Z link.
5-Lastly, almost forgot:Was your ADSL exchange upgraded to a new one, and after that you experienced this problem with your 5Km-ADSL line-? In this case I am out of breath, but dont give up, pull steps 1-4 on the new one before giving up.

This was about Layer-1(Physical) layer. Test with equipment is not exactly the same as the working of equipments connected to each other, but does give clues and direction in most cases. There comes a day you want to climb out of the box.
In cases like these the company should carry the cost, because really its not the subscribers that came forth with the Internet idea, let techs show pride in their job, and gain experience in the process.Layer-1 quirks can be a pig.

They can draw your ADSL-history & account history, to see that your "5km ADSL-line" did work and they received your payment for it, before starting to assist. When the tech visit you, go and sit at your dining table, and discuss this with him.

Something tells me you as the subscriber must take charge of the situation,problem effecting you, by having a complete view about the scenario. If it boils down to writing a letter with this content in your own words and post it to the company's head office, so be it, but 1st try politely again, visit their local technical premices to locate a supervisor/manager. I had to to take charge of many similar situations effecting me over the past 15 years to get a positive result. Unfortunately this is how the "modern" world is busy evolving.The presence of Quality, proudeness in job, logical conclusions, preserverence etc are all demishing qualities as time goes on, does not matter if its Telecomunications, Motorindusry, even Medical.......

 

[Geoff.D]

Do we live in the same SA as you?

Years,ago you might have succeeded in getting that sort of attention to a fault, but now?

Telkom used contractors to attend to faults and they were/are paid according to how many faults were cleared per day, not based on services fixed ....

The best you can hope for these days (certainly in my area) is an allocation of a new pair. I had to personally follow the linesman around while he attended to the last fault I had. He did not even have the tools needed to properly check cross connections (krone tools etc). All he could do was hope that a spare pair existed between the DSLAM point and the DP on the pole behind my house.

When he left I checked the connection in the DP and the drop wire connections myself.

You must have a very good connection inside Telkom to get that sort of attention out of them.

 

[SNot0ssie]

My 2nd attemp at your problem(Yes its 5KM=Paid and proved to have worked)....):I feel that if a paid subscriber should start having abnormal difficulties, the company involved should go the extra mile at least once. By replacing everything related to SYNC at your home side, you went the extra mile yourself.The extra mile excludes a CAll Centre. A Call Centre is just too remote for this.
I hate to observe you suffer if theres a chance it could work out. I assume everything was tried by the Call Centre-Book, and no joy, as I understand it did worked to your satisfaction before, then something happened.
Try the following, and you may want to visit the tech's base and ask to speak to the supervisor or manager(The manager/supervisor know his techs extra capabilities), so a tech can be assigned to your problem from A-Z. The CAll Centre will be a waist of time here, try to explain this to them.
1-Ask them to re-port your ADSL to another free correct port on another module, or another shelf even better. This is not that big of a deal. This will give you another port as well as new cross connect wiring terminated properly.This will also have you on another lightning protection strip.
If this does not work...
2-Ask them to get your line info, go to each street cabinet, replace each crossconnect wire involed(not remade it), up to the last box near your house, as well as termination at your house. Its important to replace the cross connect wires. This is not that of a big deal either.
If this does not work...
3-Another thing to do is to assign another cable pair in the cable, this will make sure crossconnect wires are made off on different connection points than before throughout the boxes up to the home.
This is not that big of a deal either.
If these did not work....
4-Ask them to pull out a megger, and disconnect exchange side + your EQPT, then test the cable between each box involed(Shorts/opens/contacts/spec etc), and see if cable conform to Type versus Spec of that cable, for each section up to your house. They should be able to draw these specs from their source.This is a bigger deal, more work, but may identify the faulty cable in the A-Z link.
5-Lastly, almost forgot:Was your ADSL exchange upgraded to a new one, and after that you experienced this problem with your 5Km-ADSL line-? In this case I am out of breath, but dont give up, pull steps 1-4 on the new one before giving up.

This was about Layer-1(Physical) layer. Test with equipment is not exactly the same as the working of equipments connected to each other, but does give clues and direction in most cases. There comes a day you want to climb out of the box.
In cases like these the company should carry the cost, because really its not the subscribers that came forth with the Internet idea, let techs show pride in their job, and gain experience in the process.Layer-1 quirks can be a pig.

They can draw your ADSL-history & account history, to see that your "5km ADSL-line" did work and they received your payment for it, before starting to assist. When the tech visit you, go and sit at your dining table, and discuss this with him.

Thanks for the suggestion, I will give it a try and hope telkom can help me, bu the problem has been that I am unable to get a tech out to my house, I have logged the call multiple times and not once has he been inside my house....

 

[SNot0ssie]

Ok so TelkomZA has been trying to help me get this sorted out, Line was solid Friday evening a 4meg with attainable rate at 5meg, and the the rest of the weekend it went back to a 2 meg line with high latency and packet loss....

 

[Devinity]

Ok so TelkomZA has been trying to help me get this sorted out, Line was solid Friday evening a 4meg with attainable rate at 5meg, and the the rest of the weekend it went back to a 2 meg line with high latency and packet loss....

Have they checked the exchange? I've been having issues since 2017-07-31. A technician confirmed that there is a problem with Telkom as he is connected to the same exchange as me and is also having problems with his home ADSL. Since about 6pm last night, I've not disconnected. So hopefully it's all sorted out now.

 

[Moto Guzzi]

Layer 1/2:
Sometimes there can be more than one problem, so if one is found and fixed dont give up.
Layer-3:
Another way to prove exchange is to get your service disconnected for a day or 3(Depends on you), and place a laptop connected at exchange with router to monitor sync up quality, with the tech's Laptop & Router. If that passes, provide your router and laptop. If that passes, exchange is sorted. This is more combersome of course, but do same at your house with Techs laptop. Here the line is passed or not or your EQPT or not. Now seeing this is a bit of a pain to pull off(How far is each willing to go with his own stuff-Privacy), I suggested the 1st method on Layer-1.
The problem with Layer 1-3 faults is , you have to get off your chair to fix it, you cannot configure or talk it right sitting in an office, thats why these pain in he butt faults are more difficult and requires physical attention, perserverence, and if found, maybe something simple overlooked. whether found or not, experience will be gained by the tech.

 

[SNot0ssie]

Layer 1/2:
Sometimes there can be more than one problem, so if one is found and fixed dont give up.
Layer-3:
Another way to prove exchange is to get your service disconnected for a day or 3(Depends on you), and place a laptop connected at exchange with router to monitor sync up quality, with the tech's Laptop & Router. If that passes, provide your router and laptop. If that passes, exchange is sorted. This is more combersome of course, but do same at your house with Techs laptop. Here the line is passed or not or your EQPT or not. Now seeing this is a bit of a pain to pull off(How far is each willing to go with his own stuff-Privacy), I suggested the 1st method on Layer-1.
The problem with Layer 1-3 faults is , you have to get off your chair to fix it, you cannot configure or talk it right sitting in an office, thats why these pain in he butt faults are more difficult and requires physical attention, perserverence, and if found, maybe something simple overlooked. whether found or not, experience will be gained by the tech.

I dotn have much hope as the tech thats assigned to my area does not want to do much, the only people willing to help seems to Be the guys using the TelkmoZa account on the forumt

 

[SNot0ssie]

Should I maybe cancel my service and apply for a new one?

 

[FNfal]

Have you plugged a phone in to see if the line is noisy ?
You can also plug a phone in and leave the phone off the hook and see if things improve .

 

[SNot0ssie]

The fault that Terrick from TelkomZA reported for me is open on line noise and its terrible at the moment.

I will try a phone off the hook with the pots filter, it was flapping so bad this weekend that I eventually phone telkom to drop my port to 2meg so that I can use it.

 

[SNot0ssie]

Here is my stats after a flap tonight....

 

[Moto Guzzi]

The worse scenario for line noise is they have to replace a section of the main cable-series leading up to your streeet/house(A-Z).

I know of a case where the last piece of the main cable-series was replaced to solve an ADSL problem. This was more of a bigger issue. This man had to write to the minister.

A few years back I also had a similar problem, in my case they only had to replace the last piece of cable from box to my house to solve the problem, still problem free. This was not such a big issue, I still had to drive them to it.

You can also ask the tech to treat your problem as a new installation, meaning they go through all the stages to get it to work.

 

[SNot0ssie]

The problem is that the tech in the are just says meh, you are too far the exchange deal with it I am closing the call despite the fact that my line was working on 4 meg before the fault was opened.

At this stage I am willing to bribe a telkom tech just to do his job....

 

[SNot0ssie]

So the fault was closed and TelkomZA opened another one for me, I am ready to try rhino horn or anything else to try and get this to work....

 

[isie]

The problem is that the tech in the are just says meh, you are too far the exchange deal with it I am closing the call despite the fact that my line was working on 4 meg before the fault was opened.

At this stage I am willing to bribe a telkom tech just to do his job....

So the fault was closed and TelkomZA opened another one for me, I am ready to try rhino horn or anything else to try and get this to work....

have to keep trying until you get the one guy who either knows what he is doing or even if he doesn't will try to get you sorted.

 

[SNot0ssie]

So yesterday a tech phoned me to make an appointment for Saturday morning, he seems eager to help.

When I got home my line was dead and as it was raining the night before I decided to go check where the cable was patched the last time, the connectors were full of water and mouldy...So I patched the joints using a wall box for the time being until the tech comes on Saturday....