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ADSL suckiness
The Cat
Registered User, ClubPA regular
Registered User, ClubPA regular
okay, I'm an aussie with Optus as an ISP and phoneline provider, using their provided speedstream 4200 plus a belkin wireless router. About a week ago my DSL started dropping out for 20-30 minute periods in the evening*, with the DSL and Activity lights flicking out and the router software telling me that the point-to-point connection was 'not trained'. It seems to fix itself after a while, but the issue keeps recurring and its absolutely maddening. The first time it happened, tech support's instructions managed to fix it instantly by resetting the modem completely, but that no longer works.
I spent an hour+ on the phone to optus last night, and managed nothing more than to get transferred to the wrong department twice. I also emailed them but have received no reply (24 hour turnaround time my a**), so I'm getting a little desperate for help.
Also, two days after this started the connection was switched over from DSL to 2+, so I don't know if that's got anything to do with it. Is the modem bung, should i upgrade the firmware or something? Installed version is 004-D240-A6R. Also, I'm in a block of flats, which may complicate things. It took like five phonecalls and a technician's visit to get the connection working when it was first installed.
*it could be happening at other times, but I'm not at home then so I wouldn't know.
I spent an hour+ on the phone to optus last night, and managed nothing more than to get transferred to the wrong department twice. I also emailed them but have received no reply (24 hour turnaround time my a**), so I'm getting a little desperate for help.
Also, two days after this started the connection was switched over from DSL to 2+, so I don't know if that's got anything to do with it. Is the modem bung, should i upgrade the firmware or something? Installed version is 004-D240-A6R. Also, I'm in a block of flats, which may complicate things. It took like five phonecalls and a technician's visit to get the connection working when it was first installed.
*it could be happening at other times, but I'm not at home then so I wouldn't know.
The Cat on
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1) Yes, try updating the firmware.
2) Find out if Optus will change your profile to a more stable one. DSL2+ is more sensitive than standard DSL.
3) Check your line filters. It is possible that you might need to update these to DSL2+ compatible line filters. We use C10 line filters. If you can, a central splitter is a good way to go but can be $150 or more to buy and install. It basically isolates off your DSL from your analogue phone from where the line enters the house.
4) Pick up your phone when your modem is synced, ring someone and see whether you can detect any kind of interference on the line or see whether your DSL drops.
You probably know how to filter, but just to be sure (and for anyone else reading), you have to have every phone point that is connected to a telephone device (fax, answering machine, phone, etc) with an inline or splitter filter. Line -> Filter -> Phone/Fax/Answering Machine. If it has two 'out' plugs, then you've got a splitter which you can then plug into your ADSL modem, just make sure you plug the right device into the right socket (they'll be labelled something like ADSL and phone).
i should mention that the problem actually started two days before we were switched. Unless they sneakily did it early, I'm not sure the problem can be entirely blamed on 2+.
In any case, if you want to follow it up more specifically with Optus regardless of whether it is a DSL2+ issue or not, the issue is generally known as a dropping line sync, or at least that's we referred to it as.
It could also be a mix of the two, some modems crash out and need to be rebooted if they start receiving to many errors in the data stream. DSL works by using a number of transmission channels (generally around 300 or so) and nukes channels that are shitty. It doesn't necessarily restore them when those channels become clean again. Lose too many channels and the whole thing goes down; on restart all of the availible channels are scanned and re-evaluated. Many times this is why a modem will bog down and stop, and be fixed by a quick reboot.
Since it's a fifty split, have the dude swap your modem. Sometimes you can have a new one sent to you in the mail and then just return your old one, depends on the ISP. If you have the same issue with a new modem, you can start banging on thier door to get them to fix their own lines.
Today the net was actually down for a good few hours and the support line had to go to the lengths of putting on a recorded messege that basically said "yes we know, no its not our fault, we're waiting for Telstra to fix their damn lines". When we have been able to speak to tech support in the past they have mentioned problems with the physical network for ADSL 2.
Of course, its possibley not related.. but it sounds awful similar to what we're having.
Incidentally, The Cat, I am having the exact same problem, and I'm on Bell Sympatico ADSL in Canada. About a week ago, they upgraded my line to DSL2+, and I started having random disconnects where the DSL light would go out on the modem intermittently. They had shipped a new modem as part of the upgrade (SpeedStream 6520), but I had the same modem as you originally. The problem occurred with both the 4200 and 6520, and kept happening after they sent me a new 6520. In the end, I got them to escalate to tier 2 support, and the second tier tech support guy was able to tell within a couple minutes that there were errors on the line. He claimed to have made changes that would "definitely" fix the problem, but that it'd take 24 hours for the change to take effect ( O_o ). I'm skeptical, to say the least.
I work from home, doing database support for a mission critical hospital application. If DSL2+ really is a step down in terms of reliability, even just for the time being while they shake out the kinks, I may have to go cable.
Whoops. Missed that part. Reading > me.