A customer is getting occasional dropouts of broadband carrier (ADSL light
goes out, then flashes and comes back on again) on a line which otherwise
seems to have a good 2 Mbps connection.

It's a Sagem modem - identification numbers underneath are 800E2T,
A416-B07-3664, 251490635AA (one of these must be the model number!). The
only diagnostic software (DLSMON) seems to give just sync speed and
instantaneous throughput speed. There's also a triangular icon in the system
tray which is normally green but which goes red during disconnection or
yellow during training.

Is there any more detailed diagnostic software for this modem which gives
noise margin and attenuation? I'd like to install something so the customer
can monitor it at times when the connection drops to see if the signal
strength is varying.


When I was at the customer's yesterday I experienced the dropouts several
times but thought I'd cured them by moving the modem closer to the socket,
eliminating a length of extension phone lead. Certainly it stayed up for
half an hour, when previously it had dropped two or three times in the
previous half an hour. But I've just heard that the customer is still
getting dropouts.

Unfortunately the customer's house wiring doesn't have a modern BT master
socket, just an old-style GPO box with a screw-on cover, from which wires
radiate to various non-master sockets around the house, otherwise I'd
suggest trying to plug the modem into the master socket to see if the signal
stength is better and/or the dropouts are cured.

I presume that even if the ISP (rather than the customer) got BT Broadband
to investigate/fix the customer's house wiring, it would be chargeable. So
this has to be a last rather a first resort!

Martin Underwood wrote:
Dont you just hate when no master socket?? Have you encountered an Indian
call centre drone who understands the concept of no master socket?

Conversation goes like this, and after a few mins of arguing, i just give
in.

Them: sir, have you plugged it into the master socket?
Me: There is no master socket, its old wiring
Them: Sir, the master socket is the first socket in the house, it has a BT
emblem on it
Me: There is no master socket in the house
Them: I'm sorry sir, but we cant go any further until you plug it into the
master socket.
Me: Ok, it is now in the master socket.

You will be lucky to get BT out...........

Gaz

On Thu, 7 Dec 2006 14:09:25 -0000, "Martin Underwood" <a@b> wrote:

oooh, is this chargeable :-)

sure is, http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.htm#anchor29


the ISP would get BT Openreach out. They are likely to fit an NTE5
master as part of the diagnostics, if the customer wiring proves to be
an issue they would offer to fix that at a cost.

Very few people have been charged by BT for ADSL remedial visits, its
a bit like security - far more people are put off getting the right
help by FUD about charging than are ever actually charged.

Phil