AlecR's FTTC issues

[Christmas themed thank]

We have an intermittently dropping FTTC connection, a long with a loss of downstream sync since FTTC was installed two months ago (it dropped from 52Mb to 30Mb - it's now recovered a bit likely due to G.INP being applied yesterday).

TalkTalk were being useless so we contacted the CEO's office.

We're now in contact with TalkTalk's UK engineering team who are being very helpful but the issue still has not been resolved.

We've had four engineer visits and each time their tests pass and they leave - because there is nothing for them to fix.

The issue is intermittent, hence why their tests pass. Trying to get them to do something (a D-side change and then a lift and shift would the best solution as that would eliminate everything) based on what I'm telling them is difficult as when their tests pass they're told to go.

I've done some research on it and there's an Openreach product called an SFI2. Supposedly this service will essentially mean TalkTalk can "pay" Openreach to replace the D-side. Has anybody used this service?

 

[#Chri5#]

A SFI visit is probably what you've already had. If the PQT passes, an SFI is normally chargable and the BT engineer tootles off to his/her next job.

Is loss of sync weather related? We had an ADSL circuit that passed SFIs until I happened to be on-site one day when it was very windy - the overhead copper flapped and dropped the line. SFIs on calm days found nothing.

 

[Christmas themed thank]

From what I've read there are SFIs and SFIs.

Some SFIs are more highly trained broadband engineers, who are allowed to spend more time on a job. I believe Openreach themselves will send one when you've had four or more engineer visits.

The SFI I was talking about is a service TalkTalk pay for in which they authorise certain "modules", one of which is a cable module, which involves repairing, replacing the D-side.

Replacing the D-side and then doing a lift and shift would remove any possible issue so I don't understand why Openreach don't just do that: it would make it way easier for both of us (it's costing them money each time they send an engineer who does nothing).

 

[Caged]

It's earning Openreach money each time from TalkTalk. There's very little incentive to actually fix a fault.

 

[MrBukey]

It's earning Openreach money each time from TalkTalk. There's very little incentive to actually fix a fault.

This is something I never considered when Openreach came out to my house 6 times, and something that explains what I couldn't figure out - why they kept checking the same components between myself and the cabinet that the engineers kept signing off as "Perfect!", "I wish I had a line of this quality at home!", "Absolutely no noise or HR!"...

Now it all makes sense. I'm cynical at the best of times, but obviously still a lot less cynical than where reality most likely lives....!

 

[Steveocee]

Have you confirmed its dropping sync and not just ppp session?

As above, if PQT passes then BT sign it off as working, usually if you speak to the engineer you can tell them it's an intermittent dropping problem at which point the PQT gets extended to 15 mins.

To get the L&S Talktalk really need to be raising an escalation within BT for you. The L&S gives you effectively a completely new service on a new line, which is great unless the problem is in the last stretch of your line (house back) or it's a TT radius problem.

 

[Christmas themed thank]

It's definitely dropping sync - the DSL light goes off and the sync speed changes.

There's also the fact that the interleaving depth got raised to 850 (very high) on the downstream and 150 on the upstream (never seen it that high). G.INP has reduced that now down to 4 and 4.

FECs are crazy (422503) so this would seem to backup my "bad pair argument" (if there was no interleaving the CRCs would be going crazy and I expect throughput would be very poor indeed).

I thought a L&S meant the port was changed, the physical line was kept the same?

 

[Tephnos]

Does it happen at a certain time? My line errors a ton at 9pm-3am and it has caused DLM to hammer my line to the point where I'm not happy and getting on at BT for it.

Annoys me that 3/4ths of the day can be completely error free (relatively) and then one quarter of it ruins the entire IP profile.

 

[MissChief]

As you have an FTTC service you're looking at an 'FTTC3' visit as the Fibre Service test is passing with no issues. A 'Lift and Shift' on Fibre isn't quite as it seems as the DSLAM is within the cabinet and a Tie Pair Shift would normally be done at the exchange for DSL issues. I'm not sure how it works for Fibre but no doubt Openreach wouldn't be very willing to declare a Fibre pair in the cabinet as faulty when all their tests have come back complete and no fault found, given how stretched for space some Fibre cabinets are.

I'm assuming everything in the house has been checked? New Filters? If you have a Pre-Filtered Faceplate I hope they've asked you to go into the test socket with a standalone Filter? DSL cable? Are you using a standalone Openreach modem or TT's all in one jobbie?

 

[Christmas themed thank]

Nope completely random, which means that Openreach are basically never here when it happens.

The other issue is my strange looking Hlog (although some disagree about it looking strange):



Can anybody comment?

 

[Caged]

Does it happen at a certain time? My line errors a ton at 9pm-3am and it has caused DLM to hammer my line to the point where I'm not happy and getting on at BT for it.

Annoys me that 3/4ths of the day can be completely error free (relatively) and then one quarter of it ruins the entire IP profile.

Does it error when the street lighting is on?

 

[Christmas themed thank]

And another resync

 

[Tephnos]

Does it error when the street lighting is on?

If the errors start at 9pm, I don't think so. Streetlights come on later. However, yes, the duration is in between when they are on for the most part.

Plus the errors have been increasing in duration. Stopped at 12am first night, then 1, then 2, now 3.

BT said they found a DSL/BRAS mismatch and they're going to be checking the line. No idea if that'll fix it since the support guy called the timing 'coincidential' as of right now.

 

[Christmas themed thank]

I'm assuming everything in the house has been checked? New Filters? If you have a Pre-Filtered Faceplate I hope they've asked you to go into the test socket with a standalone Filter? DSL cable? Are you using a standalone Openreach modem or TT's all in one jobbie?

Have run it through the test socket for a couple of days and no difference.

Changed DSL cable three times.

Have used Openreach-provided Huawei HG612 (which one engineer replaced ("to make it look like I've done something") and Billion 8800NL and the issue occurs on both.

What I don't understand is TalkTalk's line tests have failed in the past but they don't seem to be surprised when they magically pass again despite no changes to the line...