Broadband dropping off when it rains; no problems when not raining

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Broadband dropping off when it rains; no problems when not raining

sewsable

87 posts

Master Geek

#152145 17-Sep-2014 16:18

We've had Telecom faults out (back when they were still Telecom),but they couldn't find anything wrong. I tried ringing faults today and when they rang back they did lots of line tests (like last time) and all looks good; however the moment rain hits the ground out it goes again. They obviously think it must be a fault with my equipment (and tried to tell me the wiring in my house is not their problem despite us having the wiring maintenance fee on our account), they've also blamed my modem which is a Belkin and about 2 years old now and are basically telling me if it's a fault in the house they will charge us. I am wondering if anyone has any experience with a similar problem and if it did turn out to be the modem at fault, internal wiring or the network or if you're still limping along in the rain.

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3344 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Vocus

#1130809 17-Sep-2014 16:22

If I understand it correctly, internal wiring IS their problem if you have the wiring maintenance. So just push them into investigating.

The threat of a fee if they prove the fault into your house is probably just that; a threat.

coffeebaron

6234 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#1130813 17-Sep-2014 16:30

ubergeeknz: If I understand it correctly, internal wiring IS their problem if you have the wiring maintenance. So just push them into investigating.

The threat of a fee if they prove the fault into your house is probably just that; a threat.

Only for voice is my understanding

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sewsable

87 posts

Master Geek

#1130815 17-Sep-2014 16:31

I worked for them for years so I know how the wiring maintenance thing works too, though apparently the guy on 120 doesn't. I guess my main worry is if it's the modem then we'll have to pay them cos that's not their responsibility. I don't see how it could be, surely the weather doesn't affect a modem that's inside and out of the weather; seems more likely that it's a joint somewhere between our place and the exchange but before I insist on more investigation I'd like to find out if anyone else has had the same problem and what the cause was for them.

wellygary

8325 posts

Uber Geek

#1130817 17-Sep-2014 16:40

sewsable: I worked for them for years so I know how the wiring maintenance thing works too, though apparently the guy on 120 doesn't. I guess my main worry is if it's the modem then we'll have to pay them cos that's not their responsibility. I don't see how it could be, surely the weather doesn't affect a modem that's inside and out of the weather; seems more likely that it's a joint somewhere between our place and the exchange but before I insist on more investigation I'd like to find out if anyone else has had the same problem and what the cause was for them.

So its only the ADSL that fails in the rain? or does voice go down to?

Def sounds like a moisture problem somewhere, (which is not likely to be the modem)

what do the modem stats look like when it has failed?

BlueShift

1692 posts

Uber Geek

#1130819 17-Sep-2014 16:44

It could be a contention congestion problem - when it rains, all the neighbours go inside and use their internet all at once, clogging up your connection...

ubergeeknz

3344 posts

Uber Geek

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Vocus

#1130826 17-Sep-2014 16:56

Should be easy enough to beg/borrow/steal another modem and rule that out, no? And if you don't have any master filter installed, shell out and get that done anyway. If it is internal wiring, then you'll have that fixed at the same time. If it's not, you can definitely say it's Telecom's problem.

sewsable

87 posts

Master Geek

#1130827 17-Sep-2014 16:59

Only ADSL goes down, phone line is fine (I called 120 on it); haven't checked the modem stats, will have to see how to do that. I do know that on the previous occasion Telecom checked they could see that the connection was dropping off frequently in the rain.

I dont think it's congestion, most people around here are out at work during the day, would understand if it was happening just at night, but was at various times today and started the second the rain hit the ground.

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ubergeeknz

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Vocus

#1130839 17-Sep-2014 17:11

sewsable: Only ADSL goes down, phone line is fine (I called 120 on it); haven't checked the modem stats, will have to see how to do that. I do know that on the previous occasion Telecom checked they could see that the connection was dropping off frequently in the rain.

Doesn't prove a lot. Although within the same pair of wires, they run on different frequencies, so the effects of eg. insulation failure are quite different.

I dont think it's congestion, most people around here are out at work during the day, would understand if it was happening just at night, but was at various times today and started the second the rain hit the ground.

Congestion wouldn't cause it to drop out completely.

sewsable

87 posts

Master Geek

#1130841 17-Sep-2014 17:12

ubergeeknz: Should be easy enough to beg/borrow/steal another modem and rule that out, no? And if you don't have any master filter installed, shell out and get that done anyway. If it is internal wiring, then you'll have that fixed at the same time. If it's not, you can definitely say it's Telecom's problem.

It's already on a splitter so no filters required. I think I might still have an old D-link modem around somewhere; will see if I can find it before the next rain.

kiwigeek1

637 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1131019 17-Sep-2014 21:06

Had the same problem at our house.... but now on fibre no more issues like that.

also the phone sounded worse when raining... the fault was somewhere on the road

water getting in to the copper somewhere

prob be the same for you

faults is meant to be able to work out how many meters the voltage/signal drops off
but can only do it when it rains of course

we never bothered.. for voice a crackly phone is no issue and fibre dont suffer that same

Regs

4066 posts

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Snowflake

#1131111 17-Sep-2014 23:32

a friend had this sort of problem a few years back. internet dropped out each time it rained. eventually they (telecom at the time) tracked it down to bad wiring in one of those little grey pvc riser things on the corner of the street. He persevered until they came out during the rain and tracked it down.

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1101

3122 posts

Uber Geek

#1131206 18-Sep-2014 09:33

I often have the same issue when it rains. unreliable DSL & noisey ph line (noise is obvious when I pick up the ph)
Usually its my internal wiring (damp house), sometimes its the splitter/grey capsule at the end of my drive.

One of the techs did say my whole street was bad, he's had so many callouts to our small street he remembers it well.
I also have a suspicion my new modem/router has issues with noisy ADSL .

newbellies

159 posts

Master Geek

#1131510 18-Sep-2014 15:13

I currently have the same problem and I too have a splitter. I would say I've wasted about 8 hours of my life on phone with Spark so far, over the past 10 months. Numerous Chorus techs have been sent out. Most recently they've noted that splitter was never setup correctly in the first place. Stay tuned.

I hate to say it, but you might need to become a jerk on the phone to get something to happen. I'm surprised they aren't willing to send you a modem. They sent me two ....

sewsable

87 posts

Master Geek

#1131551 18-Sep-2014 16:04

newbellies: I currently have the same problem and I too have a splitter. I would say I've wasted about 8 hours of my life on phone with Spark so far, over the past 10 months. Numerous Chorus techs have been sent out. Most recently they've noted that splitter was never setup correctly in the first place. Stay tuned.

I hate to say it, but you might need to become a jerk on the phone to get something to happen. I'm surprised they aren't willing to send you a modem. They sent me two ....

Aah, but our current modem is not a Spark one, pretty sure the old one I have is the original one from them though; it's a D-link which I stopped using once it started to overheat and cut out some years back. Still got it though, so going to plug it in on Saturday when the weather is supposed to be awful and watch the lights on it.

newbellies

159 posts

Master Geek

#1131932 19-Sep-2014 08:21

I would say it's worth buying a new modem regardless then. Old modems are terrible. The new one they sent me automatically reconnects after dropping. That raised my sanity and lowered my blood pressure tremendously.

I'm afraid I can't recommend one in particular. I'm just using the latest spark provided VDSL.

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