[WXC/VFX] Connection dropouts during peak hours

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › [WXC/VFX] Connection dropouts during peak hours

Cabinet

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#20146 14-Mar-2008 16:57

Over the past couple of months my DSL connection's got increasingly unstable, now to the point that I'll get, at most, 30 second bursts of connectivity at peak hours (7pm - 10pm), and regular disconnections every 15 - 30 minutes the rest of the time, with rare spells of 3 or 4 uninterrupted hours.

I can't really blame XNet since it started happening while I was with Woosh, but since I've changed it's worse than ever, and it's especially fun to download anything of any size 4 or 5 times (before giving up, usually) when I'm paying for monthly data.

I see there are plenty of other threads about the wildly erratic download speeds on various ISPs (veering between 4.5mb/s for XNet's speed test and 316kb/s on speedtest.net to Brisbane), so I won't bother about that, but is anyone else having the disconnection problems? It makes the internet unusable during peak times and extremely frustrating during others.

I'll try to borrow someone else's modem to make sure I can rule out a problem on my end, but the fact that it's related to peak usage times and download speeds makes me assume that it's not.

So, is it a Telecom problem? Who should I complain to?

Thanks in advance.

maverick

3594 posts

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WorldxChange

#116668 14-Mar-2008 18:20

Pass the info to us and we would get your line checked out to rule the actual line itself

Yes I am a employee of WxC (My Profile) ... but I do have my own opinions as well

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grant_k

3539 posts

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#116670 14-Mar-2008 18:22

Cabinet: So, is it a Telecom problem? Who should I complain to?

YES, it is most likely a Telecom problem, but NO you shouldn't complain to them because they are not your ISP.

You should complain to Xnet and they will take it up with Telecom on your behalf.

0800 14 9638 is the Tech. Support number so give them a call and log the fault report with them.

This problem could also be caused by your modem or house wiring, but it would be best to eliminate the line first.

P.S. Welcome to Geekzone

Cheers,
Grant.

Niel

3267 posts

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#116688 14-Mar-2008 19:31

It can also be a fault in the wiring between you and the axchange causing excessive crosstalk from other lines, and the crosstalk will be worse at peak times. This will show up in the checks that XNet will do for you.

You can never have enough Volvos!

Cabinet

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#118852 26-Mar-2008 19:07

Thanks to everyone for their replies.

After 27 minutes on hold, an Xnet tech told me he'd change the profile on my line and place it under 24 hour observation, then call me back the next day to let me know the results. That was last monday the 17th. Wasn't looking forward to another hold marathon, but tonight after trying 5 times to upload a 1mb file without managing to keep a connection, I decided it was enough, and spent 17 minutes on hold to have a sarcastic tech tell me that the first thing I should have done was eliminate a fault with my router, and that if they got Telecom to do any more and the fault turned out to be mine, I'd incur the standard $81 fee. Well, I could have checked out my router a week ago if they'd bothered to get back to me with the results like they said they would, and wouldn't have had to waste another 17 minutes listening to Craig David. Fun stuff.

Guess I'll be borrowing a friend's router.

OldGeek

893 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#118878 26-Mar-2008 20:28

Ignore the $81 warning and get them out to check things out. In my experience the field staff are reluctant to pin the charge on you unless the problem was obviously spurious - where they find a cause of your making that is obvious without performing any actual tests. This seems unlikely.

I would, however, unplug everything from your phone line (including filters) when your connection is crapping out frequently. If you now get a solid connection then the cause is clearly a filter or some other device plugged into the line.

--

OldGeek.

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Cabinet

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#118885 26-Mar-2008 20:54

OldGeek:
Ignore the $81 warning and get them out to check things out. In my experience the field staff are reluctant to pin the charge on you unless the problem was obviously spurious - where they find a cause of your making that is obvious without performing any actual tests. This seems unlikely.

Hmm, thanks, that's interesting to know. I'll assume the staff are equally reluctant to offer any compensation if the cause of months of unreliable internet turns out to be theirs?

I would, however, unplug everything from your phone line (including filters) when your connection is crapping out frequently. If you now get a solid connection then the cause is clearly a filter or some other device plugged into the line.

Yeah, last tech suggested that too and I'll give it a try; I'd assume that problems with my hardware are more likely than with Telecom's, but like I said, I would have done that a week ago if they'd got back to me like they'd agreed and let me know that they'd actually carried out the profile change to no effect.

OldGeek

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#118915 26-Mar-2008 21:36

If the aforementioned does not resolve your problem call your ISP and get them to call out Telecom with the risk of charges. The Telecom techs (contractors from Transfield or Downer probably) will most likely repeat what you did, then move on to the jack points (replaced at no cost if suspicious on the first visit), then your internal wiring (replaced if this can be easily done). This may require multiple visits (each with the risk of charges). If this does not solve the problem then the next option is to change the physical DSLAM connection (most likley at the exchange) and if this does not fix the problem then they will chane the pairs (wiring from your house to the exchange). In my case it was the last change that fixed my problem - I went from 5-minute connections to several weeks when the pairs were changed.

As soon as telecom are involved from your ISP get the Telecom ticket number - from the techs on their first visit if it was not provided to you beforehand and get the telecom number to call to follow up. As each remedy is tried, after the agreed trial period (usually a day or 2) then call Telecom to report success (close ticket) or failure. For each failure let them decide what to do next - but dont accept 'it cant be fixed' until all the above options have been tried.

My experience required about 5 visits IIRC (it was a while ago now) and no charges were ever made. Telecom even installed a free line splitter (means a specific jack must be used for your ADSL modem but all other jack points can be used with phone gear without a filter) as one of the steps. The trick is never to show aggro to the techs (but dont accept any BS either).

Good Luck....