Telecom Broadband drops in Chch? Then read this

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galron

25 posts

Geek

#10800 12-Dec-2006 12:43

I've been experiencing drops on my Telecom broadband service here in Christchurch's CBD since the first day I was connected on 23 November. I run a pinger program that pings several sites out on the Internet and I can see from its records that I am in the 'dropped state' 5 to 6% of the time, day in and day out.

I've called Telecom at least every other day on this issue and have slowly been amassing information about what the problem really is in the situation. The problem is not my Go Large plan. Nor is it unique to Telecom. I could switch ISPs and I'd still have the problem

Rather than write it all out again, I encourage you to follow these two links to my blog where it is all laid out.

Your comments and thoughts either here or there are welcome.

http://samadhisoft.com/2006/12/09/061210-sunday-telecom-go-large-problems/

http://samadhisoft.com/2006/12/11/061212-tuesday-telecom-go-large-problems-continued/

Cheers

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643 posts

Ultimate Geek

#55304 12-Dec-2006 13:19

have you tried another ADSL modem-router?
have you tried changing telephone wires between the wall-socket and modem & telephones?
how old is your house/flat?

Sniffing the glue holding the Internet together

galron

25 posts

Geek

#55317 12-Dec-2006 16:36

The DSL-502T modem/router was brand new out of the box. Telecom has throughly checked the line. I'm 1.5 km from the exchange. The place I live is only six years old and I'm on the ground floor. I didn't mention it earlier because I forgot but my case number is linked to others reporting the same type of problem so it isn't, apaarently, limited to my gear. I ahven't tried changing the wires out. It is hard to imagine a physical fault with the wires that would cause a situation where I'm dropped between 5 and 6% every hour.

barf

643 posts

Ultimate Geek

#55319 12-Dec-2006 17:38

assuming it's the ADSL re-training causing your packet loss, I suspect it would be a wiring issue, near-end-crosstalk or maybe someone else has some suggestions? I'd say it's Telecom's job to fix it in any case. FYI a neighbour of mine had a similar problem (lost ADSL signal & retrain every hour or so) with 3 brand-new D-links, it was the fourth that worked!

I hope you get this fixed, keep us informed.

Sniffing the glue holding the Internet together

galron

25 posts

Geek

#55323 12-Dec-2006 18:58

I've just sent the following E-mail off to

bbservices.feedback@telecom.co.nz

We'll see what effect it has.
-------------------------------------

Dear friends,

I'd like to acquaint you with a problem I am having with my Telecom Broadband service. As referenced in the title, the case # is 129-33-084.

This problem began the day my service was first connected on November 23rd and has continued ever since with a few minor breaks. The problem is that my ADSL connection drops me repeatedly day in and day out. Typically, it will drop me every five to 15 minutes and then reconnect after 30 seconds or so. I run pinging s/w here which tracks whether or not it can ping a few remote servers and it consistently shows that I am disconnected 5 to 6% of the time.

I have called in almost daily since this began and everyone I've talked to has been unfailingly courteous but ultimately unable to help me. Rather than recount all the myriad details of my situation, I would refer you to the copious notes your tech support folks have been taking under my case #. I would also refer you to two articles I've posted on my website regarding this problem. You can find these articles by using the following links:

http://samadhisoft.com/2006/12/09/061210-sunday-telecom-go-large-problems/

http://samadhisoft.com/2006/12/11/061212-tuesday-telecom-go-large-problems-continued/

The other day, one of your technical support people refunded my $49.95 monthly charge for the Go Large plan in consideration of the many and frustrating problems I've been having.

I have been promised at least three times, perhaps four, that someone from the 'Advanced Group' would call me back. Thus far, I have never received such a call. I have asked nicely but repeatedly, when this problem might be fixed and no one has been able to give me an estimate.

In an effort to bring this problem to someone's attention at Telecom who can make the required decisions to get this problem resolved, I have escalated my efforts from just making polite calls to technical support every other day to trying other avenues. This E-mail is one of those avenues. In addition to the web site articles, above, I have also contacted Stuff, the New Zealand Herald, Fair Go and the website GeekZone among others. I will continue, over the next days, to expand my circle of activity in an effort to get some attention and a remedy applied to my problem.

Please understand that I am not a flamer nor one who likes an argument. I will remain polite and respectful throughout this process and if anyone from telecom should wish to contact me, I will be happy to work with you to fix this problem and I will report the resolution of the problem as faithfully as I am reporting its annoyance now.

I would ask that you please try to get to the bottom of this situation and call me at your first convenience with what you find out.

Sincerely,

Dennis Gallagher
<my phone # here>

galron

25 posts

Geek

#55347 13-Dec-2006 09:35

Well. it's 9:30 AM and I've been running now for about an hour solid as a rock - no drops. I haven't received any calls from Telecom but my connection is good.

Now, back in the first week when I had this problem, I experienced a span of about a day when it was also solid and then it reverted. Also, later for another period of 6 hours or so, it sorted itself out and then reverted.

I think we'll just keep w3atching it for a few days before I let myself beleive something has really and fundamentally changed. I will post the results here - either way.

Cheers!

galron

25 posts

Geek

#55373 13-Dec-2006 13:37

It's 1:30 PM now and I've done several downloads and I've seen zero drops so far. Excellent, so far. And, still no phone calls or E-mail or anything from Telecom.

galron

25 posts

Geek

#55375 13-Dec-2006 13:54

2 PM and I'm downloading a 156MB executable from Microsoft and getting 160+ KB/Sec. Things are still looking good - no drops. I wish I knew if this is transient or real.

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

galron

25 posts

Geek

#55388 13-Dec-2006 16:51

Well, I'm bummed. My signal was as solid as a rock from 0830 on today but at 1550 it dropped and then dropped again at 1604, 1637 and 1644. I don't think it had to do with my activities as I've been doing the same thing all day.

Interestingly, about 1615, I received a call from Telecom. The gentleman wanted to know how my broadband service was. I quizzed him closely to see if he was calling because of my ongoing problems or if this was an unrelated general courtesy call. he asserted that it was not as a result of my ongoing problems. Mmmm. Intersting timing, none-the-less.

I shared the situation with him (I'd had two drops for the day at 1550 and 1604 at that point) and my case # 129-33-084 and he shared an E-mail address and some phone numbers with me thatI might us for help.

broadband@xtra.co.nz
127 - dial this for automated hlp
0800-xtra or 0800-22-55-98 for help from human beings.

I'll continue to post on this situation.

tonyhughes

Hawkes Bay
8476 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#55391 13-Dec-2006 17:11

galron: Well, I'm bummed.

Have you tried a different modem?

galron

25 posts

Geek

#55439 14-Dec-2006 08:36

Tony,

I haven't tried a different modem. If Telecom would send me one, I certainly would. But, neither they nor I think it would help. They've acknowledged several times in my many conversations with them that this problem is in the exchange and is affecting many customers. They've done some sort of equipment upgrade in the exchange/s to try to improves services and it, apparently, isn't working out as well as they'd hoped and now they are working to get the new equipment to work reliably and not drop ADSL customers.

galron

25 posts

Geek

#55443 14-Dec-2006 09:53

I've published another episode on my website about this long saga. The three posts, to date, are here:

http://samadhisoft.com/2006/12/09/061210-sunday-telecom-go-large-problems/

http://samadhisoft.com/2006/12/11/061212-tuesday-telecom-go-large-problems-continued/

http://samadhisoft.com/2006/12/13/061214-thursday-telecom-go-large-problems-continued/

I would encourage anyone reading this who is having these same problems to contact Telecom, to contact the Media and to post on technical web sites like this one so that we can continue to increase the pressure on Telecom to get these problems sorted out.

neilinnz

165 posts

Master Geek

#55471 14-Dec-2006 15:02

Since 'Go Large' and 'unleashed' I've been having the same problems in Auckland.
I'm close to the exchange and was getting 4Mb/s before unleashed was unleashed and broke my connection. Since then I'd been having my connection dropped all the time. It could last 1 minute or 4 hours. It went through stages of dropping every 5 minutes for 24 hours at a time, dropping even through the night when the line wasn't in use.
i spent 3 weeks on the phone to Xtra broadband tech support, I was ringing them daily. They even sent me a brand new DLink 502T to replace my DLink 302G (which was nice of them). I also tried a brand new Netgear modem/router and that also had the same problems.
They switched me back to a Pro plan too from Go Large and it still continued.

BUT.... I now have a work around!!!!

On the DLink 502T you can change a setting in your modem to control the ADSL Modulation type (find it in Advanced/ADSL). I tried every setting, some dropped, some didn't work at all, but forcing it to be ITU G.992.2 has fixed the problem for me. There is a downside though. This modulation type has a limit of 512 upload and 2Mb/s download.
So I've been left with a dropping connection at 4Mb/s or a solid connection at 2Mb/s, I choose the later and haven't had any problems since.
I am now on the Pro plan with 15GB download limit and even on this slower speed setting it's at least twice as fast as being on the faster connection but on the Go Large plan.

My thoughts are that they changed some settings on the broadband network to do with frequencies or something so that they could handle more traffic, however this has resulted in loads of users having these drop out connections. Telecom obviously didn't test this enough before 'unleashing' their broadband network. Most people are still OK but us with the problem just have to get on with it because there's no competition for the lines (just yet, the unbundling of the local loop is VERY GOOD NEWS).

I hope this may help anyone else with similar problems.

galron

25 posts

Geek

#55475 14-Dec-2006 16:11

Thanks, Neil for your information about changing to ITU G.992.2 mode.   I've poked around in the modem and I see where to make the change but just now, the line is solid again and has been for almost two hours. I know they are working on things at the exchange and I can only hope that this is permanent and not transient fix but I'm not going to get excited until I've seen it hold solid for two days straight. It went for seven plus hours yesterday before it reverted to drops.

Today, when I was out and about, I dropped into the main office of the Press newspaper here in Christchurch and asked if they'd like to do a story on Telecom broadband problems. I talked to a lady who took a lot of notes and said they'd call back if interested.   We'll see.

As I've said before, my aim is not to get in a war with Telecom.   I'd much prefer to be cordial all around. I just want the problem fixed and this is my way of steadily applying pressure.

Cheers,

neilinnz

165 posts

Master Geek

#55478 14-Dec-2006 16:38

Dennis,

I'm not wanting to get into a conflict with Telecom either, I've been trying to help them get to the bottom of this as much as I can. They have said they've not forgotten about me either just because we have a work around, they are keeping in touch with anything they discover. From my point of view I just needed a solid connection as I use it for work all day.

If whatever they have done at your exchange does work, let us know what it is and I'll try to get them to do that to mine too.

Just before I went to the slower connection setting I had a super fast connection from 9am till 5pm one day but after 5pm it was off every 5 minutes again. I've had false hope too many times..... Fingers crossed yours is fixed though.

galron

25 posts

Geek

#55631 16-Dec-2006 12:05

Neil and everyone following this thread.

Neil's suggestion worked for me.   I've been running it for 24 hours with no drops. A very nice bit of detective work, Neil!

I've published a step by step how to on this fix here:

http://samadhisoft.com/technical-index/telecom-nz-setting-up-a-dsl-502t-router-to-avoid-drops/

If you follow these directions, please be cautious and read everything before you begin.   And, take good notes so that if the fix doesn't work for you, you can back out gracefully. And, above all, do not contact me about this if you get into a mess.   Be warned, I am not going to do tech support on this.

Thanks again to Neil !!!

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