Phone Jack Help (ADSL Related)

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DjShadow

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#19357 13-Feb-2008 20:13

Hi,

We've been experiencing some on-going broadband problems here for some time, I've just replaced our router and inline phone jack filter to find its not made any difference so far.
Problem I'm encountering is whenever the phone rings or goes off-hook it knocks the DSL offline but it managed to reconnect at around 1.3mb instead of the usual 2.8mb I get. The Router shows 55.5db of line attenuation which suggests we are around 4kms from the exchange when we're actually around 2km from the Te Rapa exchange (I'm on cabnet TRV-F).
When i pulled the cover off the phone jack to see if there was anything loose in there, I noticed a small resister looking device called a "Test Termination Unit" plugged into the slots at the top of the jack, what does this thing do?
The cable itself running out of the jack appears to be Cat5 as there are 2 small bunches of wires bundled up doing nothing and its coming from a blue cable coating. I just tried ringing Telecom and no one there could really tell me anything.
Any help apreciated.

Thanks.

weblordpepe

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#110523 14-Feb-2008 02:41

Odds are you have a device on the line somewhere which isn't filtered. Have you just installed broadband recently? Check to see if there's a security system wired into the line or something.

What is odd is that you couldn't get any help from Telecom. Telecom/Xtra jump on this kind of issue every day - houses with unusual wiring are commonplace. You can usually get a technician to come out for $149.95 to wire up your house & ensure broadband works fine. If there was a fault with the exchange you arent charged.

Give either Faults or 0800 22 55 98 a call. Failing that email broadband@telecom.co.nz

weblordpepe

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#110524 14-Feb-2008 02:42

...assuming you're on Xtra. If you're on another ISP call up your ISP and they will do that Telecom stuff on your behalf.

DjShadow

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#110589 14-Feb-2008 12:51

Yeah we're using TelstraClear for Internet, there is a monitored alarm which we never used hooked into the phone, if i was to snip its link it should help fix the problem? Still not sure what the Test Termination Unit is...

These are my line stats since last reboot:

Line Mode	ADSL2+	Line State	Show Time
Line Power State	L0	Line Up Time	00:17:06:16
Line Coding	Trellis On	Line Up Count	3

Statistics	Downstream	Upstream
Line Rate	1398 Kbps	163 Kbps
Attainable Line Rate	3332 Kbps	741 Kbps
Noise Margin	21.6 dB	19.4 dB
Line Attenuation	55.5 dB	33.9 dB
Output Power	15.1 dBm	12.2 dBm
MSGC (number of bytes in overhead channel message)	13	14
B (number of bytes in Mux Data Frame)	10	1
M (number of Mux Data Frames in FEC Data Frame)	16	16
T (Mux Data Frames over sync bytes)	14	9
R (number of check bytes in FEC Data Frame)	16	16
S (ratio of FEC over PMD Data Frame length)	4.0000	5.9077
L (number of bits in PMD Data Frame)	384	65
D (interleave depth)	16	8
Delay	16	11
Super Frames	3703768	3703766
Super Frame Errors	21	3
RS Words	61575152	15741005
RS Correctable Errors	2551	19421
RS Uncorrectable Errors	110	0
HEC Errors	16	236
OCD Errors	0	0
LCD Errors	0	0
Total Cells	203149818	694015708
Data Cells	1881913	54025257
Bit Errors	0	3855
Total ES	50	0
Total SES	37	0
Total UAS	86	0

grant_k

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#110597 14-Feb-2008 13:12

With 55.5dB of downstream line attenuation, you are right on the threshold of ADSL working/not working.

You need to reduce the line attenuation in order to have any hope of a reliable connection. I would suggest the following:

1) Unplug ALL phones/faxes/Sky Decoders leaving ONLY the ADSL Router plugged in
2) Power Cycle your Router and then see what Sync Speeds and Downstream Line Attenuation you get
3) Finally, disconnect your alarm then repeat Step (2) and see if that makes any additional improvement
4) Then plug each of the phones back in, one by one, making sure that each one has a filter
5) Repeat Step (2) after plugging each device back in and this will show which (if any) of the devices is causing most of the loss

As a result of this, you may find that no significant improvement is made, in which case it will be necessary to install a Central Splitter as near as possible to the Telecom Demarc Point.

However, if Steps (1) to (5) produce a decent improvement, then you will have saved some time and money

cyril7

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#110600 14-Feb-2008 13:23

Interesting, you have very good noise but a lot of loss, makes me wonder if there is some major attenuating element close to you.

The alarm may well be the problem, the thing with alarms is that the inbound line goes to the alarm, then via a relay is routed back out to the rest of the house to feed the phones. Many alarms upset the DSL signal in the process.

As with Grants advise above, I would attempt to intercept the phone line as direct as possible from the demarc so as to bypass as much if not all of the house wiring (especially the alarm) and see how that goes.

The Test Termination is a series resistor/capacitor used by Telecoms line test gear to see if your lines OK. If you have elected to not have a line maitainence agreement with Telecom then its not needed, you can snip it off.

Cyril

Bung

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#110602 14-Feb-2008 13:34

DjShadow: Still not sure what the Test Termination Unit is...

Not sure that many in Telecom do either, it replicates bits that were in the old Masterjack.

"Test termination: a sealed resistor/capacitor combination usually fitted within an ETP to provide a remote line test capability independent of whether any CPE is connected to that line."

Edit (must hit post earlier :) The Test Termination was for proving the outside wiring, not related to the maintenance contract. I don't know how often it was installed, most Faults staff didn't have much regard for any results from the exchange based test gear.

richms

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#112222 22-Feb-2008 02:50

NZ has never had proper demarc points, but in the states they have ones with some circuit in them which goes opencircuit if the line is below a certain voltage, they use that to check for a short externally vs internally to the house without going out. - you will see heaps online about how those stuff up adsl speeds and should be removed, but the same doesnt apply to those telecom test termination units. They seem pretty benign as far as affecting the line.

Richard rich.ms

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heretohelp

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#112353 22-Feb-2008 19:10

just a quick note: i had the old master socket and i changed the wiring from 3 line to two line and it increased my speed from about 1mb down and about 400kb up, i think the major thing was sombody had solder the wires togther

. by removing the solder and putting proper joints in made a huge differnce as the solder had not been insulated or anything and were starting to oxidiz. make sure there is nothign like that in your house cause i was having similar problems

Hu? did i do that?
16Mb (EDO RAM), K6-II processor, 2Mb of onboard graphics. 32k dial up modem. 12 speed CD ROM. 5¼-inch floppy drive. 500Mb HDD.

coffeebaron

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#112373 22-Feb-2008 21:15

BrendonGyde: just a quick note: i had the old master socket and i changed the wiring from 3 line to two line and it increased my speed from about 1mb down and about 400kb up, i think the major thing was sombody had solder the wires togther . by removing the solder and putting proper joints in made a huge differnce as the solder had not been insulated or anything and were starting to oxidiz. make sure there is nothign like that in your house cause i was having similar problems

Some of them old 3 wire jacks can cause an aerial effect on the line, thus lots of interference affecting your ADSL. So changing them all to 2 wire is a good move.

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heretohelp

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#112375 22-Feb-2008 21:22

DjShadow: Hi,

We've been experiencing some on-going broadband problems here for some time, I've just replaced our router and inline phone jack filter to find its not made any difference so far.
Problem I'm encountering is whenever the phone rings or goes off-hook it knocks the DSL offline but it managed to reconnect at around 1.3mb instead of the usual 2.8mb I get. The Router shows 55.5db of line attenuation which suggests we are around 4kms from the exchange when we're actually around 2km from the Te Rapa exchange (I'm on cabnet TRV-F).
When i pulled the cover off the phone jack to see if there was anything loose in there, I noticed a small resister looking device called a "Test Termination Unit" plugged into the slots at the top of the jack, what does this thing do?
The cable itself running out of the jack appears to be Cat5 as there are 2 small bunches of wires bundled up doing nothing and its coming from a blue cable coating. I just tried ringing Telecom and no one there could really tell me anything.
Any help apreciated.

Thanks.

who did the wiring this could be a long shot but would leaving the master jack inplace after converting from 3 wire to a two wire system do this? hell wouldnt suprize me if sombody did do that any body have any thoughts? normally cat5E is later model stuff if it was a cowboy that did it and you have an older home maby just maby i could be wrong though

Hu? did i do that?
16Mb (EDO RAM), K6-II processor, 2Mb of onboard graphics. 32k dial up modem. 12 speed CD ROM. 5¼-inch floppy drive. 500Mb HDD.