Weird and Wonderfull BB-Vision / Experts and Mods ...

Question

I have some questions about slow Broadband, Vision V04 error message and an IPlayer Code 0 error message (at end of this message).
IMO the Vision V04 and IPlayer issues are directly associated with unreliable and inconsistent Broadband.
Background
I have raised this issue a number of times in the past through the BT Complaints procedure, 30-06-2010, 11-08-2010, 04-06-2011, 07-06-2011, and today. I have also phoned the 0800-111-4567 help line a number of times with regard to the same issue.
As an indication the following is a Total Broadband graph of my speed results, from November 2010 through to 25-06-2011.
I have been taking ADSL Stats and BT Speedtester results, which I record to a spreadsheet, since May and three times a day since the beginning of June. I can post some of these results if it will help.
An engineer came on the 9th June, fitted an ADSL v 1.0 plate and disconnected the earth wire. During the visit the engineer checked my line and stated that it was fine and should be capable of BB speeds in excess of 4.0 mbps (actually should be able to get up to 5.0 mbps). I contacted BT on the 14th June to switch me back from fast to interleaved, which was done later that day. The switch to fast was done a few weeks earlier at the suggestion of a person on the help line.
From the 14th June, after the switch to interleaved, BB speed was relatively stable although there was a restart about twenty four hours later not initiated by me. From this time, 15th June through to the 21st June, almost six days without any restarts, noise margin stayed reasonably consistent at between 14.0 dB and 15.0 dB (down). Other stats also stayed reasonably consistent with speeds in the 2.7 mbps range and an IP Profile of 3.0 mbps.
On the evening of the 21st June there was another (automatic-system) restart. Since then all stats have fluctuated drastically. Noise margin has generally increased to the current figure of 28.8 dB (down). Attenuation has occasionally increased to 45.0 and 47.0 dB but then falls back to the consistent level of 43.0 dB. Power output has also occasionally varied and is at the current level of 15.6 dBm (down). I also have high FEC Errors and Error Seconds. CRC and HEC Errors are generally low.
Over the past five to six days restarts have been happening on a daily basis usually between 16.00 and 17.00 hours. Monitoring the line stats during this period shows that the noise margin reduces to below 1.0 dB (probably 0), this happens within minutes until the broadband signal disappears. Approximately five minutes later it will re-establish. This sometimes happens more than once. During this time the Hub broadband light turns orange and flashes until the connection is re-established when it turns a solid blue. Last night and this morning the BT Speedtester failed with the message unable to complete the Assured Rate test.
The hub is connected direct to the main telephone plate.
I have also noted that Openreach have been working in Fawley-Holbury, and around the 23rd June there was a fault in theSouthampton area that affected 0238 numbers (my exchange number). Apparently this fault was resolved.
I have also noted noise on the telephone line using the 17070-2 silent line test.
One final point, a neighbour also has a HomeHub2. Checking my network connections the neighbour’s hub consistently gives a higher wireless output than mine. This is surprising as my hub is only three to four metres away from my pc whereas the neighbours must be a minimum of at least ten to fifteen metres and behind two external brick walls, maybe more.
I purchased the HomeHub2, in October 2008, it is a V 2.0 Type A (firmware 8.1.H.J updated 18-03-2011; it was not supplied free with BT Vision. I have had BT Vision since December 2008, I have the silver STB.
I have just done a complete system reset of the Hub and Vision box, plugged the vision box direct in to Port 1 on the Hub, Port 2 goes to the master Powerline adaptor. The slave Powerlines are plugged in to a Blu-ray player and an old laptop. The ADSL Stats improved but the assured rate test still failed.
Questions
1/. Is my HomeHub2 defunct should I get an alternative?
2/. Is my telephone line the cause of the problem or are both the hub and line defective.
3/. Why is a neighbour’s Homehub giving a stronger wireless signal than mine.
4/. I seem to be able to use ‘on demand’ and the IPlayer with Best Effort and Assured Rate speeds far below the recommended 2.0 mbps (not complaining but this is not reliable).
5/. How can my Assured Rate speed test result be higher than the Best Effort test, when my Assured Rate IP Profile is 600 kbps, example Best Effort 873 kbps, Assured Rate 1230 kbps.
6/. With and AR IP Profile of 600 kbps how can I achieve speeds in excess of 2000 kbps (several occasions), highest recorded 2996 kbps with a BE of 3684 kbps, with a BE IP Profile of 2500 kbps.
7/. Why should the hub output power vary?
8/. Can RFI (radio frequency interference) cause problems? I am close to the Fawley Refinery and the Solent, theSolentwill have ships and ferries with radar and there are possibly microwaves near by and I am about 400-500 metres from a mobile phone mast. I am also 400-500 metres from overhead high voltage power lines, which distribute from the Fawley Power Station, but this is only used as a stand-by so I have ruled out interference from these. This does not appear to affect other ISP’s from the Fawley exchange. (See the Think Broadband map).
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Answer 1

@guilbo
Thanks for the comments. I tried to register a fault and did a test on my phone line through the BT.com (MyBT) site. It said there was no problem with my line. I followed this with a 17070-2 silent line test and as far as I was concerned it was noisy. I will wait a few days to let my curent complaint work through the system and then phone BT and report a noisy line. My current stats are as follows;
ADSL line status
28th June 2011 - 12.26
Connection information
Line state
Connected
Connection time
0 days, 0:51:45
Downstream
1,600 Kbps
Upstream
448 Kbps
ADSL settings
VPI/VCI
0/38
Type
PPPoA
Modulation
ITU-T G.992.1
Latency type
Interleaved
Noise margin (Down/Up)
28.9 dB / 21.0 dB
Line attenuation (Down/Up)
43.0 dB / 26.0 dB
Output power (Down/Up)
18.4 dBm / 11.9 dBm
Loss of Framing (Local)
33
Loss of Signal (Local)
3
Loss of Power (Local)
Loss of Power (Local) 0
FEC Errors (Down/Up)
74 / 0
CRC Errors (Down/Up)
2 / 2147480000
HEC Errors (Down/Up)
nil / 0
Error Seconds (Local)
117
Best Effort Test
28th June 2011 - 10.48
Results not shown
Download Speed
Acceptable Range
DSL Connection Rate
Down
Up
IP Profile
Assured Rate Test
Test Failed
Try again later
Download Speed
Acceptable Range
Assured Rate IP Profile
As you can see the BT Speedtester site is still not giving me any results. The Think Broadband and Speedtest.net sites are indicating only 300-400 kbps.
My wireless has improved slightly, I downloaded inSSIDer 2.0 software and it shows my HomeHub2 neighbour is on a different channel. This is also true for the other wireless BB in the area.. Probably why my signal strength has improved.