US Telco Support > AT&T > AT&T West > [Speed Problem] Lost high frequencies over last few weeks

reply to d_l

Re: [Speed Problem] Lost high frequencies over last few weeks

Final(?) Reading

Downstream Current Rate (Reported): 6016
Downstream Maxrate (Estimated): 6020
Downstream Bit Margin (Calculated): 428

Upstream Current Rate (Reported): 768
Upstream Maxrate (Estimated): 1105
Upstream Bit Margin (Reported): 96

Bit tones with notches/missing bits:

bit(s) 38:41 163.875 - 181.125 KHz
bit(s) 128:132 552 - 573.5625 KHz
bit(s) 138:145 595.125 - 629.625 KHz
bit(s) 155:163 668.4375 - 707.25 KHz
bit(s) 166:174 715.875 - 754.6875 KHz
bit(s) 179 771.9375 - 776.25 KHz
bit(s) 186:191 802.125 - 828 KHz
bit(s) 194:204 836.625 - 884.0625 KHz
bit(s) 208 897 - 901.3125 KHz
bit(s) 211 909.9375 - 914.25 KHz
bit(s) 214 922.875 - 927.1875 KHz
bit(s) 222:223 957.375 - 966 KHz
bit(s) 229 987.5625 - 991.875 KHz
bit(s) 234:235 1009.125 - 1017.75 KHz
bit(s) 240:255 1035 - 1104 KHz

reply to Krellan
So minimizing your home run wiring and eliminating your POTS splitter by patching your modem at right your NID's test jack gave you about 500 kbps more maxrate? Is that right?

Is there any way you could install your modem closer to your NID to minimise the home run length and convert your home run to be an ethernet cable in order to "capture" this maxrate gain permanently?

As for 500kbps more maxrate, that was a best-case scenario. It comes and goes. I'd much prefer to try and solve the problem with the drop line, in the first place, instead of continuing to patch over the symptoms.

My next step is to finally dump the analog phone service, after I allow some time to finish telling everybody about my new "public" phone number (Google Voice).

Once analog phone service is dead, that's probably what I'll end up doing. I'll plug the DSL modem into the NID, and just leave it there permanently, as there will be no reason to split the line any further. I'll make the old homerun wiring into Ethernet, going to where the firewall router and computers are.

I'm glad the pairs were left floating in my homerun line, then, because I'll need them, if I redo the jack to make it Ethernet instead of telephone.

reply to Krellan
Have you considered that if my conjecture that one or more of your splices is oxidizing is correct, then going to a dry line could cause the oxidation to accelerate due to no sealing current on the line? I think in Bellsouth land they keep the sealing current active on dry lines.

So you may be caught between a rock and a hard place on your line.

That's true. I don't think they have a truly dry line, for that, and other reasons. I think what they do is just keep a "ghost" voice line up, where if you hook up an analog telephone, you get a dial tone, but it only works for 911. At least that's what I've heard. Never actually ordered the new "Direct" DSL plan offered by AT&T.

My line that was reduced to 3008/512 from the 6000 connection still dropped it's connection. I called AT&T again Saturday and they sent a technician out. It turns out that my DSL line in the Remote Terminal was located next to several T1 lines.

Apparently every time moderate traffic on the T1 lines picked up it would knock me off the DSL. The technician moved my DSL to another card away from the T1s. I guess I had too much cross-talk between my line and theirs.

My signal numbers were very close to yours. The modem at this time was also upgraded to a Netopia 3347. I haven't lost the signal since Saturday morning now. I don't think the card in the remote terminal was bad. It probably would have worked with someone who was closer in with better numbers.

Your numbers could look the way they are because someone added a T1 or ISDN or data line close to your lines. This might be why you are showing reduction in certain frequencies also. Or, it could be that your lines are old.

I'll chime in if I lose sync again. I tried a Westell 6100 and a Speedstream 4100 before on the same line. Both dropped connection. If it holds stable, I'll try the other modems again and see if it is the new modem or the rerouting of the wire in the remote terminal that is keeping me alive.

That isn't T1 interference in those charts. NEXT from a T1 is a broad interference band centered around about 900 KHz and the NEXT from a ISDN line would affect the upload frequencies.