ADSL Line testing

[d3ano]

Is there a way that BT can test the ADSL line to make sure that there are no problems with noise or any other interferance?
A friend has an ADSL connection with BT and he tells me that it keeps dropping out. I know that BT used to do something like this with the normal analogue lines, but can the same be done with ADSL?

Thanks

D3

[scruffy]

d3ano said:

Is there a way that BT can test the ADSL line, D3

You would bloody well hope they could!!

...sorry - yes they can, just tell your mate to phone them and they can do it from the comfort of their comfy lab...

[FourWheelDrift]

scruffy said:

...sorry - yes they can, just tell your mate to phone them and they can do it from the comfort of their comfy lab...

...only after they've had their subsidised tea & biccies, then they'll outsource it to a 3rd party contractor who'll assign the job to Asim in Mumbai who will call your number 3 times then say it's fine and report back. After another cuppa and some more subsidised biccies BT will get back to you next week.

[d3ano]

hmmmm should rephrase that.
After ADSL has been installed...can they still check it.

thanks
D3

[sybaseian]

There are two types of test they can do:-

1. At the exchange - gives a basic pointer to line quality (normal - no charge)

2. At your home - involves an engineer testing the line quality from your home (they charge you for this).

I had an engineer test the line in my house (should be able to get 8Mbits when they've upgraded the exchange!). The problem I had was an intermittant ADSL connection - fine for a few days, but would then die. It got steadily worse over a number of months until it finally died. After an BT Engineer had checked the line was ok, it turned out to be my ADSL modem giving up the ghost.

If your friend can borrow an ADSL modem to test his connection before calling out an engineer, it will rule out a dead modem.

[simpo two]

My ADSL connection occasionally runs like a pig or stops dead for maybe 30 secs. I told my ISP; they blamed it on BT. And as anyone knows, that's the end of that particular logic trail...

>> Edited by simpo two on Wednesday 30th March 17:52

[_Dobbo_]

Make sure it's not something like he hasn't got ADSL filters on every phone socket in the house that's connected to anything.

Basically any time the phone rings or is picked up your connection will probably drop - that's why you need filters on everything!

[roop]

My ADSL modem has got a diagnostics area that tells you the number of duff packets, dropped packets, corrected packets, crisp packets, chocolate wrappers, near end this and that far end that, signal to noise ratios and other such guff.

Might be useful to BT if you can give them this info. When requesting an engineer, make sure you ask for a broadband engineer as they have laptops and other kit to allow them to test on site rather than just look at a wire and go 'yeah, looks OK'

My modem is a 3Com ADSL Modem 54g Wireless Router. OfficeConnect something other other. I dunno. In fact, it's one of these :

www.3com.com/prod/en_UK_EMEA/detail.jsp?tab=features&sku=3CRWDR100A-72

[FourWheelDrift]

_Dobbo_ said:

Make sure it's not something like he hasn't got ADSL filters on every phone socket in the house that's connected to anything. Basically any time the phone rings or is picked up your connection will probably drop - that's why you need filters on everything!

Very good point, the one people tend to forget is their Sky box connection.