Internet connection keeps dropping - anyone else had this and solved it?

dorsetlady

I am SO hoping someone will be able to help me. For the past two weeks my Internet has been virtually ususable at times. The connection must drop at least 100 times a day (the DSL and Internet light on the router go off when this happens). Sometimes it can go for half an hour without dropping but it can drop every minute for half an hour! Since moving here in November the connection's never been that good but only dropped a couple of times a day.

I have tried two different routers, four microfilters, I've tried unplugging every electrical item in the room that the router is in (in case of interference) but nothing helps. Three of our computers are cable and one is wireless.

Talk Talk say the line is fine but it's driving me mad. :mad:

I'm going to have to get an engineer in but there's a risk of a £50 charge if there's something wrong in my property. Has anyone else had this problem and did you solve it? I'd be SO grateful for any advice.

ktothema

We had something similar with Sky which has turned out to be a lot of individual problems. One problem was an issue at the exchange which was discovered when Sky ran a line test and discovered the noise ration was too high. Have talk talk actually run one for you? If not, try demanding one. Our Internet coming in is now stable, though our wireless is still totally up the swanny. If a line test comes back fine there may be no point in calling out an engineer.

martinthebandit

What OS are you using?

If its XP have a look here

http://forums.cnet.com/7723-7589_102-126523/dropped-connection/

dorsetlady

Trying to do this before it goes off again (12 times in the past half hour)! I'm using Vista, my son is using Windows 7 and husband XP.

billybear1

Talk Talk do this all the time, we are very close to our neighbors who USED to be with Talk Talk. We have it all the time the same as they DID, They moved to Sky, all their problems stopped, ours is constantly intermittent.

I have tried the master socket test switch wired connection troubleshoot and they say the line is fine and the exchange is fine. It must be the old wiring in a 8 year old house!

Truth is Talk Talk are useless, all fine if everything is going right but their customer service is useless and they just give up after trying the basic steps. It has been 3 months and we are still waiting on a call from the second level helpdesk!

prowla

Firstly, I would suggest that if it's the router light that's going off then it's nothing to do with the PC's OS.

We had some problems last year with our connection, and it turned out to be two faults in the cabling outside: (i) the connection under the manhole by the BT junction box was being shorted, and (ii) the wire from there to the house was old and needed replacing. Once diagnosed by Sky, the repairs were done by BT, FOC.

Then this year we had more issues, and they appear to have been maintenance or update work being done at the exchange. After the 4th time, I've gone and jumped ship to Virgin.

spike7451

dorsetlady doesn't state of she is using a extension from the master socket to the router..if you are,then you need to connect the router into the test port behind the master socket faceplate & try to connect thru that,OK you'll only be able to test with the wireless connection but this is an important step to test for line faults.If it's OK then it's the extensions that are at fault,which is down to the homeowner to fix.If not then it's back towards the exchange so it's a BT Openreach issue.
Or it could be a set up issue,for example,are the micro filters connected to every phone socket that is in use?..Also if you have Sky, is the microfilter plugged into the phone socket BEFORE the splitter that goes off to the Sky box?
The so called "engineer" that TT want to charge £50 for is NOT a phone/broadband engineer & DOES NOT have the knowledge or equipment to test the line.He's a self employed handyman working for a company called Qube.You'd be better off getting a bin man to fix it.

Some set up diagrams I done up;

dorsetlady

Thanks Spike. I am plugged into the master socket and only have one extension socket that I don't use. I can't take the bottom off the faceplate as I have the old type of socket. I don't think it is a set-up issue as it has only just started happening. I have got a TT "engineer" coming in three weeks time - don't know what other option I have.

bod1467

http://www.siteguru.co.uk/be/ADSL2PlusForDummies.pdf

That PDF should give you some troubleshooting tips.

dorsetlady

bod1467 wrote: »

http://www.siteguru.co.uk/be/ADSL2PlusForDummies.pdf

That PDF should give you some troubleshooting tips.

Thanks very much - I'll try this later today.

spike7451

dorsetlady wrote: »

Thanks Spike. I am plugged into the master socket and only have one extension socket that I don't use. I can't take the bottom off the faceplate as I have the old type of socket. I don't think it is a set-up issue as it has only just started happening. I have got a TT "engineer" coming in three weeks time - don't know what other option I have.

If your router is plugged into the master socket,then the's no need for the TT 'engineer' as he won't be able to do anything aside from troubleshooting steps you can get free from the chaps on here.He can't test the line as he doesn't have the equipment not can he change the old style NTE you have for a new one.
If you know someone else who has TT Broadband,ask them if they'll try their router on your line,although chances are it's not the router but the line,especially as you've tried two of them.