motor traffic interference with BB

chipp

My BB is generally excellent but occasionally it "hangs" briefly and I've noticed this seems to coincide with passing motor traffic. The same happens in the library and at my place of work. I could sort of understand it with wireless but all are wired systems.

I googled "motor traffic interferes with broadband" and got a hit for an old New Scientist discussion. It seems poorly suppressed and unsuppressed ignition systems generate a broadband transmission, but presumably because of the date (2008) the discussion is purely about TV interference, hardly a new problem. Is there anything I can do to improve matters?

kwikbreaks

Spark interference is very broad spectrum so there would be energy at the ADSL(2) range of 25Khz - ~ 2MHz. That said it really shouldn't be impacting your broadband unless you have extensions in use.

Check out http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/socket.htm

Plug in extension cables are especially bad news as you can't disconnect the ring wire without a bit of surgery on them.

Best results come with no extensions or at least with the ring wires disconnected and the adsl router plugged directly into the master socket.

WTFH

chipp wrote: »

It seems poorly suppressed and unsuppressed ignition systems generate a broadband transmission,

This is nothing to do with Internet "broadband" but is actually broad spectrum inerference - I.e. wide frequency ranges. This might affect transmission of TV signals through the air, but it won't affect your phone line.

Try replacing your broadband filters. Also the next time it drops out, immediately go to your router and see if it is reconnecting or is showing everything as normal.

Buzby

Is this using WiFi or a wired connection? (It never helps to assume)!

WTFH

According to the OP, it's with wired, not wireless.


...hold on, just had a thought...
You are using the same computer, connected by a network cable to a network or router at home, at work, and in the library.
Is it the same computer you use in each location?
Is it the same network cable?

chipp

In reply to WTFH, it's a different computer each time, and at work it happens to all the computers in use at the time, when it happens. At work and at home I have already tried different filters. Home wiring is all buried in the wall, work is all surface, library I have no idea. When it drops out one of the router lights which is normally on solid, flashes (from memory the one marked "internet"). As far as I'm aware we all have different ISPs but the three locations are probably all served by the same exchange.

Thankyou kwikbreaks, I've checked out the link you gave and I can see that disconnecting the ring wire may be the answer so I'll probably give it a go (but I won't trim the wires back in case they need to be reconnected!). I'm assuming I will have standard wiring as an official BT engineer replaced my master socket only a couple of years ago.

I'm surprised not to have found other posts about this problem, I'm not a heavy BB user and it's little more than an occasional inconvenience to me, but it must be quite a pain for people who do a lot of streaming or watch catch-up TV online.

kwikbreaks

These days most vehicles are adequately suppressed because standard ignition leads that you buy are suppressed. As it's several locations I can't see that it's just one die hard using copper ignition cables with no suppressor caps so I'm at a bit of a loss to explain why you are getting this problem but if it is electrical interference from any source the reason you are picking it up is the ringwire.