Any DSL gurus out there???

   / Any DSL gurus out there??? #1  

thatguy

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I have question for anyone that has experience with a DSL connection

We live in the country (not that far out though) and we have Verizon as our ISP. Technically we are within the limits of DSL availability, but the installer mentioned that based on the way the actual line ran we are on the outer limits of it. He suggested that we use a slower connection speed to get a more stable connection - which i have no problem with

We currently have a 768 kbs connection. Using another ISP on the same verizon line the installer got a very good 1.5 connection before we switched to Verizon.

When it works we typically get close to the stated speed (between 500 and 700) - using the Cnet bandwith test

The problem is that at times we will loose the line connection and have to reset the modem. Sometimes it takes several resets to get a decent signal (ie reset and it connects at below 100, reset again and we are back close to advertised speed). We may have to reset the modem 3 or 4 times an hour - other times it may go for days without resetting. I have not been able to pinpoint any condition for the line dropping.

Sometimes the line will drop and it will try to reconnect for 20 to 30 minutes before it is successful. Other times it will connect at dial up speeds and stay that way for several hours and then finally reconnect at a decent speed. Even using the other ISP on the Verizon line we had the same disconnect/reconnect issues.

I have tried calling the Verizon tech support but all that does it get my blood pressure up (are there any halogen lights near the modem - NO, are their filters on the phone lines NO the dsl is hard wired into a single phone jack, did you use the supplied Cat 5 and telephone cable- YES ----- ie the standard check list stuff).

From asking our neighbors no one else seems to have the problem with the modem disconnecting frequently..

I am going to try and skip the 800 number and find a local engineer to talk with. I can live with the 768 speeds, it just the resetting stuff that I have a problem with.. Before we moved here we never reset the modem in over 2 yrs, but we were in town.

Should I be having the modem reset over and over again due to a dropped signal? Is it a line problem, modem problem?

Any suggestions for resolving the problem? Or what is causing the problem?

thanks

Brian
 
   / Any DSL gurus out there??? #2  
I would try another DSL modem... they do fail from time to time. Mine did the same thing - would work for a couple of days then be a nusance for a week. Replaced and life has been good since.
Mike
 
   / Any DSL gurus out there??? #3  
I too have Verizon DSL and live on the outskirts of the availability. The first time they hooked us up it would not work at all, after speaking to thier engineers they were able to provide us with service. I occasionally have to reset the modem (once every 30 uses perhaps). I would think that you have either a line or a modem problem. Is there a local Verizon office you can call to speak directly to an engineer, that might be your best bet. Sorry I could not help more. It's a pretty expensive service, I can understand your frustration.

Mark
 
   / Any DSL gurus out there??? #4  
In my humble experience trouble shooting line drop problems in areas where DSL does work for the neighbors. I use the following procedure.
1) Isolate the home wiring. Disconnect all other jacks from the demarcation point.
2) Check polarity. (requires a tester but shouldn't be critical).
3) Listen to the phone line for any noise. Call another land line to do this.
At this point you have done due diligence in inspecting your premises for fault.
Now it's time to look at the modem. If it's a rental save yourself the grief of hours on the phone. Unplug it and call the ISP to tell them the green light is out and won't come back on. I've found the only other way to get a rental replaced is to endure flaky performance for years until you flip your lid on the poor soul who answers the phone at the help desk. I feel worse about doing that than I do unplugging the modem, so no apologies.
If you can, borrow a neighbors modem AND their power supply (wall wart). That will test the bad modem theory. The only thing left is the wire from your house to the CO. That belongs to the phone company. Call them.
One more question. Is the modem silent when you listen to if closely?
Good luck.
 
   / Any DSL gurus out there??? #5  
We have DSL and we are the last house on the line. And at the limit of the service. Our connection drops pretty often around 9:00-10:00 every morning plus or minus an hour. Usually its not noticeable unless I'm using a VPN connection. The DSL connection often just goes out for a second or so just long enough to kill the VPN connection. :rolleyes::(

We think its something our service profider is doing.

On the other hand we have had problems with the modems. We had a batch of problems that went away when I moved the modem from the top of an old CRT monitor. The CRT was heating up the modem and causing line problems. :eek:

We also have had the modems just go bad. In 5 years I bet we have gone through 3-4 modems. :eek:

One set of problems was from a squirral nest in the service box down the street! The tree rat would move around the wires so that we would get a connection and sometimes loose the connection. :eek::rolleyes:

Later,
Dan
 
   / Any DSL gurus out there??? #6  
Go to Goodwill and get a few $3.99 modems to test by substitution. And plug each one directly into the outdoors box where the line comes in from the pole. That will distinguish whether it is your problem or the telco's.

Once you determine it isn't you, try to talk to the installer rather than the telco's Help Desk. Drive around and find his truck.

I have been successful several times getting switched back to a clean line after 'my' specific cable was assigned to some new customer and I got dropped back to an unused noisy cable. Each time, the installer said he was the one who did the dirty deed because his records didn't show I was a DSL subscriber so I shouldn't have noticed anything different.

The guy who actually climbs the pole will help you get good service, in contrast to some kid in India who is reading from a script that your telco gave him. "I can't help until you reinstall Windows...".
 
   / Any DSL gurus out there??? #7  
I am unfamiliar with verizon, but with AT&T, you can call phone support (not dsl support) and have a "line check" done. Their equipment is pretty good with this. They may show the problem is on their end and fix it. End of story.

If they say the problem is on your end, be aware, the jack in the demark (the box where the phone line comes into the house) can be bad and still show as "your end", though it is not. At this point try the next step.

Eliminate the inside wiring by hooking directly to the demark. When you take the cover off the customer side of the demark, you will see a jack you can unplug so you can plug the router directly into it, thus bypassing the house wiring.

Last, try another router.
 
   / Any DSL gurus out there??? #8  
I'm no guru and know absolutely nothing about DSL but the wife and I recently made a deal with Sprint, our cell phone carrier to use their "air card" that is their term, not mine. ... as far as we are concerned, it is the only way to go... formerly we used a satellite for internet service and were spending just over $50-month... We disconnected satellite and now use Sprint for home, the ranch, traveling down the highway (laptop) and pay only $60-month for the service.... as best I can tell, it is faster than the satellite service.... It is my understanding that almost all cell phone companies now offer this service.
It is also my understanding that using your own air card is much safer than using wifi (airports, resturants, etc)... Give'r a try...
 
   / Any DSL gurus out there??? #9  
Take a close look at your inside wiring. If possible runa line out to the demarc and test. You may be able to log into the modem and look at the performance.

Also jsut call your provider and tell thme you are ahving issues. Keep bugging them thye will do something. IF they are hopping pairs they ahev other issues and enoguh trouble tickets on section of line will generate a repalce order. Well not with Verizon as they are done with copper.
 
   / Any DSL gurus out there??? #10  
I've had Centurytel DSL now for about 3.5 years. Only one modem has gone bad in that time and they promptly sent me a new one. But when you say "reset" the modem, do you mean turn it off, unplug it, wait 5 minutes, and plug it back up? That's what I've had to do two or three times in 3.5 years.
 
 
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