Troubleshooting: Dropping Connection (Intermittent Fault)
Aim of this article:
This article provides guidance on diagnosing the cause of connection drops (Intermittent Connection faults) with Broadband ADSL services. It describes the first steps the customer can take to try and resolve these faults, before contacting Technical Support for further advice and diagnostics.
What is an intermittent connection fault?
An Intermittent Connection fault would describe a fault which results in connectivity to the Internet being lost, but returning after a short period of time or after a hardware reboot. It may also describe disconnection faults which occur at specific times of the day. Intermittent Connection faults can be caused by problems with wiring, the telephone line, interferrence from electrical devices, or problems with communications between the equipment involved from the customer premises through to Zen.
Getting started - checking your setup:
The majority of Intermittent Connection faults can be fixed or avoided by ensuring your equipment is set up correctly.
A guide to setting up your Broadband equipment and telephone devices can be seen here:
http://www.zensupport.co.uk/knowledgebase/article.aspx?id=10817
Ensure your equipment is setup as shown in the above article if you believe you are experiencing an Intermittent Connection fault as ensuring your equipment is set up in this way will eliminate the majority of factors that cause this type of fault.
If your computer is not near a BT master socket connect long Ethernet cable from your computer to the router - if this is not feasible consider using a Wireless setup. Avoid using telephone extension cable from the BT master socket to the router. Extension cable may pick up line interference and cause a reduction in speed or connection drops. Some computer stores sell Broadband modem extension cable - however this may still cause problems so should be avoided.
TIP : If an intermittent connection fault is affecting your service check your DSL Filter/Microfilter setup first and ensure nothing has changed - it may be the case that somebody has changed your setup without your knowledge and introduced a fault to the service. e.g. somebody may have attached a telephone without a DSL Filter in to an extension socket that wasn't being used before.
Broadband equipment checks:
It is possible that a temporary issue with your hardware may be causing your Intermittent Connection fault. Before starting more extensive checks there are some basics to cover with the Broadband equipment which could result in a quick resolution to the fault.
Step 1 : Reboot your Broadband/ADSL router or modem when you experience the problem. Once done monitor the connection for long enough to see if the problem persists.
Step 2 : If the problem persists check your router's configuration is correct. If it is, then proceed to step 3.
Step 3 : Make sure any peer-to-peer software, or other bandwidth-intensive services, are not running and monitor your connection. In some cases load on the router can result in it dropping the connection. If no such software is running and the problem persists then proceed to step 4.
Step 4 : Reset your router to factory defaults. It sounds drastic, but many routers provide a concealed button (usually reachable with a pen tip or paper clip) which allow you to reset the router to factory defaults. The manual should tell you how to do this, alternatively the following article provides generic advice for factory resetting a Broadband Router/modem:
Factory Reset Guide
This can eliminate any problems that may have developed with the configuration, but aren't visible through the setup screens you can see. Once done, reconfigure with your settings and monitor the connection again.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Before resetting to factory defaults make sure you have all your account details at hand - particularly your Broadband ADSL username and password.
Guides for configuring Zen supplied hardware can be found in this Knowledge Base in the Hardware Setup section.
If available, use another Broadband ADSL router/modem to see whether the problem continues.
Checking for faulty DSL Filters/Microfilters:
Once the above checks have been done you should begin looking at the possibility that a fault has developed with a DSL Filter/Microfilter. Ideally you would have spare filters available so you can try replacing the filters in use one at a time until you find the faulty filter, or eliminate the possibility of the filters being the cause of the fault. However, it is more likely spare filters are not available - and you only have two filters. In this case you should unplug all of the telephony equipment from the telephone line so you have just one telephone and the router plugged in to a telephone socket through a DSL Filter/Microfilter.
Once all the other telephony equipment has been unplugged monitor to see whether the intermittent connection fault is still present. Then swap the filter being used with the other, and monitor again. If you find the fault is not present with one of the filters, but is with the other, then you have most likely identified a filter fault. However, you may wish to monitor for an extended period to be sure that this is the cause.
NOTE: If you have had a recent electrical storm in your area it's possible this could have damaged one or more filters. Consider obtaining one or more spare filters to eliminate this as the potential cause.
Checking for faulty extension wiring or telephony equipment:
It is possible that extension wiring has degraded or become damaged over time - particularly if it is old, runs under carpets or through doorways - therefore you should eliminate this as a potential cause of your Intermittent Connection fault. Other equipment could also be causing interference, despite being filtered. If you already connect your Broadband ADSL router/modem through a filter to your BT Master socket then this should be a simple process, if you do not then you will need to move your equipment in order to do this check.
Begin by ensuring your Broadband ADSL router/modem is connected to the BT Master socket, through a DSL Filter/Microfilter, as shown in the setup article linked to earlier:
http://www.zensupport.co.uk/knowledgebase/article.aspx?id=10817
Monitor your connection and see whether simply moving to the BT Master socket has resolved the problem.
If the problem continues with your Broadband ADSL router/modem connected to the BT Master socket through a DSL Filter/Microfilter then the next step will be to eliminate any extension wiring which is connected to the BT Master socket. With older Master sockets there is no easy way to do this without contacting a qualified telephone engineer yourself; however, if you are using an NTE5, as illustrated in the setup article linked above, this has been designed to allow you to reach a special BT Test socket, which excludes any extension wiring. The following guide illustrates how to test from the BT Test socket:
How to test from the BT Test socket
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you do not have an NTE5 socket, you will not be able to eliminate your internal wiring from being the cause of your connection issue. We recommend that you contact BT Retail to have an NTE5 socket fitted at your premises.
Connect your DSL Filter/Microfilter to this socket, and then connect your ADSL router/modem. Once again monitor the connection for the Intermittent Connection fault. If this is no longer present you have identified a fault with the extensions in your premises. If this is the case connect the Master Socket face plate again and unplug all of your telephony equipment plugged in to extensions one at a time, each time monitoring to determine if the Intermittent Connection fault returns. If the problem returns when a particular device is connected it, or the wiring leading to it, is likely to be at fault. In this case consult a qualified telephone engineer or consider replacing the equipment.
Checking for problems caused by electrical equipment in your premises:
It is possible that other electrical equipment in your premises is causing interference. Common causes can be (but are not limited to) Televisions, Sky Digital Boxes, other electrical equipment connected to the same socket or multi-plug as the router, Central Heating Systems, Microwaves and Christmas Tree lights.
To determine if other electrical equipment is responsible for the problem first follow the advice for eliminating faulty wiring and filters. If the problem occurs at specific times of day make a note of the times and identify any electrical equipment that switches on at these times. Monitor the connection with this equipment switched off. If the problem occurs regardless of the time of day power off as much of your electrical hardware as possible one at a time and monitor for intermittency.
If the problem is eliminated then you have most likely identified the cause of the intermittent connection and will need to consult the supplier of the equipment for further advice. Alternatively you may find that the intermittent connection does not return if the ADSL router/modem is connected to the BT Master socket (through a DSL Filter) permanantly, rather than through a telephone extension socket.
If the problem persists:
If the problem continues, even when connected through the BT Test socket and having eliminated as many causes of electrical interference as possible, then contact Technical Support for further advice. You must leave the router connected to a DSL Filter plugged into the BT Test socket (where available) when contacting support, and until the fault is resolved, in order to ensure diagnostics return accurate results for your service.
When contacting Technical Support please advise of the time of day (or day of the week) and frequency of the disconnections. Include details of the tests you have performed and results. Also please advise whether the equipment is connected to the BT Test socket, or if this will need to be arranged in order for diagnostics to be conducted.
Details for contacting Technical Support can be seen by clicking the Contact Us link on the left-hand-side of this page.
