ADSL Profile

[oldboy47]

My ADSL broadband is delivered over a very long pair of copper wires run in a rural environment. over the past six months we have experienced a number of electrical outages. Each time my broadband service would be resumed only with a much poorer profile than is normal (normal is 1.6 mb download). I have to contact the provider to get the profile reset which takes time.
Any suggestions as to the cause of the service resuming always with a much lower profile.

[peterb]

IIRC, frequent disconnections of the router can be interpreted by the exchange equipment as a poor line, so the profile adapts to correct this.

If you do suffer from frequent power supply problems, it might be worth investing in a small UPS just to keep the router active when power is down.

[oldboy47]

Thanks Peter. Unfortunately fully functioning UPS already present

[peterb]

Hmm, that is odd, because the exchange equipment should also be backed up, unless the exchange is set up so only the telephony side is maintained, not the ADSL side (to reduce power consumption and therefore extend battery life if the exchange doesn't have a back-up generator)

How long do theses power outages tend to last?

[oldboy47]

Short breaks we can cope but it is those of 2 hours or more when we get problems. The service provider has suggested changing the filter and router (both done).

[Peter Parker]

Short breaks we can cope but it is those of 2 hours or more when we get problems. The service provider has suggested changing the filter and router (both done).

Standard Tier 1 support answer - filters and new router. Covers 90% of people, but you have a different issue.

I worked at Sky some years ago and helped integrate "dynamic line management" (DLM) tools into the system. It records performance stats from the exchange multiplexers and makes nightly recommendations for re-profiling. In general it works quite well and helps boost download speeds for many people. But if your connection gets dropped for 2 hours that'd be a clear signal to re-profile for a few days. Typically stabilises in about a week.

I don't know who your provider is but BT and others have similar systems. If they can confirm that DLM is setting your speed back down after these power incidents, you might be able to request that you get removed from the DLM system. In theory though, DLM runs continuously and should automatically start improving your speeds within 24 hours of power being restored.

[Zak33]

is it the same for the neighbours?

If it is then it's a BT issue.. but a chap such as yourself should do some of the other stuff too. In house stuff.

ADSL dislikes having lot of phones on your house system. If you have more than one, unplug them all, so just the router and one phone is plugged into a socket. If your router is sharing the phone signal (REN?) strength then as it slows occasionally, it'll sync lower and lower.

Have you genuinely ever plugged into the master socket .. and do you know what other stuff is connected behind the master plate? I know it SHOULDN'T be .. but I found a line in my house connected and it went ..no where I could find,... I assume cut off and covered over somewhere behind a wall!.. and taking it off improved my ADSL mammothly

check the times that it slow up.. not just because "everyone is online" but because you might have something interfering with your phone line signal, Old central heating boilers have been known to run near phone lines and the little ignition thing can ruin the signal.

Does it get slower when it rains? Sounds silly.. but it might. Water genuinely can get into the junction box on your house wall.. and interfere with your ADSL

If all or some of that adds to the power outtages then the ADSL Profile will be pushed down more and more

[oldboy47]

Thanks Zak, but none of these are involved. Nearest neighbour is 300m away and doesn't have broadband

Had the service re-profiled again and got back up to 1.5Mb - heaven