Can anyone advise? I've set up a voip account (with Vonage) and a
broadband connection (with Namesco) but I find that sometimes, neither
my pc nor my ATA can connect to the network. Is there anything I can
do about this?
Often, when I open my browser, I get a message: "Connection Test
Failed. Make sure your device is connected to a telephone jack using
the included phone wire. Otherwise contact your ISP."
I have checked the cable connections and have not found evidence of
any poor connections there. Rebooting the PC doesn't solve it.
Is it just the area that I'm in (smallish rural town) and I'll have to
put up with it?
Is my ISP likely to be able to do anything to cure the interruptions
in my connection?
> Often, when I open my browser, I get a message: "Connection Test
> Failed. Make sure your device is connected to a telephone jack using
> the included phone wire. Otherwise contact your ISP."
Sounds like your broadband is losing sync, ie you've got line problems.
> Is my ISP likely to be able to do anything to cure the interruptions
> in my connection?
You can probably do more than them by making sure the wiring on your
premises is up to scratch. Otherwise, downgrade to a lower speed for more
stable connection, perhaps?
"Jake D" <JakeD@jdjdjvvdjdjdj.com> wrote in message
news:ril0e39c2b2ji1jaqgpsdis2hks8glmn55@4ax.com...
>
> Can anyone advise? I've set up a voip account (with Vonage) and a
> broadband connection (with Namesco) but I find that sometimes, neither
> my pc nor my ATA can connect to the network. Is there anything I can
> do about this?
>
> Often, when I open my browser, I get a message: "Connection Test
> Failed. Make sure your device is connected to a telephone jack using
> the included phone wire. Otherwise contact your ISP."
>
> I have checked the cable connections and have not found evidence of
> any poor connections there. Rebooting the PC doesn't solve it.
>
> Is it just the area that I'm in (smallish rural town) and I'll have to
> put up with it?
>
> Is my ISP likely to be able to do anything to cure the interruptions
> in my connection?
>
> Thanks for any help.
>
> Jake D
Jake, you haven't told us about your router,
or is it combined with the ATA, I'm not sure
what Vonage supply.
Does a light start flashing on your router during these
disconnections?
If so, tell us about what you have got plugged into
all your phone points, and where you have installed
your filter(s).
Jake D wrote:
> Often, when I open my browser, I get a message: "Connection Test
> Failed. Make sure your device is connected to a telephone jack using
> the included phone wire. Otherwise contact your ISP."
That sounds like the standard zyxel error message for loss of line sync
- which means your router isn't talking to the local phone exchange anymore.
You need to check your ADSL filters. And if it doesn't improve, talk
to your ISP about raising a fault with BT wholesale.
On Thu, 6 Sep 2007 21:52:47 +0100, "Graham." <me@privacy.com> wrote:
>
>Jake, you haven't told us about your router,
>or is it combined with the ATA, I'm not sure
>what Vonage supply.
>Does a light start flashing on your router during these
>disconnections?
>If so, tell us about what you have got plugged into
>all your phone points, and where you have installed
>your filter(s).
Thanks, Graham.
My router is a Zyxel 660R-61C
My ATA is a D-Link VTA-VU
My ethernet switch is a Dynamode 5-port SW50010-D
My PC and my ATA are both connected to the ethernet switch; then the
switch is connected to the Zyxel router. The router then has a 20
metre telephone cable going to a microfilter which is plugged into the
primary BT phone socket for the house. On the other side of this
microfilter, I have a telephone extension lead going to 3 regular
analog telephones, plus an elderly person's remote emergency
assistance device (she has a button thing she wears around her neck,
which, when pressed, sends a radio signal to a dialler device that
sends an emergency message through the BT line to a rapid-response
assistance service. To connect these 4 phone devices, some regular
UK-type 2-way phone adapters have been used.
When I experience the breaks in my broadband connection, the DSL/ACT
light on the router is not lit. The only lights that remain lit are
the PWR/SYS light and the 10/100M light. There is no flashing light
during the breaks in the connection. During normal connection, the
10/100M light will blink occasionally.
During the interruptions in the broadband connection, if I pick up the
analog phone plugged into the ATA, I immediately hear a message saying
"This device is unable to connect to the Vonage network" (or some such
message).
It might also be worth mentioning that, before I had the broadband
service, I was using dialup on the same BT line, and it was
diabolically bad. 85% of the time, I could not get connected, and if I
did, the connection was constantly being lost. I called TalkTalk (who
sends us the phone bill for the BT line). They tested the line - but
said it was OK.
Jake D wrote:
> My PC and my ATA are both connected to the ethernet switch; then the
> switch is connected to the Zyxel router. The router then has a 20
> metre telephone cable going to a microfilter which is plugged into the
> primary BT phone socket for the house. On the other side of this
> microfilter, I have a telephone extension lead going to 3 regular
> analog telephones, plus an elderly person's remote emergency
> assistance device (she has a button thing she wears around her neck,
> which, when pressed, sends a radio signal to a dialler device that
> sends an emergency message through the BT line to a rapid-response
> assistance service. To connect these 4 phone devices, some regular
> UK-type 2-way phone adapters have been used.
You said on the other side of the microfilter. It is important that
every phone (including the assistance device) is filtered.
I'd lose the telephone extension to the ADSL router if you can.
Put the router right next master phone socket. Connect 1 microfilter
into the master socket. Connect all your telephone extension cables
into the microfilter.
Then get a long cat5 ethernet cable to go from the ADSL router to your
ethernet switch.
On Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:48:45 +0100, Tim <nutnews@kooky.org> wrote:
> > My PC and my ATA are both connected to the ethernet switch; then the
>> switch is connected to the Zyxel router. The router then has a 20
>> metre telephone cable going to a microfilter which is plugged into the
>> primary BT phone socket for the house. On the other side of this
>> microfilter, I have a telephone extension lead going to 3 regular
>> analog telephones, plus an elderly person's remote emergency
>> assistance device (she has a button thing she wears around her neck,
>> which, when pressed, sends a radio signal to a dialler device that
>> sends an emergency message through the BT line to a rapid-response
>> assistance service. To connect these 4 phone devices, some regular
>> UK-type 2-way phone adapters have been used.
>
>You said on the other side of the microfilter. It is important that
>every phone (including the assistance device) is filtered.
Hi Tim,
As far as I can see, they are all filtered, as they all go via the
microfilter which is plugged into the main BT socket.
>
>
>I'd lose the telephone extension to the ADSL router if you can.
>
>Put the router right next master phone socket. Connect 1 microfilter
>into the master socket. Connect all your telephone extension cables
>into the microfilter.
>
>Then get a long cat5 ethernet cable to go from the ADSL router to your
>ethernet switch.
Thank you for the suggestion, but can you explain why [a short phone
cable between the router and the BT main socket, with a long ethernet
cable between the Router and the switch], would be better than [a
short ethernet cable between the router and the switch, with a long
telephone cable between the router and the BT main socket]?
The 20mtr long phone/modem cable cost me about £25 from Maplin. I
guess a 20 mtr ethernet cable would cost even more... Also, there is
nowhere near the BT main socket for me to plug in a power supply for
thr router.
Jake D wrote:
> On Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:48:45 +0100, Tim <nutnews@kooky.org> wrote:
>
>>> My PC and my ATA are both connected to the ethernet switch; then the
>>> switch is connected to the Zyxel router. The router then has a 20
>>> metre telephone cable going to a microfilter which is plugged into the
>>> primary BT phone socket for the house. On the other side of this
>>> microfilter, I have a telephone extension lead going to 3 regular
>>> analog telephones, plus an elderly person's remote emergency
>>> assistance device (she has a button thing she wears around her neck,
>>> which, when pressed, sends a radio signal to a dialler device that
>>> sends an emergency message through the BT line to a rapid-response
>>> assistance service. To connect these 4 phone devices, some regular
>>> UK-type 2-way phone adapters have been used.
>> You said on the other side of the microfilter. It is important that
>> every phone (including the assistance device) is filtered.
>
> Hi Tim,
> As far as I can see, they are all filtered, as they all go via the
> microfilter which is plugged into the main BT socket.
>>
>> I'd lose the telephone extension to the ADSL router if you can.
>>
>> Put the router right next master phone socket. Connect 1 microfilter
>> into the master socket. Connect all your telephone extension cables
>> into the microfilter.
>>
>> Then get a long cat5 ethernet cable to go from the ADSL router to your
>> ethernet switch.
>
> Thank you for the suggestion, but can you explain why [a short phone
> cable between the router and the BT main socket, with a long ethernet
> cable between the Router and the switch], would be better than [a
> short ethernet cable between the router and the switch, with a long
> telephone cable between the router and the BT main socket]?
Because Ethernet will work over long distances, dodgy phone cables can
fail in a few inches. When you are a long way from the exchange, every
extra inch you can save can make a difference.
> The 20mtr long phone/modem cable cost me about £25 from Maplin.
Could you provide the Maplin part number so we can see what you are
using? If not does it have a BT plug at one end?
Also check the REN on each analogue device (I think the maximum should
be 3), you might have too much attached. Consider using a set of Dect
phones instead of lots of analogue extentions.
> guess a 20 mtr ethernet cable would cost even more...
£21.99 at Maplin or pop into your local independent computer shop. Ask
the IT guys at work nicely (Buy them biscuits etc) and they'll probably
knock one up for you.
> nowhere near the BT main socket for me to plug in a power supply for
> thr router.
Extension lead?
Jake D wrote:
> Thank you for the suggestion, but can you explain why [a short phone
> cable between the router and the BT main socket, with a long ethernet
> cable between the Router and the switch], would be better than [a
> short ethernet cable between the router and the switch, with a long
> telephone cable between the router and the BT main socket]?
The shorter the cable from the phone exchange to your router, the better
the connection will be. Also, every plug and socket along the way will
degrade the signal slightly.
The actual copper cable in your extension lead may not be oxygen free
copper either, which also degrades the signal.
In simple terms, the less stuff in the way, the less chance of something
messing it up.
Whereas ethernet is designed to run fine up to a cable length of 105 metres.
>Because Ethernet will work over long distances, dodgy phone cables can
>fail in a few inches. When you are a long way from the exchange, every
>extra inch you can save can make a difference.
>
>> The 20mtr long phone/modem cable cost me about £25 from Maplin.
>
>Could you provide the Maplin part number so we can see what you are
>using? If not does it have a BT plug at one end?
>
>Also check the REN on each analogue device (I think the maximum should
>be 3), you might have too much attached. Consider using a set of Dect
>phones instead of lots of analogue extentions.
Thanks... The long cable I'm using is a "20m High Speed Braodband
Modem Lead US/US" distributed by Commtel UK Ltd. Item code: 41602422
On Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:38:59 +0100, Tim <nutnews@kooky.org> wrote:
>The shorter the cable from the phone exchange to your router, the better
>the connection will be. Also, every plug and socket along the way will
>degrade the signal slightly.
>
>The actual copper cable in your extension lead may not be oxygen free
>copper either, which also degrades the signal.
Thanks.. The packaging doesn't tell me much except that it is
shielded. It is marketed specifically as a broadband modem lead.
"Jake D" <JakeD@jdjdjvvdjdjdj.com> wrote in message
news:jbq2e3tu9u6m8hnb48tofbsggb173ia695@4ax.com
: : On Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:38:59 +0100, Tim
: : <nutnews@kooky.org> wrote:
: :
: : : The shorter the cable from the phone exchange to your
: : : router, the better the connection will be. Also,
: : : every plug and socket along the way will degrade the
: : : signal slightly.
: : :
: : : The actual copper cable in your extension lead may
: : : not be oxygen free copper either, which also degrades
: : : the signal.
: :
: : Thanks.. The packaging doesn't tell me much except that
: : it is shielded. It is marketed specifically as a
: : broadband modem lead.
In other words a ripoff. It's a pair of wires, nothing more, nothing less
and it definitely doesn't need to be shielded. Is the line from your house
to the exchange shielded..?! Marketing it specifically for "broadband" and
slapping a hefty price tag on it is downright criminal IMHO.
Here I have my router/modem on the end of some 35-yr old wiring plastered
into the wall when the house was built in 1972 and it works fine.
Given the length of cable from the master socket to the exchange, a few
extra feet of extension cable is neither here nor there and I'd be very
surprised if it made any difference.
Ivor Jones wrote:
> Given the length of cable from the master socket to the exchange, a few
> extra feet of extension cable is neither here nor there and I'd be very
> surprised if it made any difference.
A few years ago, I was on the phone to a BT ADSL engineer who was
investigating a fault for me.
The end user was having problems with his ADSL losing sync. We told
the end user to get rid of his telephone extension cable.
The user promised us that he had got rid of the cable.
The BT engineer was able to tell that the length between the router and
the exchange kept changing by 20 metres, and that the signal was much
better when 20m shorter.
When we challenged the customer that we knew he kept putting the
extension cable back in, he admitted it. Then he did a proper job of
relocating his router and doing the cabling like we'd told him to.
Problem solved and we never had any hassle again.
On Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:23:47 +0100, Jono <nothanks@blueyonder.invalid>
wrote:
>>> You need to check your ADSL filters.
>>
>> Can you clarify how one does this?
>
>Unplug it. Put it in a drawer. Plug new filter in. Test.
Ah - thanks. I somehow assumed Tim was talking about software rather
than the hardware microfilter. Yes - I will change the microfilter for
another one; I had 2 supplied with my router.
>Given the length of cable from the master socket to the exchange, a few
>extra feet of extension cable is neither here nor there and I'd be very
>surprised if it made any difference.
Well, that's what I thought. ...but at the end of the day, I'll try
anything to get the kind of connection I need...
"Tim" <nutnews@kooky.org> wrote in message
news:46e16283$0$656$bed64819@news.gradwell.net...
> Jake D wrote:
>> Thank you for the suggestion, but can you explain why [a short phone
>> cable between the router and the BT main socket, with a long ethernet
>> cable between the Router and the switch], would be better than [a
>> short ethernet cable between the router and the switch, with a long
>> telephone cable between the router and the BT main socket]?
>
> The shorter the cable from the phone exchange to your router, the better
> the connection will be. Also, every plug and socket along the way will
> degrade the signal slightly.
>
> The actual copper cable in your extension lead may not be oxygen free
> copper either, which also degrades the signal.
Oh dear. Tim, you sound like the sort of guy that buys Monster
SCART cables at 50GBP+ a throw.
> In simple terms, the less stuff in the way, the less chance of something
> messing it up.
>
>
> Whereas ethernet is designed to run fine up to a cable length of 105
> metres.
>
And ADSL works fine over many kilometres (usually)
But I do agree the OP should try the router near the BT socket
temporarily to emiminate the phone extention as the cause.
>On the other side of this
> microfilter, I have a telephone extension lead going to 3 regular
> analog telephones, plus an elderly person's remote emergency
> assistance device (she has a button thing she wears around her neck,
> which, when pressed, sends a radio signal to a dialler device that
> sends an emergency message through the BT line to a rapid-response
> assistance service. To connect these 4 phone devices, some regular
> UK-type 2-way phone adapters have been used.
As all this lot goes through the filter it *should* be OK
Is there any other extention wiring hardwired to the master
socket?
If it is the large NTE5 type with the removable lower half
(faceplate) remove it (when the Landlady isn't looking), and see
if there are any wires attached to it.
On Fri, 7 Sep 2007 22:25:43 +0100, "Graham." <me@privacy.com> wrote:
>
>>On the other side of this
>> microfilter, I have a telephone extension lead going to 3 regular
>> analog telephones, plus an elderly person's remote emergency
>> assistance device (she has a button thing she wears around her neck,
>> which, when pressed, sends a radio signal to a dialler device that
>> sends an emergency message through the BT line to a rapid-response
>> assistance service. To connect these 4 phone devices, some regular
>> UK-type 2-way phone adapters have been used.
>
>As all this lot goes through the filter it *should* be OK
>Is there any other extention wiring hardwired to the master
>socket?
>If it is the large NTE5 type with the removable lower half
>(faceplate) remove it (when the Landlady isn't looking), and see
>if there are any wires attached to it.
Thanks. No - there is no other extension wiring hard-wired to the BT
socket.
I've noted that since my OP, my internet connection has been very
good. I suspect it was a remote problem that has been put right.
With dialup access, the usual diagnosis was a server overload
somewhere, wasn't it? Is that not still a likely cause with broadband
connection problems?
On Sat, 08 Sep 2007 13:13:20 +0100, Jake D <JakeD@jdjdjvvdjdjdj.com>
wrote:
>I've noted that since my OP, my internet connection has been very
>good. I suspect it was a remote problem that has been put right.
Scratch the above; I've just learned something new! I found I couldn't
get access to the web while an incoming phone call was in process via
the BT line. The inturruption seemed to start as soon as the phone was
ringing, and ended after my landlady hung up...
Strangely enough, though, my voip phone was able to connect to its
network via the same broadbank connection.
As mentioned, all of the analog phones in the house go through a
microfilter plugged into the main BT socket.
Microfilter not working properly, perhaps? I must try to get hold of
another one to try. Thought I had a spare around here, but seem to
have lost it...
On Sat, 08 Sep 2007 13:43:22 +0100, Jake D <JakeD@jdjdjvvdjdjdj.com>
wrote:
>On Sat, 08 Sep 2007 13:13:20 +0100, Jake D <JakeD@jdjdjvvdjdjdj.com>
>wrote:
>
>>I've noted that since my OP, my internet connection has been very
>>good. I suspect it was a remote problem that has been put right.
>
>Scratch the above; I've just learned something new! I found I couldn't
>get access to the web while an incoming phone call was in process via
>the BT line. The inturruption seemed to start as soon as the phone was
>ringing, and ended after my landlady hung up...
PS - this may have been a coincidence because I got the same problem
later when no phone calls were taking place. This time it's around
8.00pm - the same time of day that the connection failed the other
day. 8.00pm to 23.00pm seems to be the dodgey time of day.
> With dialup access, the usual diagnosis was a server overload
> somewhere, wasn't it? Is that not still a likely cause with broadband
> connection problems?
Margins for ISPs are razor thin, so none of them will have any more capacity
in their networks than absolutely necessary.
On Sat, 08 Sep 2007 21:18:43 +0100, alexd <troffasky@hotmail.com>
wrote:
>> somewhere, wasn't it? Is that not still a likely cause with broadband
>> connection problems?
>
>Margins for ISPs are razor thin, so none of them will have any more capacity
>in their networks than absolutely necessary.
I see... So changing my ISP could be worth trying if all else fails?
My broadband connection is currently down, and has been for the past
16 hours, since 8:00pm on Saturday evening. (I'm using dialup to post
this).
> I see... So changing my ISP could be worth trying if all else fails?
No, probably not. Capacity issues at your ISPs end will not cause your DSL
line [ie the connection between your premises and the BT exchange] to lose
sync. However, a more clueful ISP will be more likely to escalate a line
fault to BT, or offer you sensible advice on how to resolve it if the
problem lies at your end, or even re-grade your line if it's not capable of
supporting the speed it's running at.
> My broadband connection is currently down, and has been for the past
> 16 hours, since 8:00pm on Saturday evening. (I'm using dialup to post
> this).
What you need to do in the first instance is to determine if your connection
issues are due to losing sync on your line, or just a rubbish ISP. Make
sure you've eliminated all internal wiring as a source of the issue. See if
your router tells you what your downstream noise margin is [the higher the
better]. You could ask your ISP for a copy of your connection history. If
you're staying logged in but can't see the internet, then it's probably
your ISPs fault. Also bear in mind that some router chipsets are better at
holding sync on poor quality lines than others [TI AR7 springs to mind].
Poor connection (not continuous) 
Linear Mode
