--- In [email protected], arthurnaylor2...@... wrote: > > Not yet, the potential charges from BT mean that this has to be a last > resort.â¦
It still sounds to me like the problem is raw reliability of the connection between your modem and your local exchange. The symptoms generally sound like those experienced by a line that keeps dropping the connection - though I don't have direct experience of AOL or their error codes. What you see on your PC (in terms of browsing web pages, or the error codes from failure) requires all of the individual legs of the connection to work - WiFi from PC to the modem; ADSL to the local exchange, BT's internal network to your ISP, AOL's network to the internet, and then the internet in general. While the failure could be anywhere, it appears most likely to be the ADSL link between modem and the exchange - which puts the ball firmly in BT's court. With the length of your line, I'd say you are in a marginal position at being able to get a decent, reliable connection between modem and local exchange. This page suggests that the max length is 5.5km! http://www.skymarket.co.uk/internetaccess_denied.php As you indicate that you *used* to have a reliable connection, this is an indication that something, somewhere has altered, to push you below the margin. Because you've probably got very little margin anyway, it could be something trivial, and not necessarily BT's or AOL's fault - perhaps even the fact that someone else has bought broadband, and his signal is interfering with yours. The *simplest* option is to just call AOL, tell them the problem, and ask them to get BT out to look at your line. This might not be the cheapest option though, as BT will charge you if it turns out that the problem is caused by your internal wiring. However, you've already said that you're plugged into the "back" test socket, which rules out problems on your side. Here is what I'd do now: 1. Make sure you *really* are plugging the modem into the master socket. Yes it sounds daft, but I've seen cases where people have discovered that what *looks* like the master isn't really, and tracing the cable backwards has located an earlier, disguised, socket. It's true in our house, but at least I knew that was the case when they first installed ADSL. 2. Plug a wired phone (not cordless) into the back "test" socket, without your modem (or anything else) connected, and listen to your line. Dial "1" to get rid of the dial tone while you are doing that. If you need to listen longer, try dialling "17070" and pick option 2. Can you hear any kind of interference, crackle,... anything at all? If so, report this to BT as a line fault (is that 150 or 151?). Report it as a voice problem on your line, and don't mention broadband, ADSL, computers, or data at all! If you do mention those, it gives them an excuse to fob you off. If they ask about broadband, just say it's irrelevant as it isn't connected. 3. Connect the modem directly into the "back" test socket of the BT master socket, and go online. Make sure there are no other phones plugged in of any kind (particularly cordless ones - they can interfere too). Make sure there is no other wiring connected to the circuit either. 4. Use your PC to decide what kind of reliability you have (kinda subjective); Test your download/upload speeds (but this will vary depending on how reliable the modem-exchange connection is) Preferably login to the modem, and make a note of the line statistics. 5. If you have more than one filter available, you can retry the connection with different filters. 6. If you still appear to be having reliability problems, even with the simplest connection setup, then contact AOL, and ask them to ask BT to investigate a line problem. They will probably have a list of tests and steps for you to take too, before actually agreeing. I know PlusNet start doing some tests of their own before they call out BT. I've seen them use the "Whoosh" test to check a line (see that link above). If BT can't find a problem, and hand you back to AOL, that's when you probably need to start the more arduous task of gathering those line statistics over time. Note: With the length of line, and potentially being marginal, I guess there is always the risk that BT will declare that the line cannot support broadband, and turn you off. I don't know how big a risk, but be aware. Cheers, Mike
