..this is a common problem for small business. ADSL is a complex technology, and things can go wrong…
This is a common problem for small business. ADSL is a complex technology, and things can go wrong. However, most of these are to do with your own modem, PC, filters, etc.
Follow these instructions and see if it solves your problem…
Speed Test
Run a speed test and see if speed is appropriate for your connection speed. For 8000/384 and ADSL2+ connections the minimum speed is 150KB/s – ISPs do not log a fault unless the speed is below this.
Your ISP can tell you what their official test is. However, a http://speedtest.net test should yield a reasonably accurate result.
Reboot Your Modem
Like your computer, your modem can slow down after time, and a hard reboot can be highly beneficial. To hard reboot your modem, turn your modem off using the switch at the back, or turn it off at the power point, and leave it off for a few minutes. Switch the modem back on, and check to see whether this has resolved your issues. If it hasn’t, you can hard reset your modem (You will need your connection details from your ISP for this, so please make sure you have these before continuing), as explained below.
Hard Reset Your Modem
Important – (You will need your connection details from your ISP for this, so please make sure you have these before continuing). Just like a computer, sometimes your modem needs hard resetting. Hold down the pinhole button at the back of the modem for 30 seconds or so.
*Remember to reconfigure it properly – i.e, putting in the correct ADSL username and password, and if your modem is Wi-Fi adding a WPA2 password, etc.
Isolation Test
To perform an isolation test, disconnect everything from the phone line, including phones, fax machines, Back2Base alarms, Foxtel/Austar boxes, long line extension cables, line surge protectors, and your ADSL modem. Remove excessive power cabling from the area as not to cause unwanted interference.
After about 15 minutes of having nothing connected to the line (this also allows your DSLAM port to reset) plug in only the ADSL modem to the master phone line if you can. Ensure it does not have a line filter on it (these are for phones and faxes). See if your speed improves, and if you were having dropout problems also check to see if the stability has improved. If the isolation test solved your problem, you can one by one plug in your devices (ensuring they are all filtered) and see which has the biggest impact on speed/stability.
Try a Different Modem
If the isolation test did not solve the problem, another good thing to do is to try another modem and see if this improves your speeds. Sometimes dropouts are caused by a faulty phone line. Your ISP should be able to organise a Telstra tech to come and look at your line – if none of the above helps, there is a good chance that it is a problem with your Internet Service Provider.
Yours in Technology,
HIP COMMUNICATIONS
