DSL constant drops

[richard84uk1]

I have been having an issue since November with the internet dropping and resyncing reported to Sky and they identified fault and arranged an engineer for the 10/12/2025 they never attended the address and never got an engineers report just got a letter offering for me to exit my contract with no penalties if I so wish. This indicating to me that they are aware of the fault and that for them it is either an issue that cannot be fixed due to distance from cabinet (which is long) or it is an expensive repair that they are just not willing to carry out and easier to offer we a get out clause hoping that I will take it and then go to another provider that I will continue to have the same issues and then it becomes their problem washing their hands with it.

The router is connected directly to the master socket nothing else plugged into the line and all ethernets removed just WIFI devices connecting, it has been up for 375 days and the WAN is dropping out roughly every 20 mins and router logs repeatedly showing: xDSL link down, G.994 training, VDSL G.993 started, WAN and voice reconnection.

The line speed is 14997 kbps downstream / 8496 kbps upstream, consistent which indicates to me that DLM banding has been put in place due to line instability, the line noise is stable at 11.3 dB downstream / 9.4 dB upstream.

[Chrisee]

@richard84uk1 Openreach the owner of the network Sky use to deliver your VDSL partial fibre service are increasingly unwilling to do any seriious work on their copper network which has a limited life. Where a line like yours cannot simply be fixed so it achieves its guaranteed speed Openreach will offer to release Sky from contract which appears to have happened in your case given the letter you mention. There is no way to challenge that decision.

All partial fibre lines run DLM systems which are designed to stabilise the connection at the expense of speed. If the 11.8dB you quote is the downstream noise margin that indicates a line with significant issues the normal range is 3 to 6dB. That your line still drops with a noise margin that hugh indicates the poor condition of the connection. Changing to any other isp who would use thecsame same line is pointless because thecresult will be the same.

If you have access to a full fibre solution whether from Sky or another network operator it is sensible to switch. However given the lenngth of your line it is unlikely that your address will,be passed by commercially funded fibre. Your county council has s public funds to help pay for fibre to rural areas but these are limited but is worth checking.  Alternatives are mobile broadband which can be bought at similar costs if you have a decent mobile signal or Starlink which uses low orbit satellites and is more expensive but is a viable alternative in 99% of addresses the requirement is a clear view of the sky..

[richard84uk1]

You are correct I cannot get fibre even though they are installing it in the street and I spoke to a BT engineer that was working on upgrading a house to fibre and said the cables are there ready and waiting.

I did speak with Virgin and they said they could install in my property and this went back and forward for 2 months in the end they said we cannot install it and I called BT and they have said the same they cannot install it.

I think the issue is we leave in a block of flats and even though the BT chamber is directly outside my living room window no more than 2 meters they refuse to install as they say they have to install via the communal laid pipe into a rise cupboarded on the ground floor and again I am on the ground floor.

Like you stated regardless if I go to another provider I will face the same issues as they will reuse the BT laid cables that sky already used.

I do have a 5G Three router that gives me excellent speeds so I might just drop sky and keep with that!

[Chrisee]

@richard84uk1 in what are known as MDUs (muktiole dwelling units) Openreach and the other network providers need the freeholders co-operation to fit equipment in the block to provide fibre or similar connections. It is worth talking to your management company as to why there is an issue somecsimply cant be bothered to permit an upgrade.  Poor internet connection affects sales value and rental returns of the flats and hence the value of thecwhole block. The government are pondering introducing regulations to force the freeholders of such blocks to co-operate so tenats can access modern services.

In the mesntime mobile broadband is a viable alternative.

This link explains more https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/fibre-for-home/ultrafast-full-fibre-broadband-to-your-apar...

[JimM1]

@richard84uk1 Mobile 5G will be your choice, may take a while for the FF to hit you as a MDU is far more difficult to be dealt with from the onset, will be on a list somewhere to be done once all the ducks are in a row!