Mac Forum / Applications / Mac Applications / May 2007

Sounds like a bad line for the DSL.

A DSL modem will initially start at what one might expect to be full
speed for what ever service you are paying for.

However, if the line is faulty the DSL modem will rest itself to the
next lowest speed that it can maintain a decent signal on.

If the line is intermittent or really bad, it will continue to reset
to progressively lower speeds until it finally ceases to send at all.

Rebooting the modem (and the computer) brings you back to full speed
but if the lin eis bad you are destine for that to repeat itself.

If you see this in hot weather I'd almost bet it was a bad phone line.

She should listen for any audible static on the phone line.  If there
is static, she need to call the regular phone service people, not DSL
service and get it fixed.

Other problems may be for the DSL support number.

If she hears static on the line, such as a hissing when the DSL modem
is on it may be several things.  It may be a bad DSL modem (they will
burn out if they are straining to maintain a signal over time), a bad
pigtail microfilter at one fo the phones, a bad phone (believe it or
not), or if she has a direct line from a signal splitter where the
line comes into the house, that may have gone bad.

The problem is that aside from audible static that suggest sa bad
connection someplace, the rest of the problems are a matter of process
of elimination.  There is no one item to check.

For my money... a hot weather issue suggests a bad solice or a
loosened screw at a terminal someplace, followed then by a bad twisted
pair someplace between th ehouse and the central office.

However the phone company will always immediately assume its something
in your house and try treating the problem there first, then debug
from ther eback to the central station.

Been there, done that.

So far I have had a home run (direct line to DSL modem) installed, new
wires from the Network device (the splitter box) to the pole, and a
new twisted pair back to the next junction box 2 blocks away.

I sub to a 3.0M/768K line but I am nearing the end of the 19.5K loop
length that limits DSL.  My test sshow I get 2.87M down and about 650k
up.  I consider myself lucky.  Only way I'd improve that would be to
be physically closer to the CO.

DMK