Sky to perform a spot of ADSL line management on some 300,000 lines

[grimwades]

Please someone help me!

Been with Sky BB for a year now on the mid package (up to 8mb, confirmed by Sky). Been very happy up until now.

The past few days my speed has dropped dramatically. Used to download at 900-950 kbps (on good servers), but now can only ever achieve a maximum of 50 kbps. I've done a speed test at various servers on the Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test site and it gives me figures that I'd expect from a 512 connection.

I connect using wireless and ethernet, I have reset the router, upgraded the firmware on the Netgear 834 router and nothing makes a difference. I have even check my microfilters and connected just using the master socket (disabling all the extensions).

I have phoned Sky twice now and they say there is nothing wrong with my line and I haven't been restricted. I also mentioned this article, but they have no idea about it.

Is anyone else experiencing these problems? I'm tempted to phone them and ask for my MAC code and cancelling all my Sky products as their BB is the only thing that makes me stay subscribed.

Please, Please help me!!

Many thanks, David

[naza911]

Originally Posted by grimwades

removed full quote as it is directly above
Please, Please help me!!

Many thanks, David

I assume that you mean you used to be able to download at 900KB/s. That would defiantly mean an 8128kbps sync. Using Global servers may be the problem, they may have had some problems or you were using an international server. Test you speed here:
Namesco BroadbandMax ADSL Broadband Bandwidth speedtest | Test your ADSL Broadband connection speed

Hook your Router to the test socket, connect it to the socket at the back of the faceplate. I have written this article about improving you broadband speed. Click here to go to it. Only do it up to where it tells you to remove the faceplate. When you are at that stage, get you Sky TV box's phone modem cable and plug your router directly into the the test socket.

Go into the router setup at 192.168.0.1 and username and password is admin & sky unless you changed it. In there you should get a figure called 'DownStream Connection Speed' post that back here or PM me with it, also there will be a button at the bottom at the router page called 'Show statistics ' post them as well. The put everything back together and go and plug it into your normal socket socket with filters and do the same thing you did at the test socket, by going into the router setup page and getting the figures.

One other thing to check is your phone line. Switch of you modem but don't disconnect it from the wall. Dial 17070 from your phone and press option '2' for silent test. You should hear nothing at all, total silence. Wait a few sec's if the line IS silent then switch on the router and wait till it has connected to the internet, all the lights come on. If you get a buzzing noise on the phone line now, then one of your microfilters has gone. If the line remains silent then read the rest of my long article. If you have done everything and the problem is there, then something is wrong on sky's/BT's side.

[Guesswot]

Is this line management caused by O2/Be and their recent announcement of LLU enabled exchanges with enhanced speeds and competitive prices? Maybe Sky are worried about capping their Max customers.

[NewsreadeR]

A bit of an update for you, as per usual unofficial

Despite what some may have posted, there have been no test or live runs on the Sky network.

The adjustments or dynamic line reprofiling are likely to commence in July. The most likely method is to be speed adjustments, and these will by continuously automatically monitored and adjusted over time.

The objective is to get the best combination of reliability and speed for Sky Broadband Users. For some users, this may mean a slower connection, for others it will mean an improvement.

But effectively this will take away the human error that some customers have complained about on SkyUser, where their speed is set inappropriately low and then they have a fight on their hands trying to get this adjusted upwards.

[Guesswot]

Very interesting. Back on Max. Capped, and not ADSL2+. My exchange will enable O2 LLU end June. So will try them probably. Shall try to persuade SKY to maximise the speed first. Am happy with Sky but ....

[chrcol]

Originally Posted by NewsreadeR

A bit of an update for you, as per usual unofficial

Despite what some may have posted, there have been no test or live runs on the Sky network.

The adjustments or dynamic line reprofiling are likely to commence in July. The most likely method is to be speed adjustments, and these will by continuously automatically monitored and adjusted over time.

The objective is to get the best combination of reliability and speed for Sky Broadband Users. For some users, this may mean a slower connection, for others it will mean an improvement.

But effectively this will take away the human error that some customers have complained about on SkyUser, where their speed is set inappropriately low and then they have a fight on their hands trying to get this adjusted upwards.

Will it be possible to opt out such line management?

[pwoolley]

Over the last 3 days i have been getting a solid amber light on the router. On contacting Sky Help Desk i was advised that their engineers are working in the exchange (littlehampton). The same has been happening to a friend of mine who is off the Kemp Town exchange.

So is this their planned ADSL Line management update for the exchanges!!

What I have found is everytime i get an ADSL signal back my Speed dropped from 9116 to 5688, but a quick reboot soon brought it back up to 9116.

[Monday]

@NR is this sort of like an auto regrade?

[Netgeezer]

Possibly this will help clarify, alleviate, or even amplify people's fears - I did a bit of Googling and came up with these few gems... there are plenty of others.

Although these are discussing BT's implementation of the concept and technology it is reasonable to expect the Sky experience to be similar.

Although not to pour petrol on the flames be conservative with your interpretation. We will not know really until this actually begins.

DYNAMIC LINE MANAGEMENT (DLM)
Balancing the Fastest Possible Speed with Service Stability

Connect's DLM is unique to BT and is the next step forward in line speed management, making use of the increased configuration options available with ADSL2+.

DLM works by logging and monitoring actual line performance every 15 minutes and using this information to stabilise the line, avoiding lost connections and interruptions to service. A 'maximum stable rate' is set by monitoring line performance over the first 10 days in service, and DLM then oversees the process automatically. DLM has three key elements:
Active Line Optimisation – if performance falls outside pre-set limits, the line is 'retrained' by reducing the speed until an acceptable level of stability is established. When a line has been retrained, it will speed up and return to the maximum stable rate.
Intelligent Profiling – using existing line performance data to set the best starting profile for a new or re-graded line reduces 'early life' faults.
Service Stability Policies – offering flexibility in balancing speed and stability by customising DLM to match the performance requirements of different services.

Source: BT Wholesale

Dynamic Line Management (DLM)
DLM is the automated BT systems which logs information about the performance of your line. The data collected about disconnections and reconnections are used to establish what speeds are likely to be most stable for your particular line. If you frequently restart your router or modem DLM may interpret this as a problem and may subsequently reduce the line rate. A prime function of DLM is to keep the line as stable as it can.

Source: Business broadband with go faster stripes - CI-Net

Dynamic Line Management (DLM)

Dynamic Line Management operates on the Max products only.

DLM effectively enables the ‘tuning’ of a lines performance to ultimately provide an improvement in the speed of the service to the end user. Historical performance data will be gathered periodically from the lines and this will be used to identify those lines which are performing badly. These lines will then be re-configured automatically (if possible) to give an improvement in their overall ADSL performance and stability. This re-configuration will result in a short break (typically 20 seconds) in the end user service.

It is possible that re-configuration of a line could occur daily until a stable configuration is found although it is expected that the majority of poorly performing lines will only require 1-2 re-configurations before reaching a stable point.

The DLM process may result in a decrease in the ADSL line rate, but this will only occur where a line is identified as performing badly at a higher rate. DLM will also use interleaving to fix problem lines, and this will result in an increase in the delay over the connection, which may affect some delay sensitive services (e.g. Gaming, Video,VOIP)

The DLM process may also be applied manually as part of the standard repair process following an end user fault report.

DLM renders the ADSL Homeworker service potentially unsuitable for voice telephony over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) as there is no guarantee the line speed will be consistent and stable

Source:InTechnology - Services - Managed Network Services - ADSL Homeworker (Unmanaged)

Dynamic Line Management (DLM) - Ongoing Process

When the user logs on they send information (line data) to the DSLAM including details of any errors on the line.
The information is collated by the Data Collector which in turn sends it to the Dynamic Line Management system. Its the job of the DLM to analyse the data from the DSLAM and RAMBO to then decide if there is a stable line. If not if any changes to the SNR should be made and/or Interleaving should be used. The constant management ensures that the circuit remains within the set threshold.

If any changes need to be made the DLM sends the information via the flow stream to NCAS.
NCAS then reports to the DSLAM which then makes the relevant changes to the individual users line card. This process will be repeated to ensure the correct changes have been made.
If necessary this process will be continually repeated changing the SNR and/or interleaving until the line is deemed stable.

The DLM process is carried out every time you are connected and not just within the first 10 days.
Configurable attributes of the DLM are SNR and Interleaving.

Source: ::. Kitz - How DSLMax works .::

And finally a huge PDF extracted here - use the link below to see the full article in all of its glory

2 Max and DLM
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
What is RAMBo?
RAMBo is the Rate Adaptive Management Box and is the key component in the Broadband Max
product. It has two main components – Max and DLM and it monitors real-time and historic data
from the DSLAMs in order to make each Broadband Max line as fast and as stable as possible.

What is Max and what does it do?
Max is part of the RAMBo system, which monitors the line rate of each end user’s line and in the
case of IPstream, adjusts the BRAS according. Additionally, for IPstream it also notifies BBCR of
changes in the BRAS profile via the downstream line rate parameter. For DataStream, Max
purely passes the DSL line rate to the CP via BBCR.

What is DLM and what does it do?
DLM is the other part of the RAMBo system, which analyses the bulk performance statistics from
the DSLAMs for each end user’s line. As a result of this analysis, DLM adjusts the DSLAM line
profile to gain the optimum level of rate and stability. For both IPstream and DataStream any
changes due to this analysis are notified to the CP via BBCR.

How are Max and DLM related?
Max and DLM are independent modules that have an indirect relationship as well as direct
linkages between them. An example of the indirect relationship is when a DLM change that
increases margin, causes a rate change. That rate change will be detected by Max, which will in
turn perform a change of the BRAS profile if required.

DLM is responsible for the generation of the “heartbeat”. The “heartbeat” does not cause a
retrain of the modem and will be invisible to the end user, this is a pseudo sync event that is sent
directly to Max to ensure that lines in constant sync receive the correct BRAS profile.

Max is responsible for the detection of “flapping” lines” in real-time. When Max detects a flapping
line, it notifies DLM, so that DLM can re-profile the line in order to stabilise it as rapidly as
possible.


Source: http://www.thinkbroadband.com/files/...nd-legends.pdf

[IWasNotTheEnemy]

^ the above post is the relevant one here - Sky will be like BT IP Profile is on BTW products...

basically the line will constantly fluctuate to compensate for changes in line conditions in the hope that disconnections are a thing of the past!!! Personally, it's only a good thing as I've only had loss of connection through my own doing (rebooting router for example). other than that I've not dropped once!!!