# AT&T DSL EXTREMELY slow



## Kevin2341 (Aug 20, 2007)

This has been an existing issue for me a long time now, it flares up every now and then. Basically my normal DSL is supposed to be about 1.5mbps, but I just did a speed test and it was ranked about 0.22 mbps, or 220~ kbps, which is SLOW.

This is my current set up
Phone Jack -> DSL Filter -> Modem -> Wireless Router ->Wireless\Wired connection to two computers

I had a phone connected on this DSL filter, and I unplugged it and moved it to another jack (with a DSL filter), and reset the modem, but it's still really slow

We had a technician come out about 6 months ago to basically tell us he didn't know what was wrong.

Its not my modem, because we are still getting the same issue even with a different modem. I've changed the phone cable. I'm pretty sure it's not the router because I've had a direct line from the modem to a computer once and got the same issue. I've tried a different DSL filter, same.

And I've tried to do a line quality test at dslreports.com, but they won't let me because I'm not a member and I see no obvious way of becoming a member.

Anyone know what I can do? This is getting really frustrating, especially when I'm paying for a service that is barely working and the lousy AT&T technicians don't know how to fix it...


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## Kevin2341 (Aug 20, 2007)

http://www.dslreports.com/testhistory/1605880/d2bae

I got the dsl report to work, and the first two tests I took, i forgot I had the test running, and tried restarting my modem which interrupted the test... The last test I took I got that result normally (Normally meaning that I didn't interrupt it in anyway).


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Well, you need to configure to allow pings to get the full test, but it looks bad from what you've posted.

I note that you mention a DSL filter on the modem. Everything *BUT* the modem on the phone line requires a DSL filter, however the modem should *NOT* have a filter.


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## Kevin2341 (Aug 20, 2007)

REALLY?? That is (at least from what I remember) against everything I have ever read.

So if I go and take off the DSL filter on the modem (its one of those filters that has two jacks, one shows a phone, and the other says DSL?), it won't cause the internet to disconnect if we get a phone call?


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## Kevin2341 (Aug 20, 2007)

Sorry its me again... I tried tinkering around with my modem some more. I tried running my modem without a filter on it, and it's still running extremely slow. I've tried swapping the phone cables again (RJ-11, or what ever it is.) I tried using my other DSL modem.

I'm starting to think that there must be a problem with the phone line in my house or something.

The thing that is confusing me the most though is that my internet was working really well for a few months, why all of a sudden is it goofing up? The way we originally had it set up (when it was working well) was Phone Jack -> DSL Filter (the two port kind, one for dsl, one for a phone) -> modem -> router.  Then I moved a phone into the room with the modem and put the phone back on that filter. That is when it started goofing up again. So I removed the phone, now it's not working right at all, even though it has the same "set up" as it was before...


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## Fourth Stooge (Mar 11, 2008)

Kevin2341 said:


> REALLY?? That is (at least from what I remember) against everything I have ever read.
> 
> So if I go and take off the DSL filter on the modem (its one of those filters that has two jacks, one shows a phone, and the other says DSL?), it won't cause the internet to disconnect if we get a phone call?


That gadget is not a filter on the DSL side, it is a splitter. It may have a filter on the phone side.

As I understand it, the filter prevents crosstalk between the DSL frequency and voice frequency. It should not result in internet disconnects, but some phones may see the line as "in use" without the filter. I guess the DSL could slow down if there was crosstalk due to data errors, or you might get some garbage. The modem will receive data, it just might receive unwanted data.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Right, you have a splitter, as long as the modem is plugged into the *modem* side, it's not being filtered, which is correct.


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## Kevin2341 (Aug 20, 2007)

Either way, I think* the splitter thing was resolved lol. but it wasn't the main issue. I'm thinking right now I'm going to have to call tech support again just to talk to some guy in India tell me to power cycle my modem and then tell me there is nothing he can do so hes going to send a tech support agent out between 8 am and 5 pm lol.

edit: typos


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## Fourth Stooge (Mar 11, 2008)

My "enlightening experiences" with AT&T Tech Support is why I was hanging around this forum today to begin with.

We can't rule out that the phone company did something outside your house which compromised your service. Every time they open one of their junctions there is a risk something is going to get messed up.

If you haven't already, unplug all the phones (and filters) so the modem is the only thing plugged into any jack and see if that helps. Plug the modem directly into the jack without the splitter.

If you haven't, try moving the modem to another jack in the house and see if it gets any better.

If you have a phone junction box where the line enters the house that allows you access to the "customer side", there may be a jack in there. That jack hooks up directly to the incoming line from the phone company, before any of your lines split off. It may have a plug in it that you will have to open. If so, the phones in your house will be dead while it is open. In any event, if you have one of these, run a phone cable from that jack to your modem and try again. If it is faster, the problem is somehow related to the wiring inside your house. If not, it is the phone company's problem.

I would have thought the phone company technician would have tried that, but you never know. Him saying he didn't know what the problem was could be a reflection of the problem or on him.


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## Kevin2341 (Aug 20, 2007)

Thanks FourthStooge, Im gonna try what you said

What you said about trying the modem on another jack actually crossed my mind last night, but haven't gotten around to trying it yet, I'll try everything you said. What I'm really hoping is that it'll start working as it should on another phone jack, and just turns out to be a bad jack I have it plugged into.

You would think that if I had a major problem with my phone line through out the entire house that there would be "noise" on the phone line. So I'm just praying that the issue is with that phone jack and that it can be resolved by tinkering with that jack or just completely moving it.

I'll update tomorrow when I get a moment to try it out!


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## Kevin2341 (Aug 20, 2007)

I always find it funny, especially with stuff relating to computers (even more the internet), how easy things get screwed up. One cable gets put in the wrong place or not plugged in at all.

Well, this morning I got up and was going to start some troubleshooting on my modem, and went to unplug my phones when I notice that the very phone that I moved from the room with my dsl cable was plugged into the wrong part on the splitter (it was in the dsl\hsdn, not the phone ). I go and power cycle the modem, and wa-la, internet is working again as should.

I'm pretty sure it's fixed, at least for now, when I got to 192.168.0.1 (my modem address) it's rating the internet speed as 1536 kbsp (1.5 mbps) on the downstream, and 384 on the upstream. Before my solution the downstream was matching the upstream every single time.

Now time will tell me if there is still a problem, I know in the past I'd have to power cycle the modem at least once a week, but I don't think that is really out of the norm. 

Thanks everyone, I'll update if I get any problems, really appreciate the help


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

OOPS! :grin: Like I said, no filters for the modem. :wink:

Glad you figured it out.


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