[LINK] Rural phone lines (long)

[David Boxall]

Thanks to all who responded to my plaintive cry.  While my setup is working, I'll 
try to give as much extra information as possible.

Roger Clarke asked about my location.  It's 14km from Cessnock.  Cessnock is 
55km from Newcastle.

Roger also suggested the ACA & TIO.  A check of the Communications 
Authority's site was not encouraging.  It suggests that I have a right to 
"reasonable" access to a "standard telephone service", but specifically 
excludes Internet access.  I couldn't find a definition of "standard telephone 
service" on the site.  Telstra doubtless has its own definition of "reasonable".

The other ACA (Australian Consumers' Association) may be consulted later.  
The TIO I'll keep in mind.

For the moment, the local MHR's office has contacted Telstra on my behalf.  
They report that the matter has been referred to Telstra's area supervisor.

Stewart Fist writes:
>Telstra were installing pair-gain equipment to double the use
>of each twisted pair (that's where the 14.4kb/s guarantee
>comes from -- its the maximum that can be expected on pair-
>gain access)
They told me back in 1996 that I was on pair gain.  Nevertheless, I had been 
getting 28800-26400bps quite consistently until a couple of months ago.

>the other possibility is that they have introduced a lot of
>interference to the duct you are using.
Being a rural area, I don't think there is a duct.  As far as I know the cable is 
just ploughed into the ground.

>This could come from ADSL modem users in the neighbourhood or
>some other application requiring high data rates over twisted
>pair (HDSL also).  
This far from the exchange, I doubt that xDSL is possible.

>Are you likely to be sharing duct space with a large factory, 
>or office, etc?
The only new developments have been in tourism.  That would add subscribers, 
but no high data volumes that I can think of.

>Telstra certainly aren't being honest and open with their customers.
Strategically inexact terminology dominates Telstra's customer relations.  When 
caught in a lie they typically pretend to have 'just noticed' information 
confirming that they inadvertently mislead the customer.

>How far are you from the exchange?
14km by road.  Cable distance would be a little less.

Ash Nallawalla suggests changing to Big Pond for a bit of strategic leverage.  
Not a bad idea, but my neighbours are also suffering and that won't help them.

One neighbour complained that they couldn't connect with their brand new 56k 
modem.  I tried their equipment on my line and got a connection, but it dropped 
out after less than a minute.  As bad as my line is, theirs is worse.

Bruce Sayers wrote:
>send a facsimile to 1 300 368 999 or 03 964 0099
I had earlier tried the 03 number.  The fax seemed to transmit OK, but nothing 
came back.  The 1300 number worked.  The results are pretty much as 
expected: increased attenuation & line noise.  Transmit speed is lower now 
than in 1995.

BTW the 03 number is listed in my fax software phone book as FOLDS A.  
There's also a listing for FOLDS B: 03 92820909.  Does anyone know what that 
might be?

Mike Biber suggests:
>I guess with MOLDS you dial into 132203 and all sorts of 
>diagnostics ...
Yes and no.  You dial 132203 and they give you a 1800 number which, as far 
as I know, you then dial with HyperTerminal.  The 1800 number is a closely 
guarded secret.  Customers who succeed in getting a MOLDS test may be 
visited in the dead of night by a Telstra hit squad, dressed in black and 
carrying automatic firearms.  This is secret Telstra business, after all.

Jan Whitaker asks whether I had checked with my ISP.  Been there, done 
that.  I've found it pays to be prepared when dealing with Telstra.  A cut lunch 
also comes in handy.

Richard Chirgwin says:
>the most likley cause is simple line degradation
It's possible, but the degradation was too fast.  Someone could have driven a 4 
wheel drive over one of those metal box/post things, or livestock might have 
used one as a scratching post.  Experience and the response of the Newcastle 
technician (mentioned in my earlier message) lead me to believe that they're 
adding more subscribers without upgrading the capacity of the phone network 
and that's the source of the problem.
>nagging is probably the only cure. 
I'm nagging, I'm nagging.  8-)

Locally, since the early 1990's Telstra seems to have done a little work 
upgrading capacity between exchanges, but virtually nothing from exchanges 
to consumers.  Is that consistent with the rest of the nation?


====================================================================
David Boxall                     |  Dogs look up to us
david.boxall@hunterlink.net.au   |  and cats look down on us
                                 |  but pigs treat us as equals
                                 |            Winston Churchill