Overview

A customer in Newtown, connected to the NBN (National Broadband Network) via fibre to the node, experienced a sudden loss of internet service. Despite three visits from NBN technicians, the problem remained unresolved, leading the customer to seek assistance from SECURE A COM. This case study details the diagnostic process and corrective actions taken to restore the customer’s service.

The Problem

A few weeks prior, the customer’s NBN service stopped working without warning. Multiple NBN technicians were dispatched to investigate the issue, but they were unable to identify the root cause. One technician left without returning, and another struggled to diagnose the problem. The issue persisted, causing significant inconvenience for the customer.

Upon arrival, our technician conducted a detailed examination of the Main Distribution Frame (MDF), where the customer’s apartment line connects to the building’s internal network. Here, he discovered a 50-pair internal cable running from the apartment’s Internal Distribution Frame (IDF) to the MDF, where the issue was found.

Diagnosis

Using a tester, our technician identified that the customer’s line, connected to pair number two, was being interfered with by an additional set of cables. These new jumper cables, placed directly on top of the existing connection, had been installed by a previous technician. This misconfiguration resulted in a bridge tap—a situation where an additional connection causes interference, disrupting the service.

Further testing revealed that this new connection was possibly feeding the service to another apartment within the building, suggesting that the customer’s NBN service had been inadvertently shared or hijacked by another user due to the faulty wiring.

Solution

To resolve the issue, the technician performed the following steps:

1. Disconnected the Incorrect Cabling: The newly added cables causing the bridge tap were removed. This action was crucial in restoring the integrity of the original connection and eliminating any interference from the misconfiguration.
2. Conducted Insulation Resistance Testing: After removing the incorrect cables, insulation resistance tests were performed from the apartment socket to the MDF. The results were within acceptable specifications, confirming that the physical line was intact and operating correctly.
3. Restored Service: Upon reconfiguring the connections, the customer’s internet service was restored, achieving speeds of 47 Mbps download and 22 Mbps upload—within the expected performance range for their NBN connection.

Outcome

By identifying and correcting the bridge tap caused by incorrect cabling, our technician restored the customer’s NBN service within minutes of arriving on-site. The root cause was traced back to an NBN contractor’s error, where a cable intended for another apartment had been incorrectly connected to the customer’s service.

Despite the customer experiencing significant downtime and inconvenience due to multiple unsuccessful technician visits, our quick diagnosis and resolution highlighted the importance of thorough testing and correct cabling practices.

Recommendations

Given that the issue stemmed from a contractor’s error, it is recommended that the customer seeks reimbursement for the cost of our service. The misconfiguration was a clear oversight by the NBN technicians, and the prompt resolution by SECURE A COM demonstrates the need for careful inspection of physical connections during service disruptions.

Conclusion

This case underscores the importance of detailed diagnostics when dealing with NBN service disruptions. By methodically testing the connections and understanding the cabling layout, our technician was able to resolve an issue that had previously confounded multiple NBN technicians. The customer’s service was fully restored, demonstrating the effectiveness of experienced, hands-on troubleshooting in network maintenance and repair.

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