Resolving Continuous Internet Dropouts for an NBN Customer

Overview

An NBN customer in Picnic Point was experiencing continuous internet dropouts and slow speeds for over a year. The customer, using Optus as their ISP, had been facing ongoing issues despite previous attempts by NBN technicians to resolve the problem. After receiving a diagnosis of a “bridge tap issue” from Optus, the customer contacted our team to investigate further and provide a solution.

Background

The customer reported persistent dropouts, with the internet sometimes working for an hour before disconnecting again. The dropouts started a year ago and have worsened in the past two weeks, severely affecting internet speed and connectivity. An Optus technician had previously attended to the issue six months prior, replacing components in the pit outside the customer’s home. However, the problem returned shortly after, and recent speeds dropped to as low as 56 Mbps when the connection was active.

Optus provided a letter identifying a bridge tap issue, prompting our involvement to confirm the diagnosis and identify any underlying problems.

Investigation

Upon arrival, our head technician Jason conducted a thorough examination of the customer’s setup. The initial inspection revealed:

• A direct lead-in cable from the socket inside the house leading straight to the street conduit and into the Distribution Point Unit (DPU).
• The customer’s socket was replaced with a new one to rule out internal faults.
• Various leads were tested, including a fresh lead connected to the customer’s Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) connection device.

Despite these changes, the connection was still not syncing, and Jason’s testing equipment showed no connection even after ten minutes. This pointed towards a deeper network-related issue rather than a problem with internal wiring or devices.

Findings

• Lead-in Cable Condition: The lead-in cable was still connected to the primary blue-white pair, indicating that no previous remedial action had been taken on the second red-black pair. This was unusual, as a problematic cable would typically have been switched to the second pair during previous repairs.
• Bridge Tap Issue Disproved: Extensive checks under the house confirmed that the lead-in cable was direct and without any bridge taps. All conduits and connections were correctly installed, ruling out the diagnosis of a bridge tap issue.
• Potential DPU Fault: Given the lack of bridge taps and intermittent connectivity, the likely cause of the issue is pointed towards the DPU in the street. The connection would periodically work well but drop out again, suggesting a network-level issue rather than anything within the property.

Resolution

Based on the evidence collected, it was determined that the problem was not caused by any internal fault, bridge tap, or miswiring on the customer’s side. The issue was escalated back to Optus, recommending that a Level 2 technician be dispatched to inspect the DPU and address any faults at the network level.

Conclusion

This case highlights the importance of a thorough, step-by-step diagnostic approach to identify the root cause of complex connectivity issues. Despite the initial assumption of a bridge tap, the real problem was traced to the network infrastructure, specifically the DPU. By ruling out all potential internal causes, Jason was able to ensure the issue would be escalated to the right team, speeding up the resolution process for the customer.

Optus was advised to send a technician to test and potentially replace or repair the DPU, providing the customer with a reliable and consistent internet connection moving forward.

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