Not sure if we have any current/former lineman on the forum here, but here goes:
I work for as a contractor for a CLEC and I was dispatched out yesterday to a customer who has POTS & ADSL service with low data rates (like 1-2Mbit downstream). While checking the pair at the NID, I discovered when doing a leakage test (mind you, this is with the CO eqpt disconnected) the Sidekick meter swings to the right like it normally does, but slowly drops left and hangs around 2-4pts leakage. Occasionally it will even jump up a couple of times then fall left to 2-4pts leakage. This happens on the Tip side, Ring side, and Across the pair. It's as if the pair is acting like a capacitor, holding some voltage before releasing it.
Would this be indicative of older paper sheathed cable plant? I haven't seen a test result like this before in the several years I've been doing contract work for the CLEC. The pair other than that odd leakage result, tests clean. Stress is right at 30dB but maintains it. I had to temporarily lift the half ringer to get an accurate kick test: 16 pts tip-ground/ring-ground (8,000ft approximately) and 12 pts across (6,000ft). No left-ins, no other half ringers. No foreign voltage either. No load coils. Aerial drop wire is older plastic covered 19AWG stuff, similar to the rubberized drop wire. DSL is fed from an Adtran TA5000 DSLAM.
I tested from the CO side and defintely see the issue more from the NID/customer side. I tested the IW and didn't find anything wrong. Replaced the modem too. Filters in place.
Since I was unable to find anything wrong for the LEC to fix, we're going to try ordering another pair and see what happens. This location in the past has had numerous issues with varying data rates, up to 5Mbit a few weeks ago, and I seem to remember a couple of years ago up to 7Mbit. We sent out the LEC last week and they reported trouble cleared - corroded conductor.
Last edited by hawk82; 10/01/14 08:30 AM.
