PDA

View Full Version : Connection issues in Walthamstow for the past week?

pooper
29-08-2009, 22:31
My connection has done this before, a few months ago and now it seems to have come back :mad:

Basically the connection seems to either:

1) Grind to a halt, then come back a minute or so later (it will do this several times throughout the day). The status lights on the modem don't change.

2) I'll lose connection and the Ready light on the modem will flicker quickly, then at a constant slower rate until it decides to reconnect.

3) The Sync light will flash (usually doesn't, but i've noticed it a few times).

In all cases, rebooting the modem + router do absolutely nothing, the modem will just come back up with the ready light flickering.

When the connection comes back (eventually), this is the kinda result i get when pinging the openDNS servers for the following 30 mins or so:

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9531/pings.png

I've already had someone out to look at the modem the last time this happened, they said it was fine, but put a dB limiter thingy on it anyway. I've tried the connection with it removed, it's made no difference.

Power levels when the connection is DOWN:

Downstream Receive Power Level : 14.0 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 36.7 dB
Upstream transmit Power Level : 33.0 dBmV
(sync light was flashing this time, so i'm guessing the high downstream power was due to something at VM's end not mine!)

+

Downstream Receive Power Level : 1.7 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 35.7 dB
Upstream transmit Power Level : 31.0 dBmV

Power levels when the connection has been UP:

Downstream Receive Power Level : 0.1 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 35.1 dB
Upstream transmit Power Level : 34.5 dBmV

When I spoke to the helpdesk on Friday, they told me their was an outage and it would be fixed in an hour. I have a feeling i was just fobbed off.......!

Anyway, do these symptoms/power levels seem to point to a probable/possible problem at the cabinet, or somewhere else?

thanks!
Peter_
29-08-2009, 22:44
Upstream transmit Power Level : 33.0 dBmV

Upstream transmit Power Level : 31.0 dBmV

Upstream transmit Power Level : 34.5 dBmV

The 3 Upstreams you have posted are all rather low and you probably need an engineer to adjust them in the cabinet.
pooper
30-08-2009, 02:00
ahhh, I thought it would be something like that. Is this common, for it to keep happening? Dodgy connection in the cabinet? (I was told I was moved over to another connection last time!)

Thanks

(btw ive just been down again since my last post, and only just got back on, horray!) lol
pooper
30-08-2009, 13:51
Is there anything that would have caused this (damage to the cabinet etc?) Just seems odd that it's randomly come back :S
Ignitionnet
30-08-2009, 14:07
I see you're a 20Mbit customer, and can see those wonderful varieties of power levels downstream you posted.

Power levels when the connection is DOWN:

Downstream Receive Power Level : 14.0 dBmV
Downstream Receive Power Level : 1.7 dBmV

Power levels when the connection has been UP:

Downstream Receive Power Level : 0.1 dBmV

Something is pretty hosed (technical term that one). Upstream power is a bit low but the variance downstream is scarier, you've serious sloping issues that need sorting given that the upstream transmit stays relatively stable. Either way those values shouldn't vary by so much downstream and certainly a service technician, likely followed by a network technician, are the ways forward.

I am hazarding a guess that your downstream frequency is changing too - might be beneficial to keep an eye on it.

Thanks!
pooper
30-08-2009, 14:25
lol yeah I though as much :(

My connection was rock solid for the first year of being in this property...... it's like someone's just taken an axe to the cabinet or something lol

It's been "stable" so far today at 1.2 dBmV downstream. What were the acceptable levels again?
pooper
03-09-2009, 21:15
I've had someone from the helpdesk send some commands to my modem today (can't remember what exactly).

Anyway, my power levels now look like this:

Downstream Receive Power Level : 4.6 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 36.1 dB
Upstream transmit Power Level : 37.5 dBmV

Is that downstream power level better? I thought 4.6 was too high?

Either way, i was told to monitor it for the next few hours and to call back to cancel the Tech visit on Monday if it's now stable.

So far it "seems" stable... can power level issues be fixed remotely like this??!

Thanks!
Peter_
03-09-2009, 21:30
I've had someone from the helpdesk send some commands to my modem today (can't remember what exactly).

Anyway, my power levels now look like this:

Downstream Receive Power Level : 4.6 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 36.1 dB
Upstream transmit Power Level : 37.5 dBmV

Is that downstream power level better? I thought 4.6 was too high?

Either way, i was told to monitor it for the next few hours and to call back to cancel the Tech visit on Monday if it's now stable.

So far it "seems" stable... can power level issues be fixed remotely like this??!

Thanks!
Your power levels are fine and will not need a tech.

They sent provisioning hits to your modem to ensure you have the correct service level.
pooper
03-09-2009, 22:45
Spoke to soon..... connection is still very unstable. Just seems to constantly cut out, then the Ready light flickers quickly until it manages to reconnect :/

Don't think i'll be cancelling Monday's tech!

Would it be worth removing the attenuator that the previous tech installed, to see if that makes any difference?
pooper
06-09-2009, 17:34
Okay something else that's going on, that seems weird!

My torrents (legal of course!) seem to be getting capped randomly at 580K/sec. I'm sure it's not traffic shaping, as I haven't downloaded much at all, plus the speeds will randomly go back up to the full 2MB/sec at times. Also, i'm connected to the same amount of seeds, so I know it's not a case of fast seeders disconnecting etc

(You can also see another drop out earlier on as well) :/

This problem seems really random and I'm starting to think that the tech visit tomorrow won't achieve anything as he'll just check the modem status (which i bet, will just happen to be connected when he arrives!) check the levels, then leave!

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/8563/strangecap.png
Raistlin
06-09-2009, 18:58
I've taken your inline image out and turned it into a link as it was causing problems on some people's screens.
pooper
07-09-2009, 11:32
Just had the tech out - who replaced the modem/cable/attenuator and transponder (?)

Seems that my modem may have been the culprit (2 year old 250, now replaced with a 256).

Stats are now:
Downstream Receive Power Level : -1.1 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 36.1 dB
Upstream transmit Power Level : 37.5 dBmV

I can now also access the FTP (i'm 99% sure this is because I now have a new IP - and the old one was somehow removed from the allow list!).

Still can't access newsgroups though - authentication fails.....

But overall....... i'm happy! :D
pooper
07-09-2009, 14:51
Update: okay so i just turned off "this server requires authentication" and I can connect to the Newsgroups as well now... weird :P