Intermittent Internet service

[Tommy Rattler]

I've got a problem with my internet connection and am hoping to find a way forward or fix here.

I've had the issue for several years - but it really hasn't bothered me until I started using a slingbox recently and also started using the WII interactively.

Some details: In Colchester, Ex NTL, have had Phone/TV and Internet from NTL/VM for several years. All services working fine - except.....

My internet connection drops out for several seconds (typically 10 to 15 secs) approximately every 5 to 10 minutes. (occasionally the service stays up for a couple of hours! It's not 100% predictable)

My setup is:
Cable enters house. This is attached to a ntl:250 Cable Modem (model E08C007) - which in turn is connected to a 4 port belkin router model F5D5231-4 which has a few devices connected to it including a couple of workstations and a wireless AP.


I believe that it is the cable modem that drops off because I can set up continuous pings from my wireless connected laptop to:

Google.com
Cable modem (192.168.100.1)

Router (192.168.xx.1)
Lan device 1 (Slingbox) 192.168.xx.5) - hard wired
Lan device 2 (WII) 192.168.xx.250 - via wireless AP
second workstation 192.168.xx.3 - hard wired

and the only two that drop out when the short disconnection occurs is my ping to google and the ping to the cable modem. The pings to all other devices via the belkin router and the AP stay up throughout the temporary outages.

After a few seconds the internet service returns and can stay up for 5 or 10 minutes before the same short disconnection event is repeated.

Normally this event has little or no noticable effect on my internet activity. But it does cut off Skype connections, streaming video and WII connections etc.

Anyone got any ideas on what the problem could be?

Could it be local interference?
Is it the modem?
Could there be a rogue device on or near the network causing the issue?

If I need to call VM to log the issue how would I best describe the fault to ensure a first time fix?

Trouble is I know I'll need to allow a good 30 minutes to contact VM to report the fault - and that is really putting me off calling. I may decide to continue living with the fault instead. It's not that bad and I have lived with it for some time - however as I now want to use interactive services more often than before I think it's time to address the problem.

[Ignitionnet]

Sounds a lot like an issue on the cable side of things sir.

Could be modem, could be the cable network. The good news is that if you go to the VM newsgroups they will reply to you, usually within 4 hours, and will not put you through the webcrawler type torment of 20 questions and 30 reboots.

http://www.virginmedia.com/myvirginmedia/newsgroups/setting-up.php will give you what you need to set it up.

You need to be posting in the group virginmedia.support.broadband.cable

Just tell them what's wrong, they'll check your power levels and signal quality remotely and if need be order you a new modem.

If you want to expedite things a bit you could paste them the power levels directly from your modem - go to http://192.168.100.1 and you'll see pages with upstream transmit power, downstream receive power and downstream SNR, those are the key values.

Cheers.

[Tommy Rattler]

@broadbandings:

Many thanks for the steer. I will give them a try and will update the thread with the result.

I've got a problem accessing the modem though - it advertises that the login and p/w are root root - but that's not working, it looks like it has been changed (but not by me)

[Ignitionnet]

@broadbandings:

Many thanks for the steer. I will give them a try and will update the thread with the result.

I've got a problem accessing the modem though - it advertises that the login and p/w are root root - but that's not working, it looks like it has been changed (but not by me)

OK try admin / cableroot and if that fails try operator / cmoperator

This info brought to you by the SNMP access that ntl decided we aren't allowed to have to our modems so they removed it from ex-TW :(

[Tommy Rattler]

admin / cableroot hit the spot. Thanks again.

---------- Post added at 16:11 ---------- Previous post was at 15:21 ----------

@ Broadbandings

These are the figures for the key values you mentioned.
Are they "within normal parameters"?

I'm contacting the VM newsgroups now.

Downstream Receive Power Level : 2.7 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 39.4 dB
Upstream transmit Power Level : 49.5 dBmV

[Peter_]

These are the figures for the key values you mentioned.
Are they "within normal parameters"?

I'm contacting the VM newsgroups now.

Downstream Receive Power Level : 2.7 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 39.4 dB
Upstream transmit Power Level : 49.5 dBmV
Yes they are spot on, so any issue is either network side or with your equipment.

[Tommy Rattler]

Yes they are spot on, so any issue is either network side or with your equipment.

Thanks for that. I guess by "Equipment" you could be referring to anything between the modem and the computer I'm using. i.e. my router and anything hanging off the router?

I'll try disconnecting everything except one pc - then, if the problem has gone away I'll add my devices back on one at a time.
Could still be the modem itself I guess?

Having now joined the virginmedia.support.broadband newsgroup I've noted that there are quite a few folk with identical issues to me. And they don't appear to be getting resolved by VM. I'm currently leaning toward some form of local (equipment) interference at the moment.

Thanks again

[Peter_]

Thanks for that. I guess by "Equipment" you could be referring to anything between the modem and the computer I'm using. i.e. my router and anything hanging off the router?

I'll try disconnecting everything except one pc - then, if the problem has gone away I'll add my devices back on one at a time.
Could still be the modem itself I guess?

Having now joined the virginmedia.support.broadband newsgroup I've noted that there are quite a few folk with identical issues to me. And they don't appear to be getting resolved by VM. I'm currently leaning toward some form of local (equipment) interference at the moment.

Thanks again
Equipment is also your computer, if XP have you run this TCP Optimizer (http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php)

[Tommy Rattler]

Equipment is also your computer, if XP have you run this TCP Optimizer (http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php)

True true true.... and thanks for the link to the TCP Optimizer.

However my main computer (laptop) travels with me daily to and from work and is quite often connected to hotel / airport wireless networks too.
The laptop doesnt have any connectivity problems unless it is connected via my home VM connection. In addition there are 2 other workstations on my lan at home and they all suffer from identical connectivity issues at exactly the same time as each other - ie they are all affected simultaneously.
These are the units I am now disconnecting from the network.

Cheers again

Kit

[Peter_]

So when you call again you will be able to explain that you get the same issue with more than one computer which points to the issue being on the network possibly.

[Tommy Rattler]

Removing all but one laptop from the network didnt make any difference - pings timed out regular as clockwork every 5/6 minutes.
Sometimes it stopped just for one ping - othertimes for several consecutive pings - then it would come back for another 5 minute period.
I guess that rules out most of my lan connected equipment.

[jrhnewark]

OK try admin / cableroot and if that fails try operator / cmoperator

This info brought to you by the SNMP access that ntl decided we aren't allowed to have to our modems so they removed it from ex-TW :(

SNMP from VM's side? How do they monitor the network if they don't use SNMP?

[Peter_]

SNMP from VM's side? How do they monitor the network if they don't use SNMP?
We can monitor the network from our side with various online tools but SNMP has been disabled on the modems.

[jrhnewark]

We can monitor the network from our side with various online tools but SNMP has been disabled on the modems.Well, I suppose I can understand why having to deal with a network of SNMP-enabled devices in my job...

... but what exactly were you getting, through SNMP, from the modems? Obviously you don't want turn on/turn off information (which I suppose would be through get traps, not set traps, if I'm getting that the right way round)... but you'd want "signal levels way out" etc., surely?

[xocemp]

I'm not going to got to deep into this jrhnewark.

community string & stolen services, that's all I'm saying.

[jrhnewark]

I'm not going to got to deep into this jrhnewark.

community string & stolen services, that's all I'm saying.Ahh. Profit protection, not providing an excellent service for customers... silly me. ;)

[xocemp]

Aye, try and keep a low profile when mentioning the lack of SNMP access, its a touchy subject (http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/12/33647639-virgin-remove-snmp-access-page-3.html) for Broadbandings. :p:

[caph]

Tommy, it might be worth trying your ping test hard wired directly to the modem thus eliminating your router as a potential cause of the problem. If there is something not right with the WAN interface on your router then it would be consistent with the results of your tests.

Remember to reset the power to the modem when you plug in your laptop.