Network problems in Medway area?

[Wild Oscar]

Morning all .. happy new year!

I've been having a lot of problems with my 20meg broadband service lately and wondered if any of the good folk here could advise?

Basically problems seemed to start at the beginning of December when it went down for a couple of days. I went ahead and booked a tech visit to sort it out but it recovered itself so I cancelled that particular visit.

Then it went down again Xmas day , recovered sporadically on Boxing day , but has been down since then until today!

I had a visit from a tech on the 30th and he basically checked everything out , said the problem seemed to be the network playing up and that he would have to pass it on to the network guys to have a look .. he specifically pointed out the 'Upstream Power Level' as being way out at 61.0 dBmV .. I've been checking it sometimes and it seems to vary wildly being as low as 8 dBmv sometimes and back up to 61 dBmv (which is where it is now).

He also fitted an mains-powered amplifier/4 way distributor unit (FDU-51?) on the wall and changed my old Pace TV box for one of the newer Samsungs. I think his brief was 'Upgrade everything that needs doing'

A near neighbor of mine is also having problems with his 20Meg service .. although at least he is connected .. it's more a speed issue for him.

I wondered if anyone else is having problems around here?

[webcrawler2050]

Morning all .. happy new year!

I've been having a lot of problems with my 20meg broadband service lately and wondered if any of the good folk here could advise?

Basically problems seemed to start at the beginning of December when it went down for a couple of days. I went ahead and booked a tech visit to sort it out but it recovered itself so I cancelled that particular visit.

Then it went down again Xmas day , recovered sporadically on Boxing day , but has been down since then until today!

I had a visit from a tech on the 30th and he basically checked everything out , said the problem seemed to be the network playing up and that he would have to pass it on to the network guys to have a look .. he specifically pointed out the 'Upstream Power Level' as being way out at 61.0 dBmV .. I've been checking it sometimes and it seems to vary wildly being as low as 8 dBmv sometimes and back up to 61 dBmv (which is where it is now).

He also fitted an mains-powered amplifier/4 way distributor unit (FDU-51?) on the wall and changed my old Pace TV box for one of the newer Samsungs. I think his brief was 'Upgrade everything that needs doing'

A near neighbor of mine is also having problems with his 20Meg service .. although at least he is connected .. it's more a speed issue for him.

I wondered if anyone else is having problems around here?


192.168.100.1 - root / root - can you post your upstream and downstream power levels.

[Wild Oscar]

Sure can .. excuse the quick-n-dirty formatting ..

Downstream Channel
The data shown in the table below provides information about the signal coming from the network to your cable modem.

Downstream Status ..... Operational
Channel ID ..... ........... .53
Downstream Frequency .. 315000000 Hz
Modulation ................... 256QAM
Bit Rate ...................... 20480000 bits/sec
Power Level ............... -6.7 dBmV
Signal to Noise Ratio ..... 33.6 dB


Upstream Channel
The data shown in the table below provides information about the signal being transmitted to the network from your cable modem.

Upstream Status ........... Operational
Channel ID .................. 3
Upstream Frequency ...... 37504000 Hz
Modulation .................. 16QAM
Symbol Rate ................ 768000 bits/sec
Power Level ................ 61.0 dBmV

[webcrawler2050]

Sure can .. excuse the quick-n-dirty formatting ..

Downstream Channel
The data shown in the table below provides information about the signal coming from the network to your cable modem.

Downstream Status ..... Operational
Channel ID ..... ........... .53
Downstream Frequency .. 315000000 Hz
Modulation ................... 256QAM
Bit Rate ...................... 20480000 bits/sec
Power Level ............... -6.7 dBmV
Signal to Noise Ratio ..... 33.6 dB


Upstream Channel
The data shown in the table below provides information about the signal being transmitted to the network from your cable modem.

Upstream Status ........... Operational
Channel ID .................. 3
Upstream Frequency ...... 37504000 Hz
Modulation .................. 16QAM
Symbol Rate ................ 768000 bits/sec
Power Level ................ 61.0 dBmV

Upstream is way to high. Need a tech to come and sort that. Unless a staff member can confirm an issue locally.

[Wild Oscar]

Yeah .. thanks webcrawler2050 .. at least I'm connected which is something!

That could all change very quickly , so I apologise in advance if I can't get back online to check any other replies!!

[Sephiroth]

If you can also get your neighbour's stats - it's a useful opportunity for being more precise with your case. Also is the neighbour further from the street box or nearer than you?

Also for both of you, if you can go to the CONNECTION link at the top of this page and note your CMTS details (remove the Customer number and do not post the IP address). We can see if you're both conencted to the same CMTS.

If it's too much to ask, don't worry.

---------- Post added at 12:51 ---------- Previous post was at 12:45 ----------

Upstream is way to high. Need a tech to come and sort that. Unless a staff member can confirm an issue locally.

If I might add to Webbie's diagnosis - your downstream SNR is within spec but lowish. Your downstream power is also much lower than the consensus here would be happy with.

Take this together with the very high upstream power, which is commanded by the CMTS because it can't always sync properly with your modem, it appears that you have a network problem (assuming that all your connectors on the coax are tight).

That problem could lie anywhere on the circuit. To complete the picture for us, your event log would be helpful (and your neighbour's)!.

[webcrawler2050]

Job well done!

[Wild Oscar]

Ok .. thanks for that Sephiroth. I can't get anything from the neighbor sadly , I know he was on a late shift last night so he probably is in the land of nod!


Here's my details from the 'connection' link meanwhile ..

Host .. cpc4-gill15-2-0-******.basl.cable.virginmedia.com

and from the modem log ...

Sun Jan 03 11:27:09 2010 Critical (3) DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response.
Sun Jan 03 11:26:38 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:26:25 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Time Not Established Critical (3) DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response.
Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:16:17 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 11:15:48 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:13:46 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 11:13:21 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:11:17 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 11:10:58 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:08:51 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 11:08:28 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:08:03 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 11:07:27 2010 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - ...
Sun Jan 03 11:06:56 2010 Critical (3) DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response.
Sun Jan 03 11:06:33 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:05:53 2010 Critical (3) SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC f...
Sun Jan 03 11:04:44 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:03:47 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 11:03:29 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:03:22 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 11:03:08 2010 Critical (3) DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response.
Sun Jan 03 11:03:08 2010 Critical (3) DHCP FAILED - Request sent, No response
Sun Jan 03 11:02:39 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 04:30:08 2010 Critical (3) DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response.

Thanks sephiroth .. hope I'm not ruining your sunday lunch mate!!

[Sephiroth]

Lunch was duck - half price Sainsbury's. Then went off to see family; came back to have cheese on toast and a couple of glasses of Merlot.

Then I come to your event log!

Can you post it again so we can see if it's going on all the time. If it is, then Webbie's diagnosis is correct. There is an upstream issue - certainly a network issue and all three measurements we've analysed between us are contributing to the problem.

You'd be best posting your problem (with stats) onto the Newsgroup for better attention than you'll get from the offshore agents.

[Wild Oscar]

Mmm .. a couple of toasted cheese sandwiches here too ..

meanwhile to the log .. just one entry after the previous post ..

Time Level Description
Sun Jan 03 16:19:07 2010 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - ...
Sun Jan 03 11:27:09 2010 Critical (3) DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response.
Sun Jan 03 11:26:38 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:26:25 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Time Not Established Critical (3) DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response.
Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Time Not Established Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:16:17 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 11:15:48 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:13:46 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 11:13:21 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:11:17 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 11:10:58 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:08:51 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 11:08:28 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:08:03 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 11:07:27 2010 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - ...
Sun Jan 03 11:06:56 2010 Critical (3) DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response.
Sun Jan 03 11:06:33 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:05:53 2010 Critical (3) SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC f...
Sun Jan 03 11:04:44 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:03:47 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 11:03:29 2010 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jan 03 11:03:22 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC
Sun Jan 03 11:03:08 2010 Critical (3) DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response.
Sun Jan 03 11:03:08 2010 Critical (3) DHCP FAILED - Request sent, No response
Sun Jan 03 11:02:39 2010 Critical (3) Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - Re- initializing MAC

.. and the 'Upstream Power Level' seems to have stabilised at 55 dBmv .. and I seem to have been connected all day which is good!

[Sephiroth]

Becasue it doesn't show the timeouts since this morning, it is possible that VM were working on an area problem. This is one of the reasons for wanting to see your neighbour's CMTS and stats.

You've still got something to report to VM. But if you get a chance with your neighbour ....

[Wild Oscar]

OK .. thanks sephiroth! I shall be visiting my neighbor tomorrow and get all the figures!

Meanwhile I'm looking through the newsgroup stuff .. new territory for me ..

[Sephiroth]

If you search on the term "Windows Live Mail" in this forum, you'll see a note from me on how to set up for the Newsgroup, particularly if you don't have Outlook Express.