Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

I have been getting constant cut-outs of the internet, multiple times a day, for weeks now. Virgin sent out an engineer a while back who couldn't find anything wrong other than fixing speed issues I had but the cut-outs remain.

I wondered if there is any information I should collect every time one of these cut-outs happen to give more help to Virgin and/or the engineer?

At the moment these are my downstream levels:

and upsteam:

When I look at the network log I get a lot of:

• No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;
• Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received

but not sure if that's anything.

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Are you by any chance using modem mode (guessing its a SH3?) and on an Arris CMTS?

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Is it dropping for a minute or two roughly hourly? If so i had that happen recently and was caused by an update to the CMTS resulting in everyone in the area with a SH2 having the problem. Changing to a SH3 fixed it.

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

I had the same problem for about six weeks - had 3 engineers out, and the SH2AC replaced on the 2nd visit.

On the 3rd visit, I insisted he talked to the network techs, who found I had a high rate of FEC errors (around 20%), which basically borks the connection.

I was told it was a localised problem, and would be resolved as a low priority task - after about 6 weeks it appears to be OK now (I got a refund on my BB for the six weeks).

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

I am using modem mode. It's the latest Superhub? I have no idea what the last thing is.

---------- Post added at 22:08 ---------- Previous post was at 22:07 ----------

It's drops for a minute or two. I'll try and time the cut-outs. Hourly might make sense.

---------- Post added at 22:09 ---------- Previous post was at 22:08 ----------

I'll phone them again then. Just want to collect as much information as possible to help them diagnose the fault. When I called previously they did mention vague 'issues in the area' but no more information and that was a month ago.

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

May be down to the port flapping issue. http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/...g/td-p/3073985

I think the SH3 lists the CMTS mac address in the network log. Copy it into the search box on this site: http://wintelguy.com/ and it should give the manufacturer of the CMTS.

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Just says: CADANT INC.?

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Yep, Cadant = Arris. http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...38&postcount=4

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

So is that good or?

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Set up a ping monitor and it will show dropouts on your connection.
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/ping
I have proved problems to them in the past so that they cannot deny them.

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

If you use the hub in router mode that should sort it for now....

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Thanks, I'll try that.

So it's something wrong with the hub in modem mode? The port flap thing? How is that resolved?

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

A firmware update is required. If you try in router mode and the symptoms disappear then at least we know what the problem is

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

If that is the problem then is that something I can do on the device? Pretty sure it was up to date as of a few weeks ago.

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Unfortunately not. Everyone with the problem is waiting for Virgin to push out a new firmware to fix it.

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Cheers. I'll try that. This seems the optimal situation for me because it's both a temporary working fix for now with the prospect of a proper fix soon all with minimum effort from me. :)

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Might be worth setting up a Thinkbroadband ping monitor as swoop suggested, if you don't already have one running. Would show the dropouts every 34 mins whilst in modem mode, on the graph that it produces.

As an aside, I've got one of the SH3's coming on Friday. Pretty sure I'm still on an old Motorola BSR 64k (If anyone knows about the Telford headend could confirm?), so hopefully not letting myself in for a world of pain :p:

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

If you have a superhub 3 and can only see 12 downstreams then you are on a BSR or a 10K old type ubrs 16 to 20 downstreams then your on a new ubr :)

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Ok. I have switched to router mode. Setting up the ping monitor. Let's see what happens.

---------- Post added at 19:46 ---------- Previous post was at 19:41 ----------

So i've created it. How does it actually work? I assumed it ran from my machine. But it's just a website. Do I need to keep the tab open and it just makes the occasional request on the client?

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

You just go to "your monitors" on the website and the graph appears. It pings your machine 24/7 but uses negligible bandwidth.

e.g.

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/ping/s...11-10-2016.png

To post it here, click "generate graph" and then "small graph". To make it a snapshot and not a realtime graph copy and paste all after ' src=" ' up to ' " /></a> '

It will look like [url]http://www.thinkbroadband.com/ping/share-thumb/e389e84fe786e310a9e08ed5717793dc-11-10-2016.png

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

No cut outs but this doesn't look great:

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2016/10/20.png

Could my firewall be blocking it?

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Yeah, I think you have turn the firewall off when in router mode to get it to respond to the pings that are being sent to it.

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

I'll see. So far I am doing ok, no cut-outs, I'll give it a while and tomorrow but if so I might be ok...

---------- Post added at 22:40 ---------- Previous post was at 21:44 ----------

Ok just hit another timeout..

Nothing in network log. I'll have to phone them tomorrow.

It was weird this timeout lasted longer but seemed to retain a snail's pace of connection instead of outright failing. Previously it would just fail. Here a page would take 5 minutes to load...

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

There is a tweak required for Vm routers to show the correct graph..

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/ping/guides/routers.html

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

It's actually a separate piece of hardware at think broadband. It sends a ping request (A small data packet that the target echoes back if pings are enabled) to your IP every few seconds and logs the response. The website provides a means of accessing that log in a graphical form for posting on forums.

Since it runs outside VM's network it is a useful guide to your accesses to the wider net.

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Thanks. Got the SH3 earlier, have 12 downstreams and the wintelguy site says the CMTS is a Cisco. So 10k then?

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Cisco 10k, with one of these supplying your downstream bandwidth.

Temporary solution; you'll be moved to newer kit as soon as it's sorted.

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Thanks Igni. Going slightly off topic but are the original CMTS replaced with the same make? So Cisco 10k to cBR-8, Motorola BSR to Arris E6000? Or are they just replaced with whatever is available at the time?

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

THanks for the link there.

Anyone got any information on "River Delta Networks" which the CTMS comes back as for me.

Motorola I think own RDN now, is it a CMTS that is good, has issues, because my connection certainly does.

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Doesn't seem to be a pattern from what I've seen, though could be wrong.

---------- Post added at 10:58 ---------- Previous post was at 10:57 ----------

Old Motorola BSR 64k. Will be replaced at some point soon with the newer type.

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Grrr so a week and a bit after putting the Superhub in router mode I am still getting poor performance and cut-outs. The only clue I am getting is that the wi-fi itself it dodgy during thse cut outs which makes me think it might be a problem with the hub?

Repeated calls to Virgin aren't helping either. They can't find anything wrong and tell me to do a reboot or whatever. Bizarrely my computer also takes ages to connect to the network when it joined just fine on my old wireless router....

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Engineer came again, couldn't find anything.

Is it possible to downgrade to Superhub 2.0? All was well then...

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

Do you still have your Superhub 2(ac)? Might be possible to get it reactivated. Although looking at that port flapping thread on the community forum, there could be a new firmware "coming soon". Sephiroth may be able to confirm.

Re: Repeated Cut-outs. What info can I collect to convince Virgin of the problem?
 

I wish I could confirm. VM were too vague when they told the Superusers last week that there would shortly be a new general firmware release for the Hub 3. You'll have noticed on the VM forums that the Superusers weren't full of it!