A problem I've been having for 13 months - random disconnections. Need expert help.

tyraelx2 · 04-07-2006, 16:56

Yes, that's right - 13 months.

In that time, I've had 6 engineers out. I'm not even going to talk about the frustration with NTL technical support, but anyway, here's whats happening.

13 months ago, I got random disconnections. The disconnections ranged from 3 times in 1 day to 100 times in 1 hour (literally). I got an engineer to come out, he checked some things out, replaced my modem and off he went.

Still got the disconnections.

However, strangely, a few days after that, the disconnections stopped. I was then fine for 5-6 months with not even 1 disconnection.

Then they started again, as worse as ever. I was extremely angry and that led to me getting no fewer than FIVE engineers out. I don't know what the hell they were doing, but they couldn't fix it. They replaced a few cables and changed my modem a crapload of times.. that was it really.

If 6 of them can't fix it, who can?

Basically, when I get disconnected, either the RDY light stays solid and i have to power off and on the modem OR the RDY and SYNC lights refresh, and it connects again.

I have tried everything to fix this. I repositioned my cables, replaced my cables, replaced modem, replaced motherboard and bla bla, practically replaced my whole damn PC after that.

This happens COMPLETELY randomly. When it is connected, it works PERFECTLY. I'm on a 10mbit line and my max speed is 1.2mb/sec, so yes, all is working good when its on.

I'm a heavy online gamer - that's why this is so frustrating for me and I can see it easily obviously.

Any help is appreciated... I just don't know what to do anymore =/

Chris W · 04-07-2006, 16:58

which make of modem do you have? 100, 120, 200 or 250?

Go to http://192.168.100.1/ and log in with username and password both root. post back the power levels and SNR.

---------- Post added at 16:58 ---------- Previous post was at 16:58 ----------

oh and

btw

neoapple · 04-07-2006, 16:59

dude welcome to my world i have the same issue as you and i have a STB. Im still waiting for a fix. Im on number 5 of my engies now

tyraelx2 · 04-07-2006, 17:06

The make of my modem is 250.

Cable Modem Downstream
Downstream Lock : Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 31
Downstream Frequency : 402750000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM256
Downstream Symbol Rate : 5360.537 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps32Increment4
Downstream Receive Power Level : 3.3 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 40.7 dB

oh and thanks Chris ^^

Chris W · 04-07-2006, 17:12

hmm.

when the connection drops, try logging onto that page again and see what is reported.

If it is only Ready that is flashing it looks like it is losing the upstream connection though...

tyraelx2 · 04-07-2006, 17:20

Well, most of the time all the lights just stay solid .. as if it was fully functional. So, I have to reset it myself. That happens probably 90% of the time.

And yea, when it does reset itself, its only the RDY light that 'resets' or whatever.

I'll try and get those details for you.

mmm · 04-07-2006, 17:43

I don't have a 250 but you need to quote the upstream power level as, in my experience, it is the upstream that maxes out and causes this sort of problem at about +60dB

tyraelx2 · 04-07-2006, 19:25

Downstream Receive Power Level : 1.9 dBmV

Had that a minute ago when the connection sort of flickered on and off. Is that low or?

@mmm

Upstream transmit Power Level : 48.0 dBmV

:S

---------- Post added at 17:51 ---------- Previous post was at 17:12 ----------

Ok, it's disconnected a few times now..

When it disconnects, my Downstream Receive Power Level is between 1-2 dBmV.

This is down from 3-4 dBmV.

Any ideas?

---------- Post added at 18:11 ---------- Previous post was at 17:51 ----------

Another disconnection.. went donw to this that time..

Downstream Receive Power Level : 0.5 dBmV

---------- Post added at 18:25 ---------- Previous post was at 18:11 ----------

Sorry, I was wrong. When the modem resets itself, the SYNC and RDY lights go off, then the SYNC light comes on, then the RDY light comes on.

Zanny · 05-07-2006, 16:26

I think Im having similar problems at times. There will be periods when on a freqeuent basic my connection dies but the sync/rdy lights are still on but dwn/up lights are dead. I reboot the modem and all is fine for x amount of time.

It may be my imagination but it seems worse if you upload as well as download via bittorrent (for demos and freeware movies etc) or other p2p software.

I had one evening using BT when it was disconnecting every 10 mins but then I tried stopping the BT program all was fine for the rest of the evening, back to BT and disconnected again.

Course its your typical nice random fault that if they engineers dont find on call out they can charge you for wasting there time. SO I dont bother ringing just put up with it

Heehee just did it again, for what its worth is wasnt an immediate cutoff download speeds lowered over maybe 10 secs and reduced to 0.

Ignatius · 07-07-2006, 11:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zanny

Heehee just did it again, for what its worth is wasnt an immediate cutoff download speeds lowered over maybe 10 secs and reduced to 0.

Are you sure that the measure you're using isn't an averaged figure? If the figure you're seeing is averaged over the last 10 seconds (as many packages do) then an instantaneous disconnection would look like speeds going down over the averaged period.

I see similar effects when i use the averaging option in netmeter.

mmm · 07-07-2006, 14:18

The target for downstream is 0 +/- 3dB on install - anywhere between -3 and +3dB.

The modem should work between +/-15, the actual value will vary from day to day because of weather (esp temperature).

The upstream refers to how loud your modem has to shout be be heard at the right level by ntl at the other end. +48 is a good value, this can rise to about +60 when it may become marginal.

It does look like NTL's problem!

Nedkelly · 07-07-2006, 20:52

Hi and welcome to the site .Does the modem go off at the same time of the day or is it a different times.2 Does your next door neighbour or any one in the street having the same problems.Not every one phones in a fault so there may be more of you

Make a log of when it goes off and this could be passed on so they can monitor when yuor modem drops out.This has been done in my aera as we could not find a fault when we arrived .