Whirlpool

After having a very stable connection (measured uptime in months) my connection has reset at least 10 times in the last few hours.
Location: Northern beaches in Sydney.

Anyone else experiencing issues?
I have not changed anything in my configuration.

Cheers
Geoff

Show us your SNR, Attenuation figures now and before.

If you are getting more noise then you may have to consider reducing your SCM profile.

You're are going to ask what's changed.

You may have been borderline for your current profile and you have just reached the barrier.

Modem Status

Connection Status Connected
Us Rate (Kbps) 1023
Ds Rate (Kbps) 6389
US Margin 9
DS Margin 7
Trained Modulation ADSL_2plus
LOS Errors 0
DS Line Attenuation 46
US Line Attenuation 27

This doesn't appear to have changed from "before".
I consistently connect between 5800 and 7000 DS rate. The Attenuation is about the same as it used to be.

Cheers
Geoff

GazingSouth writes...

This doesn't appear to have changed from "before".

Then just leave it for a few days and see if the drop outs stop. They might just be working at the exchange.

If they persist then just throttle down the SCM profile.

....also on the northern beaches and had some dop-outs and slooowww responses as well over the last few hours – must be some work on one of the exchanges then

OK – after a reasonable week I'm now back to going up and down like a yo yo – the connection has reset at least 20 times today. My last connection was:
Connection Status Connected
Us Rate (Kbps) 951
Ds Rate (Kbps) 1811
US Margin 9
DS Margin 12
Trained Modulation ADSL_2plus

I have been getting consistent 6000+ down and 1000 up.
NOTHING changed inside the house, so must either be a line issue (no noticeable increase in the noise) or the exchange.
I'm on frenchs forrest.

Geoff, is there any crackling on the line if you lift handset?

Looks like a line issue assuming you have done isolation test and removed the filters from the equation.

Change your SCM to Standard.

Set your modem in G.DMT.

Wait for 3 hours, isolate then powercycle.

Try different phone cables.

Try different modem.

If still bad, call support – advise them what you've done.

Doing it before calling them saves a lot of time.

Sorry – just realized that the line dropped in the middle of posting a reply.
I have already done an isolation test with the same results.
No crackling on the line.

GazingSouth writes...

must either be a line issue (no noticeable increase in the noise) or the exchange.

Include the power line as a possibility in your line issue.

I had the same problem in Melbourne early Saturday afternoon. Connection dropped out about 10 times within an hour. I traced the problem to the line voltage – it dropped to around 200V within that period. Electric company might be doing maintenance due to bad weather. Things have returned to normal after voltage back to above 230V.

I do suspect many of these dropouts have to do with power supply. Dlink is well known for their dodgy adapters, many of which last a couple of years and then linger on before dropping dead, causing the dropout problem in their gasping stage.

Was directed to continue in this thread – sorry about that.....

OK – this has now gone really bad – on hold to tech support.
Have had about 20-30- drops per day and in the last hour it won't stay connected for more than bout 5 mins and won't sync at speeds greater than 1200.

I've power cycled the modem, downgraded the connection in connection manager, done an isolation test.
No extra noise on the line.
Modem seems ok....

Anyone out there on the Frenches Forrest Exchange having similar issues?

On hold to tech support right now

Geoff,

What's your progress thus far?

I can only assume if you have done everything and I mean everything.. eg used another modem to check modem isn't at fault, isolation tests, called support and they say everything is a o k on their end then probably there is some cabling issue internally which maybe due to corrosion and the contact points of the joint are loose thus causing you to lose connection. This happened to me once. The connection point from the outside street looked a o k but when I wobbled it(the cable) the phone crackled and the connection dropped out. After getting it checked via qualified person new plugs were inserted and voila solid up time connection since that very day. I think iinet have their own Austel approved cablers if you ask them not sure.

I cannot advise you check these yourself as it is against the law but certainly have a look and call a certified cabler to help you check your internal house cabling.

Best of luck.

Been some progress. Spent a while on line with supprt last night – he looked through the logs and definately said something was wrong.
They did indicate an error on the port that I was connected to.
The good news is that a reset saw my sync speed return to normal. (around 6000)

However over the last 24 hours I've seen another 20 reconnects.

Another call to support – this time he had me lower the modulation to ADSL_2.dmt.
Reset the modem and now wait to see if stability returns (I've already had 1 disconnect, however will give it 24-36 hours)

I'm looking to borrow another modem to rule that out.

Once I've done both these if the disconnect still occur they will troubleshoot the infrastructure from their end.

Couple of interesting points: this time the tech said that while he saw "some" port errors the bulk were disconnect requested (i.e. the modem requested the disconnect for wahtever reason)
There are quite a few threads in the last few days with people saying their connections all of a sudden have become flakey..... coincidence?

So short version – wait now to see if stability returns, try new modem.. and if no luck, back to iinet.

GS

Well speed returned but stability went the other way – resets have increased since last night and today I've had 50+ disconnects.

Have a loan modem tomorrow to try.

GazingSouth writes...

Have a loan modem tomorrow to try.

Good luck :)

New modem installed – so far had only 1 drop out... Will leave it for the next couple of days.

Question: I have noticed that my LOS error's keep creeping up – what cause these?

GazingSouth writes...

what cause these?

often physical line conditions cause these.

Can I be so bold and ask for a picture, or copy of the winow you see that info in?

Perhaps it could be a noisy line, which can be referred to support..

hell, even call them now, and ask them to SELT test the line.
Perhaps may shed some light on it. (and dont forget the obligitory changing of the phone patch cord)

The LOS errors have only appeared during 2 events.
The first was when the modem wouldn't sync above 1200 – this was rectified by a port reset by iinet. (didn't change the instability)

The 2nd was today after I installed the new modem. I think I may have damaged the phone patch cord – I've swapped this out yet again (had already tried this to fix teh stability issue) and I haven't had a LOS error for a few hrs now....

Here's the reading from the modem:

Modem Status

Connection Status Connected
Us Rate (Kbps) 960
Ds Rate (Kbps) 6240
US Margin 10
DS Margin 6
Trained Modulation ADSL_G.dmt
LOS Errors 0
DS Line Attenuation 44
US Line Attenuation 26
Peak Cell Rate 2264 cells per sec
CRC Rx Fast 0
CRC Tx Fast 0
CRC Rx Interleaved 288
CRC Tx Interleaved 14
Path Mode Interleaved

GazingSouth writes...

Here's the reading from the modem:

is there an advanced section?

ie: one listing CRC or Checksum errors, or RS-EC counters?

otherwise it looks somewhat ok really.

Having similar problems also on the northern beaches...

Bannanafish – which exchange?

Updated progress: replaced the modem and the patch lead to the wall socket. Stable connection for about an hour, then the resets have returned today.

Logging a fault with iinet for the line to be checked.

Resets and VERY SLOW sync speeds have returned. Modem is syncing anywhere between 300 and 6200. iiNet have contacted Telstra for a line check.

GazingSouth writes...

iiNet have contacted Telstra for a line check.

That is good news. Hope it works out for ya... I would also check internal cabling just to make sure.

Update: After 172 dropouts in December to date Telstra arrived unannounced today.

Checked the central splitter, removed it from the line and tested the line back to the exchange – seems to have a small fault.
Spends and hour inspecting the cabling and the line from the house to the pole – seems to think this is pretty old and "may" need replacement.

Disappears off down the street and agree with iinet to replace the central pair to the house.
Tests EVERY spare pair in the junction – they all test with errors. Turns out our line has the LEAST errors.
Reseats all the connections which he said were loose.

So now it's wait and monitor.

GazingSouth writes...

So now it's wait and monitor.

Graham excellent to hear. I am sure it should be more stable now after finding so much corrosion and old joints...

Good luck with it..

My connection is stable but my downstream as dropped from around 14mbits per sec down to 10-11. Using Billion Router

ADSL A
Parameters
Connect Mode
Modulation
Profile Type
Activate Line
Coding Gain
Tx Attenuation
DSP Firmware Version E.67.5.33
Connected true
Operational Mode G.Dmt.BisPlus
Annex Type ADSL2A
Upstream 977000
Downstream 10939300
CO Vendor BDCMa
Elapsed Time 5 day 7 hr 33 min 30 sec

and down she goes again – after 16 hours of rock solid performance – 30 resets today. Another call to iinet.
*sigh*

I work from home regularly and can't keep a VPN connection longer than 10 minutes – makes work nearly impossible. At least I'm learning patience.

I'm actually having the exact same problem for several months.
I live in Melbourne.
I have tried isolation test, but it did not make any difference.

GazingSouth writes...

I work from home regularly and can't keep a VPN connection longer than 10 minutes – makes work nearly impossible. At least I'm learning patience.

I know how you feel. I'm not having as bad a problem as you, but I have been having over the last couple of months similar issues except I get days of no dropouts and then BANG, drop out every 10-15 mins. I've rung up iiNET multiple times, done isolation tests, and ended up replacing a filter upstairs, but this hasn't fixed the problem. I'm waiting for the time where I have issues again.

I'm on ASPLEY exchange in QLD.

Have you noticed any patterns such as time of day. Weather rain, hot, cold.

Is the modem well ventilated?

Does the phone line run near any power cables that could be inducing surges?

update: Telstra apparently fixed the fault
Had 36 hours of solid internet – 6.5M and not a single drop

Today – 40+ dropouts, adn the phone line now has a hummm

Another call to iiNet – they say Telstra had updated them as "the fault was located and the equipment replaced" – reopended the fault.

Rang telstra and logged a fault on the line – 20 mins of testing the line confirmed that there is indeed a fault on the line.

I think ADSL in Australia is inherently flawed in that it relies on an ancient copper infrastructure that breaks regularly – this is at least the 5th fault I have reported over the last 10 years on this same number.... I think they just keep shuffling houses on the same junction till they complain.

I'm now seriously considering cable extreme.

Telstra tech called today to say there was nothing wrong with the line, however as soon as he had finished the humm had disappeared and the line was clean.

Rang iinet again – the tech took some time to at least read through the history of the case and then went away to do some things.
Lowered the profile to "safe", rebuilt the port on the DSLAM, tested the line, observed the line stats in realtime.

Conclusion – monitor for another 3 hours and notify back.

Been 10 dropouts in that time.

I've removed every piece of IT equipment and simply have the modem into the line, and my laptop connected to the modem.
Still up and down.

The only 2 things left are:
- Something Telstra have overlooked
- Something internal such as the central splitter or wiring to the modem point.

Been researching cable –

Gazing South writes...

Something internal such as the central splitter or wiring to the modem point.

Exactly... don't overlook this you wanna make sure every nook and cranny has been scrupulously checked.

Good luck with it.

Gazing South writes...

Lowered the profile to "safe", rebuilt the port on the DSLAM, tested the line, observed the line stats in realtime.

Change the profile to "controlled". Unsure if iiNet has their apps team working on it, but last I heard, "safe" was not the most stable option.

Also.. it sucks.. but change the phone socket you're connected on and see if that helps. Stay isolated.

I can't change the socket I'm on as it's split through a central splitter – none of the other sockets will allow me to get a sync.
Geoff

Gazing South writes...

central splitter

Any chance of changing this splitter Geoff or inspecting wiring to it?

It was checked out when I initially had line problems – about 12 months ago and was given the all clear.
The wiring that comes into it is the main line for the house, and comes up through the floor and into the splitter.

LOL – NO changes by the Telstra tech, no changes by iiNet, no changes internally and I'm back with a solid connection for the last 48 hours.

Now I know SOMETHING has to have changed – but noones owning up to it.

Good to hear Geoff.

Sometimes these problems just go away by themselves. Do keep an eye on it though as certainly these gremlins can come back.