Intermittent connection loss

Muffie · 02-09-2007, 14:09

A couple of weeks ago I started to experience intermittent connection loss on my Virgin 4mb broadband connection.

Calls to tech support involved the usual checks to see if I had plugged the modem in.....

After 20 minutes I was told an engineer would call in four days time. He didn't arrive. But as the problem had appeared to resolve in the meantime, I assumed it was after all virgin problem that had been resolved.

This weekend the problem has been worse and not resolved. I am losing connection to the net every 3-5 minutes. I've wasted £50 on a new router thinking that might be the problem but it wasn't and connecting direct doesn't help.

It is easy to tell it is intermittent via connecting to online games. We lose connection no matter which we are logged into and a check on the web browser shows that we are unable to access the web at the same times.

The modem lights are showing sync and ready at all times. The tech support people are saying there is no problem with the modem or the network from their point of view.

Nothing in this house has changed - no hardware, no software, no changes to any computer here at all.

Sun Aug 05 11:56:02 2007 Sun Aug 05 11:56:02 2007 189 Critical(3) 82000500 Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - ...
Fri Aug 03 03:22:45 2007 Fri Aug 03 03:22:45 2007 250 Critical(3) 82000500 Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - ...
Sat Sep 01 14:31:50 2007 Sat Sep 01 14:31:50 2007 12277 Critical(3) 84000100 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/Q...
Sat Sep 01 14:31:44 2007 Sat Sep 01 14:31:44 2007 281 Critical(3) 84000200 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC f...
Tue Jul 31 10:08:39 2007 Tue Jul 31 10:08:39 2007

I logged into the modem event log and this i what I see. Does this mean anything to anyone? Since NTL/Virgin claim the problem is not theirs...

If i run speed tests they are coming back with random speed results ranging from the 4000k I should be getting to 1-2000

As the problem is intermittent I have n clue how to run a test that will keep testing so the loss of service can be shown to Virgin

Many thanks in advance for the help

Mick Fisher · 03-09-2007, 12:59

You need to politely but firmly insist you want an engineer to attend in order to investigate your issue. The offshore TS will likely do everything in their power to be unhelpful but don't take no for an answer.
If push comes to shove then as a last resort you can always try speaking to a Retentions Dept Agent and threaten to cancel unless you get some service.
Make sure your modem is connected directly when you phone TS as they are just looking for ANY excuse to terminate your call.

Muffie · 03-09-2007, 13:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muffie

Sun Aug 05 11:56:02 2007 Sun Aug 05 11:56:02 2007 189 Critical(3) 82000500 Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - ...
Fri Aug 03 03:22:45 2007 Fri Aug 03 03:22:45 2007 250 Critical(3) 82000500 Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - ...
Sat Sep 01 14:31:50 2007 Sat Sep 01 14:31:50 2007 12277 Critical(3) 84000100 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/Q...
Sat Sep 01 14:31:44 2007 Sat Sep 01 14:31:44 2007 281 Critical(3) 84000200 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC f...
Tue Jul 31 10:08:39 2007 Tue Jul 31 10:08:39 2007

Thanks for the advice. An engineer was supposed to be booked two weeks ago but didn't show up. As my service appeared to return to normal, I didn't kick up a fuss but this weekend it was totally unusable.

Was hoping someone would know what these reports from the modem mean since they are showing very high numbers of failures during the period when my connection has been dismal?

The one this saturday shows 12,000 failures - if someone can confirm that is a modem error it would give me a bit more ammo since it is info available on virgin's own modem log