Very annoying VM Problem (Flashing Lights On Modem)

[Lord Kram]

Hi guys, this is my 1st post, so please be gentle with me :)
I have had a problem with my 20MB VM service since thursday, and it feels like cs are messing me about :mad:
Firstly on thursday afternoon my net went down, and the lights on the cable modem just started flashing, so I rebooted it thinking it was a crash or something, it didnt work so I rang up CS and they said it was due to a problem in my area (Chesham, Bucks) and to ring back tomorrow for an update
I rang back on friday lunchtime, and they said it would be fixed by 4pm that day.
WRONG
I again rang up yesterday, and she said they would send an engineer out, but the 1st available 1 was on Tuesday! I wasnt that happy but I said ok because it wasnt that far away
Then around 4pm yesterday I had a text from virgin saying that the technician that was booked has now been cancelled, and the problem in my area would be fixed within 8 hours
WRONG AGAIN
As this morning I still had no connection, so I rang them up again earlier on today and was told that the problem in the area was now fixed, and there must be a problem at my end, and the earliest engineer booking was a week on Monday!!
I was furious and said is there not an earlier 1 as ive already been without net for 3 days, he went to speak to the manager and then came back and said theyd ring me tomorrow and let me know if there was any cancellations, and when my service was eventually back up to ring and claim a refund for the loss of service

I have however looked in other threads, and logged into the modem diag page (NTL cable 250 model) and heres the info I have from the main downstrean info:

Downstream Lock : Not Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 0
Downstream Frequency : 522000000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM64
Downstream Symbol Rate : 5056.941 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps128Increment1
Downstream Receive Power Level : -7.5 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 23.4 dB

The downstream power level can vary, and I have seen it as high as +12.7 but every time I refresh it goes up and down each time, sometimes drastically and can be as low as -18.7
The downstream snr always seems to stay around 21-23 snr
This is the event log I have from today:

Sun Jul 05 13:17:45 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:45 2009 Information (7) DS channel override in cfg file, re-scanning downstream
Sun Jul 05 13:17:45 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:45 2009 Information (7) IP init completed ok
Sun Jul 05 13:17:45 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:45 2009 Information (7) CableModem TFTP init ok
Sun Jul 05 13:17:45 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:45 2009 Information (7) CableModem DHCP client init ok
Sun Jul 05 13:17:45 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:45 2009 Critical (3) DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response.
Sun Jul 05 13:17:39 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:39 2009 Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Sun Jul 05 13:17:39 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:39 2009 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jul 05 13:17:38 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:38 2009 Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Sun Jul 05 13:17:38 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:38 2009 Information (7) Downstream sync ok
Sun Jul 05 13:17:38 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:38 2009 Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Sun Jul 05 13:17:38 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:38 2009 Information (7) Beginning initial ranging...
Sun Jul 05 13:17:38 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:38 2009 Information (7) downstream time sync acquired...
Sun Jul 05 13:17:38 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:38 2009 Information (7) Downstream sync ok
Sun Jul 05 13:17:37 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:37 2009 Information (7) starting ds time sync acquisition...
Sun Jul 05 13:17:36 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:36 2009 Information (7) Locked on the downstream. Waiting for UCDs...
Sun Jul 05 13:17:35 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:17:35 2009 Information (7) Downstream lock ok
Sun Jul 05 13:18:51 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:18:51 2009 Critical (3) SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC f...
Sun Jul 05 13:18:06 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:18:06 2009 Critical (3) SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/Q...
Sun Jul 05 13:16:55 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:16:55 2009 Information (7) DS channel override in cfg file, re-scanning downstream
Sun Jul 05 13:16:55 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:16:55 2009 Information (7) IP init completed ok
Sun Jul 05 13:16:55 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:16:55 2009 Information (7) CableModem TFTP init ok
Sun Jul 05 13:16:56 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:16:56 2009 Information (7) CableModem DHCP client init ok
Sun Jul 05 13:16:55 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:16:55 2009 Critical (3) DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response.
Sun Jul 05 13:16:48 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:16:48 2009 Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Sun Jul 05 13:16:48 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:16:48 2009 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Jul 05 13:16:48 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:16:48 2009 Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Sun Jul 05 13:16:47 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:16:47 2009 Information (7) Downstream sync ok
Sun Jul 05 13:16:47 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:16:47 2009 Information (7) MAP w/initial maintenance region received
Sun Jul 05 13:16:47 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:16:47 2009 Information (7) Beginning initial ranging...
Sun Jul 05 13:16:47 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:16:47 2009 Information (7) downstream time sync acquired...
Sun Jul 05 13:16:47 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:16:47 2009 Information (7) Downstream sync ok
Sun Jul 05 13:16:47 2009 Sun Jul 05 13:16:47 2009 Information (7) starting ds time sync acquisition...

On the operation config tab as well this is what comes up on the main screen:

Network Access : Denied
Maximum Downstream Data Rate : --
Maximum Upstream Data Rate : --
Maximum Upstream Channel Burst : --
Maximum Number of CPEs : -1
Modem Capability : Concatenation Enabled, Fragametation Enabled, PHS Enabled

Anyone know what this problem is? and is there anything I can do myself, or will I have to wait for an engineer?
Any more info needed please let me know
Sorry for the really long post!

[homealone]

:welcome:

Downstream SNR : 23.4 dB

is your main problem & the variation in downstream power levels doesn't sound good - you'll need an engineer visit to sort that out.

Out of interest what is your upstream power level?

- ignore the log entries, btw, they are confusing at best :)

[Lord Kram]

Heres my upstream info:

Upstream Lock : Not Locked
Upstream Channel ID : 0
Upstream Frequency : 0 Hz
Upstream Modulation : QPSK
Upstream Symbol Rate : 0 Ksym/sec
Upstream transmit Power Level : 40.5 dBmV
Upstream Mini-Slot Size : 0

Weird thing is I checked the downstream again, and got this:

Downstream Lock : Not Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 0
Downstream Frequency : 122000000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM64
Downstream Symbol Rate : 5056.941 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps128Increment1
Downstream Receive Power Level : 13.6 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 27.6 dB

Then I refreshed a few times, and the values went up a bit more, then the receive power went to -913.5 dBmV !!!

EDIT
Ive noticed the values shoot straight down when the sync light goes solid, and the ready light starts flashing, once tho the ready light goes out and the sync starts flashing again, thats when the values drop

[homealone]

The sync & ready lights should remain steady, not flash, during normal operation - looks like you really do need that engineer visit ...

[Peter_]

Downstream Receive Power Level : 13.6 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 27.6 dB


Your Downstream is to high and your SNR is borderline and you will need to call Tech Support to get an engineer out to adjust them.

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[Spencercourt]

I'm in London SW20 and have had problems perhaps similar to yours for more than a week with both broadband and V+ box, allegedly due to a 'major' fault in the area. The service came back on two evenings but then went again. VM customer service insisted that I have an engineer visit yesterday because the problem HAD to be with my equipment. I waited in, nobody came, and in the end made yet another call to presumably India, only to be told that the engineer had cancelled the visit the day before because the fault IS in the area.
Virgin Media is a communications company, yet they are unable to inform customers when they cancel appointments. Ironically, of the few emails to make it through, one was my latest bill and the other was a customer service survey asking if I was likely to recommend Virgin to friends and colleagues. I also had a text message telling me everything was now OK.
Anyway, today I have the status light on the modem flashing non-stop and also on the V+ box, which won't complete a reboot. I am therefore in the office on a Sunday afternoon trying to catch up with stuff, hence being able to send this message!

[fatassmichael]

Lord Kram, in addition to your levels issue, your access to the internet has been disabled by virgin for some reason or other, hence the Network Access : Denied info from the operational config screen, call virgin and see why.

[Lord Kram]

Lord Kram, in addition to your levels issue, your access to the internet has been disabled by virgin for some reason or other, hence the Network Access : Denied info from the operational config screen, call virgin and see why.

I'm gonna call them now and tell them, and see what they say...

---------- Post added at 19:35 ---------- Previous post was at 19:17 ----------

UPDATE:
I rang them up and told them about the above, so she tried to send some signals down the modem direct, to see if that would fix anything, it didnt and she said that modem wasnt responding to any of the signals that were being sent, so I will have to wait for an engineer
Could the modem be shot? or could it be to do with the cable box?

[fatassmichael]

it could be a number of possible causes, only thing you can do is wait for the tech to come out :(

[Ignitionnet]

*Reads thread.

Actually gents power levels, etc, aside the power and SNR pasted are from mid-way through ranging.

I actually suspect a network fault, looking at the event log pasted we can see the modem locks onto a downstream, probably a 64QAM downstream and gets punted over to a different downstream where it fails to lock on properly, then starts ranging, locks to a standard downstream, gets punted over to a different one where it fails to lock, etc, etc.

You could have a knackered modem as well, would have the same effect, either way VM have to fix it.

[xocemp]

Though if its trying to retune to a 10k or BSR with poor RF it won't lock to the retune downstream.

[Ignitionnet]

Though if its trying to retune to a 10k or BSR with poor RF it won't lock to the retune downstream.

You've reminded me, at some point I must read up on that and just what the score is with it all, sounds like *******s and something of a waste of 8MHz if the stuff I've been told is to be believed, especially as the retune downstream is part of the BSR DCD but apparently not the 10k DCD which makes no sense. I understood the 'retune' to be done on the standard CMTS not a specific frequency though of course I've not seen a deployment like this before, I've only seen legacy modems on a single channel or full displacement builds.

There I was thinking that 323 wasn't getting used on the 10k simply to save a few quid cramming more MAC domains onto each SPA and EQAM, using 3 downstreams instead of 4 per MAC domain giving a 33% increase in nodes covered per SPA.

[Lord Kram]

I also just had a thought to what might have caused this...
Last week we had a storm (cant remember exactly when but it was def b4 my net went down) and am thinking that this may be what has killed my modem/cable box?
There was an outage in my area from thursday evening up until 12am saturday, then when I last spoke to CS they said I should be running ok again, which obvs im not

[Lord Kram]

Virgin are coming today (Saturday) I will let you know what happens, fingers crossed its easy to fix