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View Full Version : Is it my router or is it VM's modem or network?

boredband
12-08-2009, 23:28
New poster here .. mainly because I never had probs before now ;) Go easy on me :)

I have been having really intermittent service for that last 4 or 5 days and VM know it, when I rang 150 on 3 occasions I selected options 3,2,3 and got a recorded message that said no broadband in TN4 (my postcode) ... so I just waited for it to come back, it was gone all day once (9+ hours) :(

But it went again today, and this time there was no message about TN4 being affected. I rebooted my modem and router several times (sometimes hours apart). I tried connecting my laptop directly to the modem and about 1 time in 4 or 5 times I will get broadband again, a reboot of laptop or modem will lose broadband again.
I even tried a new router (Linksys WRT610N) and generally wasted loads of time when I should have been working. My old router is a cheap Dlink Dir-301 and I am hardwired to it (its what I am using while faultfinding). Its been working fine for about 18 months. The modem is a scientific atlanta jobby.

The symptoms are the same as when it went the last few times; I can connect to 192.168.100.1 through the router and see the power levels etc on the modem, and I can also see the IP address it is showing to the router and confirm that the router is getting the right DNS and modem is getting an IP from VM etc. Everything is showing as operational etc and looks just like what it shows when everything is working fine. EXCEPT I cannot ping anything or load web pages, basically I cannot see past the modem.....

The power levels are as follows:
Power Level 15.6 dBmV
Signal to Noise Ratio 40.8 dB

Power Level 41.5 dBmV

I am no expert but according to one of the stickies that 15.6dBmV is out of range (should be less than 15?)

Anyway, anyone seen this before, whats the likely prognosis?
webcrawler2050
12-08-2009, 23:29
How are you connected to your router? Wifi or ethernet?
boredband
12-08-2009, 23:32
Oh and I tried the helpdesk and even though it was not working almost all day, right then it worked fine (direct connected to my laptop) ... I stayed online because I had to do work, but as soon as I rebooted it went again :(
webcrawler2050
12-08-2009, 23:33
Okay - is there any specific times the connection is dropping?
boredband
12-08-2009, 23:35
Right at the minute I have the router and modem unplugged .... using a 3 mobile usb stick to post from my laptop....

---------- Post added at 23:35 ---------- Previous post was at 23:34 ----------

Its not worked at all for a good few hours (since I threw my metaphorical hat at it and went out for a walk) ....
webcrawler2050
12-08-2009, 23:41
Right - have you phoned Tech Support?
Ben B
13-08-2009, 00:20
That downstream is way to high which i'm assuming the top power level is cause it's the lower one and you really really need an engineer to adjust it, ring Virgin on 151 from a Virgin phone or 08454541111 from any other phone.

Ben :)
boredband
13-08-2009, 00:40
Yeah, at about 3pm today, and as luck would have it, it worked (modem direct to work laptop) ... but I was behind on my work and rather than actually disconnect and fault find I said I am leaving it alone until I did my work, rebooted the modem and it stopped working again :(

Just tested now and its not working:
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu133/mybbisbroken/modem_page1.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu133/mybbisbroken/modem_page2.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu133/mybbisbroken/modem_page3.jpg
http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu133/mybbisbroken/router_info.jpg

I'll get on to VM helpdesk in the morning .... not going to mention router, just get it working reliably direct......
moaningmags
13-08-2009, 00:46
If you have the Scientific Atlanta is the cable light solid or flashing?
If solid, what IP address do you have? Please don't post it in full.
Try pinging the default gateway, can you?

You need to find out from tech support if you're connected to a ubr or a bsr.
The Motorola BSRs don't like the Scientific Atlantas very much and this might be what's causing your valid ip no throughout issue.
boredband
13-08-2009, 10:08
I just rang VM and got through to someone in the UK helpdesk. He immediately said that the power level was much too high and I will be getting someone around to sort that tomorrow morning.

A funny thing happened though, I direct connected my laptop to the modem and checked before I rang VM and it definitely was not working. While I was speaking to the guy on the phone I could see the receive light flashing and I just hit the home button on my browser and it worked. So it went from not working to working without me doing anything extra, it must have been because of the guy querying the modem.

If the power level was marginal (which I think it was yesterday) then this kind of thing must be a complete PITA to diagnose, because it wont work until someone from VM actually checks the modem.


In response to monaing mags:
Yep scientific atlanta, and the cable light is on solid. The ip it is giving is 77.100.85.xxx and right now the gateway is responding to ping.
boredband
15-08-2009, 12:10
Just in case anyone was interested :D The guy came and just put a 10db attenuator between the cable and the modem and the receive power level dropped to 0.2 and its working fine since then. He did not do anything at the cablinet.
*sloman*
16-08-2009, 09:59
I just rang VM and got through to someone in the UK helpdesk. He immediately said that the power level was much too high and I will be getting someone around to sort that tomorrow morning.

A funny thing happened though, I direct connected my laptop to the modem and checked before I rang VM and it definitely was not working. While I was speaking to the guy on the phone I could see the receive light flashing and I just hit the home button on my browser and it worked. So it went from not working to working without me doing anything extra, it must have been because of the guy querying the modem.

If the power level was marginal (which I think it was yesterday) then this kind of thing must be a complete PITA to diagnose, because it wont work until someone from VM actually checks the modem.


In response to monaing mags:
Yep scientific atlanta, and the cable light is on solid. The ip it is giving is 77.100.85.xxx and right now the gateway is responding to ping.

Ask VM for a new ambit 255 or 250 the SA are getting on now. The ambit's look better than the SA too!
Peter_
16-08-2009, 11:39
Ask VM for a new ambit 255 or 250 the SA are getting on now. The ambit's look better than the SA too!
Virgin only supply the 256 now which has superseded both those models.
boredband
16-08-2009, 20:11
Is there any gain in going to one of the ambit modems? (apart from it looking nicer :))

And what do I do to get one? Just ring them up and ask? Or should I give an excuse for it?