Strange Disconnection issues.

[Skyyr]

Hello people, Just wondering if anyone here has any idea of what is going on with my service atm. Just got back with VM after a few months without, Due to changing address. Had it a week or so now, and every night around 7-8pm ish it starts disconnecting every 20-30minutes and continues all night, When i wake up at say 8-9am its working again and works fine right through to 7-8pm ish once again... Strange thing is when it disconnects i go check my connections and its still sending and recieving packets and says the duration of uptime has been 7 hours or so... yet i had disconnected 4 or 5 times before i checked that and it still said i was connected and had been for hours..

The router im using is a D-Link DSL-2640R
Im also using an extention from my phone socket downstairs to my room its a 20m cable, got told that may affect it but cant see it when it works for 7 hours then starts at night..

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Skyyr]

Just a small update, Gone into my Connections and the duration of uptime is at

5:50:14 Packets Sent: 334,392 Received: 477,444

However in those 5 hours my router has disconnected 6 times.

Really cant figure this out and VM Call support say my connection is fine etc etc, So wth is going on.

Thank you again.

[Sephiroth]

This is one of the difficulties of trying to diagnose at a distance. You know what's happening and we have to interpret your words.

In this case it's "starts disconnecting" which we need to bottom out. What is the symptom you get on your browser, for example?

You are still conencted when an event like T3 timeout occurs, but you can't actually do anything because the modem is in a sort of maintenance mode due to difficulties on the periodic "keep alive" exchange (the packets that continue send/receive).

So what we need to see are your modem stats. On the browser you go to 192.168.100.1 and log in with UN/PW both = root. We'd like to see your Downstream, Upstream, Operational Config and Event Log (removing any Cable Modem MAC address that might display).

Also please tell us your location.

The router and telephone are unlikely to be a factor in this issue.

Cheers

[Ignitionnet]

You are still conencted when an event like T3 timeout occurs, but you can't actually do anything because the modem is in a sort of maintenance mode due to difficulties on the periodic "keep alive" exchange (the packets that continue send/receive).

Station maintenance runs in parallel to normal operation, passing of traffic stops at T4 timeout or due to another issue which causes the modem to reset its' cable interface. A single T3 or even a group of them (obviously so long as less than 16 in a row) are not, in their own right, service affecting and there is no 'maintenance mode' the modem goes into due to a missed poll. While the modem is in an online state it will pass customer traffic normally.

If a CMTS receives no response to periodic maintenance opportunity it will fire 16 station maintenance opportunities to the modem in quick succession. The modem does nothing apart from register a T3 timeout if it responded to station maintenance opportunity but saw no range response back within 200ms.

Failure to receive a ranging request back after these 16 additional opportunities will cause the CMTS to remove the modem from its' station maintenance table, thereby no longer supplying unicast maintenance opportunities, and modem will T4 after 35 seconds since last periodic maintenance and reset HFC interface.

Modems are usually sent periodic maintenance opportunities around every 10-20 seconds or so to stay well within the T4 timer and leave opportunity for rapid station maintenance in case of major adjustments or T3s.

No customer owned device will see the 'periodic "keep alive" exchange' and it won't be counted in traffic stats on a customer router this is a layer 2 operation, so no packets but frames, and does not go past the HFC side of the cable modem as it is addressed to the modem not the CPE behind it.

The exception to this is that Cisco routers with a DOCSIS HWIC, and probably others, can be put into a cable monitor mode where they, in a similar manner to monitoring a port on a switch, repeat all unicast traffic they receive on their HFC side through their ethernet port.

HTH

[Skyyr]

Thank you for the reply Seph, I went to 192.168.100.1 and it didnt load, Server timed out when i do it, I use 192.168.1.1 so here are some stats picked up from router, And when it disconnects what happens is im browsing the web, Youtube for example il click a page or open a new website and it hangs.. At the bottom loading bar starts creeping up VERY slowly, When i look at my router the internet light is still blinking as usual, and the DSL light is solid as usual, for maybe 10-20 seconds after the internet still wont respond, Then the DLS light will go off and the internet follows, 20 seconds or so later the DSL will come back on and blink every 2 seconds then the internet light will follow but when it comes on its red, After 10 seconds or so it switches to green and both are back as they should be and im free to browse the web, Play WoW or MW2 for a further 15 minutes until it happens again. Strange thing thats really baffling me is i get told by VM its my end possibly, So why on gods earth is it working for 8 hours straight during the day, But turn into a nuisance after 7-8pm. Im not very good with faults of internet nature Seph but il try my best to help you along, Here are the stats from my router. Oh and im in Batley, West Yorkshire.



WAN Statistics

Service VPI/VCI Protocol Received Transmitted
Pkts Errs Drops Pkts Errs Drops
- 0/38 PPPoA 376355 0 1 264163 0 0


LAN Statistics

Interface
Received

Transmitted
Bytes Pkts Errs Drops Bytes Pkts Errs Drops
Ethernet 25308355 259828 0 0 515869899 369023 0 0
Wireless 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


ADSL Statistics

Mode: ADSL2 PLUS
Type: ANNEX_A
Status: Showtime

Downstream Upstream
Rate (Kbps): 10861 kbps 871 kbps

SNR Margin (dB): 9.6 6.2
Attenuation (dB): 30.0 16.0
Output Power (dBm): 17.0 12.3

Super Frames: 1617054 1617064
RS Correctable Errors: 3882 0
RS Uncorrectable Errors: 86 1262

HEC Errors: 610 0
Total Cells: 52472 22570
Data Cells: 27319 8281
Bit Errors: 0 0




Thanks again for the help so far mate. I appreciate it.

[Ignitionnet]

Think you could plug your DSL modem into the master socket in your home and see how it goes?

I reckon you've a problem with noise getting onto your line during certain hours of the day and it's breaking the connection.

This (http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/socket.htm) should assist you with doing this.

I think Seph missed the 'DSL' bit of your router's name ;) the diagnostics he supplied were for cable.

Give the master socket a go, will show if there's noise and if it's being caused inside the home. I'm quite sure you've a bit of an issue with noise there due to high SNR margin you're connected with on the downstream.

[Skyyr]

Update Seph and Ignitionnet, I have moved my Router/Modem right next to the phone line and just used a 10m ethernet cable to connect to my PC upstairs so far so good but i aint holding my breath, Il let ya know, Cheers for the help.

[Sephiroth]

....The router im using is a D-Link DSL-2640R
Im also using an extention from my phone socket downstairs to my room its a 20m cable, got told that may affect it but cant see it when it works for 7 hours then starts at night..

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Yes - I must read stuff more thoroughly.

Particularly the 20m telephone extension cable! At night it's a perfect short wave antenna!

Extensions are always best done by Cat 5e or Cat 5 ethernet cable or a Homeplug solution.