Intermittent Connectivity - What to do?

[GuestUK]

Hello,

Recently, I've suddenly started getting intermittent internet connectivity. I'm losing packets, internet traffic is incredibly slow (likely due to having to continually repeat transmission) and I'm not sure what to do next.

This is over wired, so wireless is not a factor. The superhub is acting as a modem and has a router plugged in, the computer is plugged into the router. No issues have occured before.

For example, pinging google gets the following results:


Pinging google.com [173.194.41.142] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 173.194.41.142: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=55
Reply from 173.194.41.142: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=55
Request timed out.
Reply from 173.194.41.142: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=55
Request timed out.
Reply from 173.194.41.142: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=55
Request timed out.
Reply from 173.194.41.142: bytes=32 time=19ms TTL=55


As you can see, 3 out of 8 timed out, which isn't brilliant!

Power levels from the superhub show:

Downstream Channels
Lock Status Modulation Channel ID Max Raw Bit Rate Frequency Power SNR Docsis/EuroDocsis locked
Locked QAM256 176 55616000 Kbits/sec 291000000 Hz 2.4 dBmV 42.0 dB Hybrid
Locked QAM256 177 55616000 Kbits/sec 299000000 Hz 1.4 dBmV 40.8 dB Hybrid
Locked QAM256 178 55616000 Kbits/sec 307000000 Hz 1.2 dBmV 41.0 dB Hybrid
Locked QAM256 179 55616000 Kbits/sec 315000000 Hz -0.3 dBmV 37.2 dB Hybrid
Locked QAM256 180 55616000 Kbits/sec 323000000 Hz 0.8 dBmV 42.1 dB Hybrid

-------

Upstream Channels
Lock Status Modulation Channel ID Max Raw Bit Rate Frequency Power
Locked ATDMA 58 20480 Kbits/sec 35800000 Hz 48.5 dBmV
Unlocked Unknown 0 0 Ksym/sec 0 Hz 0.0 dBmV
Unlocked Unknown 0 0 Ksym/sec 0 Hz 0.0 dBmV
Unlocked Unknown 0 0 Ksym/sec 0 Hz 0.0 dBmV


I believe it's also a side effect, but when this problem started, certain TV channels on the V+ box have started going pixelated and breaking up as well :-(

Does anyone have any ideas on how to proceed?

[thenry]

have you called up VM and got a tech booked?

[General Maximus]

your power levels are fine so I would do what thenry has suggested and get a tech booked. There is another thread going atm where someone has got the same issue and it looks like it is a problem in the cabinet with an amplifier. If your neighbours are with VM they'll probably be having the same problem.

[jb66]

Why would they book a tech, the signals are good

[General Maximus]

To investigate the root cause at the cabinet or wherever it is and xheck in with the customer to make sure the problem has been resolved

[jb66]

To investigate the root cause at the cabinet or wherever it is and xheck in with the customer to make sure the problem has been resolved

I'd like to know how to do that, I have no diagnostics to check the cabinet, just a signal meter. I have no diagnostics to check an intermittent connection

[General Maximus]

so if there is nothing wrong with the power levels and somebody's tv picture is breaking up how do you investigate then?

I cant be bothered to find the thread now but somebody replied to one this morning and said that something like a hdu had been fitted which was masking the problem but there was a faulty amp in the cabinet and they were going to see how many customers it affected before they replaced it. Without an engineer going round to that persons house to investigate they wouldn't have picked up on that.

[jb66]

Its a bluff, service techs can only refer a job to networks to investigate, if we plug a signal meter in it tells us a level, we can't even check snr

[General Maximus]

well thats not good

[jb66]

Indeed, but let's hope it's passed to networks to check with there proper signal meter

[philipp]

I think you where tlaking about my brother's thread (its my connection too) http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/12/33686822-what-can-cause-intermittent-power-level.html .

We were lucky that infact that it was occuring when the tech arrived. The problem was identified to be "inverse tilt" where different set of frequencies would cross. However the problem was intermitted and it went back to normal while the engineer was doing his tests.

He then installed a HDU in attempt to put the connection above the barrier when tilting occurs. (He said with the amount of splitters and equipment we have we should have one anyways.)

This has partially worked as the downtime is now minimal in length but is frequent during timeslots of the day. e.g. between 6 and 8 am it might go down 6-7 times or whatever it does and its not a complete loss like before.

Luckily he came back to fit a new omnibox as he had none on his van.

Our connection and wiring is perfect from the house to the boxes with have. So any problems is either the wire coming into the property or at the box or at the cabinent.

As the neighbours have said their tv is breaking up as similar times he thinks is the cabinent but he needs proof it is.

So local networks will be looking at a tool called CARDI? or something like that which has snapshots of the network signals at the time to see if other equipment is doing the same thing (going offline, etc) which will be happening tomorrow (Monday). He has left us his contact number so we can get in touch.

If it is, then it will be past on for whoever can fixed the problem in the box. If its not then a repull is going to happen as thats the only point now where the problem is occurring. But he thinks its the green box as the neighbour's tv is/was going at roughly the same time of the day.

[jb66]

Tilt means the difference between your high frequencies and low frequencies are greater than 6db, it's good he has sorted that but modems downstreams don't run at high frequencies or low so It should have nothing to do with that.

[philipp]

Yes, he said there where crossing or something (low was high and high was low) while the fault was occuring and a few minutes later (or whatever it was) everything was back to normal with good signal levels and snr. He was very interested as it was a non-standard fault. He said he had a similar one that was caused by a boiler switching itself on, but as this was random times in the day he doesn't think its an outside thing thats causing it.

He hoped that the HDU will put us high up from the noise 'line' so that the dropouts will not occur, but as there still occur (but not as often with the hdu installed) its either the cable from the green box or the green box itself (amp or the attenuator in the amp). As my neighbours are having some problems its likely to the later but he needs evidence from networks it is or they be doing a repull.

It could also be still an area fault that causing it. Ringing the status line theres been a fault in my postcode area nearly all of this week but I would have thought this would have been flagged before this.

I suppose I'll find out tomorrow if its just my connection or if others in the area are having the same problem. The problem is the cabinent is right outside of the house (at the side of the property) so maybe the problem is amplified due to the closeness of it. It hasn't dropped, however, since 10am so I think the HDU is helping.

[jb66]

What's your signal levels with the HDu?

[philipp]

Locked QAM256 204 55616000 Kbits/sec 315000000 Hz 3.6 dBmV 41.0 dB Hybrid
Locked QAM256 201 55616000 Kbits/sec 291000000 Hz 4.2 dBmV 41.5 dB Hybrid
Locked QAM256 202 55616000 Kbits/sec 299000000 Hz 4.4 dBmV 41.4 dB Hybrid
Locked QAM256 203 55616000 Kbits/sec 307000000 Hz 4.1 dBmV 41.4 dB Hybrid

Upstream Channels
Locked ATDMA 2 20480 Kbits/sec 35800000 Hz 40.5 dBmV

Without it , the upstream was at 46-50 and the downstream power levels varied between 4 and -5 throughout the day of where we are currently placed in the cab for the past week. And then when it dropped off it went to the -15 and snr of below 30.

When it drops off now, it goes the those figures and then instantly locks back on (well a couple of minutes) at similar figures quoted. V+ box also reports a signal lock failure in its log so its highly unlikely to be the super hub.

I know snr and power levels vary at different times of the day. But what is the usual variance is +-8 and snr varying by about the same margin (when locked on) usual occurance? (This is without the hdu with it the variance is half that)

BTW when it goes offline its either T4 or T3 timeouts. T4 being the most often occurence.


P.S. Sorry for hijacking the thread from the original post but it does sound similar to what is happening to me. Hope you have luck in fixing it.