Why is it when I upload something the internet drops to 0/Kbps?

[netgem21]

How long has the router been 'up'?

That's a pretty low error count unless you've just re-booted it, so I think you'll be OK with interleaving off. The only slightly worrying thing is you've has some bad upstream packets, which can signify local noise.

WAN-22:12:36
LAN-2872:52:42

What could be causing local noise? Also, I just found this article which is a bit worrying...

[Rik]

Local noise? A phone, a Sky box (not necessarily yours), fluorescent lights, central heating pumps, high-energy appliances, eg washing machines and dishwashers, fridges, freezers etc. The thing to try is de-tuning a battery powered MW radio so you just have white noise, then following the path of your phone line with it from where it enters the house to the router. If the noise gets significantly louder, that's a noise source you've found.

The chipset issue is well known to us, DG834g v4 is not prone to it, ditto the v5.

[netgem21]

Local noise? A phone, a Sky box (not necessarily yours), fluorescent lights, central heating pumps, high-energy appliances, eg washing machines and dishwashers, fridges, freezers etc. The thing to try is de-tuning a battery powered MW radio so you just have white noise, then following the path of your phone line with it from where it enters the house to the router. If the noise gets significantly louder, that's a noise source you've found.

The chipset issue is well known to us, DG834g v4 is not prone to it, ditto the v5.

I have the v1

[Tacitus]

Also, I just found this article which is a bit worrying...

I think this business of the AR7 has been beaten to death.  From talking to some of the Zen people I gather that any problems are the result of very specific combinations of circumstances which most people are unlikely to come across.  In any event the chip is not the whole story, there are variations in firmware both within particular makes/model ranges and also across different manufacturers.  

That said, most people seem to experience lower speeds with AR7 based routers compared to Broadcom based ones.  Some of this could be due to different firmware trading stability for speed gains, some could be differences in reporting.

I wouldn't worry about it unless you are having major problems and even then there are most likely other factors at work.

[netgem21]

Local noise? A phone, a Sky box (not necessarily yours), fluorescent lights, central heating pumps, high-energy appliances, eg washing machines and dishwashers, fridges, freezers etc. The thing to try is de-tuning a battery powered MW radio so you just have white noise, then following the path of your phone line with it from where it enters the house to the router. If the noise gets significantly louder, that's a noise source you've found.

The chipset issue is well known to us, DG834g v4 is not prone to it, ditto the v5.

OK, I just went around with an MW radio. Noise is coming from a wired answerphone, wireless points and the router itself. Also, noise from fridge (not freezer   ), digital radios and computer power adaptors. However, no noise is coming from lights, washing machines, dishwashers, Sky boxes, and the phone line route appears to be relatively noise free apart from a substantial spike in the room where the master socket is caused by a digital thermosat. Wireless extenders (AirPort Express) are generating a lot of noise too, but these are not near the phoneline.

[Rik]

Unless you have multi-room, unplug the Sky box from the phone line (if you haven't already). Power off the answerphone and disconnect it from the line, does either action result in your d/s NM increasing?

[netgem21]

Unless you have multi-room, unplug the Sky box from the phone line (if you haven't already). Power off the answerphone and disconnect it from the line, does either action result in your d/s NM increasing?

We have multi-room  

So, is the noise margin figure updated in real time? If so, can I just go around the house troubleshooting by unplugging things then? Also, the router is generating a lot of noise - can it affect itself like that?

[Sebby]

I think something else that's possible is that uploading to FTP can just use 100% of the upload bandwidth, making web browsing impossible. It doesn't tend to happen with downloading so much as we rarely achieve the maximum throughput given that it's so much higher.

[Rik]

The router noise is normal, it's the chipsets at work. If you remove a source of noise from the line, you will see the NM increase in real time. It's worth having a little play to see just how much noise your house is adding to the signal.

[netgem21]

Will the BT I-Plate help?

[netgem21]

I think something else that's possible is that uploading to FTP can just use 100% of the upload bandwidth, making web browsing impossible. It doesn't tend to happen with downloading so much as we rarely achieve the maximum throughput given that it's so much higher.

So is it normal then?

[Rik]

Will the BT I-Plate help?

Not unless you have the ring wires connected. If that's the case, it's cheaper and very easy to disconnect them.

[netgem21]

Not unless you have the ring wires connected. If that's the case, it's cheaper and very easy to disconnect them.

Ring wires? Also, I should add, the line is exclusively used for ADSL.

[Rik]

So no extensions and the Sky boxes are not connected to it. Then there's nothing to be done internally.

[netgem21]

So no extensions and the Sky boxes are not connected to it. Then there's nothing to be done internally.

Correct. So I-Plate won't help.

[Rik]

No, as it only serves to disconnect the ring wire.

[Sebby]

So is it normal then?

If you are maxing out the upload bandwidth, yes. Check if there is an option in your FTP client to limit the upload speed. I might be completely wrong, but just a thought.

[netgem21]

If you are maxing out the upload bandwidth, yet. Check if there is an option in your FTP client to limit the upload speed. I might be completely wrong, but just a thought.

Well it's just to services like Flickr, so I can't limit anything :S

[Rik]

Run something like NetMeter or the ThinkBroadband meter, and look at your bandwidth during the upload... except they are both Windows apps. Is there a Mac equivalent, Seb?

[netgem21]

No, as it only serves to disconnect the ring wire.

I just checked the ADSL line - there are no extensions or other sockets. There is only one phone socket. It has a microfilter in it splitting one feed into the router - there is nothing plugged into the other socket on the microfilter. However, the phone line travels through a box but I have no idea what it is.

[Rik]

That's just a standard junction box.

[Sebby]

Is there a Mac equivalent, Seb?

Not sure.

[netgem21]

Run something like NetMeter or the ThinkBroadband meter, and look at your bandwidth during the upload... except they are both Windows apps. Is there a Mac equivalent, Seb?

Just did a bandwidth test during the upload - gets anything between 400 and 500 kb/s upload and anything between 10 and 4000 kb/s download. But whatever the download rate is, I can get emails, use MSN, but anything in Safari or Firefox stops.

[Rik]

Try Opera. I can't see why you shouldn't be able to browse with those figures. (Unless, of course, your wireless signal is the problem.)

[Tacitus]

Not sure.

There's one for the Mac called NetMonitor.  Shareware - £8ish - but you can use it for 15 days.  Note it monitors the network interface on the machine it's installed on which will not necessarily be the same as what goes to/from the internet.

You can get it here.