WHAT THE H*LL?????

[AvengerUK]

Ive just got up/in etc, turned on, my routers been on all week by the way...and...

Im sycned at 352kbs!!!!!!!!!! it was 2500 odd yesterday!!! - download speeds are at 200kbs, and uploads normal - my upload is faster than my download currently. I cant use my net with such a low speed! My stats are: 58 ds atten as usual, but my SNR downstream seems fixed at 10!!

Anyone have any suggestions? its too slow to use!

Just forced a resync - now at 1300 odd, yet SNR still at 8....what the!

Should note profile is 200kbs or something like thart.....

[Rik]

Have you managed to do a BT speed test, Avenger? It sounds as if something triggered a really low sync which has hit your profile, but on top of that, it sounds like you have an on-going sync/line issue which has possibly pushed your target noise margin up. The lowest official profile is 500kbps, but there is a lower one of 279, that would only be triggered by a sync speed below 576kbps, which seems to fit with what you're seeing.

I've been sitting on a 10db margin since I lost sync yesterday, which makes me wonder if the recent round of DSLAM firmware updates has changed the behaviour of DLM?

All I can suggest is that you do the normal 'test socket' check and, if that doesn't alter things significantly, give support a call on Monday.

[AvengerUK]

It gets worse....

    160 kbps / 448 kbps

Downloading @ 50kbs....

Now, where did i put my dial up modem?

EDIT:

Then resync, ds atten changes by 2 - 56 to 58 to:

1888 kbps / 448 kbps

Something is obviously "up" with my line, with something else taking it down to obsene syncs sometime during the night :/ (there is a period of 30mins where my l8nc graph shows no active line at 1 am)

[Rik]

Grim reading, Avenger. Have you been able to check at the test socket?

[AvengerUK]

I havent yet rik - i might later before i log off - as thats when these really low syncs occur for some reason! (11pm - 1am typically they start, then last?)

[Rik]

I've been seeing quite a few disconnects around 1am and 4am myself. I just wonder if it's some form of engineering activity as it's well after the peak hours?

[AvengerUK]

noise margin downstream: -1 db
attenuation downstream: 58 db

That looks promising...lol

[Rik]

noise margin downstream: -1 db
attenuation downstream: 58 db

Was that a test socket reading, Avenger?

The signs seem to be pointing towards you going back to fixed rate, but it will be interesting to see what support have to say.

[SteveS]

uho. is this a idnet issue or bt?

[AvengerUK]

Line issue - so proberbly neither!, but definatly not IDnet

[SteveS]

thats ok then

[AvengerUK]

Update: pings are going "all over the place" - and packetloss, is, well, very very high.

Pinging BBC only 2 hops out of 4 get there!!

Speeds are still dismal...going to email idnet again and ask to go back to fixed.

[Rik]

I was wondering whether that was going to be your best bet. Max still seems to be something of a curate's egg, sadly.

Just checked, my ping times are +20ms over normal.

[AvengerUK]

Update:

"It could be a line fault however as the connection itself doesnt appear
to be dropping its going to be difficult to diagnose. Please could you
monitor the connection to see if you can determine any pattern to it,
can you check the router logs to see if the SNR is raising to a point
then plummeting?"

Today dl speeds are up to 700kbs - so definatly usable now

Question is, do i bother "keeping" an eye on it...or just go to fixed? my router loggs dont show SNR changes anyhow!

[Rik]

Will Routerstats work with your router, Avenger? I wonder if the app could get the figures (afaik, most routers don't log noise margin changes). Failing that, support can look at your connection and get the figure. Is there anyone who could lend you a different router to try?

[AvengerUK]

Theres myself

I have the following avalible:

USR-9003 - this hates max...
Safecom 4114
Safecom SART2-4115

The two safecoms are great routers, however i dont think they log it either!

everyone else i know either also has a safecom or doesent use a router at all!

[Rik]

It might be worth asking support if they could lend you a router...

[AvengerUK]

do you know of any routers that let you do this?

[Rik]

Sorry, Avenger, I'm not sure what the question refers to?

[SteveS]

my netgear dg836pn shows noise level and line att

[Inactive]

my netgear dg836pn shows noise level and line att

So does my BT 2100 Voyager, but I thought they all did, shows how much I know.. 

[Rik]

I  thought they all did too, Inactive. Sometimes, it's just finding out how to get at the information. Netgear DG834s and 834Gs certainly provide the answers, and, afaik, so do Speedtouch.

[Lance]

My router doesn't log the SNR, but it does display it.

As long as your router displays the information in a webpage, you should be able to use RouterStats to log the SNR.

Lance

[AvengerUK]

Ive Google'd Router Stats but cant seem to find it?

EDIT: http://www.vwlowen.co.uk/internet/files.htm

That it?

Anyway, Thanks guys - ill see if it works with my router tonight!

[Rik]

That's the one. It's listed in the sticky here.

[AvengerUK]

Nah, doesent work with my ZyXel

I dont think router stats will work via telnet, either?

[Lance]

As far as I know, it will only work via HTTP, because thats how it picks up its figures. Does the ZyXel not dispplay its stats using a webpage?

[Rik]

There's a Telnet option in it Avenger, but it's specifically for Netgears.

Would the DMT tool work with it? You can get that here, and there's some instructions here. I understand the program switches to English after it's detected the router and shutdown. It is targetted at Speedtouch, so I'm not sure how it will work for you, if at all.

[AvengerUK]

Yes my zyxel does use HTML to display the stats, but there is no direct link to it. It uses a embedded button to display the stats in a Iframe, making it impossible to find a link to it at all!

telnet with my router tends to be "easier" but, as you say Router Stats was designed for netgear :/

ras> wan adsl linedata near

noise margin downstream: 5 db
output power upstream: 12 db
attenuation downstream: 59 db

From the way it would seem to work, i think my Safecom routers would work - but thats too much hassle! (ports etc)

[Rik]

What sync speed goes with those figures?

[AvengerUK]

2200kb/s - which is "bad" - it was 2800 odd with similar figures last week!

Ive just had an idea about logging SNR. Im going to build a simple "bat" file, to log into the telnet, extract the figures and save them --> a challenge i like

[Rik]

Not brilliant figures, but still about twice what you'd get from a fixed-rate connection. Good luck with the BAT file, they still have their place in our GUI-driven world.

[AvengerUK]

BAT Files almost done, but - im finally back to normalility - downloading at 176kb/s

[AvengerUK]

Annnd its happened again...

Back to fixed i go!

(and it cant come soon enough...)

[Rik]

You don't seem to have had much luck, Avenger. Sorry.

[AvengerUK]

- Luck has no place in my "abode"!

[Rik]

Were I in your shoes, I would go for the reliable fixed-rate over speed too. Let's hope that technology triumphs and you don't need any luck...

[AvengerUK]

Just back from my hols

@ 2mb and working great

[Rik]

Glad to hear it. I had a burst of noise knock my sync down to 1400 on Friday, and I've been stuck with a 2000 profile since (no, I don't understand either!). BT seem to be doing something, because my noise margin is all over the place for the past month, whereat is was reasonably stable from initial activation until mid-March.

[AvengerUK]

It disconnects occasionally though (reconnects very quickly) - only on occasions...im sure its my router. Line stats are usually fine - my routers had problems for ages (sure ive mentioned it) - just woundering, do you "all" still recommend that netgear? (the wired one i think it was).

What are the firewall/port forwarding/nat like?

[Rik]

do you "all" still recommend that netgear? (the wired one i think it was).

What are the firewall/port forwarding/nat like?

I try not to recommend any router when it comes to Max, Avenger, everyone has different experiences. The two most commonly used brands seem to be the Netgear and Speedtouch. I've seen good reports of Zyxel and D-Link, but more bad than good reports on Billion.

When I was on fixed rate, I ran a Draytek Vigor 2600+, which was excellent, if way over the top for my needs. When I moved to Max, it didn't handle the line well and I picked up a DG834v2, this worked a charm. I'm now on a DG834G v3, because I wanted to add wireless for the laptop.

NAT/SPI is fine, but I don't game so I've never needed to port forward so can't comment on that. It's worth noting that IDNet supply Netgears, so they must be reasonably confident in them (it also means they will be able to give full advice on their use...).

[AvengerUK]

FYI - Im fixed rate now

Im taking a look at the netgear now (again!) - should also of said that the firewall needs to be a SPI - that tends to mean that 99% of the time, i dont need to port forward

[Rik]

I know you're fixed-rate again, Avenger, I was just having a little meander.

Netgears do have SPI firewalls. You can download the manual for the DG834G from here, and for the DG834v2 from here.

HTH