Potential new customer question:

[Steve]

You 've basically cracked it the local NIC settings allow you to choose which DNS provider,leaving the router on auto DNS will leave your ISPs servers as back up. Change of DNS in the router usually forces a router reboot.

[Rik]

Yes, that's the place and changing the DNS settings in a router will generally force a resync. Windows overrides the router, it does the lookup itself, rather than using the servers the router is offering.

[spring88]

Thanks for the replies about the DNS settings. :-)

Incidentally, regarding my pings which was one of my reasons for switching ISP, pinging www.bbc.co.uk now usually gives me pings of about 42ms which is better than the 52-65ms I got with Nildram. This still seems a little bit high at least compared to other people who also have interleaving & a higher line atenuation so I am guessing my previous pings were due to a combination of Nildram and the line/exchange etc.

[Rik]

It's always hard to identify the cause of a high ping. If you could run a tracert to both the BBC and to www.idnet.net, we'll have a better idea. My immediate thought, though, is that you have interleaving on.

[spring88]

I tried running two tracert's to both idnet and bbc- not sure what happened with the 4th hop of the first tracert to idnet.

C:\Documents and Settings\GS>tracert www.idnet.net

Tracing route to www.idnet.net [212.69.36.10]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  www.routerlogin.com [192.168.0.1]
  2    42 ms    43 ms    79 ms  telehouse-gw2-lo1.idnet.net [212.69.63.51]
  3    42 ms    42 ms    42 ms  telehouse-gw3-g0-1-400.idnet.net [212.69.63.243]

  4    57 ms   289 ms   148 ms  redbus-gw2-fa1-1-1003.idnet.net [212.69.63.1]
  5    43 ms    43 ms    42 ms  redbus-gw1-fa2-0-300.idnet.net [212.69.63.225]
  6    43 ms    43 ms    43 ms  www.idnet.net [212.69.36.10]

Trace complete.

C:\Documents and Settings\GS>tracert www.bbc.co.uk

Tracing route to www.bbc.net.uk [212.58.246.93]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  www.routerlogin.com [192.168.0.1]
  2    45 ms    42 ms    43 ms  telehouse-gw2-lo1.idnet.net [212.69.63.51]
  3    43 ms    42 ms    42 ms  telehouse-gw5-e4-400.idnet.net [212.69.63.245]
  4    42 ms    42 ms    42 ms  rt-lonap-a.thdo.bbc.co.uk [193.203.5.90]
  5    57 ms    43 ms    43 ms  212.58.238.153
  6    43 ms    44 ms    43 ms  te12-1.hsw1.cwwtf.bbc.co.uk [212.58.239.234]
  7    43 ms    44 ms    44 ms  212.58.255.12
  8    43 ms    43 ms    43 ms  bbc-vip014.cwwtf.bbc.co.uk [212.58.246.93]

Trace complete.

C:\Documents and Settings\GS>tracert www.idnet.net

Tracing route to www.idnet.net [212.69.36.10]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  www.routerlogin.com [192.168.0.1]
  2    42 ms    42 ms    42 ms  telehouse-gw2-lo1.idnet.net [212.69.63.51]
  3    42 ms    41 ms    42 ms  telehouse-gw3-g0-1-400.idnet.net [212.69.63.243]

  4    44 ms    43 ms    43 ms  redbus-gw2-fa1-1-1003.idnet.net [212.69.63.1]
  5    43 ms    43 ms    43 ms  redbus-gw1-fa2-0-300.idnet.net [212.69.63.225]
  6    43 ms    42 ms    43 ms  www.idnet.net [212.69.36.10]

Trace complete.

C:\Documents and Settings\GS>tracert www.bbc.co.uk

Tracing route to www.bbc.net.uk [212.58.244.70]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  www.routerlogin.com [192.168.0.1]
  2    42 ms    42 ms    42 ms  telehouse-gw2-lo1.idnet.net [212.69.63.51]
  3    42 ms    42 ms    42 ms  telehouse-gw5-e4-400.idnet.net [212.69.63.245]
  4    42 ms    43 ms    43 ms  rt-lonap-a.thdo.bbc.co.uk [193.203.5.90]
  5    42 ms    42 ms    42 ms  212.58.238.153
  6    43 ms    42 ms    42 ms  212.58.239.62
  7    50 ms    43 ms    42 ms  212.58.251.44
  8    43 ms    42 ms    43 ms  bbc-vip115.telhc.bbc.co.uk [212.58.244.70]

Trace complete.

I read about how to check for interleaving with the netgear dg834v3 on kitz.co.uk so, assuming i analysed my line stats correctly, I have interleaving on my line. It suggested that zero's in the fast path section + numbers in the interleaving section below= interleaving.

Upstream (TX) Interleave path]
        CRC:    6       FEC:    340     NCD:    0
        LCD:    0       HEC:    408

        [Downstream (RX) Interleave path]
        CRC:    0       FEC:    1258    NCD:    0
        LCD:    0       HEC:    0

        [Upstream (TX) Fast path]
        CRC:    0       FEC:    0       NCD:    1
        LCD:    0       HEC:    0

        [Downstream (RX) Fast path]
        CRC:    0       FEC:    0       NCD:    0
        LCD:    0       HEC:    0

[Rik]

You do have interleaving on to quite a 'high' depth. That one spike figure is nothing to worry about, it just means that router was busy at the time. ICMP (ping) traffic is given a low priority on these routers.

[Rik]

IDNet are going to turn interleaving off for you and see how your line responds. It may turn straight back on, it may do so but to a lower level, but it's worth the 'poke', so to speak. Keep us posted on the results will you?

[spring88]

C:\Documents and Settings\GS>tracert www.bbc.co.uk

Tracing route to www.bbc.net.uk [212.58.246.91]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  www.routerlogin.com [192.168.0.1]
  2    26 ms    25 ms    25 ms  telehouse-gw2-lo1.idnet.net [212.69.63.51]
  3    26 ms    26 ms    25 ms  telehouse-gw5-e4-400.idnet.net [212.69.63.245]
  4    26 ms    26 ms    26 ms  rt-lonap-a.thdo.bbc.co.uk [193.203.5.90]
  5    26 ms    26 ms    26 ms  212.58.238.129
  6    26 ms    26 ms    27 ms  te12-1.hsw0.cwwtf.bbc.co.uk [212.58.239.222]
  7    27 ms    27 ms    27 ms  212.58.255.12
  8    27 ms    27 ms    26 ms  bbc-vip012.cwwtf.bbc.co.uk [212.58.246.91]

Trace complete.

C:\Documents and Settings\GS>tracert www.idnet.net

Tracing route to www.idnet.net [212.69.36.10]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  www.routerlogin.com [192.168.0.1]
  2    26 ms    25 ms    25 ms  telehouse-gw2-lo1.idnet.net [212.69.63.51]
  3    26 ms    25 ms    25 ms  telehouse-gw3-g0-1-400.idnet.net [212.69.63.243]

  4    26 ms    27 ms    25 ms  redbus-gw2-fa1-1-1003.idnet.net [212.69.63.1]
  5    26 ms    25 ms    26 ms  redbus-gw1-fa2-0-300.idnet.net [212.69.63.225]
  6    27 ms    26 ms    25 ms  www.idnet.net [212.69.36.10]

Trace complete.
-------------------------

      ADSL Link         Downstream         Upstream            
      Connection Speed          7168 kbps          448 kbps             
      Line Attenuation          34 db          8.5 db             
      Noise Margin          9 db          23 db                              

AR7 DSL Modem Statistics:
--------------------------------
[DSL Modem Stats]
        US Connection Rate:     448     DS Connection Rate:     7168
        DS Line Attenuation:    34      DS Margin:              9
        US Line Attenuation:    17      US Margin:              23
        US Payload :            302736  DS Payload:             593328
        US Superframe Cnt :     947676  DS Superframe Cnt:      947676
        US Transmit Power :     0       DS Transmit Power:      0
        LOS errors:             0       SEF errors:             0
        Errored Seconds:        0       Severely Err Secs:      0
        Frame mode:             3       Max Frame mode:         0
        Trained Path:           0       US Peak Cell Rate:      1056
        Trained Mode:           3       Selected Mode:          1
        ATUC Vendor Code:       54535443        ATUC Revision:  2
        Hybrid Selected:        1       Trellis:                1
        Showtime Count:         20      DS Max Attainable Bit Rate: 7168 kbps
        BitSwap:                1       US Max Attainable Bit Rate:     n/a
        Annex:                  AnxA    psd_mask_qualifier: 0x0000
        Power Management Status: L0     DS HLINSC: 0
        US ACTPSD:              -345    DS ACTPSD: -365
        Total init. errors:     3       Total init. timeouts: 0
        Showtime init. errors:  0       Showtime init. timeouts: 0
        Last showtime init. errors: 0   Last showtime init. timeouts: 0
        ATUC ghsVid:  b5 00 54 53 54 43 00 00
        T1413Vid: 00 00         T1413Rev: 00            VendorRev: 00
        ATUR ghsVid:  b5 00 54 53 54 43 00 00
        T1413Vid: 00 00 T1413Rev: 00    VendorRev: 00

        [Upstream (TX) Interleave path]
        CRC:    0       FEC:    0       NCD:    1
        LCD:    0       HEC:    0

        [Downstream (RX) Interleave path]
        CRC:    0       FEC:    0       NCD:    0
        LCD:    0       HEC:    0

        [Upstream (TX) Fast path]
        CRC:    1       FEC:    0       NCD:    0
        LCD:    0       HEC:    0

        [Downstream (RX) Fast path]
        CRC:    0       FEC:    0       NCD:    0
        LCD:    0       HEC:    0

[ATM Stats]
        [Upstream/TX]
        Good Cell Cnt:  6307
        Idle Cell Cnt:  17016100

        Tx Packets Dropped Count:       0
        Tx Bad Packets Count:   360

        [Downstream/RX)]
        Good Cell Cnt:  12361
        Idle Cell Cnt:  272346130
        Bad Hec Cell Cnt:       0
        Overflow Dropped Cell Cnt:      0
        Rx Packets Dropped Count:       0
        Rx Bad Packets Count:   0


[SAR AAL5 Stats]
        Tx PDU's:       64016715
        Rx PDU's:       58445182
        Tx Total Bytes: 3103988710
        Rx Total Bytes: 791041390
        Tx Total Error Counts:  0
        Rx Total Error Counts:  2910


[OAM Stats]
        Near End F5 Loop Back Count:    0
        Near End F4 Loop Back Count:    0
        Far End F5 Loop Back Count:     0
        Far End F4 Loop Back Count:     0
        SAR OAM Ping Response Drop Count=0
#
#

------------------------------


The switch from interleaving seems to be going well so far  - pings down to 26ms and no obvious changes in my detailed line stats other than all the zeros in the interleaving section which presumably indicates i'm on fast path. No obvious changes observed in the routerstats graphs.
---


One other question I have is that about a week or so before leaving Nildram my line lost sync and synced a little lower than normal. Normally my noise margin varies between 2db and 6db, occasionally dropping as low as 0db or going up to 7db or 8db but since that time my noise margin has usually varied betwen 5db and 9db sometimes dropping to 3 or 4db (once it dropped to 2db in the late afternoon when the graph gets most unstable) and sometimes going up to 10 or 11db. I've read that the target noise margin is set in 3db increments- e.g 3db or 6db o 9db o 12db etc etc so I though that my margin might have been raised 3db. I'm not actually unhappy about this at all- the speed difference is negligible and I prefer my router not to lose sync every couple of days or be on the verge of losing sync during noisy periods- just wondering if thats what must have happened.


One other thing I was wondering is how did IDNET know what my line is in order to switch off interleaving since I haven't posted my username/phone number etc etc in this thread or contacted them about this? Can you tell via the IP address I post to the forum with?

Thanks. 

[Lance]

It does look like your noise margin has been raised by 3db but if that is giving a more stable connection then its probably for the best. Only thing is that unless the exchange has been forced to sync at the 9db margin it should in theory after 14 days of solid connection drop it back down to 6db. However, its hit and miss if this works.

We can identify you to IDNet via the IP address as its a static rather than dynamic address. Obviously no personal details are exchanged.

[Rik]

What Lance said. There's a note about the process here: http://www.idnetters.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=21248.msg508856#msg508856

[spring88]

Thanks again for all the help.

[Rik]

NP.