These 6-hour BT programmes of work...

[Bill]

The announcement says:

If you find that you are in sync in the morning, but cannot reach the 'net, this may be due to a stale session.
Please power down your router for 30 minutes, then try to connect again before contacting support.

For those of us who use separate modems and routers, which should we power down?

I suspect it's the router, but some reassurance would be nice

[Rik]

I'd suspect the modem, Bill, as the stale session would be on that side of the connection, ie WAN not LAN.

[Steve]

I'm going for the router as that is creating the session via pppoe,

[Rik]

I'm going to have to ask, aren't I.

[Steve]

Well disconnecting the modem is always going to work.

[Rik]

 

Nonetheless, in the interests of science and curiosity...

[Glenn]

The modem make the connection to the exchange, so I would say the modem.

[Rik]

Support emailed, but we're thinking the same way, Glenn.

[psp83]

Did last night work happen ?

[Rik]

Well, it should have done, Paul, but it wouldn't be the first time it got cancelled at the last minute.

[Lance]

I guess it did, as I've had to reboot my router this morning.

[Rik]

Odd, it was fine here yet it was meant to affect WBC customers, not Max. 

[Lance]

Maybe it was just local work for me then.

[Rik]

Possibly, November's a heavy month for 21CN voice work at exchanges.

[zappaDPJ]

I have some evidence that something took place last night. I woke this morning to find my ADSL dead (and still dead) but my FTTC which has been dead since last Saturday has come back to life. My tbb ping monitor suggests something happened at around 1.00am (2.00am Apple alarm time ).

[Steve]

Support emailed, but we're thinking the same way, Glenn.

The modem is only connected to the exchange, the login to the BRAS is controlled by the router which forwards the login details and password so yes if modem disconnected a stale session will be cured but surely if you drop the PPPOE session via the router it will have a similar effect.

[Rik]

(2.00am Apple alarm time ).

Stirrer...

[Glenn]

So how about people that have a modem only?

[Rik]

The modem is only connected to the exchange, the login to the BRAS is controlled by the router which forwards the login details and password so yes if modem disconnected a stale session will be cured but surely if you drop the PPPOE session via the router it will have a similar effect.

I should have a definitive answer shortly.

[Glenn]

How it works

[Rik]

Definitive answer from support.

For FTTC, power down the router as it's that which is authenticating. However, it will do no harm to power down both.

[Steve]

Thanks Rik

I must admit I turn the modem off because I don't think I can drop the PPPOE login without restarting the router (AEBS) which is a nuisance as it interrupts the LAN

[Rik]

That would be my leaning, for purely practical reasons, Steve. Although the router does the authentication, it means a loss of the LAN. Powering off the modem leaves the LAN intact and stops the attempts to authenticate, so should cure a stale session.

[zappaDPJ]

My ADSL line went down for reasons other than last night planned works.

[Rik]

Your wife unplugged the router?

[Bill]

Definitive answer from support.

For FTTC, power down the router as it's that which is authenticating.

That's what I thought, thanks Rik

However, it will do no harm to power down both.

Provided your line hasn't got noisier and you end up with a lower sync... that's why I don't like powering modems down

[Rik]

Though you do lose your LAN, so if you have any attached devices, eg printers, they become unavailable.

[Bill]

True... OK, if I think I'll need the LAN I'll pull the Ethernet cable out of the modem instead, that should fix it

[Rik]

 

[esh]

As you all seem to have concluded, indeed if only PPPoE goes down then just reset the connection from the router side.