Weird noise - but router is a trooper

[armadillo]

What do you think happened here?





Miraculously, the Netgear DG834v4 (wired, not wireless) did not lose sync (i.e. the WAN did not disconnect despite the zero sync speed).

It has been synced at 7616 for 1070 hours and there is no event in the router log corresponding to this sudden noise burst. The router appears to have been oblivious to it!

Noise has been a bit strange recently. Usually, noise margin is around 8dB for most of the day (it was usually 9.3 before the snowy weather). But it often rises late at night, say after 11 pm. It is 9.4dB right now.

As Rik said a while ago, "if the router doesn't mind, it doesn't matter".

I am just curious to know what happened in that mega blip.

[klipp]

Someone phoning in (or out) at those times?

[armadillo]

No incoming or outgoing calls anywhere near that time. Incoming calls do make a blip in noise, but a much smaller one and they don't affect the sync speed. Outgoing calls have no effect at all. BTW, the blip I get with an incoming call occurs even if there is no phone connected to the line. But this particular group of plunges did not coincide with a phone call anyway.

[tehidyman]

I have same version router  and often see these sudden and brief losses of margin to zero but do not lose sync.  I tracked them down to equipment being operated by my neighbour. (does not happen when he is away). My RouterStats graphs plot every 5 sec but as I only log every minute it does not show in the log.

[MisterW]

Are you sure it's not just RouterStats momentarily not getting data from the router.

[Rik]

That was my thought.

[armadillo]

Yes, I think that's the answer. I hadn't checked the router stats log but there is this in there

Mon 13 Dec 2010  23:39:09,    Noise Margin= 9.2, Sync Speed= 7616
Mon 13 Dec 2010  23:39:29,    Noise Margin= , Sync Speed= 0
Mon 13 Dec 2010  23:39:49,    Noise Margin= 9.2, Sync Speed= 7616

That certainly does look like a mere loss of communication twixt Router Stats and router.

When I said router log shows nothing, I meant the Netgear's own log (the one that would say LCP down if it lost sync).

Fortunately, my router doesn't seem to care what the neighbours do.

[Rik]

Router stats does seem to have its moments at times...

[armadillo]

True. It seems to make up its own mind what log file it writes to! It reverts to using a log file in its own folder even if you direct it somewhere else. I think it changes its mind whenever you restart it. But it does its job very well.

[Rik]

 

I know what you mean - it doesn't always seem to write the INI file when you change things.

[armadillo]

I think it only writes to the ini file when you close the application by clicking the "x" and answering OK to the confirm dialogue. If you don't close it, or allow it to be closed by a system restart, it does not write.

I altered the log file a couple of hours ago but the ini file still showed the old log file and a modified date from November. After I closed and restarted, the log was the new one and the mod date is today.

Can't complain though. I know I couldn't write such a utility!

[Rik]

No, it's a hell of a useful little app for the money, isn't it, Dill.

[armadillo]

Worth much more than double, IMO

[Rik]