Connection problem with new setup

andyman2 · May 09, 2011, 14:40:34

I have been with idnet for over a year now and have been very pleased with the service, so have recommended them to my mother in law who has just moved house.

All sorts of problems trying to get her old number to follow her, it took BT over 3 weeks to get this sorted, no idea why, but after daily calls they eventually suceeded. So now to the broadband issue. She phoned friday to be told the service was enabled, so I went down on saturday to configure the router.

Using a DrayTek Vigor 2800, not mine but her son's and a known good router (as far as anything is known and good). I'm not that familiar with this device, but it has a wizard to configure it

Set ISP name and user name to <tele_number>@idnet.gw6, then password.
Configured with VPI/VCI 0/38, PPP0A and Multimode.

Then tried to connect. The WAN status never moves off a status of "Disconnected"

Checking in more detail on the Online Status link, at the bottom the ADSL status is all green, it shows:

"Mode" of G.DMT, and the state goes "TRAINING" thru SHOWTIME". There a figures for UP/DOWN/SNR and Loop Att.

ATM stats show packets transmitted but none received.

The WAN Status remains RED, there is a box with a Message, and this message goes to "Starting PPP" where it remains trying for some minutes, and then into "PPP Shutdown"

The cycle repeats.

As this was a saturday I couldn't get any support

Called idnet this morning and was told that the line is enabled, further more the user and password are correct and that no broadband login attempts from this user were seen by their systems over the weekend.

He suggested I try with another router, not an unreasonable suggestion, but I am 70 miles away and will have to take a day off to get there during working hours. Anyone any ideas? Seems to me that the router is doing its best to establish a connection. I am deeply suspicious of BT after the problems we have experienced so far and would be grateful if anyone can help in any way.

Glenn · May 09, 2011, 14:55:19

Is the phone number support have listed and the actual number the same?

Lance · May 09, 2011, 15:02:13

Did support say if they could see any attempts to log in?

Steve · May 09, 2011, 15:09:16

Just wondering whether the username or password is not understood by the router ie incompatible characters

DorsetBoy · May 09, 2011, 15:16:20

Quote from: Steve on May 09, 2011, 15:09:16
Just wondering whether the username or password is not understood by the router ie incompatible characters

Are they using phone numbers as a Username now, it was not so previously ?

If needed the Draytek 2800 user manual is available for download at >> ftp://ftp.draytek.com/Vigor2800/Manual/

Lance · May 09, 2011, 15:39:25

They are, DB, and have been for quite some time.

lozcart · May 09, 2011, 15:47:20

Have they also altered the last part of the username mine is @uk.idnet.dsl4, should andyman2 be using @uk.idnet.gw6 ?

Lance · May 09, 2011, 15:51:43

Nope. uk.idnet.dsl4 is just as valid as idnet.gw5 and idnet.gw6. I think its a bit of a hangover from when there used to be several BT centrals (since replaced by hostlinks). As far as I know, most new connections now go to gw6.

andyman2 · May 09, 2011, 16:07:03

Thanks everyone, Support told me they could see no evidence of any attempts to log in. I entered the user name more than once so I doubt a typo but it could be the router doesn't like the combination I guess.

pctech · May 09, 2011, 16:10:59

Thing to remember is that if the realm (bit after @) is not correct the request is not forwarded by BT to an ISP's radius server so (unless ISPs are now told based on number) IDNet will not see any authentication attempts against their server.

Rik · May 09, 2011, 16:15:38

You can get support 'out of hours' for a 'no connection' issue, andy, so you could deal with this at a weekend. Personally, I'd suggest taking your own router up there to try, you know that is working and OK with IDNet. Is the new connection ADSL or ADSL2+?

fortyniner · May 09, 2011, 16:19:58

Hi Andy,

Just picked up on the router model - I have the same one and all over the week-end (and this afternoon) have had a similar problem - connect for a while and then drops the line to cycle through the PPP login again for several minutes before it finally connects.

Wonder if BT or someone doesn't like Vigor routers anymore

Rik · May 09, 2011, 16:23:58

That's certainly possible with an ADSL2+ connection.

MisterW · May 09, 2011, 17:24:07

QuoteWonder if BT or someone doesn't like Vigor routers anymore Wink

I've got a 2820 at a remote site working on fine on BT ADLS2+.

andyman2 · May 09, 2011, 22:42:22

I believe this is a standard ADSL line. The connection speed was 4,512K.

One thing I have just remembered is that there were 2 fields for login

ISP Name and
User Name

The user name is <telphone No.>@idnet.gw6

what do those of you who have these routers put in the ISP name?

I started with the same as the user name, but noted when you tried to edit the field (rather than enter it during wizard setup) it wouldn't allow the full name, in fact it may have refused to allow the @ symbol, so I ended up with just the telephone number? Reading some of the posts I'm just wondering if this might be relevent?

Thanks for all the comments so far.

Lance · May 09, 2011, 23:02:29

I doubt it's significant or has any bearing on the connection.

DorsetBoy · May 10, 2011, 05:41:21

You can ignore the "ISP name" section altogether it is just Username and password that is used.

The Quick start guide takes you through the wizard and settings.

Tacitus · May 10, 2011, 07:31:17

One thing that might be worth checking is the firmware version. Draytek have 3 versions available for the 2800; 2 of them are v2.8.2 (I think the 'alternate' is an Australian version which might work better on some lines) and there is a beta 2.8.2.1 which could be worth a try.

I had a 2800 which worked well for a time and then the line characteristics seemed to alter or BT messed around at the exchange and, it no longer proved reliable. It was sensitive to the firmware version, although this was on vanilla ADSL.

andyman2 · May 10, 2011, 21:18:10

Quote from: Rik on May 09, 2011, 16:15:38
You can get support 'out of hours' for a 'no connection' issue, andy, so you could deal with this at a weekend. Personally, I'd suggest taking your own router up there to try, you know that is working and OK with IDNet. Is the new connection ADSL or ADSL2+?

Rik, I obviously missed this on the recorded message can you let me know what this number is?

Glenn · May 10, 2011, 21:22:39

0800 331 7000, Andy

andyman2 · May 12, 2011, 10:27:22

Thanks Glenn. Looks like another visit this weekend. I will take my old netgear router preconfigured. Just a thought, if I use my mother in law's idnet user/pass would that work if I test it on my line? Or is the user tied to a particular telephone number.

Thanks

Andy

Rik · May 12, 2011, 10:28:56

It should work, Andy. (At least, it used to.

)

andyman2 · May 12, 2011, 12:04:12

Thanks Rik, will try tonight after work and let you know! Would be nice if it does, one less variable when I go down there.

Rik · May 12, 2011, 12:06:01

Indeed, I'm all for narrowing the field in advance.

andyman2 · May 12, 2011, 19:46:56

Tested with her user name/password in old netgear router on my broadband and it worked fine. So I think that is as much as I can do for the time being. I shall try it Saturday. I hope for BT's sake it works!

MisterW · May 12, 2011, 20:11:34

It does seem like there were some reports of problems with the 2800 and 21CN.
This http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/dslrouter/3880073-21cn-with-dratek-2800.html seems to suggest a later firmware sorted the problems

andyman2 · May 12, 2011, 21:05:54

Yes, I did see a previous mention of problems with the router, but as far as I could see the issues were mostly with ADSL2. This exchange is just ADSL Max (Bosham). However if I can get the netgear working I will experiment with f/w on the Draytek.

Rik · May 13, 2011, 09:01:12

Let us know how it goes.

MisterW · May 13, 2011, 12:58:34

QuoteThis exchange is just ADSL Max (Bosham).

QuoteI believe this is a standard ADSL line

Oops, somehow I seem to have missed that in your earlier post.

Gary · May 13, 2011, 13:13:43

Quote from: andyman2 on May 12, 2011, 21:05:54
Yes, I did see a previous mention of problems with the router, but as far as I could see the issues were mostly with ADSL2. This exchange is just ADSL Max (Bosham). However if I can get the netgear working I will experiment with f/w on the Draytek.

Are you on the Bosham exchange? Just wondering as I am too, no problem with Netgears on it of Speedtouch.

andyman2 · May 13, 2011, 14:08:26

Well my elderly mother in law is and I will be lunch time tomorrow, with a Netgear router so I'm hoping for instant success! Thanks

Rik · May 13, 2011, 16:25:51

We'll be here.

Glenn · May 13, 2011, 16:50:13

I won't, I'm trying to hit a ball around a field with a stick.

Rik · May 13, 2011, 16:51:07

We shall think of you.

andyman2 · May 15, 2011, 17:43:38

Same problem with the Netgear router

I was unable to get thro to anyone on that number too which was a bit of a disappointment, although I expect there would have been little they could do. It would seem that the line is not correctly set up yet. Will send email to idnet to look into it. You may be able to tell, I have calmed down now. Was a little anxious yesterday!

Rik · May 15, 2011, 17:45:45

It's a bugger when this kind of thing happens at a distance. It sounds like BT hasn't done the job correctly.

andyman2 · May 18, 2011, 14:24:38

Yup, guess what problem in the exchange! Sorted very quickly once we got them involved. Perhaps I should bill them for my time and travel costs!

Thanks for everyone's input much appreciated

Until the next time

Andy

Rik · May 18, 2011, 16:15:45

Glad you got there, Andy, but you're right - BT should be as quick to compensate for their failures as they are to bill.

Niall · May 18, 2011, 23:20:53

Been busy tonight, but just noticed my router wasn't connected and checked the logs. Yep, reconnecting all night. In fact, all day

I'll turn the router off overnight and see what happens when I come home tomorrow night.