Incorrect date

Niall · Jul 25, 2011, 16:45:58

I'll stick this here, rather than the problems thread, although I'm sure this is related to the same issue.

My router is telling me via logs that it's January the 1st. Now this is a problem I've seen on two other routers as well, which I know are working correctly. How is it that the router is being told the incorrect time? As far as I'm aware, this Billion 7800N pulls the date from the timeservers out there, as I can't find a setting to manually input a time.

Also, it's logged things like:

Jan 01 00:00:12 user kernel: rt2880_iNIC: falsely claims to have parameter csumoff
Jan 01 00:00:12 user kernel: RT2880iNIC: 802.11n WLAN PCI driver v2.2.0.1 (Aug. 10, 2009)
Jan 01 00:00:12 user kernel: RT2880iNIC: pci dev 0000:00:01.0 (id 1814:0801 rev 00)
Jan 01 00:00:12 user kernel: PCI: Enabling device 0000:00:01.0 (0000 -> 0002)

Is this just a driver bug for the network card? Also:

Jan 01 00:00:12 daemon dnsmasq[91]: using nameserver 8.8.4.4#53
Jan 01 00:00:29 daemon dnsmasq[91]: overflow: 2 log entries lost
Jan 01 00:00:29 daemon dnsmasq[91]: using nameserver 8.8.8.8#53
Jan 01 00:00:30 daemon UPNPD[475]: HTTP listening on port 2800

What's this overflow? Why were two entries lost?

Jan 01 00:01:08 daemon user: tr69c: Unable to retrieve attributes in scratch PAD
Jan 01 00:01:08 daemon user: Stored Parameter Attribute data is corrupt or missing

Scratch pad? Wossat? Sounds itchy

What stored parameters are corrupt or missing? The router has been saying this since I bought it, but I'm at a loss as I've only ever used netgear routers. This one has immense amounts of info in the logs, that I've never seen before. Half of it seems related to the connection itself, a few bits I recognise as standard networking things, and others are seemingly related to the router checking it's firmware, and general background work that you'd think would be silent.

Anyone shed any ideas. I'm really starting to lose my temper with my connection being rubbish, and IDnet have asked me to monitor it to see what it does before asking for an engineer to come around. If I can spot an error that may help to point towards an issue in the logs, that would be a help I'd have thought.

Well, the router is now reporting the correct time and date after a reboot, so that's something. I think. Maybe.

Rik · Jul 25, 2011, 16:51:07

I'll move this to routers, Niall. Do the logs indicate that the router is picking up the time signal?

Niall · Jul 25, 2011, 16:54:13

There's nothing clear in the logs with the word time, or time server. Just scanning through now and there seems to be a lack of any sort of helpful info, other than the sort of thing I posted before. It's a bit confusing!

pstream   888
Downstream   4542
SNR Margin(Upstream)   9.1
SNR Margin(Downstream)   14.7
Line Attenuation(Upstream)   17.8
Line Attenuation(Downstream)   31.0

I can honestly say, this is the worst I've ever seen this line performing. I even unplugged things downstairs this morning to see if anything happened, to no avail (no surprise really as I'm still not convinced it's anything IN the house anyway).

Ray · Jul 25, 2011, 16:55:06

Have you not got a screen somewhere in the setup to select your timezone and input a Time server address? Niall. My Draytek uses pool.ntp.org.

Niall · Jul 25, 2011, 17:01:06

Quote from: Ray on Jul 25, 2011, 16:55:06
Have you not got a screen somewhere in the setup to select your timezone and input a Time server address? Niall. My Draytek uses pool.ntp.org.

Yeah it's in there, but I can't manually input a time, it's pulling it from:

SNTP Server IP Address 192.43.244.18 128.138.140.44
129.6.15.29 216.218.192.202

Bill · Jul 25, 2011, 17:15:49

Quote from: Niall on Jul 25, 2011, 17:01:06
Yeah it's in there, but I can't manually input a time, it's pulling it from:

SNTP Server IP Address 192.43.244.18 128.138.140.44
129.6.15.29 216.218.192.202

They're the time servers mine uses too, you can't manually put the time in.

On that page, is Time Zone enabled, and what Resync Period have you got?

Edit- never mind, I see the time is working OK now.

Would suggest you try the Billion forum I mentioned earlier, it sounds like an odd one to me

http://www.billion.uk.com/forum/

Bill · Jul 25, 2011, 17:31:50

Just to check- are you running the latest firmware? (1.06d, it'll tell you on the Basic page)

Niall · Jul 25, 2011, 18:01:02

Yeah I've got the latest firmware. The first thing I did when I got the router was upgrade it.

As I mentioned though, this is a problem I've been seeing since my connection went pear shaped, and have seen the same with two Netgear routers and now this Billion routers. Can't say I'm overly happy having bought two more routers, only to find out the problem isn't at my end. Ho hum.

Apparently BT are telling IDnet there's nothing wrong with the line, but how on earth can a line that supported 14mb down and over 1mb up for I don't know how many years, suddenly become this bad? Webpages are slow loading, the connection drops all the time (although since a couple of days before I contacted support, it's dropping a lot less. Nothing to do with BT altering anything at IDnets request, although they supposedly have since I spoke to support but I have no idea what was changed).

If a line degrading on a non congested exchange by 10mb isn't a sign of a line issue, I don't know what is. Combine that with loud crackling noise on my phone line (which it's just occurred to me I never mentioned to support as I only noticed it today) and yes, I agree with BT, my line is awesome and working perfectly. I think I'll report the phone issue to IDnet too, just to cover all my bases.

{edit} Just done the quiet line test and that's got crackling on it that I half expected to hear someone asking for a Mr Watson to come to them.

Glenn · Jul 25, 2011, 18:09:46

Report the noisy line to your phone provider, whoever they are.

Niall · Jul 25, 2011, 18:25:28

IDnet

Rik · Jul 25, 2011, 18:26:52

Tell them and they can do something to fix it.

Niall · Jul 25, 2011, 18:31:36

I have done. I mentioned it earlier; well not that I had actually done it, but since posting I sent off another email

I'm sure it'll all work out in the end. I'm pretty sure it's the splitter outside as the line comes in from where ever, and is split to two lines into the house. Years ago we had them come around due to immense noise on the line and they cut back the line and patched it or something. I'd be surprised if that hasn't degraded again. I honestly can't think of a single thing that it could be other than that.

I'm still baffled by the BT engineer telling my mum the line is fine, and them saying the same to IDnet about it when I know it isn't and it's a bodge job. I really think they just BS so work doesn't have to get done.

Glenn · Jul 25, 2011, 18:33:44

It could be that when tested there was very little or no noise, if it's intermittent.

Niall · Jul 25, 2011, 18:47:13

Quote from: Glenn on Jul 25, 2011, 18:33:44
It could be that when tested there was very little or no noise, if it's intermittent.

I think that was the problem previously, and as for the line drops, they seem to have reduced to once or twice a day now. The trouble is that the line drops whenever it wants, so unless IDnet have a system (or BT) that monitors the line for the full 24 hour period, then they could just check for 10 minutes, see nothing and say the line is fine. I think this IS what BT do, which if true is completely unhelpful.

When the line was at it's worst, drop wise, it would go around 5:30, 7pm, 7:30 and then I'd go do something else, come back about 10 and it was doing it at about the same intervals. Looking at the logs previously (I think the other thread will still have the routerstats log) the connection was dropping constantly at similar intervals throughout the day. Now it doesn't seem to be doing that, as I've mentioned but the quality seems dreadful, with 888up and 4mb down. To me, from what little I know of these things, and the countless threads I've read, driving myself insane, it seems like the line itself is degrading. This again leads me to believe there's an issue outside like there was years ago.

Glenn · Jul 25, 2011, 18:49:39

Are you able to run Routerstats on one of your routers, you can then send the output to support?

sobranie · Jul 25, 2011, 19:00:22

Incorrect date seems a common problem on netgear dg834 routers too. If I have to reboot the router it always takes me back to the year 2000 on the logs page.

Niall · Jul 25, 2011, 19:05:27

Quote from: Glenn on Jul 25, 2011, 18:49:39
Are you able to run Routerstats on one of your routers, you can then send the output to support?

Yeah, that's what I'm planning on doing. I'm going to run them overnight and during tomorrow while I'm at work. That way I'll get a record of a large period of time to report. I was just going to run it overnight, but I think it'll be more helpful if I record a longer period covering night and day.

I've just started the program and I've immediately noticed the noise margin is nearly 15 when it was 6 not so long ago. That and noise on my phone line. Hmm, not a coincidence me thinks.

Niall · Jul 25, 2011, 23:52:52

Well it hasn't dropped at all tonight. That's a first. I SERIOUSLY hope BT don't fob me off with the acceptable speed BS. They owe me 10.5mb!

Niall · Jul 26, 2011, 08:15:50

Just checked routerstats and it's showing no drops all throughout the night, but the noise is still very high. Looking at the chart it also increased by about 0.3 from 7:45, but I think that's related to my monitor being switched on! Other than that, the noise level hasn't shifted much. Oddly around 2am it was wiggling up and down like a wiggly thing on the chart

Only varying by around 0.6 but I'm assuming that's external.

Just as a final test while I was doing this, I turned off everything downstairs which made zero difference to the noise level. I've just thought of one more thing to check though, so while I have a shower I'll turn off the sky box (which isn't connected to the phone line) and see if that makes any difference. If not, I'm done!

{edit} I've just noticed as I was about to toddle off that there was a steady increase in noise throughout the night. It rose from around 14 up to where it's at now, which is around the 15.3 mark. Strange as it was the middle of the night where you'd expect to see less noise.

Nope, no change what-so-ever. That's final then, it's nothing internal. I knew it wasn't but it would have bugged me if I didn't check the sky box

Ooo cr*p, late for work *runs off*

Niall · Jul 26, 2011, 10:58:05

Didn't have time to post a earlier, but ad I wad leaving I noticed the noise increasing. Nothing on in the house. Bizarre.

Lance · Jul 26, 2011, 21:29:27

The router reports the margin, not the noise. Therefore, if the margin increases it means the actual noise has decreased.

Niall · Jul 26, 2011, 21:41:11

Hmm, in that case my profile may be stuck, as I'm still getting 4.5mb. I'll leave it for a bit.

Oddly today, I got an email from support that said "this message has not been downloaded from the server". I have no idea if they were trying to tell me something or not

As for the routerstats, I've still got that running and it's gone from 14 to 15 and just dropped by a chunk down to 13.5 and is now slowly climbing again.

I really shouldn't listen to some people on various forums as I was told that the lower the number, the better it is. Ah well, now I know better. I suppose that makes sense though as my line hasn't dropped for 2 days now, which is when the stats moved from around 6 to 15, but the speed hasn't increased so I suppose it's (hopefully) retraining itself. Either that or it's stuck.

Niall · Jul 27, 2011, 08:13:54

Well, bizarrely my noise margin has jumped to 18 at 7:15 and is still slowly increasing. The line hasn't dropped now for nearly 3 days so it seems rock solid stable in that regard. I've just logged into the idnet webmail as for some reason my iphone couldn't download the message. They are now saying that the probable reason the engineer couldn't find a fault is because the fault is on the phone line, after I emailed about that. So my theory at the start when I was asking if it's on separate hardware at the exchange, and could be causing the problem, now seems correct after all.

I've just noticed this second though, the noise margin is starting to spike towards 14 again. To test a theory, I just picked up the phone and left it at the dial tone for a minute. This caused the noise margin to drop to 14. Put the phone down and it increased. Tried it again and it dropped.

I think that's established the cause.

Niall · Jul 27, 2011, 08:27:57

Ha, Brian is ace. I just had a thought that possibly my handset could be causing all the problems, or maybe it was the phone line being fixed after my mum reporting her fault to BT. Anyway, after my tests above I just email support again (my god I'm so late for work) querying whether it is possibly the line is fixed and if the handset itself could cause the problem. As I sent it, Brian emailed me at the same time saying the same thing.

I shall buy a new phone on Friday. A shiny one!

Once again, I'd like to say that IDnet support is ace, possibly awesome. I haven't decided

Niall · Jul 28, 2011, 14:22:20

Forgot to mention the emails basically said they'll ask BT to start the retraining period again now my nm is 18 and the line is stable. At 10pm for no reason the nm dropped to 14. I'd love to know where this problem is coming from as it's really pissing me off now.

I decided to give up stressing over all the logs and turned my PC off. I'll wait to see what it's like when I get home.

3 days of hot weather and the line is fine. Water leaking in somewhere causing noise/issues?