Stale Session

[andyp]

My broadband went down at the weekend but idnet very quickly put things right but said it was due to a stale session and had to contact BT to get it cleared. Could someone kindly explain what this is and what causes this to happen please.

[Sebby]

It's when the exchange thinks you are connected when you're not, so when you try to connect, you get an error. The stale session is cleared at the exchange, then you can log on again.

Some say that it can be cleared yourself by simply trying to connect with an incorrect password, then again with the right one, but I've never had the opportunity to try it.

[Rik]

A stale session is when BT think you are connected, but no connection exists, Andy. Your router will be in sync, but you'll not be able to reach IDNet, and hence the web. The usual cure is to power off the router for 15-30 minutes, and that will wake the BT system up. Alternatively, you can login in to the BT test connection, change your username to speedtest@speedtest_domain, leave the password as is, then change back to normal.

[andyp]

Thanks for your prompt advice. I just wondered if it was caused by leaving your computer on and your browser connected as my eldest daughter does and goes out for hours or even next day.

[Rik]

No, it's something that happens at the exchange, Andy. I have my router on 24/7, but haven't yet seen a stale session. Sometimes, they are caused by BT engineering work of the sort that's going on at the moment, where they break the connection between you and the 'net, but not between you and the exchange. When they reconnect, the exchange thinks you're connected, but nothing after that point agrees.