Whats broken my broadband?

skyripper · 1 Oct 2018 at 10:12

So this weekend I shifted my microserver, replaced a network switch and redid the cabling under the stairs because it looked a right old mess. Coincidentally, we had a series of rolling power outages as well ( in the local area, not just because I was turning bits of hardware off in my cupboard

)

My broadband has gone to **** though now.

I've got fibre from Utility Warehouse (provided by TalkTalk), and normally hit just under 40Mbs. Now I'm lucky to hit 4. (Upload oddly seems unaffected, its taken a slight dip only because I'm teamviewered in from work).

I'm using a HG612 modem, connected to pfSense on the microserver, and as far as I can see - have no [local] networking issues between the modem and microserver, or from the microserver to the rest of the LAN (no dropped packets, errors etc.).

I've tried resetting the modem a few times over the weekend (never more than once in any hour).

Anything I can try before I have to ring the ISP and refit their router (which is currently in a box in the garage!) so I can go thru the "have you turned it off and on again?" with them.

x-st · 1 Oct 2018 at 10:22

Double check if your IP profile has been lowered by using the BT test -
http://speedtest.btwholesale.com/

That'll give you an indication if you've had your speeds dropped to try and increase stability using DLM.

skyripper · 1 Oct 2018 at 10:34

OK.. so the BT speed checker pretty much ties with the speedtest.net results

Oddly when I request the Further Diagnostics button I get a page to put in my phone number and then get...

pcfarrar · 1 Oct 2018 at 12:16

Post the full stats from the HG612, not the web interface ones.

Telnet in and use xdslcmd info --stats

skyripper · 1 Oct 2018 at 13:14

Ok, took a bit of headscratching, but got em now.

# xdslcmd info --stats

Code:

BusyBox v1.9.1 (2014-01-21 16:44:38 CST) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

# xdslcmd info --stats
xdslcmd: ADSL driver and PHY status
Status: Showtime
Retrain Reason: 0
Last initialization procedure status:   0
Max:    Upstream rate = 10501 Kbps, Downstream rate = 52156 Kbps
Bearer: 0, Upstream rate = 9999 Kbps, Downstream rate = 35000 Kbps
Bearer: 1, Upstream rate = 0 Kbps, Downstream rate = 0 Kbps
Link Power State:       L0
Mode:                   VDSL2 Annex B
VDSL2 Profile:          Profile 17a
TPS-TC:                 PTM Mode(0x0)
Trellis:                U:ON /D:ON
Line Status:            No Defect
Training Status:        Showtime
                Down            Up
SNR (dB):        12.9            6.4
Attn(dB):        23.2            0.0
Pwr(dBm):        11.9            7.1
                        VDSL2 framing
                        Bearer 0
MSGc:           -6              58
B:              105             236
M:              1               1
T:              0               23
R:              10              16
S:              0.0962          0.7543
L:              9647            2694
D:              16              1
I:              116             127
N:              116             254
Q:              16              0
V:              4               0
RxQueue:                33              0
TxQueue:                11              0
G.INP Framing:          18              0
G.INP lookback:         11              0
RRC bits:               0               24
                        Bearer 1
MSGc:           90              -6
B:              0               0
M:              2               0
T:              2               0
R:              16              0
S:              10.6667         0.0000
L:              24              0
D:              1               0
I:              32              0
N:              32              0
Q:              0               0
V:              0               0
RxQueue:                0               0
TxQueue:                0               0
G.INP Framing:          0               0
G.INP lookback:         0               0
RRC bits:               0               0
                        Counters
                        Bearer 0
OHF:            0               1887368
OHFErr:         0               11
RS:             677881344               894961
RSCorr:         465             233
RSUnCorr:       0               0
                        Bearer 1
OHF:            1018957         0
OHFErr:         0               0
RS:             6113370         0
RSCorr:         1               0
RSUnCorr:       0               0

                        Retransmit Counters
rtx_tx:         81650           0
rtx_c:          27              0
rtx_uc:         0               0

                        G.INP Counters
LEFTRS:         0               0
minEFTR:        34987           0
errFreeBits:    8735099         0

                        Bearer 0
HEC:            0               0
OCD:            0               0
LCD:            0               0
Total Cells:    1101597741              0
Data Cells:     89081638                0
Drop Cells:     0
Bit Errors:     0               0

                        Bearer 1
HEC:            0               0
OCD:            0               0
LCD:            0               0
Total Cells:    0               0
Data Cells:     0               0
Drop Cells:     0
Bit Errors:     0               0

ES:             0               12
SES:            0               0
UAS:            22              22
AS:             16368

                        Bearer 0
INP:            49.00           0.00
INPRein:        0.00            0.00
delay:          0               0
PER:            0.00            8.70
OR:             0.01            58.79
AgR:            35124.24        10057.90

                        Bearer 1
INP:            2.50            0.00
INPRein:        2.50            0.00
delay:          0               0
PER:            16.06           0.01
OR:             47.81           0.01
AgR:            47.81   0.01

Bitswap:        5342/5342               269/269

Total time = 4 hours 33 min 10 sec
FEC:            465             233
CRC:            0               11
ES:             0               12
SES:            0               0
UAS:            22              22
LOS:            0               0
LOF:            0               0
LOM:            0               0
Latest 15 minutes time = 3 min 10 sec
FEC:            1               4
CRC:            0               0
ES:             0               0
SES:            0               0
UAS:            0               0
LOS:            0               0
LOF:            0               0
LOM:            0               0
Previous 15 minutes time = 15 min 0 sec
FEC:            11              1
CRC:            0               0
ES:             0               0
SES:            0               0
UAS:            0               0
LOS:            0               0
LOF:            0               0
LOM:            0               0
Latest 1 day time = 4 hours 33 min 10 sec
FEC:            465             233
CRC:            0               11
ES:             0               12
SES:            0               0
UAS:            22              22
LOS:            0               0
LOF:            0               0
LOM:            0               0
Previous 1 day time = 0 sec
FEC:            0               0
CRC:            0               0
ES:             0               0
SES:            0               0
UAS:            0               0
LOS:            0               0
LOF:            0               0
LOM:            0               0
Since Link time = 4 hours 32 min 47 sec
FEC:            465             233
CRC:            0               11
ES:             0               12
SES:            0               0
UAS:            0               0
LOS:            0               0
LOF:            0               0
LOM:            0               0
#

pcfarrar · 1 Oct 2018 at 13:44

Looks like you could do with a DLM reset, the SNR margin on the downstream shouldn't be that high.

skyripper · 1 Oct 2018 at 13:55

# xdslcmd info --vendor

Code:

BusyBox v1.9.1 (2014-01-21 16:44:38 CST) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

# xdslcmd info --vendor
xdslcmd: ADSL driver and PHY status
Status: Showtime
Retrain Reason: 0
Last initialization procedure status:   0
Max:    Upstream rate = 10516 Kbps, Downstream rate = 52156 Kbps
Bearer: 0, Upstream rate = 9999 Kbps, Downstream rate = 35000 Kbps
Bearer: 1, Upstream rate = 0 Kbps, Downstream rate = 0 Kbps
ChipSet Vendor Id:      BDCM:0xa48c
ChipSet VersionNumber:  0xa48c
ChipSet SerialNumber:
#

# xdslcmd info --pbParams

Code:

BusyBox v1.9.1 (2014-01-21 16:44:38 CST) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

# xdslcmd info --pbParams
xdslcmd: ADSL driver and PHY status
Status: Showtime
Retrain Reason: 0
Last initialization procedure status:   0
Max:    Upstream rate = 10524 Kbps, Downstream rate = 52156 Kbps
Bearer: 0, Upstream rate = 9999 Kbps, Downstream rate = 35000 Kbps
Bearer: 1, Upstream rate = 0 Kbps, Downstream rate = 0 Kbps
Discovery Phase (Initial) Band Plan
US: (7,32) (871,1205) (1972,2782)
DS: (33,859) (1216,1961) (2793,3959)
Medley Phase (Final) Band Plan
US: (7,32) (871,1205) (1972,2688)
DS: (33,859) (1216,1961) (2793,3798)
                  VDSL Port Details               Upstream                Downstream
Attainable Net Data Rate:           10524 kbps              52156 kbps
Actual Aggregate Tx Power:             7.1 dBm               11.9 dBm
====================================================================================
        VDSL Band Status                U0              U1              U2     U3               U4              D1              D2              D3
  Line Attenuation(dB):  7.4     34.7    50.7     N/A     N/A    18.1    43.8   64.8
Signal Attenuation(dB):  7.4     34.1    50.6     N/A     N/A    19.9    43.6   65.2
                SNR Margin(dB):  6.3     6.4     6.4      N/A     N/A    12.9   12.9     12.9
                 TX Power(dBm):  1.0    -8.0     6.0      N/A     N/A    9.2    7.8      0.3
#

skyripper · 1 Oct 2018 at 13:59

pcfarrar said:
Looks like you could do with a DLM reset, the SNR margin on the downstream shouldn't be that high.

Presumably only my ISP can request that. In which case I'll give them a ring when I get home. (Because they'll only make me reinstate their router and test with that unless I get lucky with a proper techie on the call).

Caged · 1 Oct 2018 at 20:17

You can just wait as well and it will usually recover

Shawreyboy · 3 Oct 2018 at 14:43

skyripper said:
OK.. so the BT speed checker pretty much ties with the speedtest.net results

Oddly when I request the Further Diagnostics button I get a page to put in my phone number and then get...

This is because the BTw Speedtest is not configured for TalkTalk LLU services. Use www.supportal-test.co.uk as this is the TalkTalk tester we get our customers on TTB LLU to use. You need to enter your CLI at the end of the test and run the test 3 times. This will be enough results to prove to TalkTalk there is an issue with throughput.

Shawrey

skyripper · 3 Oct 2018 at 14:48

@Shawreyboy gotcha. thank you.

Last night I was on the phone with the provider, and they got my connection back upto 32Mb. However over the course of today its dropped down to 9.5Mb.
So I'll be back on the phone with them tonight.

I dug out the old (ISP supplied) router and couldnt get it working until much later in the evening. I've now factory reset it back to the ISPs config, so I can now at least use that with their tech support tonight.

pcfarrar · 3 Oct 2018 at 15:22

skyripper said:
Last night I was on the phone with the provider, and they got my connection back upto 32Mb. However over the course of today its dropped down to 9.5Mb.
So I'll be back on the phone with them tonight.

In my experience its usually a bad phone line when that happens. Is there any crackling or noise on the line when you pickup the handset?

Shawreyboy · 3 Oct 2018 at 15:43

pcfarrar said:
In my experience its usually a bad phone line when that happens. Is there any crackling or noise on the line when you pickup the handset?

It does suggest a possible noisy line interfering with the SNR margin. The large amount of HEC errors are indicative of something dodgy plugged into the line or a bad faceplate. Are you able to swap out the RJ11 and plug the Modem into the test socket hidden behind the faceplate with a new filter?

Shawrey

skyripper · 3 Oct 2018 at 15:52

I'll check that tonight. Used my mobile to ring them last night.

I can get to the faceplate, its a nice modern openreach one. Doesnt have a separate filter, the faceplate is the filter.

skyripper · 6 Oct 2018 at 13:42

So the speed over the last few days went from 30Mbs (when ISP did their thing Tuesday night), down to 17 the next day, then 9 Thursday morning and down to 4 this morning.

So I got a chance to ring them this morning knowing I'd have to route around with wiring a stuff.
Have refitted the original ISP supplied router (Technicolour 588V), and when that sync'd up we're getting 29Mbs down / 8 up.

Bit peeved, that I was given the line "BT says your line should produce 20-40, but it does say on the website we only guarantee 17". If I wanted 17, I'd have stayed on the ADSL which hit that as standard.

Anyway, have now wired the ISPs router to the test socket (had to go find a filter!) and connected that into the LAN. So will see how it goes over the next few days. Failing to see how thats any different from being plugged into the socket on the front unless there are more wires connected. Its not as though I have extensions plugged in everywhere.

bremen1874 · 6 Oct 2018 at 15:03

Do you have any extension wiring connected to the socket (even if there's nothing plugged into the end of it)?

skyripper · 6 Oct 2018 at 15:05

There is an extension in the lounge. I guess that will be why (to eliminate internal wiring issues).

Shawreyboy · 10 Oct 2018 at 16:46

skyripper said:
There is an extension in the lounge. I guess that will be why (to eliminate internal wiring issues).

This could be why... BT dont recommend extensions on FTTC lines as this can cause a Star wiring fault.

Running the Modem in the test port bypasses the extension which is connected to the faceplate.

Shawrey

skyripper · 25 Oct 2018 at 08:54

Quick update.

We had 30Mbs download stable for a couple of weeks, but had crackly voice over the landline.

Then we started getting people ringing on the mobile to say our landline wasn't even ringing/getting through anymore.

Raised another call, helpdesk did a linetest, reported it to Openreach (this was a Saturday).
The next Monday an engineer turned up, and started checking cables.
Turns out the cabling from the street to the grey box on the wall (where it comes into the property) had corroded. "Condensation or other water ingress and crappy cheap boxes" was the explanation.

Pulled thru a new cable, hooked us up.
Voice back to crystal clear, speeds back upto 40Mbs. Good service from Openreach once they'd been engaged.

So now I just need to put the faceplate back on and stop using the test socket!