How to troubleshot connection problems (ADSL, Slingshot)?

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zespri

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#196673 8-Jun-2016 17:37

Guys,

last 4 days I'm getting constant internet disconnects.

I have ADSL drytec vigor with PPPoE pass through and Mikrotik. This is what I'm seeing in the Mikrotik logs several times an hour:

===[Snip]===

06:12:59 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: terminating... - peer is not responding
06:12:59 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: disconnected
06:12:59 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: initializing...
06:12:59 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: connecting...
06:13:13 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: authenticated
06:13:13 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: connected
06:13:13 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: terminating...
06:13:13 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: disconnected
06:13:13 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: initializing...
06:13:13 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: connecting...
06:13:16 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: authenticated
06:13:16 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: connected
06:13:16 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: terminating...
06:13:16 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: disconnected
06:13:17 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: initializing...
06:13:17 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: connecting...
06:13:20 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: authenticated
06:13:20 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: connected
06:13:20 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: terminating...
06:13:20 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: disconnected
06:13:22 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: initializing...
06:13:22 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: connecting...
06:13:25 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: authenticated
06:13:25 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: connected
06:13:25 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: terminating...
06:13:25 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: disconnected
06:13:28 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: initializing...
06:13:28 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: connecting...
06:13:31 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: authenticated
06:13:31 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: connected
06:13:31 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: terminating...
06:13:31 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: disconnected
06:13:38 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: initializing...
06:13:38 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: connecting...
06:13:41 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: authenticated
06:13:41 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: connected
06:13:41 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: terminating...
06:13:41 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: disconnected
06:13:51 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: initializing...
06:13:51 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: connecting...
06:13:54 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: authenticated
06:13:54 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: terminating...
06:13:54 pppoe,ppp,info pppoe-out1: disconnected

===[Snip]===

Family is going crazy. I think I'll have to call Slingshot eventually, but I'm not sure what they can do.

Is there anything that I can check at home that can help me find out what the problem is? There were no recent configuration changes with the home network.

I've been with slingshot last 10 years or more I do not remember anything like this.

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#1568119 8-Jun-2016 17:42

Intermittent faults can be frustrating for all involved.

Could be a number of things. We saw a Draytek (our go-to-brand) DV120 recently that had weird issues that were resolved with a power supply replacement. I would borrow a different DSL Router and connect it up in a basic fashion and see if it is stable for a few hours, or reset the Draytek and use it is a basic DSL Router on its own for a few hours before returning it to bridge mode.

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zespri

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#1568124 8-Jun-2016 17:46

Dynamic:

Intermittent faults can be frustrating for all involved.

Could be a number of things. We saw a Draytek (our go-to-brand) DV120 recently that had weird issues that were resolved with a power supply replacement. I would borrow a different DSL Router and connect it up in a basic fashion and see if it is stable for a few hours, or reset the Draytek and use it is a basic DSL Router on its own for a few hours before returning it to bridge mode.

Yep, thank you for confirming this - I was going to do exactly that, because while my Mikrotik is new (a few months old) the drytek is kind of ancient. May be it's the end of life issues... I'll start with replacing that.

zespri

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#1568133 8-Jun-2016 17:59

Interesting video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv-zIltV9Gs I wonder how much of this is objective and how much is guy's bad luck.

RunningMan

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#1568144 8-Jun-2016 18:36

This probably doesn't really belong in the LAN forum, which will be why @PeterReader hasn't popped up;-)

The most likely issue is a DSL sync drop. Can you log into the Draytek and get the xDSL sync information and line stats? See if there's variance over time with these, particularly when the connection drops.

Post them here if you need help interpreting them.

zespri

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#1568192 8-Jun-2016 20:14

So this is what it looks like. This is when up and connected. What does it tell you?

I'm having problems capturing this when the link is down, as the web ui for some reason is not particularily responsive. It's tricky to set up access to it when the device is in the bridge mode, and I probably did not do it correctly.

zespri

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#1568222 8-Jun-2016 20:29

This one is when connection dropped:

Dynamic

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#1568225 8-Jun-2016 20:33

Hmmm... borrow another modem and try that if at all possible. THE DV120 router you have is a very good device IMHO but it is aging, as is its power supply.

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RunningMan

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#1568292 8-Jun-2016 21:34

It's showing that DSL sync is dropping, so that's a good pointer. The 5dB noise margin when connected is interesting - should be 6dB on Slingshot's gear, unless there is some noise fluctuation.

Trying another modem would be a good first step

zespri

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#1568298 8-Jun-2016 21:40

RunningMan:

It's showing that DSL sync is dropping

How can you tell that?

RunningMan

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#1568312 8-Jun-2016 21:50

zespri:

RunningMan:

It's showing that DSL sync is dropping

How can you tell that?

The ADSL status on the last line of the second screenshot you posted. Sync rates (the physical line speed) have dropped to zero.

SepticSceptic

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#1568445 9-Jun-2016 09:26

I've had two switch-mode wall warts go funny, causing similar symptoms with an ADSL modem, and a Vodafone Sure-Signal.

Generally no point to measure the voltage out put of these, as they "could" show a correct voltage, but in actual fact is a lower voltage with heaps of high frequency hash over the top.

Gimme the good old inefficient transformer linear wall warts any day - barely had any failures with those ...

zespri

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#1569510 10-Jun-2016 16:05

That's weird. On the chorus map my house is in a zone for UFB for Jun 2018. Has been like that for a few months. Before that it said "after Jun 2017", so when it changed to a more definite date I was happy.

But I was not expecting to get VDSL, my house was never connected to it just to ADSL.

Today a friend of mine hearing about my troubles on a whim keyed in my address to a provider, and low and behold it now shows VDSL.

I did not hear about any work going on to upgrade people to VDSL only about UFB.

Can someone enlighten me.

- Is there a place where I could check so that I knew that VDSL upgrade was planned?

- Is it possible to find out the dates when the upgrade was performed?

- Is it likely that my network troubles were because of the upgrade?

- If I now switch to VDSL plan, do I need anything special (like a technician to come).

I received a new Draytec modem today. It's a VDSL one DV130. But I have not had the same connection issues I complained about since 4pm yesterday - that is for the last 24 hours.

On one hand the old modem might have been working all right. On the other hand I can use the new one to switch to VDSL.

I now know all the above is blatant off-topic in this thread, so my sincere apologies for not posting elsewhere. If it's not provider specific, what is the appropriate sub-forum?

Sideface

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#1569573 10-Jun-2016 16:54

zespri:

<snip>

- Is there a place where I could check so that I knew that VDSL upgrade was planned?

- Is it possible to find out the dates when the upgrade was performed?

- Is it likely that my network troubles were because of the upgrade?

- If I now switch to VDSL plan, do I need anything special (like a technician to come).

<snip>

Enter your address here.

This should tell you whether VDSL is available, or will be soon.

If you upgrade to VDSL you should get a VDSL master filter/splitter installed (by a technician) for optimum performance.

Some ISPs give you a master filter as part of a VDSL install - others do not (but should). Pay for it if you have to.

The Vigor 130 is an excellent VDSL modem.

Sideface

zespri

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#1569579 10-Jun-2016 17:04

Sideface:

Enter your address here.

This should tell you whether VDSL is available, or will be soon.

If you upgrade to VDSL you should get a VDSL master filter/splitter installed (by a technician) for optimum performance.

Some ISPs give you a master filter as part of a VDSL install - others do not (but should). Pay for it if you have to.

The Vigor 130 is an excellent VDSL modem.

Thank you for clarifying about the splitter and the modem, it's very good to know.

>>This should tell you whether VDSL is available, or will be soon.

Well, as I say, it's available now, but does not help me find out when that suddenly happened.

zespri

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#1569703 10-Jun-2016 19:26

Btw, is VDSL master filter is different from ADSL one?

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