[Snap] How Many Drop Outs A Day Is Considered Normal On Snap UFB?

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › [Snap] How Many Drop Outs A Day Is Considered Normal On Snap UFB?

Jiriteach

1123 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 353

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#153620 2-Oct-2014 22:21

Hi There,

So I am experiencing a few interesting problems.

I had a few issues initially when I signed up to Snap and I experienced drop outs every time a decent amount of traffic started flowing through my connection. This was easily corrected after a few days when my profile was corrected on Chorus's end.

Since then my connection has been OK'ish but I still experience drop outs every now and then.

I have rung the help desk a number of times and every time the guys have been incredibly helpful apart from the last guy who basically told me that there is nothing that can be done?

I have been running some tests.

This week I have experienced ~ 1 to 2 drop outs a day.
This evening I have had 7 in the space of an hour.

Is this normal?

House is brand new, all of the wiring is brand new - Just 1 cable between the Fritzbox and ONT.

Any ideas? Starting to get a little annoying. The drop outs are as per the Fritzbox log.

Thanks

-- opinions expressed by me are solely my own. ie - personal

1 | 2

6024 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 456

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#1146124 2-Oct-2014 22:21

Hello... Our robot found some keywords in your post, so here is an automated reply with some important things to note regarding broadband speeds.

If you are posting regarding DSL speeds please check that

- you have reset your modem and router

- your PC (or other PCs in your LAN) is not downloading large files when you are testing

- you are not being throttled by your ISP due to going over the monthly cap

- your tests are always done on an ethernet connection to the router - do not use wireless for testing

- you read this topic and follow the instructions there.

Make sure you provide information for other users to help you. If you have not already done it, please EDIT your post and add this now:

- Your ISP and plan

- Type of connection (ADSL, ADSL2, VDSL)

- Your modem DSL stats (do not worry about posting Speedtest, we need sync rate, attenuation and noise margin)

- Your general location (or street)

- If you are rural or urban

- If you know your connection is to an exchange, cabinet or conklin

- If your connection is to a ULL or wholesale service

- If you have done an isolation test as per the link above

Most of the problems with speed are likely to be related to internal wiring issues. Read this discussion to find out more about this. Your ISP is not intentionally slowing you down today (unless you are on a managed plan). Also if this is the school holidays it's likely you will notice slower than usual speed due to more users online.

A master splitter is required for VDSL2 and in most cases will improve speeds on DSL connections. Regular disconnections can be a monitored alarm or a set top box trying to connect. If there's an alarm connected to your line even if you don't have an alarm contract it may still try to connect so it's worth checking.

I recommend you read these two blog posts:

- Is your premises phone wiring impacting your broadband performance? (very technical)

- Are you receiving a substandard ULL ADSL2+ connection from your ISP?

I am the Geekzone Robot and I am here to help. I am from the Internet. I do not interact. Do not expect other replies from me.

Please support Geekzone by subscribing, or using one of our referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies

Dynamic

3889 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1680

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1146151 2-Oct-2014 22:56

While I have had no personal involvement with a running UFB installation (I wish!), I'm told that the dropouts that we are kinda used to with ADSL and it's signal-strength and cable-length issues just don't happen with fibre. The fibre should either work or not work.

What I suggest is setting up a piece of software like PingPlotter (try the free one http://www.pingplotter.com/freeware.html) to do a test between you and a local server (maybe smtp.snap.net.nz) every 1 or 2 or 5 minutes. This will send a test to each bit of equipment between you and the destination server every x minutes and show you the time it takes for the reply to come back. At times the result fails, take a screenshot and save the screenshot image with the date and time it happened. Collect a few of these and send them to Snap.

This should help identify where the issue is occurring.

If you see issues but the tests to a Snap server are fine then the issue may be beyond Snap's immediate network. Switch to www.google.co.nz as the destination server in PingPlotter and see who you get on. When a dropout occurs, try a web search from www.google.co.nz.

Let us know how you get on.

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

Referral links to services I use, really like, and may be rewarded if you sign up:
PocketSmith for budgeting and personal finance management. A great Kiwi company.

hio77

12999 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3867

ID Verified

Trusted

Lizard Networks

#1146155 2-Oct-2014 23:04

Ild speak to Snap, Possibly Ralph here on GZ might be your best bet..

This has been an issue that has gone around for a little while, and i have heard a few squeaks that a recent upgrade snap can push out does resolve it. - Based upon what information you have given.

just to double check, are you getting PPP drops? are you getting these drops when your connection is under load?

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

Jiriteach

1123 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 353

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1146156 2-Oct-2014 23:04

I agree that these sorts of issues shouldn't be occurring on fibre. To be honest, my UFB line drops out more than the ADSL2 line I had in my previous house with Orcon so its pretty frustrating.

Thanks for the suggestion although I am not getting packet drops, I am getting full connection drops where PPP timeout errors are occurring on the Fritzbox.

Power is OK, the device is not restarting, its just dropping its PPP connection which means no traffic can be routed over it until its back.
What's worse, is that when its trying to re-negotiate, I get either duplicate IP errors or access denied. It eventually comes back.

So its either:
1. The ONT
2. The Fritzbox
3. The cable - Ruled this out.
4 Something on Chrous's end
5. Something on Snap's end

Or its normal? Find this hard to believe.

Dynamic: While I have had no personal involvement with a running UFB installation (I wish!), I'm told that the dropouts that we are kinda used to with ADSL and it's signal-strength and cable-length issues just don't happen with fibre. The fibre should either work or not work.

What I suggest is setting up a piece of software like PingPlotter (try the free one http://www.pingplotter.com/freeware.html) to do a test between you and a local server (maybe smtp.snap.net.nz) every 1 or 2 or 5 minutes. This will send a test to each bit of equipment between you and the destination server every x minutes and show you the time it takes for the reply to come back. At times the result fails, take a screenshot and save the screenshot image with the date and time it happened. Collect a few of these and send them to Snap.

This should help identify where the issue is occurring.

If you see issues but the tests to a Snap server are fine then the issue may be beyond Snap's immediate network. Switch to www.google.co.nz as the destination server in PingPlotter and see who you get on. When a dropout occurs, try a web search from www.google.co.nz.

Let us know how you get on.

-- opinions expressed by me are solely my own. ie - personal

Jiriteach

1123 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 353

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1146161 2-Oct-2014 23:08

I've tried speaking to the helpdesk on many occasions and we run all the same tests every time and I get told to monitor it and ring back if it continues so if Ralph can help or someone else at Snap, I would be really appreciative.

Yup I am getting PPP timeout errors logged on the Fritzbox. I used to get this under load but not anymore. Snap put through a request to Chorus to change my profile and since then I don't get drop offs under load. I am getting now at random times. Sometimes 1 a day, sometimes 2 a day, this evening 7.

hio77: Ild speak to Snap, Possibly Ralph here on GZ might be your best bet..

This has been an issue that has gone around for a little while, and i have heard a few squeaks that a recent upgrade snap can push out does resolve it. - Based upon what information you have given.

just to double check, are you getting PPP drops? are you getting these drops when your connection is under load?

-- opinions expressed by me are solely my own. ie - personal

hio77

12999 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3867

ID Verified

Trusted

Lizard Networks

#1146162 2-Oct-2014 23:10

Ild say Ralph will catch this thread tomorrow morning.

or you could PM them directly, http://www.geekzone.co.nz/user_public.asp?user_id=36632

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

Aredwood

3885 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1749

#1146189 3-Oct-2014 01:10

Can your computers network card do VLAN tagging? If so as a test, set it to VLAN 10. Plug the ONT directly into your computer. Use the Windows built in PPP dialler to connect using your Snap username and password. Just make sure there is a firewall on your computer as it will be directly "on the net" (it will get assigned a public IP addr). If internet doesn't drop out then you know the problem must be with the fritz box.

On my own Snap connection my current PPP session has been live since Sept 25th. And it claims that the previous session had been live from June 1 until Sept 25. (don't believe it as that is far longer than the uptime counter) Not using the fritz box BTW.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

dan

1134 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 105

Lifetime subscriber

#1146353 3-Oct-2014 10:11

Its definitely not normal and dont accept anything but a completely stable connection, i have quite a few snap UFB monitored connections running and all are perfect.

You need to rule out the fritz box by either changing to another router or you can connect via your PC's PPPoE dailer, if you have the same issue with other hardware you have done your part
and need to keep on them every day until its solved.

Inphinity

2780 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1184

#1146356 3-Oct-2014 10:17

Drop outs on UFB should be near-zero, unless there's a fault. You seem to have more issues in a day than I have had in the 5 months we've had UFB.

RalphFromSnap

776 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 168

Trusted

Snap Internet

#1146357 3-Oct-2014 10:19

Hi Jithen,

Totally agree there is something going wrong here. I've logged a fault for you to see what alarms are showing on the ONT. When I have the results back from that, I will let you know the plan of attack going forward.

^MC

Snap

0800 BROADBAND (276 232)
www.snap.net.nz

@SnapInternet on Twitter
Snap Internet on Facebook

Our Social Media Team:
^RO Ricky - Technical Lead
^AT Ashleigh - Retail Marketing Coordinator

timmmay

20653 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 5166

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1146412 3-Oct-2014 10:39

Silly question, but you say there's just one cable between the ONT and the Fritzbox. Are you using a cable to your PC or Wifi?

My Snap UFB connection is solid, I've never noticed a drop out.

Jiriteach

1123 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 353

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1146591 3-Oct-2014 13:29

Thanks Ralph, keen to know what results you get back.

Re: Others
Yes, things are all wired, not wireless.
The drop outs are being logged on the Fritzbox which is wired.

I could try another router, I have 6 others, don't have any spare Fritzbox's but do have some Linksys/Cisco ones, but can't be bothered to go through re-configuring them.

Hopefully, Ralph will get something back from Chorus that will help us diagnose the issue.

It's good to know that this is not normal though.

Thanks

-- opinions expressed by me are solely my own. ie - personal

Jiriteach

1123 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 353

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1146755 3-Oct-2014 16:13

Any update from Chrorus? How long do they normally take with sending these results through? Was hoping to have something resolved by the weekend but I guess that's not going to be possible? Hopefully its something easy to fix.

Thanks

RalphFromSnap: Hi Jithen,

Totally agree there is something going wrong here. I've logged a fault for you to see what alarms are showing on the ONT. When I have the results back from that, I will let you know the plan of attack going forward.

^MC

-- opinions expressed by me are solely my own. ie - personal

cjmchch

264 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 56

#1149407 7-Oct-2014 18:59

As a matter of interest, what Fritz box are you using and what UFB plan are you on?

Also are the disconnects only happening when you are downloading or uploading significant amounts of data?

Jiriteach

1123 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 353

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1149411 7-Oct-2014 19:04

7390

UFB plan = 100/50

I experienced frequent disconnections when my connection was first setup and this was due to downloading or uploading significant amounts.
After Snap got Chorus to change my profile, this stabilised but was still experiencing dropouts. Less frequently and more random.

Things have settled down now. We changed the connection speed between the Fritzbox and the ONT from 1GB to 100 Mb. This seems to be working. Still testing.

I am also going to change the cable which sounds pretty random but never know.

cjmchch: As a matter of interest, what Fritz box are you using and what UFB plan are you on?

Also are the disconnects only happening when you are downloading or uploading significant amounts of data?

-- opinions expressed by me are solely my own. ie - personal

1 | 2