Internet Issues

[McJob]

I'm gonna describe some synptoms, I'd like to check with the BLF first before I consult a licensed and knowledgeable service technician as I feel these forums have a wealth of facts and advice that far outweigh that of anybody who has actually studied and works in the tech field.

Issue: Every day, the Internet will drop for a minimum of two hours. During this period, the system will struggle to achieve an upstream connection and will keep resetting until it achieves one and connects. When it does connect, there are significant intermittent issues with pages not loading or loading slowly and services like Skype and Dropbox refuse to connect. There's reported packet loss of 85% and a latency of over 307ms per ping during this period.

Resetting the modem does not resolve the problem, only time. This issue happens regardless of if there are 10 devices or only 1 device on the network. It is exacerbated by bad weather conditions (heavy rain), but also happens on very sunny or average days.

The following values are constants on my modem regardless of if the issues are occurring or not:
Upstream Channel Power: 57.0dBmV
Upstream  Modulation: ATDMA

The following values are averages from my modem regardless of if the issues are occurring or not:
Downstream Frequency: 438000000 Hz
Downstream Power: 0.0 dBmV
Downstream SNR: 42.5dB

This indicates the issue is likely an corroded tap/isolator, but I'm not 100% certain. Removing the splitter from the modem's physical connection to the wall increases Downstream Power, but otherwise leaves other values unchanged. There is no difference when I remove or add the Foxtel box on the splitter or when I disconnect the router. The modem is acting in bridge mode.

EDIT: I should note; these problems only appear during the 2 hours. After the 2 hour or larger period everything snaps back to normal and I get my full download/upload speed.

[Ad Bot]

[Col. Derontchi]

Don't live in Australia

[McJob]

Don't live in Australia

best advice I've ever ignored

[Ipquarx]

Downstream Frequency: 438000000 Hz

Why would you write it like this
Just write 438 MHz

[McJob]

Why would you write it like this
Just write 438 MHz

I copy/pasted and couldn't be arsed to edit it.

[shitlord]

Don't live in Australia

honestly the internet in aus is pretty bad
have you contacted the ISP yet?
have a funny comic

[McJob]

have you contacted the ISP yet?

I have to wait for the billpayer to approve a service tech to come out, and they're being stubborn.

[Headcrab Zombie]

All the upstream and downstream signal levels look great

I had a similar issue with intermittent disconnections and it ended up being my modem. I think it a connector was corroded it would just be always bad, not intermittent

[McJob]

All the upstream and downstream values look great

I had a smiliar issue and it ended up being my modem. I think it a connector was corroded it would just be always bad, not intermittent

Upstream is apparently beyond spec (53.0dBmV is the edge limit for my setup).

I've replaced the modem twice and the issues persisted. I've also switched which wall plug I'm using multiple times (we have multiple for the different Foxtel boxes in the house).

[Headcrab Zombie]

Upstream is apparently beyond spec (53.0dBmV is the edge limit for my setup).

Yeah I just looked it up to double check and you got it first.
So first thing to do would be to tell a tech that.

[McJob]

So first thing to do would be to tell a tech that.

Yeah, still waiting on the darn billpayer to approve. I'm satisfied that I'm on to the right issue this time.

This'll be about the 6th tech we've called out, but this time I actually know what the problem is. Since the issue appears at random points, most techs arrive when it isn't present and so a stupid me would assume the issue is fixed and sign off on a job well done when all they did was flip a switch to reset some stuff.

[McJobless]

So, let me update.

Telstra have been aware of these issues for a while; the planned resolution date is the 11th (3 days from now). Apparently there's been some major damage to large sections of network all over the area and we were just one group of people being hit.

The tech I talked to was really nice; I got a private call number and was told that if the issues persisted past the 11th, I could directly call and immediately order a service tech to replace the cables and stuff directly outside our house.

The issues have been getting worse; longer and more frequent drop-outs, but it's highly likely this is related to the work they're doing right now to repair the lines.

[espio100]

Eh
Reset router
Update wireless driver
Reset router again
If it still doesnt work reset the router once again
Next reset the router
Still failing? Reset your router
STILL failing? Call your ISP and let them replace the router (if they gave you one)

If all else fails get cable. If its possible.

[TableSalt]

im sorry for your internet issues
would you like some internet tissues

[McJobless]

I guess you didn't read the topic at all.

Reset router

This has always been and will always be the first thing I do. Furthermore, I have a modem in bridge mode with my PC directly connected and then a separate wireless router for the mobile devices. Resetting either and/or both will not fix the issue because the issue has nothing to do with my internal network.

Update wireless driver

Telstra updates the modem automatically. The router was updated not too long ago, and no updates have come out since. Even then, updates have nothing to do with a 57dBmV power-draw.

Reset router again
If it still doesnt work reset the router once again
Next reset the router
Still failing? Reset your router

Don't be stupid.

STILL failing? Call your ISP and let them replace the router (if they gave you one)

Firstly, dude, router =/= modem. Modem is what connects to the internet, router is what allows you to ROUTE the network to multiple devices, including both wireless and wired. Nowadays most modems have an inbuilt router, but it's generally a good idea to buy a stronger, separate router to improve range and frequency issues that the cheap/free ISP modem-routers have.

This is the third modem and my second external router. As I've said, in the OP and other posts, the evidence concludes the issue with the external network, likely the taps and/or isolator.

My modem is reporting a 57.0dBmV, which is beyond specification. It means that my modem is having to scream over the cables because it's having difficulty hearing what the ISP is sending our way. The downstream values are golden; very awesome SNR ratio which means the cable quality is good, and the power draw on the downstream is around 0.0 which means we're not having issues pulling stuff from the Internet. This is an issue with my ISP's external equipment malfunctioning, likely due to corrosion.

If you had of read my post above yours, I said I contacted the ISP tonight and they've already started work on what they think is the problem.

If all else fails get cable. If its possible.

I am on cable. 500GB download cap, and I get about 8Mb/s down, 2Mb/s up. That's pretty decent for Australia.