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v4vendetta8
join:2007-09-30
Three Rivers, CA

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v4vendetta8

Member

[Modem] SpeedStream 4100 - dropped connections!

I'm very frustrated....have had nothing but problems with this modem for many mos. Installed 5/06 and had only occasional dropped connections, especially evenings. Drops have been steadily increasing in the past 6 mos and yesterday eve I gave up trying to re-connect after rebooting modem & computer 4-5 times with no luck. Today [sunday] I've had no connection problems all day. I just used this sites line check tool and it shows no line problems in the last 24 hrs [which would include time the modem was down.] I have been "discussing" this issue with SBC/AT&T tech support over the past yr...they say that if the modem power light stays green while the DSL light is red, then it is not a modem problem. I live in the country and there is often static on my phone line [the woodpeckers stuff acorns in the junction boxes!] but my landlord--whose phone line goes to the same junction box--has no DSL problems. AT&T DSL repair checked outside lines yesterday and said they were fine....said if I have a static problem to have AT&T phone repair come out and check the junction box, etc. Of course, if it's an internal wiring issue they will charge me. [MS diagnostic tool will say "could be either gateway or DNS issue," and AT&T self-support diagnostics show "DSL, connection and line states as DOWN...and failure to access network, POP3 & SMPTE..."] I will get AT&T phone repair to check the junction box but I'm still not convinced it's not the modem, since my phone was fine last eve during the whole time my DSL was down. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...and I know almost nothing about network stuff! Thanks...V4V

NormanS
I gave her time to steal my mind away
MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
TP-Link TD-8616
Asus RT-AC66U B1
Netgear FR114P

NormanS

MVM

Re: [Modem] SlipStream 4100 - dropped connections!

Click for full size
SpeedStream 4100 statistics page.
A Google search on "slipstream dsl modem" was unproductive. I am puzzled how the Siemens SpeedStream modem gets connected with 'SlipStream'; but you certainly are not the first to have done that.

I do have a SpeedStream 4100, and have had no troubles with it. Can you get to the statistics page?

»192.168.0.1/statistics.htm

Looking for the SNR and Line Attenuation. See the screen shot for an example.

Static on the line is not good for DSL. I've had problems with my DSL connections when my line went to static. You need to get voice repair on it for that job; if you are covered by WirePro, any work on the IW should not be charged. As long as they are working on a voice line problem.
tonydi
Premium Member
join:2001-05-11
San Jose, CA

tonydi to v4vendetta8

Premium Member

to v4vendetta8
Get the regular phone line problems fixed first, since they can have a great effect on the DSL.

In the meantime, see the link at the top of the forum where it says:

DSL Speed or Connection Problems?

BEFORE YOU POST READ THIS!

What information do you need in order to help me with my DSL problem?


Provide the requested info from that link and we'll all be much better equipped to begin helping diagnose your problem.
v4vendetta8
join:2007-09-30
Three Rivers, CA

v4vendetta8

Member

Re: [Modem] SpeedStream 4100 - dropped connections!

Thank you very much, Norman and Tony!
I'm attaching the SBC stats along with the requested info for connection problems:
* I have the Express pkg - generally 1.3 Mbps or better
* SS 4100 ... yep, speedstream not slipstream
* No router ... direct connection to modem
* All required filters in place -- replaced twice!
* When connection drops/or when re-connect fails and I
power the modem off/on, the power light will be on but
DSL light will be solid red/or blinking red and
internet light will be blinking green...
* DSL line & phone are the same, but separate jack for
modem only...phone does have static about 80% of the
time...for instance, has static right now but no
dropped DSL connections in 48 hrs!...not unusual...
sometimes DSL connection will be stable for days and
then lots of drops for a few days and/or down for 1-2
hrs /w phone line static as above on those days too.

I can see that static could cause drops...it's just odd that there's static on the phone line right now but DSL
light has stayed solid green. I WILL have SBC check the
phone line...it's been this way since I moved here and
they have not been able fo fix it yet...also don't know how
hard they've tried...ie, did they clean the acorns out of
the junction box?...I doubt it, but somewhere between that
box and my jacks/modem, something is obviously wrong!

Thanks again, Victoria
v4vendetta8

v4vendetta8

Member

BTW...what are all the "CRC" errors? I notice on Norman's
example stats that there are few CRC errors compared to
a large number on my stats....thanks....

NormanS
I gave her time to steal my mind away
MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
TP-Link TD-8616
Asus RT-AC66U B1
Netgear FR114P

NormanS

MVM

I don't have the corresponding uptime for that snapshot; it is from a file I've had around for a while. My current Technician Readout page has this line:

14 Time Since Last Boot 006 days 14:03:04

My current CRC errors:

CRC Errors 3800 (to modem) 11 (to Internet)

Your SNR is marginal. When I was having trouble on the voice circuit, I'd see low SNR, and lose synch when the SNR dropped below 3.0. With Line Attenuation at 50, if you could get your SNR above 9.0 you would have a more reliable connection, and be able to hold synch at least to 1536/384 (instead of your present 1536/224). If you could get synch up to 12.0, you should be able to hold synch at 3008/512, as I am doing.

The only times I ever saw my Line Attenuation drop below 10.0 was when I was having problems with voice. A 611 call was all it took to get SBC to check the lines. I don't know if that number is used system wide; but do get your line checked. You can also post to AT&T Direct for a distance check. I posted there for a Pre-Qual for an upgrade from Express (1536/384) to Pro (3008/512). That was when I learned that my distance to the DSLAM was 9,156 ft.
tonydi
Premium Member
join:2001-05-11
San Jose, CA

tonydi to v4vendetta8

Premium Member

to v4vendetta8
Victoria....

As NormanS said, you're on a pretty marginal line. We generally say that a SN Margin of 6dB is about what it takes to maintain sync and as you can see, you're right there. When conditions degrade a little from the "norm" you're probably getting down to the 4-5dB range and the modem can't keep the line sync'd.

Who knows, maybe without the problem on the phone line you'd be at 8 or 9dB and the DSL would be relatively stable.

How many devices are plugged into the phone line in your residence? Have you tried unplugging everything in the place except the modem? Doing that and then looking at that Statistics page again might be interesting. If the SN goes up significantly, it might be that one of your devices has a problem and is introducing noise into the line.

Also, look at the following link and follow the instructions to create a DMT graph. Post the graph (and the table underneath it) here and maybe that will help identify the type of noise and possibly its source....
»SBC DSL FAQ »How can I check for the maximum attainable sync speeds with a 5100b/4100 modem?
v4vendetta8
join:2007-09-30
Three Rivers, CA

v4vendetta8

Member

Norman and Tony...again, you guys are awesome!

I can't do the synch speed test this eve but will do it sometime this week. As far as the SN margins, I checked the current tech readout and in general, it shows a dB of from 4.5 - 6.5. And while the stats [above] from 9/30 say 6.5, that is actually rare. The tech readout info shows the SNR to be in the 4.5 - 5.5 range about 70% of the time, and 6.0 - 6.5 only about 30% of the time. I guess I should be thankful that I can keep a connection as often as I do!

I will do the DMT graph and also call 611 to have them test the lines, etc. I'll let you know what I find out.

Best regards...Victoria

luma63
@pacbell.net

luma63

Anon

All I can say is that I was having the same problem with the same modem for about a week just this week and I'm glad it did, get rid of this modem, it's a piece of c**p, plus if it's ATT approved or endorsed modem most likely it is capped, I was downloading at 39KB all the time with the Speedstream 4100. Get a Dlink DSL modem, either with router built in (wireless router) or by itself. I got the 2640B from Fry's here at Burbank, CA and believe me, I should have got this thing a long time ago. Now I'm connected all the time and it is way faster, I'm now downloading @ 299KB/s sometimes even faster, what a difference, it's like running a T1 line. I also thought about maybe the inside phone-line in my house was shot, but I figure now that it's not the line. It is the modem which was causing all the trouble. So please do yourself a favor and get rid of the Speedstream, you will be pleased that you did.
tonydi
Premium Member
join:2001-05-11
San Jose, CA

tonydi

Premium Member

said by luma63 :

All I can say is that I was having the same problem with the same modem for about a week just this week and I'm glad it did, get rid of this modem, it's a piece of c**p, plus if it's ATT approved or endorsed modem most likely it is capped
Modems do go bad but the 4100 has been one of the best modems SBC/AT&T has ever distributed. And as for your comment about being "approved" and capped, well, that's just ridiculous.

NormanS
I gave her time to steal my mind away
MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
TP-Link TD-8616
Asus RT-AC66U B1
Netgear FR114P

NormanS to luma63

MVM

to luma63
said by luma63 :

All I can say is that I was having the same problem with the same modem for about a week just this week and I'm glad it did, get rid of this modem, it's a piece of c**p, plus if it's ATT approved or endorsed modem most likely it is capped...
A small handful of people have reported SS4100s DOA. I once bought a computer from Hewlett Packard; it was DOA. I guess that made the HP-85 a "piece of c**p". But, working as I did in the HP repair facility, it didn't look all that bad when comparing the units in the field with the returns.

DSL modems are not "capped". They do set the synch rate dynamically, based on what the line can handle. I saw my SS4100 synch down when there was audible noise on the line; but it was reacting, dynamically, to poor line conditions. Fixed the bad line, and synched back to the max for the speed tier I was paying for.
tivoboy
join:2004-05-10
Menlo Park, CA

tivoboy

Member

I just went through this, took about a month to figure it all out. Turned out, it was the line, inside wiring most likely. My S/N was low, 4-5-6, sometimes higher, 12, but apparently it would hit the low single digits, and then OUT.

I don't really see why it cannot recover after a while, but it never did sometimes. New line to the jack, or putting the modem on a differant jack closer to the inbound in the house could work.

ATT did a home run on mine, has been pretty darn rock solid for three weeks now.
v4vendetta8
join:2007-09-30
Three Rivers, CA

v4vendetta8

Member

Ah...life is always full of surprises. After struggling with drops on my SS4100 for many months, I have not lost a connection since my last post a few weeks ago. I did only one thing: a fresh download of the firmware for the modem...same version I had but my DSL connection has been rock-solid ever since. The voice line still has major static and repair is coming soon, but SNR margins have been anywhere from 15 to 27dB...up from an avg of 5 or 6dB! Line attenuation is still below 50dB though that hasn't seemed to be a problem. I'm posting this for others who might also be having unexplained connection problems with their 4100 modems. If a new software download solves your problem too then please let us know......Thanks, Victoria