EmeraldPBW
join:2009-05-26
 ·CenturyLink
2 edits | Crazy packet loss/super-slow connection [RESOLVED]
I was right in the middle of typing up a huge, long post about the problems we've been having since Friday, when I was informed that our phone line is showing up as "In use" on the cordless phone. When we plugged a regular phone in, there was a dead line with nothing but static.
So, now I have a new question. Could someone please see if there's any known/scheduled maintenance in the Booneville, Arkansas area or if I need to call in for a repair ticket? My DSL's been operating at about .1 to .2mbps down on a 1.5 line, and it's gotten *really* bad today. I'm not even sure if this will go through or not, but I'd rather ask here first where I know I'll get a knowledgable tech (Our local installation tech is awesome, but I can't find his phone number)
Thank you 
Edit: Forgot to mention when we checked the regular phone, the DSL line was completely unplugged, to be sure that wasn't causing a problem, although since it was on a filter it shouldn't have been in the first place.
Edit 2: I guess it was a known issue. Our line's working flawlessly again, and speed? ... Well... 
I still mean to replace my Zoom ADSL modem this summer with a modem/router solution since the Zoom is stuck in "dumb" mode (Long story), but for now it looks like everything is as it should be.
Cheers  |
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EmeraldPBW
join:2009-05-26
·CenturyLink
| reply to EmeraldPBW
Re: Crazy packet loss/super-slow connection [RESOLVED]
Hey again,
I figured it'd be easier to post in my own (albeit week old ) thread instead of starting a new one. I've been having sporatic ongoing problems for the last week now, and I narrowed it down to being either my modem trying to go out on me, or a problem at the DSLAM. I know that's still pretty broad, but the easier of the two, since I wanted to replace my afforementioned weird modem anyway, was to get a new one.
Now, I have just a quick question here. Does CTel use PPPoE still? Becaue the modem's detected it as a PPPoA and I'm just wondering if I need to manually reconfigure it.
I'm actually a little afraid to touch it because the modem/router (Zoom 5695 model combination router/Modem/VoIP) is ridiculously tempermental. Every time I change *anything*, even router settings, the connection goes out and I have to powercycle the blasted thing.
As long as I leave it be it seems to be okay though. Oh! Bonus points - I can finally list my connection stats because I can finally get to said stats
On a sidenote I had to powercycle the new modem earlier because it was initially trying to sync up at something like 392k down.
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INtech
join:2009-03-10
Brookston, IN
·CenturyLink
| reply to EmeraldPBW
PPPOE to answer your question.
However, your problems aren't over looking at your download SNR Margin. 6 is very low(problematic). Line attenuation very high(bad) and you're getting a boatload of crc errors(not good). If you're not having sync issues, great. But if you are, some troubleshooting is in order. |
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EmeraldPBW
join:2009-05-26
·CenturyLink
| I actually just got desynced shortly after I posted. It's taken me this long to get my connection back again, aaand stats are similar now to what I posted earlier.
The weird thing is, before I replaced the old modem I was seeing packet loss even doing a DNS tracert, which is why I initially thought it was my modem trying to go out on me.
Admittedly at first I thought the SNR was due to distance, which was never a problem in the past, but now I'm starting to wonder if there's not more to this, since replacing the networking equipment has apparently not done anything to solve it
(By the way, this thing's going back first thing tomorrow. I'll use a CTel 327 if I have to, but having a buggy firewall is the last straw)
I'll be happy to provide any information I can, though. My connection's always been great, given the distance, so I've never really had cause to complain until this last week or so.
... And as soon as I hit preview, I was disconnected again. Okay, yeah, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you |
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INtech
join:2009-03-10
Brookston, IN
·CenturyLink
| reply to EmeraldPBW
Do you have any way to connect directly to the demarc (telco box) and test from there? This would eliminate anything going bad on your side of the box. If not, unhook all phones, filters, alarms, etc and plug just your modem into the outlet and see what you get. You don't need the filter to try this out. Just make sure and think of everything you have plugged in. (Think real hard). If this doesn't help, atleast you're narrowing down what isn't the problem.
BTW, when you started having problems, was there any weather or other things going on in the area that might be related to this? |
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EmeraldPBW
join:2009-05-26
·CenturyLink
| Unfortunately the box is locked down tight from what I could tell (I took a look the other day just to be sure there weren't any loose wires or anything outside).
And I've tried both disconnecting everything in the house (We only have three internal phone jacks, and no external ones), and connecting to each jack one at a time during the absolute worst problem period (last Tuesday or Wednesday, I think) with no luck.
The truly aggravating thing is right now, it's behaving *perfectly*, making me look crazy and feel silly.
As to when this all started, it began Memorial Day weekend, and I vaguely remember getting some rain either shortly before or after, but nothing in the way of lightning (We always unplug everything before a storm after losing a PC and a television to a direct lightning strike about ten years ago. I also lost my original Westell 6100 to a storm-spawned minor power surge)
Thinking back on anything else relevant to this, it only seems to really act up in the evening every time it has happened. I did a tracert during one of the more problematic.
AH HAH! Found the tracerts I was looking for. These were taken on my old equipment during, and shortly after, one of the major spikes a few days ago.
Tracing route to google.com [209.85.171.100]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 341 ms 347 ms 274 ms 75.121.18.2
2 361 ms 335 ms 279 ms 208.54.209.1
3 345 ms * 351 ms 66.211.51.85
4 134 ms 163 ms 183 ms 206.51.69.113
5 349 ms 361 ms 359 ms 206.51.69.29
6 164 ms 165 ms 207 ms 206.51.69.61
7 306 ms 286 ms 271 ms 206.51.69.33
8 354 ms 343 ms 308 ms 74.125.51.237
9 285 ms 239 ms 269 ms 66.249.94.94
10 355 ms 342 ms 368 ms 216.239.47.121
11 377 ms 292 ms 273 ms 209.85.242.21
12 401 ms 307 ms 268 ms 216.239.48.50
13 432 ms 425 ms 237 ms 209.85.241.211
14 314 ms 321 ms 327 ms 216.239.46.208
15 * 355 ms 420 ms 64.233.174.127
16 328 ms 233 ms 253 ms 209.85.251.149
17 272 ms 287 ms 297 ms 74.125.31.130
18 * * * Request timed out.
19 91 ms 90 ms 91 ms 209.85.171.100
Is my modem/router dying?
#13554905 - 05/28/09 07:26 PM
Edit post Edit Reply to this post Reply Reply to this post Quote Quick Reply Quick Reply
It's kind of hard to tell, since we've been having connection problems since Friday. On the one hand, my most recent (and extremely troubling) tracert shows packet loss from hop 1 onward, but on the other hand, the problems we were having over the weekend were caused by trouble along the phone lines themselves.
Here's the trace to google along with a comparison baseline (I use google.com as a baseline for my tracerts because it tends to be very stable and low on the pings when everything is working right)
Code:
Tracing route to google.com [209.85.171.100]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 341 ms 347 ms 274 ms 75.121.18.2
2 361 ms 335 ms 279 ms 208.54.209.1
3 345 ms * 351 ms 66.211.51.85
4 134 ms 163 ms 183 ms 206.51.69.113
5 349 ms 361 ms 359 ms 206.51.69.29
6 164 ms 165 ms 207 ms 206.51.69.61
7 306 ms 286 ms 271 ms 206.51.69.33
8 354 ms 343 ms 308 ms 74.125.51.237
9 285 ms 239 ms 269 ms 66.249.94.94
10 355 ms 342 ms 368 ms 216.239.47.121
11 377 ms 292 ms 273 ms 209.85.242.21
12 401 ms 307 ms 268 ms 216.239.48.50
13 432 ms 425 ms 237 ms 209.85.241.211
14 314 ms 321 ms 327 ms 216.239.46.208
15 * 355 ms 420 ms 64.233.174.127
16 328 ms 233 ms 253 ms 209.85.251.149
17 272 ms 287 ms 297 ms 74.125.31.130
18 * * * Request timed out.
19 91 ms 90 ms 91 ms 209.85.171.100
Trace complete.
Code:
Tracing route to google.com [209.85.171.100]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 13 ms 15 ms 15 ms 75.121.18.2
2 26 ms 16 ms 14 ms 208.54.209.1
3 17 ms 15 ms 17 ms 66.211.51.85
4 18 ms 17 ms 17 ms 206.51.69.113
5 24 ms 25 ms 59 ms 206.51.69.29
6 22 ms 23 ms 35 ms 206.51.69.61
7 32 ms 29 ms 29 ms 206.51.69.33
8 28 ms 29 ms 29 ms 74.125.51.237
9 28 ms 30 ms 29 ms 66.249.94.94
10 40 ms 38 ms 39 ms 216.239.47.121
11 38 ms 41 ms 61 ms 209.85.242.21
12 54 ms 55 ms 55 ms 216.239.48.50
13 82 ms 85 ms 85 ms 209.85.241.211
14 93 ms 89 ms 89 ms 216.239.46.200
15 88 ms 89 ms 89 ms 64.233.174.101
16 91 ms 97 ms 97 ms 209.85.251.145
17 94 ms 93 ms 103 ms 74.125.30.2
18 90 ms 91 ms 93 ms 209.85.171.100
In addition attempts (At that time) to ping DNS IP (209.142.136.220) resulted in request timeouts about 50% of the time (Comes up perfectly fine now)
Thanks again for going through all this. I'm starting to wonder if I should just wait until it happens again, document the date/time with a DNS tracert. |
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Time Keeper
Premium,VIP,MVM
join:2004-01-07
Crockett, TX
·Windstream
·CenturyLink
| reply to EmeraldPBW
When you say your phone box is locked, if you look closely, there should be a way you can access the customer side of it, usually with just a flat head screwdriver. There are definitely what looks to be line issues according to your stats, and if you could test at the demarc, you could possibly rule out the problems coming from your inside wiring. |
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EmeraldPBW
join:2009-05-26 | Sorry it took so long to reply (busy day today).
How do I go about testing it; just open it up and plug a phone line directly between it and the modem? |
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Time Keeper
Premium,VIP,MVM
join:2004-01-07
Crockett, TX
·Windstream
·CenturyLink
| reply to EmeraldPBW
Yes, just run a long phone cord from the test jack in the NID, directly to your modem. Then test again/pull the modem stats.
When you open it up, depending on what style/make/model it is, there should be a testing point where you can plug in a telephone cord. If it's not plainly visible, there may be a clasp that you have to open up to reveal the test jack. |
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EmeraldPBW
join:2009-05-26
·CenturyLink
1 edit | Sorry again for the delay
I'm plugged directly into the telco box right now, and just a quick test (running a couple of tracerts with nothing else running) is showing some packet loss, and I'm losing connection sync like no tomorrow. I can't get anything beyond low-graphic websites (like dslreports and google) to load at this point, like speedtest.net
Unfortunately I've already shipped the new modem back, so I'm back to the passthrough modem, or I'd post direct line stats (And my powersurged Westell is nowhere to be found, or I'd have tried it as a last resort), but it's definitely looking like an external issue. I'm going to powercycle my router, let it reinitialize, and see if that helps just in case.
Edit: Rebooted the router and modem with no real effect. Speedtest.net finally loaded, but the test is taking awhile, hovering between .06 and .11 |
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Time Keeper
Premium,VIP,MVM
join:2004-01-07
Crockett, TX
·Windstream
·CenturyLink
| Yep, a repair ticket is the next step. Have the tech check your cable pair, and make sure it is cut "dead" to the field side going past your house, as that can add lots of un-wanted distance to the overall loop length. Also have him check for bridge taps and left in drops, which can also severely degrade the signal. |
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EmeraldPBW
join:2009-05-26
·CenturyLink
1 edit | I really appreciate the help. I'll post an update as soon as I can get someone out here
I didn't even notice the telco box was held closed with a simple screw. All I saw was the massive bolt holding it to the wall. Yes, I'm a blockhead, but nearsighted, in my own defense
Anyway, thanks again. Hopefully I'll know something soon.
Edit: Well, that's aggravating. Just took another quick speedtest out of morbid curiosity: 1.61 up by 2.2 down. I'm still going to put in that ticket though. If we can get this straightened out I'll be happy to finally fill out that review dslreports keeps reminding me |
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EmeraldPBW
join:2009-05-26
·CenturyLink
|  Just got a call from the local tech. Apparently there was an equipment failure issue that was just fixed yesterday. I've been running tests throughout the afternoon yesterday and this morning, and everything *seems* to be holding up now. Sync is back where it should be, and speed's a bit higher than normal.
Hopefully everything's back to normal now
I should have put in a ticket sooner and been done with it, but with how it erratic it was I didn't want to have to drag someone out here without due cause.
Thanks again! |
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Time Keeper
Premium,VIP,MVM
join:2004-01-07
Crockett, TX | Good deal! Just keep an eye on it for the next several days, and monitor your connection stats to make sure it's a permanent fix. |
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EmeraldPBW
join:2009-05-26
·CenturyLink
1 edit | reply to EmeraldPBW
Re: Crazy packet loss/super-slow connection [RESOLVED(sorta :p)]
It's me again
Quick question, before I put in another call. What kind of work would be involved if it turns out there's an internal wiring issue? My connection's been acting up again the last couple of days, and out of sheer frustration I decided to try a direct link to the telco box again. To my surprise, that completely cleared it up.
I'm going to be testing it for the next few hours to see if that holds up, then if it's still working fine (and the internal jacks aren't), I'll put in a new ticket.
I was really hoping, since things cleared up after that last round of equipment repair, that that would be the end of it, and then we had the storm to end all storms last weekend. (Wind split my neighbor's tree in half ... right across her friend's car. They're still cleaning up)
Thanks again, by the way. You guys have been incredibly helpful.
Edit: I can spell, really. It's just way too hot in here. |
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INtech
join:2009-03-10
Brookston, IN
·CenturyLink
| Easiest thing is to sign up for wire maintenance when they offer it to you and let them trouble shoot and repair. Then it's up to you whether or not you keep the wire maintenance after all repairs are made. This way cost you $3.95 or so a month for however many months you want to keep it.
In my area, when you call in, they usually offer you wire maintenance effective immediately but you should ask for your area to make sure if you want to go that route.
As for running wire yourself, I think it's pretty easy. But I do it everyday. You have to be a detective to start and figure out if it's the wiring, jacks, or a device. Then you have to figure out how it's ran(in the walls, crawlspace, attic, etc?), then you have to buy the parts, proper wire and proper connectors if needed.
I don't like to spend anymore than the next guy, but the way they throw out that wire maintenance offer around here most people take it and cancel it soon after. So that's what I suggest to most people. |
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Time Keeper
Premium,VIP,MVM
join:2004-01-07
Crockett, TX | Agreed. Unless you are comfortable running your own wiring and troubleshooting what the actual culprit is, like INtech said the wire maintenance plan would be the easiest and cheapest way to go. |
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EmeraldPBW
join:2009-05-26
·CenturyLink
| We think we've narrowed it down this time. Whenever we moved into this house, there was only one phone jack, and one phone - on the other side of the house.
When it was built, they just wired the phone directly to the line (And this was a *really* old phone), so our tech just snipped the line and spliced in a new jack along with installing another one in the other bedroom.
Over time, th wiring in the jack where the old phone was came loose. After tightening, it seems to have finally solved it. Buuuut if it does start up again, I'm just going to put in another ticket. I think I'm getting on a firstname basis with the repair department anyway.
Do-it-yourselfing runs in the family, but we've pretty much resolved all our options with this one, so I definitely agree. If things start acting up again, I'll just let the people who're trained for this sort of thing handle it |
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