Notacop
join:2009-06-17
Petersburg, IL
| [Line Problem] Intermittent loss of DSL Sync w/SS4100
Hello, I have spent a few nights fighting with tech support over the phone with "Kevin" and "Dusty" which I am exceptionally certain are aliases, given the accent they spoke with.
Long story short, from time to time my modem loses sync, the DSL light will alternate between red and green, flashes red about 15x (roughly 3 seconds) then flashes green for 15x (another 3 seconds).
Full version of the story: Started 2-3 nights ago. In the evening it lost sync, didn't bother calling since it was late. Next day light was steady green but still no connection. Called tech support, at that point a power cycle fixed it. I felt like an idiot, but I SWEAR I did power cycle 3x when the line had no sync. Modem lost sync again last night, technician spent about 30 minutes making me power cycle and then running tests. Could not figure it out. He told me a technician would call within an hour. A little while later I got a call from an automated dialer, pressed 0 for technician. 17 minute hold. While I hold I glanced at the modem, light was green, tested and I had internet. Since it was nearly 10pm I hung up. Less than an hour later, light was flashing red again. I am tired of calling them.
Responses to the questions suggested before posting:
I have had my DSL for 3 years now, only issues are the occassional hang which a power cycle of the modem always fixes. My Package is the 6 megabit "Elite" package, and I have historically gotten 5+ megabit, I have been very pleased with the speeds.
The modem is the speedstream 4100 with 5 lights.
Computer I have been using is a laptop running Vista, but I also have a couple mac's one hard wired one wireless I can use for diagnostic as well.
PPPoE via the modem.
Using WRT54G firewall with the latest official firmware (don't remember the exact version).
Have jacks throughout the house, but only the one in the office is being used. Out of the wall plate it goes into a splitter, the splitter feeds the DSL modem and a cordless phone. I am also using a add a jack extender (the kind that uses the power outlet) to let my Dish network reciever connect.
Part of me wonders if the problems are related to the Uverse rollout. A reliable source tells me my area goes live 6/29 with Uverse. If my house is covered I intend to switch, but I would like to have functioning internet for the next 2-3 weeks if possible!
Thanks in advance for any help! |
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Notacop
join:2009-06-17
Petersburg, IL | Another evening past, similar issues.
Seems like around 7 or 8 pm every night I lose DSL sync.
Sometimes I have sync and the diagnostics stop at the ATM process.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. |
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NormanS
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
 ·Pacific Bell - SBC
| Modem statistics would be useful. Since you are running the PPP session on the modem, you should be able to go to:
»192.168.0.1/techreadout.htm
Copy lines 140 through 148 and post them here.
--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum |
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Notacop
join:2009-06-17
Petersburg, IL
| Rx Tx
140 Current Rate 6016 768
141 Previous Rate 6016000 768000
142 DSL Max Rate - -
143 DSL Min Rate - -
144 Current ATTN DR 6016 -
145 Current SNRM 11.5 16.0
146 Current LATN - -
147 Current SATN 40.5 -
148 Current TP - 5.0
Didn't really format right, but the data is right. Connection is solid so far tonight.... time will tell. |
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TheDuck
join:2003-06-22
Eastlake, OH | reply to Notacop
Get this same report when/if you have problems again.... |
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Notacop
join:2009-06-17
Petersburg, IL
| The same report is all blank except for a couple zero's when the line is down.
Got sick of dealing with it and finally got through to tech support. He said since my run is 7000+ ft and the signal seems low that I can only get a 3 megabit connection.
I asked him why I was able to get 6 megabit for the past 3 years with no problems and he more or less said that was not possible. I told him I am kind of a "power user" and I would definitely know the difference between 3 megabit and 6 megabit. I have run plenty of speed tests and downloaded plenty of files to know that my connection was pretty good. I even talked up how much I liked AT&T DSL in our area.
He said he will have a technician come and check my lines and see if he can get back the 6 megabit, but his logs showed that I had been having problems for 3 months. However the loss of DSL sync has only really surfaced in the past 2 weeks or so.
I think I am going to call and downgrade packages in the meantime. 3 megabit is better than nothing!
Is there any possibility that the problems I am having are due to the UVerse rollout? Supposedly it is launching in our area next week and I am wondering if something they did may have hurt my performance... |
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NormanS
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
·Pacific Bell - SBC
| said by Notacop  :Is there any possibility that the problems I am having are due to the UVerse rollout? Supposedly it is launching in our area next week and I am wondering if something they did may have hurt my performance... If anything, it would have helped. They condition the F2 for Uverse, which should be a good thing. OTOH, they probably neglect the F1, and deterioration there could hurt.
F1 is the copper span from the CO to a cross connect box (B-Box).
F2 is the copper span from the cross connect to the premises. Uverse utilizes the F2; but it also utilizes a fiber span from the VRAD back to the "headend".
I am not sure if they would run F1 from RT to cross connect.
--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum |
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Notacop
join:2009-06-17
Petersburg, IL
| reply to Notacop
Well, 3 megabit and new westel modem and the problem is still not fixed.
Another technicial came out tonight after another weekend with no internet.
He said the line outside was showing about 6400k and inside was showing 6000k, he put a splitter in where the main line comes in (inside, in our furnace room) and ran the DSL signal only to the one jack rather than throughout the house. This got the inside and outside to match rates, but he didn't think this would fix it.
Our problem seems to be mostly in peak hours, so with a technician there around 1pm, everything was working fine.
He said if things do not improve this evening to give him a call again, he left me his direct number and his supervisors number. He said if this does not work he will likely have to have a "Port Cut" for us. This is something done at the local office I guess.
Either way I am into this about 2-3 weeks now and have spent at least 8 hours on the phone with various AT&T tech support offices. Extremely frustrating to say the least.
The technician did confirm that U-Verse did launch today in the area. Apparently you have to be 2000 ft from the CO. I am 9700 ft. He also said that once our local box is upgraded I would be set, so I know where to watch for AT&T service trucks. |
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wayjac
Premium,MVM
join:2001-12-22
Indy
·AT&T Midwest
| You should find out what the max sync speed is for your loop
How can I check for the maximum attainable sync speeds with a 5100b/4100 modem
If you have the motorola 2210 look at line 144 on the technicians readout page |
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Notacop
join:2009-06-17
Petersburg, IL
1 edit | I have a westel modem now. Is is this info something I can find on the tech's readout page for this modem?
I will check when I get home, assuming my connection is up.
Another night with no internet last night.
Called them again today and they said that they will have a port cut for me (no idea what this means). He said it generally takes 24-48 hours. I will wait to see what happens in the next couple days and call back on Friday if there is still a problem.
Customer service credited me a month of my DSL service charge, but I am fast approaching a full month with next to no service....
Unfortunately for me, there are no other viable alternatives for high speed internet where I live, so I either have to go back to dialup or let this saga play out.... |
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d_l
Barsoom
Premium,MVM
join:2002-12-08
Reno, NV
| Unfortunately the DMT tool will have to be revised by deblin to be able to parse the output from the Westell 6100 F90 modem. That revision is a major undertaking and we aren't even sure if AT&T is going to transition to the Westell modems or stick with the 2210 modems. Plus the software version for the Westell modems may not have been finalized.
The change over was to have been early this past winter and hardly any 6100s have shown up in the various threads here and in other AT&T regions, but the 2210s keep coming out of inventory as if there is an endless supply. |
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Notacop
join:2009-06-17
Petersburg, IL
| The lady in retentions who sent me the modem asked many questions about our network before deciding which modem to send.
I guess since we run both Mac and PC that the Westell was the best option. At least that is the impression I got from her.
Hopefully getting the port cut will fix things. If it does I am going to try going back to the elite package, I miss those speeds.
The techs keep saying my line would be barely capable of that, but I had the package for several years with no problems. I have a feeling that customer growth is exceeding their equipment capabilities. If that is the case I have no recourse other than to wait for the upgrade to U-Verse and hope that will fix things for a while. |
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wayjac
Premium,MVM
join:2001-12-22
Indy
·AT&T Midwest
| said by Notacop :The techs keep saying my line would be barely capable of that, but I had the package for several years with no problems. If you know the max sync speed for your loop you would know what speeds your line is capable of supporting.
If you still have the speedstream 4100 it can give you that info
There is a chance the phone wiring is affecting the dsl, checking the line stats at the nid [entry point for phone cable] will show if wiring is a issue |
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