DSL Connection Dropping Intermittently.

[MisterTechnical]

Hi there. I am currently having an issue that appears to be commonplace among users in my area, as of late.

My problem is with a Westell 7500 series  (A90-750015-07). This router is new, only a month old or so, and is a replacement for an older Westell 3000 series that I had swapped out for the same issue (which actually may be working fine, see below.)

My DSL connection (Paying for High Speed Internet Enhanced) Is consistently dropping my net connection throughout the day, in such a manner that it interrupts Web Browsing, uploads, downloads, and games.The internet drops are not for long periods of time, but they are constant and this constant disconnection makes it difficult (if not, at times, impossible) to use my internet service.

I have made several calls to Technical Support, but apparently they have absolutely no idea as to what could be causing this issue. 

Rebooting the Router does not help solve the intermittent connectivitiy issues for any length of time, and neither does power cycling. My network adapter configuration settings are set so that my laptop may not turn off the adapter to save power; this does not work either.

I have tried multiple channels (even though there are no other LANs in my immediate area) , updating my drivers for my adapters, and even had multiple technicians come out and examine the wiring, to no avail.

I'd really like to believe verizon is a reputable and reasonable company, but that hope is quickly fading and being replaced with lividity. 

Can someone here help me troubleshoot or make some tweaks to my connection settings? The DSL light  on my router is solid, but my wireless connection continues to drop.  My connection works correctly and consistently at other wireless locations, though (College campus, for instance).

This is my transceiver stat sheet.

Transceiver Revision A2pB020b3.d20h Vendor ID Code 4D54 Line Mode ADSL_ANSI_T1.413 Data Path FAST

Transceiver Information Down Stream Path Up Stream Path DSL Speed (Kbits/Sec) 3360 608 Margin (dB) 33.0 6.0 Line Attenuation (dB) 36.0 31.5 Transmit Power (dBm) 19.6 11.3

[JOSEm441]

Your stats are not too bad BTW except for upstream margin.  http://www.ubasics.com/node/38/print Another thing that would help is to hook up the new modem directly into the Network interface device (where the line from the pole connects to you home) and see if the stats are similar, this will help isolate the issue to in or out of the house.

Did you ever notice if your line mode was ADSL_2+ when things were working fine? Since I was swithed to ..another line mode my speeds have dropped also!

Also try removing all your Phones and filters to see if you can isolate a bad phone or  filter.

[MisterTechnical]

Your stats are not too bad BTW except for upstream margin.  http://www.ubasics.com/node/38/print

Do you think the upstream margin being so low could be causing this issue?

 Another thing that would help is to hook up the new modem directly into the Network interface device (where the line from the pole connects to you home) and see if the stats are similar,

I'll do this now.

Did you ever notice if your line mode was ADSL_2+ when things were working fine? Since I was swithed to ..another line mode my speeds have dropped also!

I haven't noticed, no. Ill confirm this today.

Also try removing all your Phones and filters to see if you can isolate a bad phone or  filter.

The line for this internet is dedicated, so voice or filters are not attached anywhere in the house. 

[smith6612]

Your downstream's doing pretty good. Your upstream however is bad and would be the source of your problems. Have you attached any new devices to your phone line recently? If you have Voice service with Verizon, do you have any static on the line or is voice quality poor? The upstream frequencies are cloest to the ones used by voice.

Also, if you could locate your NID. Take your modem to the NID, plug it into the NID using the test jack found inside of modern NIDs and obtain your newer statistics. If the stats are still bad at the NID, it's a Verizon Truck roll to get the problem fixed.

See this FAQ: http://www.dslreports.com/faq/1317

[MisterTechnical]

Problems still not solved, but I'm making progress.

I have to find the correct NID jack. 

[smith6612]

The correct jack in the NID may be the one that has something plugged into it. Most NIDs disconnect the house when the door is opened to access the individual test jack, but some have things plugged into them. Just unplug it, connect the modem, and then re-connect the house when done. My NID is like that above, so when I open it up, I also have to open the door to get to the jack and then disconnect my house from the port (it's just an RJ-11 terminated cable).

[masho951]

Most NIDs don't disconnect the house when the door is opened. They disconnect everything after the point at the NID when something is plugged into the RJ port. Is this a multi dwelling complex or a single family home? Looking at your tranceiver stats something is going on with the upload side. You're getting full bit rate with good SNR on the download side but less that full bit rate on the upload with bad SNR. If you haven't changed anything inside the house since the problem started to occur (assumming this is an existing line) then more than likely it's an outside issue.

[MisterTechnical]

Alright, update. Technician came out and replaced my pair and fixed a few minor shorts in the line. Wonderful. He tested the NID for me and got a fantastic signal. Still having the dropouts though.

Tests with pingplotter and other dsl line tests show that there is a specific hop in Washington D.C. that is dropping packets.

This person is having the same issue.

http://forums.verizon.com/t5/High-Speed-Internet-DSL-and-Dial/Constantly-losing-internet-connection-...

I am fully convinced that the intermittent packet loss is not on my end, as a technician JUST replaced everything worth replacing on my end, and I am using a new modem. Pingplotter is noting, as I said before, significant packet loss here:

P0-3-0-3.WASHDC-LCR-22.verizon-gni.net

Here is a line test I just did.

Test (From Central USA)	Loss	Min Latency	Avg Latency	Max Latency	Pass Fail
basic ping 10s of 40 byte packets, 2 per second	0%	53.4ms	53.9ms	55.3ms	pass
low bandwidth stream 10s of 512 byte packets at 56 kbit	90%	60.0ms	60.5ms	62.1ms	fail
medium bandwidth stream	was not performed
higher bandwidth stream	was not performed
your first hop ping stream of 40byte pings to 130.81.196.47	1% loss	45.3ms	You are 8ms to your first hop	pass
1 minute MTR (hop loss analysis) from Central - USA Hop Host LOSS Rcv Sent Best Avg Worst 0 ae-2.bb-c.slr.lxa.us.oneandone.net 0% 60 60 0.28 0.36 0.53 1 ae-10.bb-c.ms.mkc.us.oneandone.net 0% 60 60 0.79 0.88 1.18 2 64.209.105.233 0% 60 60 13.94 26.39 213.94 3 0.xe-8-2-0.BR3.CHI13.ALTER.NET 0% 60 60 14.14 18.82 69.41 4 0.ae3.CHI01-BB-RTR1.verizon-gni.NET 0% 60 60 14.49 20.52 163.89 5 P0-4-0-0.WASHDC-LCR-22.verizon-gni.net 0% 60 60 43.14 43.71 44.51 6 P12-0.WASHDC-CHCHMDBE-ERXG04.verizon-gni.net 32% 41 60 67.71 74.12 77.91 7 (TARGET IP ADDRESS) 2% 59 60 46.01 73.82 91.91 pass 1 minute MTR (hop loss analysis) from West Coast - USA Hop Host LOSS Rcv Sent Best Avg Worst 0 h-67-100-37-242.noclli.covad.net 0% 60 60 2.45 7.11 158.24 1 ge-6-14.car2.SanJose1.Level3.net 0% 60 60 2.53 13.72 181.75 2 ae-3-80.edge1.SanJose3.Level3.net 0% 60 60 2.86 5.25 64.99 3 MCI-level3-20G.SanJose3.Level3.net 0% 60 60 2.90 6.24 77.99 4 0.ae3.SJC01-BB-RTR1.verizon-gni.NET 0% 60 60 5.14 8.05 91.32 5 P0-14-0-0.WASHDC-LCR-21.verizon-gni.net 0% 60 60 85.90 86.25 89.09 6 P10-0.WASHDC-CHCHMDBE-ERXG04.verizon-gni.net 62% 23 60 86.40 87.73 93.33 7 (TARGET IP ADDRESS) 49% 31 60 87.53 98.30 106.51 fail

[masho95]

Could you post the tranceiver statistics again since the technician made changes to the line? According to the packet loss that you are experiencing on that one hop it looks like Verizon's router is having trouble. The ERX04 is the router that your DSL line is on. Getting another service call to get the technician to place a change order to change the router would be a great next step especially if the upstream noise margin and bitrates improved. BTW with a 3360 downstream bitrate you should be at 864 for full bitrate on the upstream. That previous 600 number you had on the upstream with a 6 noise margin is no good. Good luck.

[MisterTechnical]

Upstream improved significantly; same techician also came back and is helping me recitfy the problem.

Apparently they're replacing their front end router now. Stay posted.

Transceiver Statistics

Transceiver Revision:	7.2.3.0
Vendor ID Code:	4
Line Mode:	G.DMT Mode
Data Path:	Fast
Transceiver Information	Downstream Path	Upstream Path
DSL Speed (Kbits/Sec)	3360	864
Margin (dB)	16.0	6.0
Line Attenuation (dB)	21.5	11.0
Transmit Power (dBm)	1.5	10.9

[MisterTechnical]

Verizon changed the front end router for my area. The problems seem to be gone at this point. Ill keep you posted. 

[shall1]

I have just started having the same issue after almost 2 years on DSL with a Westell A90-750015-07 modem from Verizon.  Yesterday in less than 1 hour, it dropped 4 times and I had to reboot..  Verizon tech support said they would monitor the line yesterday for four hours.  It never dropped again that day.  They mentioned a negative test result and then told me that was normal also (?) .  Then they monitored it for another 24 hours.  It dropped once, but Verizon claims there is no line issue, so therefore they can do nothing about the problem.  I use this line when working from some days.  They told it is caused by too much traffic on the line.  I live in a rural area in Western PA which is certainly not heavily populated.  When it was dropping yesterday both the DSL and Internet light went out on the modem.

If someone could tell me how to obtain the stats I am reading in this thread on the connection, I would love to try to track this issue down and figure out what the problem is.  It is annoying enough when it happens, let alone when I am using it for work on a day when I could not make the hour drive into the office.  Verizon service around here, even for just the phone is pretty poor.

[dslr595148]

---

@shall wrote:

If someone could tell me how to obtain the stats I am reading in this thread on the connection, I would love to try to track this issue down and figure out what the problem is.  It is annoying enough when it happens, let alone when I am using it for work on a day when I could not make the hour drive into the office.  Verizon service around here, even for just the phone is pretty poor.

---

In your case, this means:

Visiting http://192.168.1.1/ for me and do the following:

1: If you see a Blue and White Westell page, mouse over Troubleshooting, go to DSL, and choose Transceiver Statistics. Copy/Paste the information on that page.

2: If you see a Red and Black Westell page: Go to System Monitoring -> Advanced Monitors -> Transceiver Statistics. Copy/Paste the information on that page.

3: Try visiting http://192.168.1.1/transtat.htm which is a direct link to the Stats on older modems.

If you need a Username and Password, try the following:

admin/password

admin/password1

admin/admin

admin/admin1

admin/Serial Number.

* By Serial Number, I don't mean type in the words Serial Number. I mean find and type in the serial number found on the bottom of this router.

[smith6612]

Sounds great! The upstream statistics are improved but the margin is still a bit shoddy. If it's holding stabaly however, then it probably isn't an issue. Be awesome to see some additional speed added to your line once we've confirmed all issues are resolved.

[MisterTechnical]

Alllmost there. Connection is not dropping anymore, but there is packet loss that is causing lag.

Line Quality / Ping Test : Results

Anonymous test
 Tools page
 Test again
 Forum: Site Tools
 recent results from verizon.net

Test (From Central USA)	Loss	Min Latency	Avg Latency	Max Latency	Pass Fail
basic ping 10s of 40 byte packets, 2 per second	0%	45.8ms	46.4ms	48.1ms	pass
low bandwidth stream 10s of 512 byte packets at 56 kbit	10%	52.0ms	52.9ms	63.1ms	fail
medium bandwidth stream	was not performed
higher bandwidth stream	was not performed
your first hop ping stream of 40byte pings to 130.81.45.13	0% loss	39.2ms	You are 6ms to your first hop	pass
Jitter/loss with small packets tested from Central - USA:
Jitter/loss with small packets tested from West Coast - USA:

Sooooo close to normal. So close. 

Im going to see what I can do to fix this once and for all. (Another) modem coming tomorrow, maybe thatll be easier to handle data from on verizons end. 

[MisterTechnical]

http://www.pingtest.net/result/63379293.png

^ My current packet loss. They said theyll fix it in 24-48 hours.

Its been three months since my net has been satisfactory.

[smith6612]

Unless your line is hitting a lot of errors and another modem is more tolerant to the noise, I doubt changing the modem is going to resolve the packet loss issue. I don't know why they keep sending you new ones when the DSLReports Line Quality Test simply relies on the modem/router itself to return packets. They always do unless there's something seriously wrong with the unit which would be noticed immediately. So, to sum it up, it's something on their end if there's packet loss. It always has been for every issue I've seen so far with the DSLReports Line Quality Test (granted, DSLReports might be having spasms but users don't report trouble that DSLReports shows if it's only DSLReports' servers having issues!)

[masho951]

Some lines will always test at 6.0db noise for the upstream. This happens when the line is served out of a remote DSLAM CATENA system. Could you post a new tracert log to verify that you actually got moved to a new router?

[smith6612]

---

@masho95 wrote:

Some lines will always test at 6.0db noise for the upstream. This happens when the line is served out of a remote DSLAM CATENA system. Could you post a new tracert log to verify that you actually got moved to a new router?

---

True. Just like the annoying 6dB bug with IKANOS systems as well. I guess we find out then if he's on a Catena just to confirm 🙂

[The_Toddler]

How do things look today, MisterTechnical?

I've been having what I think is the same problem. I called Verizon tech support on Wednesday and the rep could tell there was some trouble in my line, but it coincided with some other outage in Georgetown, so she said she would call back last night before escalating the situation just in case the two problems were related.

She did call back, but the DSL service was almost back to normal. I had a few dropouts, things seemed to be pretty stable. The verizon rep said she would call back again on Tuesday. This morning service is a little more spotty. Nowhere near as bad as what it was this past week, but not as stable as it was last night.

The rep wasn't all that helpful, and sounded like she was from a foreign call center. I said I had seen many posts such as yours on the forum, and asked if she knew anything about the front end router being replaced as you said. Of course her reply was "No, the router is your modem." OK.

[MisterTechnical]

No problem. I used pingplotter so I saw the exact moment when the modem was replaced. 

Also, Verizon has been irritating me to an almost intolerable extent when I call for tech support repair. I now frequently get connected to technicians who agressively pressure me to upgrade to Fios. 

If I -wanted- to upgrade to FIOS, believe me I would have.  A nice man named Stuart also portrayed it as the "solution to my problems" in a phrasing / demeanor that sounded suspiciously like extortion, before adding that "technology is evolving" and that I should upgrade to keep up. 

It is -not- the tech support's job to recommend I pay more money for a service I do not want, because the company I am paying "does not want" to address my issue. They are gladly accepting my monthly payments, but when it comes to making sure I recieve adequate service -for- that money, their stubborness is almost pitiful. '

It is also amusing. If they cannot repair tthis grade of connection, why should they expect me to pay them MORE? Usually, people upgrade when they are given -reliable- and -adequate- service, moreso than out of necessity (And the necessity usually does not stem from the previous item/service being poor.)

usually, when the  above situation happens, people switch companies. 

Still major packet loss. A  much-nicer rep I called last night gave me a ticket number regarding the repair that should fix the issue, Ill call in regarding its progress soon.

Test (From Central USA)	Loss	Min Latency	Avg Latency	Max Latency	Pass Fail
basic ping 10s of 40 byte packets, 2 per second	30%	52.6ms	53.7ms	55.4ms	fail
low bandwidth stream 10s of 512 byte packets at 56 kbit	25%	58.7ms	59.7ms	88.4ms	fail
medium bandwidth stream	was not performed
higher bandwidth stream	was not performed
your first hop ping stream of 40byte pings to 130.81.46.83	0% loss	44.4ms	You are 8ms to your first hop	pass
Jitter/loss with small packets tested from Central - USA:
Jitter/loss with small packets tested from West Coast - USA:
1 minute MTR (hop loss analysis) from Central - USA Hop Host LOSS Rcv Sent Best Avg Worst 0 ae-1.bb-c.slr.lxa.us.oneandone.net 0% 60 60 0.32 1.71 10.45 1 ae-10.bb-c.ms.mkc.us.oneandone.net 0% 60 60 0.78 0.88 1.08 2 64.209.105.233 0% 60 60 13.96 59.44 949.29 3 0.xe-8-2-0.BR3.CHI13.ALTER.NET 0% 60 60 14.14 17.84 102.95 4 0.ae3.CHI01-BB-RTR1.verizon-gni.NET 0% 60 60 14.48 21.07 111.17 5 P12-0.WASHDC-LCR-03.verizon-gni.net 0% 60 60 43.12 43.25 43.38 6 P4-0.WASHDC-CHCHMDBE-ERXG07.verizon-gni.net 0% 60 60 44.64 45.24 56.28 7 (TARGET IP ADDRESS) 37% 38 60 58.34 59.39 61.11 fail 1 minute MTR (hop loss analysis) from West Coast - USA Hop Host LOSS Rcv Sent Best Avg Worst 0 h-67-100-37-242.noclli.covad.net 0% 60 60 2.42 6.14 183.93 1 ge-6-14.car2.SanJose1.Level3.net 0% 60 60 2.52 26.36 383.09 2 ae-1-60.edge1.SanJose3.Level3.net 0% 60 60 3.10 5.07 48.55 3 MCI-level3-20G.SanJose3.Level3.net 0% 60 60 3.05 5.12 54.88 4 0.ge-2-0-0.SJC01-BB-RTR2.verizon-gni.net 0% 60 60 5.17 11.94 102.57 5 P12-0.WASHDC-LCR-04.verizon-gni.net 0% 60 60 89.09 89.22 89.47 6 P0-0.WASHDC-CHCHMDBE-ERXG07.verizon-gni.net 0% 60 60 92.37 92.54 93.53 7 (TARGET IP ADDRESS) 44% 34 60 103.91 104.51 105.44 fail