Home DSL connection dropping a lot at random times of day

[mark_schlegel]

I have an old Westell A90-220015-04 DSL modem I've used for years.  Just the last few months my DSL connection has been dropping and trying to reconnect. Some times it can't connect for an hour or so.  When I check my firewall logs I see:

Mar 18 06:41:14 ipcop pppd[5054]: Plugin rp-pppoe.so loaded.
Mar 18 06:41:14 ipcop pppd[5054]: RP-PPPoE plugin version 3.8p compiled against pppd 2.4.5
Mar 18 06:41:14 ipcop pppd[5055]: pppd 2.4.5 started by root, uid 0
Mar 18 06:41:49 ipcop pppd[5055]: Timeout waiting for PADO packets
Mar 18 06:41:49 ipcop pppd[5055]: Unable to complete PPPoE Discovery
Mar 18 06:41:49 ipcop pppd[5055]: Exit.

I've got my firewall set to retry to connect for 30 times with 20 seconds of wait per retry attempt. Eventually it will give up at the 30th try, I guess I could make that unlimited but I haven't done that.

The PADO timeout suggests the handshaking is failing at the "Server to client Offer (PADO)"  stage which comes after my system has sent the Client to Server Initiation (PADI)

One thing, my house has about four phones, each phone has a inline DSL filter.  Is that many phones just too many and it loads down the line so the DSL signal is just barely strong enough to work? I ask because I have a phone right in the office where I have the DSL modem and I notice it has a bit more luck reconnecting if I unplug that phone

[dslr595148]

Each of your devices that connect to the phone line, NOT including the DSL modem, should have a DSL filter.

[mark_schlegel]

>Each of your devices that connect to the phone line, NOT including the DSL modem, should have a DSL filter.

Yes, that's correct. Obviously the modem does not have a DSL filter since it would otherwise not work at all.

My question is, does having four phones on one POTS line cause the dropping connection problem

[dslr595148]

#1 In that case, I can tell you that: There is a limit to the number of DSL filters.

#2 As far as I know, there is no limit to the number of phones per filter.

#3 Maybe there is something wrong with that phone that is right next to the dsl modem.

#4 Is this phone that is right next to the dsl modem, a cordless phone?

[mark_schlegel]

#4)  The phone is wired

[smith6612]

Could we get some Transceiver Statistics? If the Westell 2200 isn't bridged, you should be able to reach the Transceiver Statisitics page at http://192.168.1.1/transtat.htm .

PPPoE drops could be from poor/lossy signal or they could be from equipment trouble either with your modem (it is pretty old, doesn't mean it's the problem) or Verizon's gear (congestion, failing, circuit issues, etc).

[mark_schlegel]

The Westell DSL modem is bridged. I used Ipcop 2.0.6 ipcop as the firewall / router for my network.
 

I've had the office phone unplugged since March 21, and it's been stable on DSL since, it seems having the load of the phone its DSL filter right there is pulling the signal down.

So it seems the load theory is the most likely.

[dslr595148]

Ok.

#1 While I know that your computer that acts a NAT router has to have at least two NICs, does that computer have three NICs ?

#2 Most boxed routers (not a computer that can act a NAT router) have a built in switch in them.

#3 Do you have a Hub OR Switch that is not part of a router - that is not connected to anything ?

#4 Do you know how to setup a Static IP on that computer that acts if it was a NAT Router ?

[mark_schlegel · Accepted solution]

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@dslr595148 wrote:

Ok.

#1 While I know that your computer that acts a NAT router has to have at least two NICs, does that computer have three NICs ?

#2 Most boxed routers (not a computer that can act a NAT router) have a built in switch in them.

#3 Do you have a Hub OR Switch that is not part of a router - that is not connected to anything ?

#4 Do you know how to setup a Static IP on that computer that acts if it was a NAT Router ?

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#1) No, my ipcop firewall has two nics, one for Green (Lan) and the Red (Wan) which goes to the bridged westell.

#2) Yeah, I know -- but not sure what that has to do with this issue.

#3) No, I have two switches on the local LAN but they are connected to something and all wireless and router features in them are disabled (one switch is only a simple switch and the other has router/wireless/NAT features disabled)

#4) Yes, I'm an experienced Linux user and software developer (16 years of background with Linux/Solaris/HP-UX)

I really think I'll mark this solved, I think the problem is electrical loading at the POTS due to all my phones. I can't resolve this by just filtering all the phones at the NID with a single DSL filter because I don't want to rip into my

house's drywall (the basement is finished and all the POTS wiring it in the walls) to run the separate DSL line to

the NID. I think I'll just leave this one phone unplugged since I'll eventually be dropping DSL for Comcast or FIOS.

Thanks,

Mark