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mutineer's avatar
mutineer
Dialled in
5 hours ago

Intermittent Service - Persistent Issues in Area

For the last 2-3 weeks we have been suffering a 'problem in your area' with engineers working somewhere for several days.  After they reported the problem cleared, I checked for errors and still saw a few sync errors on the hub 3 (in modem mode), and then a couple of broadband service losses and some TV service dropouts on the (parallel) 360 box.  I reported these, but the helpdesk could not see anything abnormal over their diagnostics, and tried to up-sell a faster service with a new hub ..for some horrendous extra monthly fee which I declined, asking them instead if we could get the services I have been paying for for 27 years to work properly first. 

The service has remained 'spotty'.  I am seeing many sync errors in the log and hundreds of thousands of downstream post RS errors, tens of thousands of pre RS errors:

27/10/2025 15:42:22    Warning!    RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:42:8    critical    SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:41:42    Warning!    RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:41:42    critical    SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:41:40    Warning!    RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:40:27    critical    SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:40:4    Warning!    RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:40:3    critical    SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:39:16    Warning!    RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:35:39    critical    SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:35:39    Warning!    RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:35:38    critical    SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:28:36    Warning!    RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:28:26    critical    SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:27:55    Warning!    RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:27:53    critical    SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:27:53    Warning!    RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:27:52    critical    SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:27:43    Warning!    RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
27/10/2025 15:27:43    critical    SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

Downstream bonded channels
Channel    Locked Status    RxMER (dB)    Pre RS Errors    Post RS Errors
1    Locked    37.6    31662    223734
2    Locked    38.6    32754    231278
3    Locked    38.9    34055    223029
4    Locked    38.6    53941    312821
5    Locked    38.9    56933    304857
6    Locked    38.6    61628    297815
7    Locked    38.9    70813    285776
8    Locked    38.6    89768    263363
9    Locked    38.9    119563    229546
10    Locked    38.6    158531    185470
11    Locked    38.6    203782    131780
12    Locked    38.9    229576    97192
13    Locked    38.6    242101    72754
14    Locked    38.6    247474    54713
15    Locked    38.6    246829    36767
16    Locked    38.6    237767    16854
17    Locked    38.9    46979    17
18    Locked    38.6    33126    3
19    Locked    40.3    23170    0

There is an engineer on the case, I think, but I'd be grateful for any indication from folks on here as to what is going on, and whether the service is likely to erode further.

Many thanks,

Nick

Errors

3 Replies

    • mutineer's avatar
      mutineer
      Dialled in
      4 hours ago

      Yes.  They think it won't be fixed until early November now.  BQM set up.

      One separate question:   my 360 box and modem are separately connected via a splitter on the incoming coax from the street cabinet.  It has all worked fine until recently when 'works' started somewhere and we got intermittent service.  Is this an unusual hardware config?  Helpdesk seemed happy with it and could not see issues from their end.

      • mutineer's avatar
        mutineer
        Dialled in
        44 minutes ago

        BQM showing regular spikes of 20% packet loss and latency >170ms.  Modem mostly managing to stay connected and buffer on 360 box is just about keeping the video stream going. So I guess they won't credit for loss of service.  I'll save the evidence for end of contract.  I hope to move to an area where there is a better cable service provider.