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SerenayaXIV's avatar
SerenayaXIV
On our wavelength
3 years ago

Yet more issues with downstream/upstream.

Hi there.

I am back again with yet more issues with my downstream/upstream. Once again we are experiencing huge drops in both download and upload (mostly the latter, I think) with some packet loss mixed in. I am currently running a fresh BQM but it's being very slow to update. I'll show the one that was working up until it mysteriously stopped after a router reset below, though as well as what the current one has to show. I do however have this issue detailed in other posts which occurred in months past. Was unsure if I should revive the most recent one or post a new one but I'll link to them here. This should give you a good idea of what's happening because the issues are exactly the same. Huge noise on the upstream across all channels, packet loss and intermittent service in general. Currently it's at its worst. My router is currently flashing like mad yet I am not disconnected entirely. Endless loop and yes, it's been rebooted. Twice today, even. Anyway, here's the links to my previous threads.

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Networking-and-WiFi/Regular-Intermittent-Upstream-dropouts/td-p/5202486
https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Networking-and-WiFi/Intermittence-in-Downstream-Upstream/td-p/538149

The first one details Upstream issues specifically. This was fixed when Networks finally found an SNR problem 2 weeks after posting and eventually escalating the issue.

The second one was affecting both downstream AND upstream. We were told of high traffic causing problems at the time, but a tech also came to the property and adjusted power levels on the 3.1 line and this seemed to alleviate any further problems after the high traffic was resolved. He told me that due to my houses location, it's possible that we may run into more as we're only connected via an RG6 cable instead of an RG11. He said he'd contact his manager and get back to me about it. He did not, of course. Much like when phone support tell you a manager will call you back within 24 hours and that never happens either. However the numbers shown on the router show the PLC to be in spec this time round, so who knows. Not inclined to say it's a house issue but I'll happy be wrong.

Regardless, the problem is back in full force now. I cannot work once again. Problems with both download and upload occurring all throughout today.

Below is an example of the effect it's having via OBS, a SamKnows test during a drop, and the BQM up until around 5pm today where I reset the router (denoted by the long red line). Current BQM is slow but sort of working. Of course, upstream router status also included. Can include downstream too if needed.

The only saving grace right now is that there is reportedly a TV-related issue in my area. However I don't know if that means that broadband is also acting up. It doesn't say so, but TV's require internet so who knows. Hopefully it's that, I guess. https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/15c159f4b7fdddf9dbc370d1b974c0c031c67852-05-09-2023 - Here's the current BQM at time of posting.

Apologies for the bluntness, just getting very tired of this.

Thanks for reading, any help appreciated.

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  • SerenayaXIV's avatar
    SerenayaXIV
    On our wavelength
    2 years ago

    The problem is back in full swing. Timeouts and everything that accompanied the previous SNR faults. This needs to be looked at again by network. I don't want to have to call out an 8th engineer just to tell them (or for them to find no issues) the problem isn't here and hope they escalate it properly, let alone the fact we've been charged for a visit for absolutely no reason when it's clear a problem is present, but the fault wasn't known by networks before the tech got here. Evidence below, as you can see it's happening at a very similar time (4-6pm). Very poor service to be charging customers for visits when we have no other way of escalating the matter unless the forum staff here can do so, especially when the fault has been demonstrably proven by several engineers to not be at the property.

    Time Priority Description

    15-12-2023 17:10:27warningDynamic Range Window violation
    15-12-2023 17:10:27warningRNG-RSP CCAP Commanded Power Exceeds Value Corresponding to the Top of the DRW;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
    15-12-2023 17:09:00warningRNG-RSP CCAP Commanded Power in Excess of 6 dB Below the Value Corresponding to the Top of the DRW;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
    15-12-2023 17:08:19criticalStarted Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
    15-12-2023 17:07:04warningRNG-RSP CCAP Commanded Power in Excess of 6 dB Below the Value Corresponding to the Top of the DRW;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
    15-12-2023 17:07:03criticalStarted Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
    15-12-2023 17:06:05warningRNG-RSP CCAP Commanded Power in Excess of 6 dB Below the Value Corresponding to the Top of the DRW;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
    15-12-2023 16:59:06noticeCM-STATUS message sent. Event Type Code: 24; Chan ID: 41; DSID: N/A; MAC Addr: N/A; OFDM/OFDMA Profile ID: 1 2 3.;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
    15-12-2023 16:56:28noticeCM-STATUS message sent. Event Type Code: 16; Chan ID: 41; DSID: N/A; MAC Addr: N/A; OFDM/OFDMA Profile ID: 2.;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
    15-12-2023 16:47:14criticalStarted Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
    15-12-2023 16:28:29noticeCM-STATUS message sent. Event Type Code: 24; Chan ID: 41; DSID: N/A; MAC Addr: N/A; OFDM/OFDMA Profile ID: 1 2 3.;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
    15-12-2023 16:25:23noticeCM-STATUS message sent. Event Type Code: 16; Chan ID: 41; DSID: N/A; MAC Addr: N/A; OFDM/OFDMA Profile ID: 2.;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
    15-12-2023 16:14:18noticeCM-STATUS message sent. Event Type Code: 24; Chan ID: 41; DSID: N/A; MAC Addr: N/A; OFDM/OFDMA Profile ID: 1 2 3.;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
    15-12-2023 16:11:47criticalStarted Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;



  • SerenayaXIV's avatar
    SerenayaXIV
    On our wavelength
    2 years ago

    P.S. I am aware that one upstream channel's power has jumped. This is not a constant but happens when the timeouts occur before quickly reverting to be in line with the rest, and seems related (the cause of?) to the CCAP warnings and DRW violations.

    • Daniel_Et's avatar
      Daniel_Et
      Forum Team (Retired)
      2 years ago

      Hi SerenayaXIV, thank you for your posts.

      We're sorry to hear about the problem you've been experiencing 😔

      I can see you've been in touch with the team since your latest post. Did they manage to book an appointment for you? 

      Please pop back to us at your earliest convenience.

      Regards,
      Daniel

      • SerenayaXIV's avatar
        SerenayaXIV
        On our wavelength
        2 years ago

        Hi, Daniel. 

        I had an engineer visit on Saturday morning who re-cabled the only things left that possibly could be - that being from the wall socket to the outside box and an isolator change in the attic. He also contacted network (again) who claimed no local issues so if it is still present, then the problem is somewhere else in the circuit. My connection from the cab to the hub is entirely new at this point. Only thing left to blame on a house level would be the RG11 cable from cab to house. Maybe it's just the time of year.

        One T3 timeout in the last 2 days but am still monitoring closely. If it reoccurs then it's not a property engineers problem but rather a wider network one (somewhere beyond my city even unless network are telling lies) because it cannot be anything here. Hoping for the best but 5 days is the current max we've been stable for in the last 2-3 months which doesn't seem "fixed" to me. Strongly considering a second line from another ISP into the house as a personal second option to try and minimise disruption to my job. Sad that openreach still have no plans to build full-fibre here. 8 engineer visits and no permanent fix is... surreal.

        I realise this isn't the fault of any of you guys here, I appreciate you are limited in what you are able to do and thank you for keeping in touch about it especially around Christmas time. Just confuses me that it's so difficult to escalate a problem that's gone on for so long.

  • legacy1's avatar
    legacy1
    Alessandro Volta
    2 years ago

    On a wired connection you can run a ping -t to the WAN gateway IP to see when it drops out it drops out in BQM

    • SerenayaXIV's avatar
      SerenayaXIV
      On our wavelength
      2 years ago

      I will certainly be doing this if it continues again, yes. Had to this time last year with PingPlotter which revealed a fairly obvious issue though a fault was conveniently found at the same time. Rather not have to find the problems for them but if that's what it takes to get stable net again then so be it providing I'm able to pass it to someone that can do something. Stable today but this thing has been a ticking timebomb over and over again so I'm not willing to say it's fixed yet.

  • SerenayaXIV's avatar
    SerenayaXIV
    On our wavelength
    2 years ago

    Hello.

    Back once again! Exact same issues reoccuring after more or less a month of apparent peace as far as the network is concerned.

    Exact same problem, exact same errors and stats as have been posted countless times up until this point. This thread has it all already, but now you can include the last 3 out of 4 days as the timeouts and commanded power errors have all appeared alongside the dreaded 16 QAM across the board. This is 100% a VM network issue as it has been every single time these particular errors have occurred (SNR faults), and my connection is 2-3 months old or newer from cab to router by now from the RG11 repull to every single cable being replaced and checked, countless replacement hubs and connectors being inspected. Absolutely no way it's us, no configuration has been changed, everything is in spec and an engineer is not going to be able to fix it as made evident by the 8 I've spoken to over the duration of this thread who are clearly not able to fix an issue that isn't there (at the property), nor are they responsible for issues happening in the area. Below is the Live graph so you can see for yourself. Since the 12th, 3 out of 4 days have had a very large spike in packet loss accompanied with all the bells and whistles this thread mentions already. Our IP has also changed around that time, so I do wonder what networks are doing.

    https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/fa30b77bf19ed57b33388e686469491dcb3005d8


    As this was never formally resolved and VM chose to ignore the formal complaint, I will be going to an Ombudsman if this is not found and fixed as there doesn't seem to be any other option to escalate the problem.

    Thanks for reading and apologies for having to bother you once more.

  • SerenayaXIV's avatar
    SerenayaXIV
    On our wavelength
    2 years ago

    15-01-2024 20:43:31warningRNG-RSP CCAP Commanded Power in Excess of 6 dB Below the Value Corresponding to the Top of the DRW;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;
    15-01-2024 20:43:29criticalStarted Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.1;


    Since the Live Graph doesn't want to update too well, here are the 3 different days. Pattern seems quite clear to me, and issues in the property are typically more erratic. I've provided the network log with todays problem just for clarification's sake. Please forward this to network so they can traceroute themselves.

  • SerenayaXIV's avatar
    SerenayaXIV
    On our wavelength
    2 years ago

    Still going. Fault lines still reporting nothing...exact same timeouts and warnings. Can't work yet again.

    • Matthew_ML's avatar
      Matthew_ML
      Icon for Forum Team rankForum Team
      2 years ago

      Hey SerenayaXIV, thank you for reaching out and I am so sorry to hear you are once again having some connection issues.

      I have taken a look and I can see there is a short term issue in the area lasting for at least 24 hours.

      If you are having issues reach out tomorrow and we will look into this further for you. 

       

      • SerenayaXIV's avatar
        SerenayaXIV
        On our wavelength
        2 years ago

        Thank you for your reply, Matthew.

        Is there any more information available about the fault?

        Will reach out tomorrow as well. Thanks.

  • SerenayaXIV's avatar
    SerenayaXIV
    On our wavelength
    2 years ago

    Once again kindly asking VM to check their network for what seems to be very obvious patterns in SNR issues that occur mid morning and early evening like clockwork. T3 timeouts still continuing today with the above result.

    8 engineers have basically completely revamped our connection from cab to house since October. It is not us. Please alert somebody who can investigate and fix this, or send someone to my home who I can get this escalated with. Thanks.