Broadband drops out intermittently

[JGP1]

Hi,

I've had Virgin broadband for around three years now and no problems (other than the usual outages that affect everyone else). But this week I've been experiencing intermittent drop outs that affect a few devices but not all, it can last for a few minutes or a few hours, seems to be no rhyme or reason. I've followed the advice that the bots provide (checking cables, switching the router on, leave it for a bit and switch on again, factory reset etc.) but no joy, still happens.

I can't seem to find anything else that can help, I've read a few posts but the ones I've read (I appreciate there are more out there but way too many to read through) the problems never seem to be resolved, even after engineer visits. Has anyone got any advice?

Thanks,

JP

[Andrew-G]

Those posts reporting problems that go on and on with repeat visits never fixing anything are the exceptions - they appear more numerous than they are because the original poster (sometimes aided by other forum contributors) are endeavouring to hold VM's feet to the flames.  As in any support forum, problems outweight compliments by a ratio of at least 100:1.

Turning to your problem, chances are it can be fixed.  It's easiest to get this done by doing some detective work, starting as follows: Connect to the hub by clicking on this link http://192.168.0.1/  That should pull up the log in page for the hub.  But don't log in, just click on the link "Check router status"  That'll bring up a window with five tabs.  Open the Downstream tab.  Select all the text (Ctrl-A if using a keyboard), copy it (Ctrl-C), then paste it (Ctrl-V) into a reply here as TEXT not screenshots.  Post that, do the same for the Upstream and Network log.  You'll get an error message when you post the Network log, just click on "post" a second time.  Then we can check for any obvious problems with power, noise or error counts.  If that's all good, we can look at other stuff.

[JGP1]

Thanks Andrew-G,

Completely agree about the compliments being outweighed by the negative, especially when working in a customer focused business, and thanks for coming back to me so quickly.

Here's the Downstream:

Downstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) SNR (dB) Modulation Channel ID

1	419000000	8.8	40	256 qam	32
2	203000000	7	40	256 qam	9
3	211000000	7.3	40	256 qam	10
4	219000000	8	40	256 qam	11
5	227000000	8.1	40	256 qam	12
6	235000000	7.9	40	256 qam	13
7	243000000	8.3	40	256 qam	14
8	251000000	8.4	43	256 qam	15
9	259000000	8	40	256 qam	16
10	267000000	8	40	256 qam	17
11	275000000	8.4	40	256 qam	18
12	283000000	8.5	40	256 qam	19
13	291000000	8.1	40	256 qam	20
14	299000000	8.9	40	256 qam	21
15	307000000	8.9	40	256 qam	22
16	315000000	8.9	40	256 qam	23
17	323000000	8.8	40	256 qam	24
18	363000000	8.5	40	256 qam	25
19	371000000	8.5	40	256 qam	26
20	379000000	8.9	40	256 qam	27
21	387000000	8.8	40	256 qam	28
22	395000000	7.9	40	256 qam	29
23	403000000	8.5	40	256 qam	30
24	411000000	9.1	40	256 qam	31

Downstream bonded channels

Channel Locked Status RxMER (dB) Pre RS Errors Post RS Errors

1	Locked	40.9	8	0
2	Locked	40.3	5	0
3	Locked	40.3	13	0
4	Locked	40.9	6	0
5	Locked	40.9	5	0
6	Locked	40.9	0	0
7	Locked	40.9	2	0
8	Locked	43.3	5	0
9	Locked	40.3	5	0
10	Locked	40.3	0	0
11	Locked	40.3	5	0
12	Locked	40.9	3	0
13	Locked	40.9	0	0
14	Locked	40.3	6	0
15	Locked	40.3	5	0
16	Locked	40.3	6	0
17	Locked	40.9	0	0
18	Locked	40.9	1	0
19	Locked	40.9	5	0
20	Locked	40.9	4	0
21	Locked	40.3	6	0
22	Locked	40.9	0	0
23	Locked	40.3	8	0
24	Locked	40.3	5	0

[JGP1]

Here's the Upstream:

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) Symbol Rate (ksps) Modulation Channel ID

1	46199991	43.8	5120	64 qam	3
2	39399947	43.8	5120	64 qam	4
3	53699964	43.8	5120	64 qam	2
4	60299986	43.8	5120	64 qam	1

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

1	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
2	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
3	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
4	ATDMA	0	0	0	0

[JGP1]

Here's the network log:

Network Log

Time Priority Description

14/07/2021 13:20:33	notice	LAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/07/2021 14:26:42	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/07/2021 08:49:26	notice	LAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/07/2021 08:39:23	Warning!	LAN login FAILED : Incorrect Username / Password / ConnectionType;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/07/2021 22:47:3	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/07/2021 00:20:56	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt060-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/07/2021 00:20:56	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
06/07/2021 18:28:48	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
06/07/2021 14:20:53	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt060-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
06/07/2021 14:20:53	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/07/2021 13:28:50	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/07/2021 02:20:53	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt060-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/07/2021 02:20:53	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/07/2021 01:50:53	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt060-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/07/2021 01:50:53	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
29/06/2021 16:10:58	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
29/06/2021 13:50:52	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt060-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
29/06/2021 13:50:52	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
26/06/2021 05:20:50	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
26/06/2021 01:50:53	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt060-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

[Andrew-G]

Thanks.  I'm not spotting anything there - downstream power's on the high side, but within the accepted range, and everything else looks fine.  Hub hasn't had a long "up-time" judging by the downstream error counts (those get cleared on reboot).  Keep an eye on the errors - pre-RS errors are not normally a problem, any appreciable post-RS errors are a problem. 

Which devices are getting knocked off, and how do they connect to the hub?

[JGP1]

Thanks Andrew-G,

Following the Virgin Tech Bot advice I rebooted the Router earlier today and rest to factory settings (before posting this thread) which is probably the reason for the short uptime. It worked for a while before dropping out again. I'll keep an eye on the errors over the next few days and will post here again.

It's happening to various devices at different times, my Android phone (Samsung S20) my work Android phone (Samsung A40) and my work Laptop (an Asus TP300) may drop out but my wife's phone (a Samsung), laptop (a dell) and MacBook seem to connect OK, and then variations thereafter. The TVs (An LG and a Samsung don't seem to be affected - fingers crossed).

My laptop and the TVs connects via Devolo powerline extenders (software up-to-date) but the phones and my wives laptop and MacBook connect via Wi-Fi.

Many thanks,

Jamie

[jbrennand]

Are any of those using an ethernet cable connection?

[JGP1]

Hi John,

I'm using an ethernet cable between the router to the Devolo powerline extender, and then ethernet cables between Devolo powerline adapters and the TVs and my laptop - the rest are using Wi-Fi.

The router is the Virgin supplied Hub 3.0.

Jamie

[lotharmat]

Ok - SO your wife's devices (presumably connected to the Hub WiFi) are fine.

Do the Devolos produce a WiFi connection as it sounds like anything connected to that seems to be dropping.

From that (apologies if I've misunderstood) it would appear that the the Devolo is the problem as it loses connection