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Intermittent Connection Problems (again)

eggfish
Tuning in

Hi

I have a data only 200 connection, which has been fine until about a week ago when I started noticing intermittent drops in the connection. I still have a(n unused) splitter on the incoming cable because I used to have a Tivo. Having just logged into the box to look at the logs I see a number of criticals:

04/07/2022 23:33:21	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/07/2022 23:33:20	critical	Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - initializing MAC;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/07/2022 23:32:1	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/07/2022 23:32:0	critical	Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - initializing MAC;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/07/2022 23:26:21	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/07/2022 23:26:21	critical	Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - initializing MAC;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/07/2022 23:14:22	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/07/2022 23:14:22	critical	Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - initializing MAC;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/07/2022 23:10:23	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/07/2022 23:10:23	critical	Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - initializing MAC;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/07/2022 23:07:43	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/07/2022 23:07:43	critical	Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - initializing MAC;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/07/2022 22:07:27	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/07/2022 22:07:26	critical	Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - initializing MAC;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/07/2022 22:07:7	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/07/2022 22:07:6	critical	Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - initializing MAC;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/07/2022 22:06:47	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/07/2022 22:06:46	critical	Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - initializing MAC;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

I've also taken screenshots of ds/us/status:

Status

Screenshot 2022-07-05 at 19.09.05.png

Downstream

Screenshot 2022-07-05 at 19.10.27.png

Screenshot 2022-07-05 at 19.10.39.png

Upstream

Screenshot 2022-07-05 at 19.10.50.png

Config

Screenshot 2022-07-05 at 19.11.12.png

I wondered if anyone could help me pick apart these logs to determine a possible cause?

Many thanks

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Anonymous
Not applicable

I've seen a couple of these. Disconnect the redundant splitter and connect the white coax cable from the wall unit directly in to the hub. Reboot the hub and see how it goes. 

See where this Helpful Answer was posted

16 REPLIES 16

Anonymous
Not applicable

I've seen a couple of these. Disconnect the redundant splitter and connect the white coax cable from the wall unit directly in to the hub. Reboot the hub and see how it goes. 

Hi, thanks for your quick reply. I will have to run a new piece of cable from the wall unit to the hub, because the splitter and hub are on opposite sides of the room (and the cable runs under the floorboards). My concern is that if I go DIY (which I am happy to do) then Virgin would wash their hands of me for help.

I will proceed with caution and check back here with results.

Anonymous
Not applicable

Please don't go DIY. There are Ts and Cs that say you can't.

VM can do a proper re cable but might charge depending on how good the argument that it's VM at fault is here.

Maybe wait for the forum team to advise on this one. 

OK thank you. In fact I've just had a closer look and I think I was being a muppet: the existing cable run from the hub to splitter has a screw connector (into the splitter) that can simply be moved to the wall box - no DIY needed. However I notice that the VM engineer has put a 6dB attenuator inline between the wall box and splitter. My DS power is probably averaging at about -3.8dBmV, so if I remove it then it should swing +2.2? I think that is still in the acceptable range, judging by responses to other forum posts asking about line attenuators. I also had a look at this post that seems to indicate that -6 to +17 dBmv is an acceptable working range for 256 QAM. I'm a bit out of my depth here, so would value your opinion.

Many thanks again.

Anonymous
Not applicable

There may be a good reason for the attenuator so keep it safe. You want between - 5 and +10 downstream without any values being too close to either end. 

Perfect thanks. I will also see what the forum team have to say.

Best regards.

Hi eggfish,

Thanks for your post, welcome to the Community Forums! 

I'm sorry to hear you've been suffering from an intermittent connection, I can see from this side that there is an SNR issue affecting your individual connection. We'll need to arrange an engineer visit so this can be resolved. I'll pop you over a private message now so I can take some details and look into this further you.

Please look out for my message over at the purple envelope 🙂

Beth

Beth_G
Forum Team
Forum Team

Hi eggfish,

Thanks for providing me with your details via PM.

I've now booked the next available engineer visit for you. To view or change the appointment time, please sign in to your My Virgin Media account here and head over to 'my orders and appointments'.

Let us know how the visit goes and we apologise for any inconvenience caused in the meantime.

Thank you

Beth

Hello Beth

The engineer came, checked the connection and said all was OK. Today I am getting a whole load of T3 errors again:

Screenshot 2022-07-16 at 20.31.53.png

 and a selection of identical messages from the hub's log:

Screenshot 2022-07-16 at 20.32.52.png

 I suspect that removing the splitter + attenuator is not related to this issue, but I'm no expert.

What is the next step please?