Intermittent loss of internet over wired connection

[CicadaEffect]

Hello,

I'm experiencing frequent outages during the week, i.e.  remote desktop sessions over VPN dropping, conference calls dropping and have to re-establish connections, etc.

Sad to say any improvements (never completely resolved, but became bearable at times) since the previous engineer visit have started to revert back to more numerous outages.

Virgin Media, please advise - I would like to have a stable and reliable connection to work from home. I'm confident my home configuration is not the cause and I am open to suggestions, though my experience and history of similar issues suggest it's down to VM infrastructure.

Thanks in advance.

Current Setup

Hub3 --- LAN cable ---> NetGear Gbit switch ---> laptop 1
Hub3 --- LAN cable ---> TPLink router WiFi AP mode --- 5GHz ---> laptop 2

Until Aug, ran Hub3 in CM mode with TPLink WiFi router.  Following suggestions to eliminate TPLink router as potential source of issues, factory reset Hub3 and switched TPLink to act as WiFi access point only. 

Loss of connectivity occurs on laptop 1 and laptop 2 at the same times.  laptop 1 and laptop 2 are used to separately connect over VPN to different companies for home working.

History

Jan - Issues experienced at least since start of year
April / May - notice it more
June - engineer visit. inspected home configuration, local cabinet. -3  attenuator to the Hub to drop the signal levels.  Remote engineer says failing equipment upstream also replaced.  Overall, not much improvement.
July - VM reports of planned outages and 'improvements' for our postcode area. (see Cable Modem Signal levels and errors)
August - getting worse.  Engineer visit. Signal levels out.  -3 attenuator is replaced with a -6. Modulator / isolator in house replaced.  Changed cable connector to CM (see Frequent loss of connectivity)

Will post logs and BQM.

[CicadaEffect]

Downstream bonded channels

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

1	138750000	6	38	256 qam	1
2	146750000	6	38	256 qam	2
3	154750000	6	38	256 qam	3
4	162750000	5.8	38	256 qam	4
5	170750000	5.9	38	256 qam	5
6	178750000	5.5	38	256 qam	6
7	186750000	5.5	38	256 qam	7
8	194750000	5	38	256 qam	8
9	202750000	4.9	38	256 qam	9
10	210750000	4.6	38	256 qam	10
11	218750000	4.6	38	256 qam	11
12	226750000	4.5	38	256 qam	12
13	234750000	4.3	38	256 qam	13
14	242750000	4	38	256 qam	14
15	250750000	3.9	38	256 qam	15
16	258750000	3.7	38	256 qam	16
17	266750000	3.9	38	256 qam	17
18	274750000	3.9	38	256 qam	18
19	282750000	3.9	38	256 qam	19
20	290750000	4	38	256 qam	20
21	298750000	4.6	38	256 qam	21
22	306750000	4.6	38	256 qam	22
23	314750000	4.5	38	256 qam	23
24	322750000	4.1	38	256 qam	24

Downstream bonded channels

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

1	Locked	38.6	1620	2409
2	Locked	38.6	1494	2333
3	Locked	38.6	1448	2414
4	Locked	38.6	1362	2121
5	Locked	38.6	1302	1914
6	Locked	38.9	1212	1827
7	Locked	38.9	1175	1747
8	Locked	38.6	1089	1869
9	Locked	38.6	1051	1480
10	Locked	38.6	1011	1620
11	Locked	38.9	955	1558
12	Locked	38.6	941	1465
13	Locked	38.6	926	1490
14	Locked	38.9	850	1390
15	Locked	38.6	858	1354
16	Locked	38.9	822	1311
17	Locked	38.9	798	1234
18	Locked	38.9	771	1348
19	Locked	38.9	748	1086
20	Locked	38.9	721	1058
21	Locked	38.6	693	1035
22	Locked	38.9	692	958
23	Locked	38.6	638	1171
24	Locked	38.6	644	1005

[CicadaEffect]

Upstream bonded channels

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

1	39400000	40	5120	64 qam	6
2	46200000	40	5120	64 qam	5
3	25800000	39.8	5120	64 qam	8
4	32600000	39.8	5120	64 qam	7

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

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

[CicadaEffect]

Network Log

Time	Priority	Description
11/11/2021 21:40:41	notice	LAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 21:40:32	Warning!	LAN login FAILED : Incorrect Username / Password / ConnectionType;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 14:00:52	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 14:00:43	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 14:00:43	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 13:07:45	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 13:07:45	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 13:07:45	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 13:07:45	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 13:02:12	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 13:02:12	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 13:01:12	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 13:01:12	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 12:58:57	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 12:58:57	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 12:58:55	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 12:58:55	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 12:58:55	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 04:51:14	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/11/2021 00:38:0	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

[CicadaEffect]

11 Nov 2021

10 Nov 2021

9 Nov 2021

8 Nov 2021

5 Nov 2021

4 Nov 2021

3 Nov 2021

2 Nov 2021

1 Nov 2021

[Martin_N]

Hi CicadaEffect,

Thank you for your post. I'm sorry to hear about any issues you're having. 

I have located your account and taken a look at your levels and everything is showing to be good. 

In regards to the information you have provided, I can see you have mentioned a VPN. 

Have you been tried removing the VPN from your setup and using the service? To see if this makes any difference?

^Martin

[CicadaEffect]

Hi Martin,

I'm glad you have found the signal levels are ok.

Unfortunately the VPN, from each of the laptops cannot be removed as our employers make use of a secure connection to connect to the companies where we work. I'm sure this arrangement is familiar to yourself. It is common to most remote home workers, which used to be purely office based.

I'm glad you have found the signal levels are ok The time invested by the 2 engineer call outs this year and myself who have together highly likely eliminated any localised issues in the home. This along with the BQM graphs, which are independent of our VPNs, point issues with the Virgin Media infrastructure, outside of my property. Would you agree?

Is it possible you can look in to the maintenance plans of the local area and any health and stability reports of the Virgin Media infrastructure available to you and your colleagues?

[Kath_F]

Hi CicadaEffect, 

Thanks for coming back to us on this and for clarifying things further. 

Do you have any devices that you are using that are having the same issues but are already free of the VPN?

I haven't been able to find it in a previous post so apologies if I've missed it but can you post the live URL for your BQM so we can monitor things at this end?

In terms of a greater problem, any engineer visit would have picked this up and raised up the relevant teams so it's unlikely this is the cause. Checking the area cable you are on, things are all fine and no issues are showing. 

Thanks,

[CicadaEffect]

Hi Kath_F,

We tend to stay on to our work laptops, with their respective separate and unrelated corporate VPN configurations from 2 different employers.

I do have another machine I could connect to the network for non VPN monitoring purposes, however I would need a test application or script that would stream continuously from a public server and log any disconnections.  Could you suggest anything?

The BQM graphs regularly show red periods of lost packets and latency.  The hub logs in recent days show loss of connectivity and partial service.

I'll follow up with a live BQM graph and post logs.

[CicadaEffect]

Regarding the engineers would have looked in to the VM network for any issues, it would have been at the time of the call out wouldn't it.  These loss of connection incidents are weeks after the engineer callouts, so how can we be sure if there are any changes?

Live Graph