Virgin Media Community

[NiceOneJoey]

I've been having constant packet loss for a few days now, i first noticed this when playing Escape from Tarkov and assumed it was the game's servers but then web pages and live streams would be really slow to load or randomly buffer unlike before.

I created a BQM and this is my live graph:

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/1709a776c385bd5afe0fe8f12e86068ba4... 

My speed tests have been pretty normal for the most part, however i have noticed that every few tests i will get really low download and upload speeds compared to what i normally get but that will only last for 1 test and be back to normal for the next few tests. I'm not sure if this coincides with packet loss spikes or not, I'm not great with this sort of stuff.

I'd love to know if there's anything i can do on my end, thanks in advance for any help.

[Andruser]

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.  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.

[NiceOneJoey]

Downstream bonded channels

Channel	Frequency (Hz)	Power (dBmV)	SNR (dB)	Modulation	Channel ID
1	427000000	0.5	40	256 qam	33
2	219000000	0.5	40	256 qam	11
3	227000000	0.5	40	256 qam	12
4	235000000	0.4	40	256 qam	13
5	243000000	0	40	256 qam	14
6	251000000	0.2	40	256 qam	15
7	259000000	0.2	40	256 qam	16
8	267000000	0.2	40	256 qam	17
9	275000000	0.2	40	256 qam	18
10	283000000	0.5	40	256 qam	19
11	291000000	0.5	40	256 qam	20
12	299000000	0.7	40	256 qam	21
13	307000000	0.7	40	256 qam	22
14	315000000	1	40	256 qam	23
15	323000000	1	40	256 qam	24
16	331000000	1	40	256 qam	25
17	371000000	0.7	40	256 qam	26
18	379000000	1	40	256 qam	27
19	387000000	0.7	40	256 qam	28
20	395000000	0.7	40	256 qam	29
21	403000000	0.9	40	256 qam	30
22	411000000	0.7	40	256 qam	31
23	419000000	0.7	40	256 qam	32
24	435000000	0.5	40	256 qam	34

Downstream bonded channels

Channel	Locked Status	RxMER (dB)	Pre RS Errors	Post RS Errors
1	Locked	40.9	7	0
2	Locked	40.9	6	0
3	Locked	40.3	5	0
4	Locked	40.3	7	0
5	Locked	40.9	6	0
6	Locked	40.3	5	0
7	Locked	40.9	3	0
8	Locked	40.3	5	0
9	Locked	40.3	5	0
10	Locked	40.3	7	0
11	Locked	40.3	6	0
12	Locked	40.3	8	0
13	Locked	40.3	17	0
14	Locked	40.3	16	0
15	Locked	40.9	6	0
16	Locked	40.3	0	0
17	Locked	40.3	0	0
18	Locked	40.9	5	0
19	Locked	40.3	8	0
20	Locked	40.3	14	0
21	Locked	40.3	12	0
22	Locked	40.9	5	0
23	Locked	40.3	5	0
24	Locked	40.3	17	0

Upstream bonded channels

Channel	Frequency (Hz)	Power (dBmV)	Symbol Rate (ksps)	Modulation	Channel ID
1	32600000	48.7	5120	16 qam	3
2	25800000	49.7	5120	16 qam	4
3	39400000	49	5120	32 qam	2
4	46200000	49	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

[NiceOneJoey]

Network Log

Time Priority Description

17/02/2021 18:56:44	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
17/02/2021 17:41:17	Warning!	LAN login FAILED : Incorrect Username / Password / ConnectionType;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
17/02/2021 03:20:8	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
17/02/2021 03:20:7	critical	Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - initializing MAC;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
16/02/2021 02:44:53	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
15/02/2021 17:49:57	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt053-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
15/02/2021 17:49:57	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
15/02/2021 15:41:16	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
12/02/2021 05:49:57	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt053-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
12/02/2021 05:49:57	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
08/02/2021 18:17:44	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
08/02/2021 17:49:57	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt053-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
08/02/2021 17:49:57	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
06/02/2021 04:10:40	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/02/2021 05:49:57	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt053-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/02/2021 05:49:57	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
02/02/2021 00:27:52	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/02/2021 18:23:35	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/02/2021 18:23:33	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/02/2021 18:23:33	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

[Andruser]

Your upstream connection is faulty - modulation is all over the place, and that affects the reliability of the whole connection.  I'll flag that for staff to advise, chances are you'll need a technician visit to fix it, they can arrange that if needed.

[NiceOneJoey]

this is the upstream status at the moment

Upstream bonded channels

Channel	Frequency (Hz)	Power (dBmV)	Symbol Rate (ksps)	Modulation	Channel ID
1	32600000	49	5120	64 qam	3
2	25800000	48.5	5120	64 qam	4
3	39400000	49	5120	64 qam	2
4	46200000	49	5120	64 qam	1

also i'm seeing a huge increase in errors on the downstream status page:

Downstream bonded channels

Channel	Locked Status	RxMER (dB)	Pre RS Errors	Post RS Errors
1	Locked	40.9	565	3917
2	Locked	40.3	13	6654
3	Locked	40.3	42	6759
4	Locked	40.9	59	6757
5	Locked	40.3	58	6787
6	Locked	40.9	57	7073
7	Locked	40.3	42	7424
8	Locked	40.9	42	7172
9	Locked	40.9	32	8291
10	Locked	40.9	54	9251
11	Locked	40.3	27	7262
12	Locked	40.9	580	4504
13	Locked	40.9	545	4597
14	Locked	40.3	592	4489
15	Locked	40.9	598	4447
16	Locked	40.3	538	4579
17	Locked	40.9	595	4347
18	Locked	40.9	602	4403
19	Locked	40.9	556	4032
20	Locked	40.3	561	4058
21	Locked	40.3	577	4010
22	Locked	40.9	572	12708
23	Locked	40.3	592	12657
24	Locked	40.3	649	12619

The packet loss seems to have gone down to 0% according to my BQM and the overall connection seems stable for now, not sure what any of this means though but that seems like a lot of errors.

[Chris_W1]

Hi NiceOneJoey, thanks for the message and welcome to the forums. I am sorry to see that you are having issues with the service and will send you over a private message so that this can be looked into further ^Chris

[Andruser]

@NiceOneJoey Error counts are since the last hub restart, and the ones that count are uncorrected - that's the post-RS.  Regarding the upstream modulation, it's quite normal to see it fluctuate.  It SHOULDN'T, but what's happening is that the upstream connection is subject to a noise fault, the hub lowers its modulation rate (the data transfer rate, as an approximation) to try and maintain a stable connection, when it gets too bad then channels are dropped, and that can be either downstream or upstream, leading to dropped connections, poor speeds and packet loss.  When the hub is restarted, or if it gets a sufficiently faulty connection, then it will renegotiate all channels from scratch.  From a user point of view if the hub sees a need to do this it appears like a spontaneous reboot of the hub, but isn't, it's just dropping all channels and trying to secure a working connection from first principles.  This is why a restart often temporarily "fixes" this sort of problem, but it then recurs.  Sometimes the noise is caused by an intermittent connection or equipment fault, which can make finding it a lot trickier for the technicians.

As there's some underlying fault causing these outcomes, it is that underlying fault that needs fixing, and it can be either unique to your connection, requiring a technician, or an area fault (where a technician has to fix it but won't need to visit you).  It COULD be the hub, but on a balance of probability it is vastly more likely to be a noise issue.  So if you get sent a new hub, then don't be too surprised if that doesn't resolve the issue.