Regular internet drop-outs

[gstand]

For the last few months we have been suffering from very poor internet service with regular 'drop-outs'.  Sometimes these are just for a few seconds, but sometimes they last much longer.  The issue does not seem to be with the wi-fi connection, but rather with the incoming internet service.  For example, when it drops out my mobile phone stays connected to the wi-fi.  It is getting so bad now that the internet is barely usable.  Every time I click on a link it takes much longer than it should for the page to load and often results in a "Can't load that page" error.  This happens on my PC, my laptop, work laptop, mobile phones on wi-fi.  We also get interruptions to streaming free TV channels, (BBC iPlayer, ITVx etc.)  We also get times when our phone service does not work.  I have contacted VM and they sent out a new router which I connected on Saturday 3rd Aug 2024.  Since then we are still having the same issues.  Yesterday I had to reset the router twice after it lost internet for several hours.  I have shown the current logs from the router at the end of this post.  I also have a Broadband Quality Monitor here:

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/4b1e7069e45f01d6fa966b64ca1537c315fc2542

The current chart from the BQM is as below.  The red prior to 8pm yesterday was the end of a loss of service which started at 10am, but we were out all day so were not aware until we got back.

I need to get back in touch with VM tomorrow.  I would be grateful for any advice anybody can give me abut what the chart and log tells me so that I can make a reasoned argument to VM as I am sure they will just tell me to reboot the router and that it is all fine when I have done that.

Thank you.

Router Log:
Cable Modem Status
Item Status Comments
Acquired Downstream Channel (Hz)
139000000

Locked
Ranged Upstream Channel (Hz)
53700188

Locked
Provisioning State
Online

Downstream bonded channels
Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) SNR (dB) Modulation Channel ID
1 139000000 2.9 35 256 qam 1
2 147000000 3 34 256 qam 2
3 155000000 2.7 34 256 qam 3
4 163000000 3 35 256 qam 4
5 171000000 3.2 35 256 qam 5
6 179000000 3.4 34 256 qam 6
7 187000000 3.5 35 256 qam 7
8 195000000 3.4 35 256 qam 8
9 203000000 3.2 35 256 qam 9
10 211000000 3.4 34 256 qam 10
11 219000000 3.2 35 256 qam 11
12 227000000 3.2 35 256 qam 12
13 235000000 3 35 256 qam 13
14 243000000 2.9 35 256 qam 14
15 251000000 2.9 35 256 qam 15
16 259000000 2.9 35 256 qam 16
17 267000000 2.9 35 256 qam 17
18 275000000 2.5 35 256 qam 18
19 283000000 2.5 35 256 qam 19
20 291000000 2.5 35 256 qam 20
21 299000000 2.5 35 256 qam 21
22 307000000 2.2 35 256 qam 22
23 315000000 2.2 35 256 qam 23
24 323000000 2.2 35 256 qam 24

Downstream bonded channels
Channel Locked Status RxMER (dB) Pre RS Errors Post RS Errors
1 Locked 35 171530 1121150
2 Locked 34.9 157553 1150679
3 Locked 35 154079 1154681
4 Locked 35 150623 1159456
5 Locked 35 158897 1150344
6 Locked 35 173558 1140813
7 Locked 35 169995 1140759
8 Locked 35 156470 1141596
9 Locked 35 156339 1138281
10 Locked 35 153710 1141768
11 Locked 35.5 150945 1131189
12 Locked 35 156762 1121446
13 Locked 35 157315 1119749
14 Locked 35 155249 1128108
15 Locked 35.7 152821 1126125
16 Locked 35.7 152116 1126968
17 Locked 35.5 152160 1123881
18 Locked 35.5 154701 1118544
19 Locked 35.5 155203 1126834
20 Locked 35.5 160913 1127020
21 Locked 35.5 165753 1119464
22 Locked 35.7 162564 1119652
23 Locked 35.5 165639 1122972
24 Locked 35.7 166347 1109412

Upstream bonded channels
Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) Symbol Rate (ksps) Modulation Channel ID
1 53700188 39 5120 64 qam 2
2 23599883 39.5 5120 64 qam 6
3 32599989 39.8 5120 64 qam 5
4 39400126 38 5120 64 qam 4
5 46200137 38.8 5120 64 qam 3
6 60300092 38.3 5120 64 qam 1

Upstream bonded channels
Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts
1 ATDMA 0 0 3 0
2 ATDMA 0 0 3 0
3 ATDMA 0 0 5 0
4 ATDMA 0 0 1 0
5 ATDMA 0 0 3 0
6 ATDMA 0 0 1 0
General Configuration
Network access
Allowed
Maximum Number of CPEs
3
Baseline Privacy
Enabled
DOCSIS Mode
Docsis30
Config file
cmreg-vmdg505-bbt022+voc-b.cm

Primary Downstream Service Flow
SFID 1766
Max Traffic Rate 57500000
Max Traffic Burst 10000
Min Traffic Rate 0

Primary Upstream Service Flow
SFID 1765
Max Traffic Rate 5250045
Max Traffic Burst 16320
Min Traffic Rate 0
Max Concatenated Burst 16320
Scheduling Type BestEffort

Network Log
Time Priority Description
11/08/2024 18:00:43 Warning! RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 18:00:41 critical SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 18:00:12 Warning! RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 18:00:11 critical No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:58:44 Warning! RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:58:44 critical SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:57:52 Warning! RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:57:46 critical SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:55:27 Warning! RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:55:24 critical SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:55:21 Warning! RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:55:21 critical SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:55:18 Warning! RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:55:18 critical SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:54:34 Warning! RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:54:30 critical SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:54:13 Warning! RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:54:5 critical SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:51:12 Warning! RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/08/2024 17:51:12 critical SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

[bhaskarsamani]

you might need to have a engineer look at your connection 

[Sephiroth]

.... because your downstream SNR is rather low, bordering on out of spec and thus causing uncorrectable errors.

[Steven_L]

Hey gstand,

Welcome back to the community and thanks for taking the time to post. I’m sorry to hear of the issues that you’re having with your connection at the moment. I have looked into this and can see that you have arranged an engineer visit to resolve the issues that you're experiencing. Please do let us know how the visit goes, if you get the chance that is.

Kind Regards,

Steven_L

[WorstISP]

Why are you sending an engineer to a single user instead of escalating this known and widespread problem to the network team? You're just wasting everyone's time pretending this is not affecting half your network

[Ashleigh_C]

Hi there @WorstISP 

An engineer is sent when we can see an issue with a connection so that they can take a look and diagnose the issue, if this is a personal connection issue they will work to resolve this on the day, or if the engineer finds this may be related to a wider issue then they can raise this to the network team but it would need to assessed and escalated if needed via the engineer visit. 

[gstand]

Update:

An engineer visited last Friday morning.  He diagnosed that there was some interference happening in the signal.  We noticed that the small power adaptor which plugs into the mains socket and which powers the white box on the inside of the wall and the external equipment, was buzzing quietly.  When he replaced the power adaptor with a new one, this resolved the issue.  The problem I was having is now resolved.

[Client62]

Very good to read about the reason for the fault & the fix.

We also have RFoG and will pay attention to the state of the ONT PSU if the SNR plunges.

[Vikki_M]

Hi gstand,

Thanks for the update.

We're very happy to hear this is now resolved :).

If you have any further questions, please pop back to us and we'd be happy to help. 

Take care.