Virgin Media Community

[chrismox]

My connection has been rock-solid for 5 years. Last week, there was some “important maintenance work” in my area and my connection has been unstable ever since with numerous connection drops every day.

Every time I call customer services, I get a different story and no resolution. I’ve been told so many times just to reset my router and the issue will be solved.

The hub’s log shows the following every time I lose connection:

No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

As I’d rather not spend hours of my life on hold to yet another customer service agent that dismisses the issue, can anyone suggest a better course of action?

Thanks in advance.

[Andrew-G · Accepted solution]

VM's telephone support is so poor that one might reasonably conclude that it is intentionally that way to discourage customers calling, but that's merely a personal view that doesn't help you.....A probable cause of your poor connection is that the works have resulted in a noise or power level problem on your cable connection, and that's causing timeouts.  That's often to do with the upstream connection that keeps the hub synchronised with VM's network gear, but we will see if you 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.  And if you can tell us when the hub was last rebooted prior to you copying the data that will help, because a reboot zeroes the error counters.

Then we can check for any obvious problems with power, noise or error counts.  With suitable evidence, the helpful, UK based forum staff can book you a technician visit if that's needed, or advise on the fix date if the problem is more widespread.

[chrismox]

Thank you Andrew, very helpful of you. I’d have replied earlier if my connection hadn’t been down for almost 2 hours this morning!

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

1	250750000	-2.7	40	256 qam	15
2	138750000	-1.7	40	256 qam	1
3	146750000	-1.9	40	256 qam	2
4	154750000	-1.5	40	256 qam	3
5	162750000	-1.5	40	256 qam	4
6	170750000	-1.9	40	256 qam	5
7	178750000	-2	40	256 qam	6
8	186750000	-2	40	256 qam	7
9	194750000	-2	40	256 qam	8
10	202750000	-2.2	40	256 qam	9
11	210750000	-2.2	40	256 qam	10
12	218750000	-2.2	40	256 qam	11
13	226750000	-2	40	256 qam	12
14	234750000	-2.4	40	256 qam	13
15	242750000	-2.9	40	256 qam	14
16	258750000	-2.2	40	256 qam	16
17	266750000	-2	40	256 qam	17
18	274750000	-2.2	40	256 qam	18
19	282750000	-1.9	40	256 qam	19
20	290750000	-1.5	40	256 qam	20
21	298750000	-1.5	40	256 qam	21
22	306750000	-2	40	256 qam	22
23	314750000	-1.9	40	256 qam	23
24	322750000	-1.4	40	256 qam	24

Downstream bonded channels

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

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

Upstream bonded channels

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

1	39400000	46.8	5120	64 qam	7
2	32600000	46	5120	64 qam	8
3	46200000	47.5	5120	64 qam	6
4	53700146	48.5	5120	64 qam	5

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

1	ATDMA	0	0	8	0
2	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
3	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
4	ATDMA	0	0	0	0

[chrismox]

I also have been had a broadband quality monitor running for the last 24 hours:

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/b5280662c87d38b65507c6a0afa0e444c9651ff7-30-04-2021

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/364498683e43aaccdad7fed7307e3d3ecbc62dd7-01-05-2021

Thanks again for your help, hopefully this will generate some help from Virgin themselves.

[chrismox]

For some reason the logs didn’t show above, posted again here.

01/05/2021 09:00:30	notice	LAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:59:49	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:59:5	critical	DHCP FAILED - Discover sent, no offer received;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:57:42	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:57:9	critical	Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 time out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:55:11	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:55:11	critical	DHCP FAILED - Discover sent, no offer received;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:49:25	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:48:53	critical	Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 time out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:47:54	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:47:21	critical	Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 time out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:46:21	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:45:49	critical	Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 time out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:44:52	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:44:18	critical	Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 time out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:42:51	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:42:19	critical	Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 time out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:41:22	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:40:50	critical	Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 time out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/05/2021 07:39:55	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

The hub was last rebooted about 24 hours ago, although curiously the errors above seem to have been clipped prior to 7:39 this morning and there were others when I looked last night. Either the hub has rebooted itself this morning or the log can only show a certain amount of entries, I’m not sure.

[Andrew-G]

The log can only show a certain amount of entries.  The thing I notice most (other than the BQM confirming a poor connection) is that in the time since last rebooted the hub has collected eight upstream timeouts, which is abnormal.  I'll flag for forum staff to advise, this may need a technician visit which they can arrange, unless it is a known area fault.

Could be a whole range of things, but the frequency of the affected channel is one used for aircraft comms and navigation purposes, so may be RF noise ingress from a faulty joint, cable, or uncapped coax port.  But that's VM's problem to diagnose and sort.

[chrismox]

The cabling at the property hasn’t changed in the 5 years I’ve lived here, so I’d imagine that any RF noise would have caused problems previously, rather than just in the last 10 days. 

Whatever the cause of the issue, thanks again for your time. Hopefully my connection will get some attention.

[Andrew-G]

So long as they fix it doesn't matter, but as an observation the fault doesn't need to be at your house - all properties on the same segment of coax get near enough the same signal with the only difference being a reduction in power with distance from the cabinet, and each hub picks out selected frequencies to communicate uniquely with the network gear. 

That's why VM prohibit customers from meddling with or supplying their own coax even between the wall and the hub, because any problems may not be isolated, and if they cause frequency specific issues there's a good chance that the problems might not affect the household doing this, but a different customer on the same segment.  One of the "insightful users" has personal experience of inadvertently doing just this - didn't hurt their connection, but messed up a neighbours.  

[chrismox]

It seems to be getting worse…

[David_Bn]

Hi chrismox,

Thanks for your post on our Community Forums

I'm sorry to see there's been issues with the connection since some work took place in the local area, do you know if this was undertaken by Virgin Media or a different company?

There doesn't appear to be any issues flagged in the local are currently. Is it possible to re-submit your picture as it doesn't seem to have uploaded. Please ensure no personal data is revealed in the photo

Kindest regards,

David_Bn