Modem resets, packet loss, high ping

[Mendorian]

Hello all,

Little bit of history to this:

• We had some mild connection issues in the last few years, but nothing spectacular.
• About two months ago, a construction worker cut our (and our neighbour's) connection from the street to the house.
• We were reconnected the following day by a Virgin tech.
• Following that, our connection was horrible - constant cut-outs, modem resets, bad ping spikes, packet loss, etc.
• We had another Virgin tech come over to check everything. The tech found that the signal at the modem was absolutely abysmal and found a -20db attenuator hidden behind a piece of furniture. It was removed and the tech declared problem solved.
• We however still experience numerous sync losses throughout the day with the modem ranging (5 or 6 times yesterday) due to T3 timeouts. We still have persistent connection issues.

I ran a ping continuously during my working hours for a while:

217512 packets transmitted, 216539 packets received, 1% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 20.327/144.534/168586.567/2731.208 ms

We're a household of two, with me working online full-time and my partner part-time. I haven't had a single meeting where my connection didn't falter for months. I assume we need another tech visit, but I wanted to check if someone here in the Community may know a quick fix.

Here's the Downstream channels/Upstream channels:

3.0 Downstream channels

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

1	339000000	3.8	41	QAM 256	26
2	139000000	7.9	42	QAM 256	1
3	147000000	7.7	42	QAM 256	2
4	155000000	7.2	42	QAM 256	3
5	163000000	7	42	QAM 256	4
6	171000000	6.8	42	QAM 256	5
7	179000000	6.6	42	QAM 256	6
8	187000000	6.4	42	QAM 256	7
9	195000000	6.3	42	QAM 256	8
10	203000000	6.2	42	QAM 256	9
11	211000000	6.3	42	QAM 256	10
12	219000000	6	42	QAM 256	11
13	227000000	5.5	42	QAM 256	12
14	235000000	5.4	42	QAM 256	13
15	243000000	5.3	42	QAM 256	14
16	251000000	5.2	42	QAM 256	15
17	259000000	5.1	42	QAM 256	16
18	267000000	4.9	42	QAM 256	17
19	275000000	5	42	QAM 256	18
20	283000000	4.7	42	QAM 256	19
21	291000000	4.7	42	QAM 256	20
22	299000000	4.7	42	QAM 256	21
23	307000000	4.3	42	QAM 256	22
24	315000000	4.1	42	QAM 256	23
25	323000000	3.8	42	QAM 256	24
26	331000000	3.8	42	QAM 256	25
27	347000000	3.3	42	QAM 256	27
28	355000000	3.1	42	QAM 256	28
29	363000000	2.9	42	QAM 256	29
30	371000000	3	42	QAM 256	30
31	379000000	3	42	QAM 256	31

3.0 Downstream channels

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

1	Locked	41	4565	356
2	Locked	42	8000	12643
3	Locked	42	17821	20925
4	Locked	42	6957	12741
5	Locked	42	7606	12778
6	Locked	42	15455	19353
7	Locked	42	8356	9717
8	Locked	42	11824	18977
9	Locked	42	10641	18950
10	Locked	42	6909	12701
11	Locked	42	9649	11911
12	Locked	42	13234	15580
13	Locked	42	11056	18517
14	Locked	42	11572	12441
15	Locked	42	22433	30843
16	Locked	42	13692	18750
17	Locked	42	11524	19042
18	Locked	42	10689	19976
19	Locked	42	10193	19189
20	Locked	42	14328	22472
21	Locked	42	11727	19007
22	Locked	42	13430	21602
23	Locked	42	15764	24335
24	Locked	42	15391	22157
25	Locked	42	18734	28262
26	Locked	42	20942	25748
27	Locked	42	24325	31251
28	Locked	42	18196	18036
29	Locked	42	23465	25822
30	Locked	42	30850	33392
31	Locked	42	19125	19517

3.1 Downstream channels

Channel Channel Width (MHz) FFT Type Number of Active Subcarriers Modulation (Active Profile) First Active Subcarrier (Hz)

33

94

4K

1840

QAM 4096

1108

3.1 Downstream channels

Channel ID Locked Status RxMER Data (dB) PLC Power (dBmV) Corrected errors (Active Profile) Uncorrectable errors (Active Profile)

33

Locked

41

1.0

894431631

198122

3.0 Upstream channels

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

0	49600000	45	5120	QAM 64	1
1	43100000	44.5	5120	QAM 64	2
2	36600000	44.3	5120	QAM 64	3
3	30100000	43.8	5120	QAM 64	4
4	23600000	43.3	5120	QAM 64	5

3.0 Upstream channels

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

0	ATDMA	0	162	36	0
1	ATDMA	0	162	40	0
2	ATDMA	0	162	36	0
3	ATDMA	0	162	36	0
4	ATDMA	0	162	36	0

3.1 Upstream channels

Channel Channel Width (MHz) Power (dBmV) FFT Type Modulation

6

11

41.0

2K

QAM 256

3.1 Upstream channels

Channel Channel Type Number of Active Subcarriers First Active Subcarrier (Hz) T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

6

OFDMA

220

74000000

0

0

[Client62]

There are hard errors (Post RS) across all of the Downstream channels, if a conf call was connected over UDP that could result in some video and audio breakup. The Upstream channels looks OK.

This could be a local fault in your street, it might be worth a call to 0800 561 0061 to see if the automated fault reporting service has logged any issues.

A restart of the VM Hub to clear the error counts would make it easier to see if the Downstream service issue is still present or has cleared.

[Mendorian]

Thanks for the advice. There were no local faults reported, but the tool in the VM app suggested a factory reset. Afterwards the connection was stable and no hard errors anymore, although the Pre-RS errors start piling up on half the channels - not sure what the going rate for those is, but since 4pm yesterday only channels 2 and 3 didn't have any Pre-RS errors, with the lower channels now hanging at around 400.

But so far, the error correction is holding up - I hope it stays that way

[Mendorian]

Aaaand here we go again. Pretty much 24 hours later:

3.0 Downstream channels

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

1	Locked	42	231	0
2	Locked	42	0	0
3	Locked	42	0	0
4	Locked	42	1	0
5	Locked	42	4	0
6	Locked	42	3	0
7	Locked	42	5	0
8	Locked	42	219	740
9	Locked	42	225	649
10	Locked	42	1397	1802
11	Locked	42	1388	1643
12	Locked	42	22	0
13	Locked	42	276	822
14	Locked	42	40	0
15	Locked	42	50	0
16	Locked	42	246	806
17	Locked	42	133	194
18	Locked	42	93	181
19	Locked	42	52	4
20	Locked	42	128	279
21	Locked	42	204	215
22	Locked	42	203	189
23	Locked	42	269	254
24	Locked	42	295	237
25	Locked	42	358	261
26	Locked	40	354	269
27	Locked	42	469	256
28	Locked	42	547	274
29	Locked	42	624	217
30	Locked	42	554	248
31	Locked	42	606	208

 modem lost sync repeatedly.

[legacy1]

Noise by a faulty amp

[Mendorian]

Thank you, that’s surprisingly specific. I know what an amp is, but a bit more context would be helpful. I assume that’s an upstream part that VM needs to have a look at on their end? Any suggestion how I can reach someone in support that doesn’t a) ignore it because it deviates from their script or b) ignores it because who trusts customers that try and look for solutions on their own or c) ignores It because they’ve never heard of it before themselves?

It’s getting a wee bit embarrassing that I constantly have to apologise for dropping out of meetings…

[FlockWallpaper]

it does strike me that everyone who has commented on here has missed the obvious, and I quote

”

• We were reconnected the following day by a Virgin tech.
• Following that, our connection was horrible - constant cut-outs, modem resets, bad ping spikes, packet loss, etc.”

So the problems seemed to have started after the cable was ‘fixed’ following it being cut. Surely the most likely explanation is that the ‘cable fix’ hasn’t been done properly and it is introducing noise into the connection?

[Mendorian]

We had some mild issues after switching from 500 to 1gig, just nowhere near the scale of what we have now. I think I'm gonna try the support chat, although I don't have high hopes.

[John_GS]

Hi @Mendorian 

Thanks for posting and welcome back to the community.

Apologies for any service issues, I can see you've got a tech visit booked in since posting, please let us know how it goes.

[Mendorian]

Hi @John_GS,

Thanks for the reply. I could indeed do with your help, maybe it will save me another long call.

TL;DR: Engineer says the patched up cable is at fault and a new drop cable needs to be installed from cabinet to the house. I'm at the end of my tether. Can you help without me having curse at the chat bot and wait for a support agent with a fringe case that is far outside of what their script allows them to deal with?

The long explanation and what has happened since my last post:
I had a WhatsApp support chat on Thursday. The agent confirmed that our modem disconnected 107 times in the last two weeks alone. He boosted the amplifier output, which actually helped a bit and made the connection more stable, but we were still seeing large ping spikes and lost packets, just less disconnects and ranging issues. He then said he'd book us an engineer in for Friday morning to replace our Hub and have a look at the amp.

On Friday, no engineer. I check my scheduled appointments, nothing is listed. I call the complaints hotline, pre-empted what followed with "I know this is not your fault, but I have to vent" and explained to the gentleman there all the issues over the last 3 months. He then promised to send me someone to do what the other support agent promised, with an appointment from 1pm to 6pm. That was on Friday. I am working from home full-time and re-arranged what meetings I had to Monday morning, with the exception of one meeting at 2pm. I mention that for a reason.

This morning, at at 11am, I see two missed calls. Turns out it was the engineer who wanted to drop by. I texted him and told him I was expecting him from 1pm, just had a meeting at 2pm, but was otherwise happy to welcome him whenever. The engineer was very confused because apparently the only note he had on the system was to check the street cabinet connected to us.

Of course he arrived at 2pm, just after my meeting started, and chatted with my partner, who knows where things are switched on and off, but not much more, and the engineer had no idea what he was supposed to do.

Once I'm done with the meeting I send the engineer a long text message and explain the situation. He actually turns around and we have a chat at the door. I explain the situation to him, he looks at the cable (which was, a couple months ago, ripped out of the ground and destroyed together with our fence when a stolen car crashed into our garden... seriously) and was then patched up by a VM engineer.

SO, finally:
He says we need a new drop cable from the cabinet to the house. Noise is probably introduced where the cable was patched together.

This is all I have now. Could you, pretty please with a cherry on top, point whoever needs to read this to get a new drop cable drawn from the cabinet to our house?