Download speeds dropped significantly, SN4 area

[mjpartyboy]

We run a Super Hub 2 in modem mode with an ASUS AC86U router and have been using this setup for many years without any issues.

For a long time now, our 200/20 service has been performing perfectly, until yesterday. My partner said she noticed things that are usually quick to do were slow and I noticed slow performance today across different services and devices.

We usually get at least 200 Mbps down in speed tests on any device on wired and 5 GHz wireless connections, but since my partner noticed things being slow yesterday, then me testing things today, our upload speed is running at its usual full speed of 20 Mbps, but our download is consistently 6 Mbps or less on wired and 5 GHz wireless.

There have been no changes to our home network environment or configuration and the VM Service Status says no known issues with broadband in our area. Our 200/20 service was working at full speed up to 7 Sep.

Our upstream and downstream stats are within spec and there's not much in the log.

[mjpartyboy]

Network Log

First Time	Last Time	Priority	Error Number	Description
09/09/2021 15:55:13 GMT	09/09/2021 15:55:13 GMT	Warning (5)	66050310	Auth Success - Web login successful.
09/09/2021 12:21:49 GMT	09/09/2021 12:21:49 GMT	Error (4)	68010300	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option
08/09/2021 08:14:21 GMT	08/09/2021 08:14:21 GMT	Warning (5)	84020200	Lost MDD Timeout
08/09/2021 08:14:16 GMT	08/09/2021 08:14:16 GMT	Critical (3)	84000500	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync
06/09/2021 00:21:43 GMT	06/09/2021 00:21:43 GMT	Error (4)	68010300	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option
02/09/2021 12:21:38 GMT	02/09/2021 12:21:38 GMT	Error (4)	68010300	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option
30/08/2021 00:21:34 GMT	30/08/2021 00:21:34 GMT	Error (4)	68010300	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option
29/08/2021 23:51:33 GMT	29/08/2021 23:51:33 GMT	Error (4)	68000407	TOD established
29/08/2021 23:51:04 GMT	29/08/2021 23:51:04 GMT	Critical (3)	82000200	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
29/08/2021 23:51:01 GMT	29/08/2021 23:51:01 GMT	Critical (3)	82000200	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
29/08/2021 23:51:00 GMT	29/08/2021 23:51:00 GMT	Critical (3)	82000200	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
29/08/2021 23:50:55 GMT	29/08/2021 23:50:55 GMT	Notice (6)	84000510	Downstream Locked Successfully
29/08/2021 23:50:44 GMT	29/08/2021 23:50:44 GMT	Critical (3)	82000200	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
29/08/2021 23:50:42 GMT	29/08/2021 23:50:42 GMT	Critical (3)	82000200	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
29/08/2021 23:50:37 GMT	29/08/2021 23:50:37 GMT	Notice (6)	84000510	Downstream Locked Successfully
29/08/2021 23:50:33 GMT	29/08/2021 23:50:33 GMT	Critical (3)	82000600	Unicast Maintenance Ranging attempted - No response - Retries exhausted
29/08/2021 23:50:33 GMT	29/08/2021 23:50:33 GMT	Critical (3)	82000300	Ranging Request Retries exhausted
29/08/2021 23:50:32 GMT	29/08/2021 23:50:32 GMT	Critical (3)	82000200	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
29/08/2021 23:50:31 GMT	29/08/2021 23:50:31 GMT	Critical (3)	82000200	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
29/08/2021 23:50:29 GMT	29/08/2021 23:50:29 GMT	Critical (3)	82000200	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out

[lotharmat]

Post up the rest of the stats!

Also - Have you tried calling 0800 561 0061 to see if there is any outages!

[mjpartyboy]

It's an odd one. Our setup and service has been stable for years now, then this all of a sudden.

For the first time in at least eight years, I've put the hub back into router mode and am now seeing a slightly lower upload speed, but download is near max again. Downstream and Upstream levels appear to be unaffected by this mode change. The plot thickens.

Downstream  DS-1 DS-2 DS-3 DS-4 DS-5 DS-6 DS-7 DS-8

Frequency (Hz)	411000000	419000000	427000000	435000000	443000000	451000000	459000000	467000000
Lock Status(QAM Lock/FEC Sync/MPEG Lock)	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked	Locked
Channel ID	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Modulation	256QAM	256QAM	256QAM	256QAM	256QAM	256QAM	256QAM	256QAM
Symbol Rate (Msym/sec)	6.952000	6.952000	6.952000	6.952000	6.952000	6.952000	6.952000	6.952000
Interleave Depth	I=12 J=17	I=12 J=17	I=12 J=17	I=12 J=17	I=12 J=17	I=12 J=17	I=12 J=17	I=12 J=17
Power Level (dBmV)	4.52	4.50	4.18	3.73	3.57	3.49	3.38	3.53
RxMER (dB)	38.26	38.61	37.94	38.26	38.26	38.26	38.26	38.26
Pre RS Errors	347	331	941	304	306	327	294	865
Post RS Errors	297	302	936	298	304	323	292	861

[mjpartyboy]

Upstream  US-1 US-2 US-3 US-4

Channel Type	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
Channel ID	1	2	4	3
Frequency (Hz)	60300000	53700000	39400000	46200000
Ranging Status	Success	Success	Success	Success
Modulation	64QAM	64QAM	64QAM	64QAM
Symbol Rate (Sym/sec)	5120000	5120000	5120000	5120000
Mini-Slot Size	2	2	2	2
Power Level (dBmV)	51.00	50.50	49.25	50.00
T1 Timeouts	0	0	0	0
T2 Timeouts	0	0	0	0
T3 Timeouts	1	0	0	0
T4 Timeouts	0	0	0	0

[lotharmat]

Your upstream power is too high!!

VM need to take a look at this and likely book a tech visit! - Something has likely changed at the street cab!

[mjpartyboy]

I thought the up and down power levels were within tolerance per:

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/QuickStart-set-up-and/POWER-LEVELS-amp-SNR-A-TECHNICAL-PRIMER-u...

[lotharmat]

The Hubs can run at -6 --> 10 dBmV (D/S)
and 33-->51 (U/S)

ANd if you aren't having any issues then all is good - but as there are issues VM would usually want to put the hubs somewhere in the middle of the operating range.

Power can fluctuate and an instantaneous reading of 51 dBmV can actually be 49 --53.

If it is a 53 then the the hub has a good chance of dropping connection (which you don't want)

Hope this helps. (It's how the tech who came to my house explained it to me!)

I, rightly or wrongly, think of it like a car - you can run it at 6,500 rpm - it is within spec - but you wouldn't necessarily want to

[mjpartyboy]

Some years after we had broadband installed, we had an engineer visit when we changed from the Samsung HD box to TiVo and he fitted a Forward Path Attenuator 3 dB as part of this. I don't recall us having any broadband or TV issues at the time before this was added to the setup. So the coax cable from the inside wall socket has the attenuator on it and this connects to a box, then this box has three other coax cables going to/from it: one to the Super Hub, one to the V6 box and one to a mains power adapter.

It was so long ago, I can't remember why he suggested we have one fitted to our setup, so I don't know at this point if it's helping our broadband and TV performance or is unnecessary. I've never unplugged its mains adapter to see that would happen.

[mjpartyboy]

Quick update. Since going from modem mode to router and back to modem on the Super Hub 2 last night, my download speed has returned to full speed through the AC86U. I don't know if this action resolved it, or just coincidence. Also for good measure, I factory reset and reconfigured my AC86U after doing this. I thought I might as well, since playing around with the hub.