Intermittent upload speeds for the past week

[spudandbeanz]

I've been having intermittent upload speed issues for the past week (BR1 5AH) where the upload will drop to <1Mbps at several points throughout the day which is causing disconnects from remote desktop.

If I do a line test it reports that there are issues on the line (150 also says there are known issues), but the status page it directs you to says nothing is wrong. I've tried restarting (but not resetting) the hub.

I've tested on multiple devices, including a PC connected directly via Ethernet (so it's not a WiFi issue). Looking at the network log in the hub I see some intermittent "RCS Partial Service" and "No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out" errors.

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

1	53700000	33	5120	64 qam	1
2	32600000	32.5	5120	32 qam	4
3	39400000	32	5120	32 qam	3
4	46200000	33.3	5120	64 qam	2

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

1	ATDMA	0	0	14	0
2	ATDMA	0	0	23	0
3	ATDMA	0	0	21	0
4	ATDMA	0	0	3	0

BQM seems to show that dropped packets skyrocket between noon and midnight:

• https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/53f7690064c509ce2d7572019b23d100f5...
• https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/6e2b1bac521deb3cc5e5d173ee48422c38...
• https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/e4ec7004926d01c9f3c8fe16d06678e56c...
• https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/4d5392dc9cb643060f9929420acab777ae...

[jbrennand]

There are issues there - the Up power levels are very low and the qam is dropping. Can you do this first - then post up the stats - including Downstream again
_______________________________

Switch the Hub off and unplug it from the mains supply for five minutes. Whilst it's off, do a quick check that all of your coax and ethernet cable connections are in nice and "finger" tight - at the Hub and wall box and also at any connectors etc. Ensure there are no “unterminated cable loose ends. Disconnect all the connections and reconnect to be sure. Also check that the internal wiring is ok with no kinking or chaffing, check that all looks good with the outside cabling and wall box (no “staples, etc.,) piercing the cables. Then switch the Hub back on and leave ~5 minutes

When all done, check back in the settings and ensure that any downstream RS error counts and upstream T3 errors have all reset to 0. Also that QAM's are all at 64. Then check every hour or so to see if the errors start reappearing - they shouldn't. If they do (particularly the postRS and T3 ones) you have a problem (noise) that may resolve once the known fault is fixed - or will need a Tech visit to sort.

[spudandbeanz]

Thanks. I can't speak for the outside coax as it's shielded, but I checked the inside stuff (which terminates to an NTL box, for an idea of how old it must be) and moved some things that could potentially be squeezing it.

Updated stats (a speedtest shows that upload speeds are still very inconsistent):

Downstream bonded channels

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

1	330750000	5	40	256 qam	25
2	202750000	6.3	38	256 qam	9
3	210750000	5.9	38	256 qam	10
4	218750000	5	38	256 qam	11
5	226750000	4.6	38	256 qam	12
6	234750000	3.9	38	256 qam	13
7	242750000	3.7	38	256 qam	14
8	250750000	3.5	38	256 qam	15
9	258750000	3.7	38	256 qam	16
10	266750000	3.5	38	256 qam	17
11	274750000	4	38	256 qam	18
12	282750000	4.3	38	256 qam	19
13	290750000	4.9	40	256 qam	20
14	298750000	4.6	38	256 qam	21
15	306750000	5	40	256 qam	22
16	314750000	4.9	40	256 qam	23
17	322750000	4.5	40	256 qam	24
18	338750000	4.8	38	256 qam	26
19	346750000	4.9	40	256 qam	27
20	354750000	4.8	40	256 qam	28
21	362750000	4.6	40	256 qam	29
22	370750000	4.4	40	256 qam	30
23	378750000	4.1	38	256 qam	31
24	386750000	3.7	40	256 qam	32

Downstream bonded channels

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

1	Locked	40.3	4	0
2	Locked	38.9	4	0
3	Locked	38.9	4	0
4	Locked	38.6	6	0
5	Locked	38.6	5	0
6	Locked	38.6	0	0
7	Locked	38.9	7	0
8	Locked	38.9	0	0
9	Locked	38.6	7	0
10	Locked	38.9	0	0
11	Locked	38.9	6	0
12	Locked	38.9	6	0
13	Locked	40.3	5	0
14	Locked	38.6	6	0
15	Locked	40.3	6	0
16	Locked	40.3	5	0
17	Locked	40.9	0	0
18	Locked	38.9	5	0
19	Locked	40.3	4	0
20	Locked	40.3	6	0
21	Locked	40.3	5	0
22	Locked	40.3	5	0
23	Locked	38.9	4	0
24	Locked	40.9	0	0

 

Upstream bonded channels

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

1	53700009	32	5120	64 qam	1
2	32600000	32	5120	64 qam	4
3	39400000	32	5120	64 qam	3
4	46200000	32	5120	64 qam	2

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

[spudandbeanz]

Upstream is already showing the same qam drop after 10 mins.

Downstream bonded channels

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

1	154750000	6.9	38	256 qam	3
2	138750000	7	38	256 qam	1
3	146750000	6.6	38	256 qam	2
4	162750000	7	38	256 qam	4
5	170750000	7.6	38	256 qam	5
6	178750000	7.5	38	256 qam	6
7	186750000	7.5	40	256 qam	7
8	194750000	6.9	40	256 qam	8
9	202750000	6.1	38	256 qam	9
10	210750000	5.9	38	256 qam	10
11	218750000	4.8	38	256 qam	11
12	226750000	4.6	38	256 qam	12
13	234750000	3.9	38	256 qam	13
14	242750000	3.7	38	256 qam	14
15	250750000	3.5	38	256 qam	15
16	258750000	3.7	38	256 qam	16
17	266750000	3.5	38	256 qam	17
18	274750000	4	38	256 qam	18
19	282750000	4.3	38	256 qam	19
20	290750000	4.9	40	256 qam	20
21	298750000	4.8	38	256 qam	21
22	306750000	5	40	256 qam	22
23	314750000	4.9	40	256 qam	23
24	322750000	4.5	40	256 qam	24

Downstream bonded channels

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

1	Locked	38.9	0	0
2	Locked	38.9	5	0
3	Locked	38.9	5	0
4	Locked	38.9	0	0
5	Locked	38.9	15	0
6	Locked	38.9	6	0
7	Locked	40.9	5	0
8	Locked	40.3	4	0
9	Locked	38.9	5	0
10	Locked	38.6	5	0
11	Locked	38.9	5	0
12	Locked	38.9	5	0
13	Locked	38.6	4	0
14	Locked	38.6	6	0
15	Locked	38.9	0	0
16	Locked	38.6	0	0
17	Locked	38.9	0	0
18	Locked	38.6	4	0
19	Locked	38.6	5	0
20	Locked	40.3	5	0
21	Locked	38.9	5	0
22	Locked	40.3	5	0
23	Locked	40.3	4	0
24	Locked	40.3	0	0

Upstream bonded channels

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

1	53700095	32	5120	64 qam	1
2	32600000	32	5120	32 qam	4
3	39400000	32	5120	32 qam	3
4	46200000	32	5120	64 qam	2

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

[jbrennand]

BQM is like a clock - goes pear shaped every day from 12 noon to midnight !

Can you check for known issues - try in 2 places

1) Try the “check service,”Area status webpage" (link at top right of this forum)

2) Then also try the “free & automated” Service Status number - 0800 561 0061 - which usually gives the most up to date info. and tells you of more local issues down to street cab/ postcode level.

The "compensation "timer" can also be started on this number.

[spudandbeanz]

I've tried both of those numerous times now and the lack of information from them is honestly the most frustrating part of this experience.

The website says there's TV issues in my area (but not broadband or phone issues), and if I run a status check on my broadband it will sometimes tell me that there seems to be an issue, but most often it will just fail saying "we can't run a test on your services right now".

The number (which seems to be the same as 150) says there are known issues in my area and that it's a "complex problem". It offers to text me a link to the same service page I've already been to, which still says nothing is wrong with the broadband.

Arse, meet elbow.

It's not clear to me how to start a "compensation timer" from that number as it basically just gives me the option to get text updates. I tried a different route previously hoping to talk to someone, but they hung up after 15 minutes on hold.

All in all, very unimpressed and frustrated.

[jbrennand]

Ignore anything else the 0800 number confirms you have a known issue they are working on.

Faults may not be listed on the Area Status web page. Areas are not Geographic” they are "legacy billing" areas) and as such that usually only covers faults affecting 1000’s of customers across the country. I am Area 20 as are other customers in London, Bristol, elsewhere.

You only get the compensation timer when you are actually eligible for it - i.e. total outage

[goldstonebha]

They are usually better at updating the status page for area faults

We have the same issue today (London, N1 area) and I did speak to a rep who confirmed it is an area fault. The upstream speed has dropped to almost zero. 

There is nothing to do expect wait. I can say that they usually fix things much faster than their projections of possibly days. 

[spudandbeanz]

Ah, so the tl;dr is: It's broken. VM know it's broken. It's been broken for a week, and VM still have no idea when it will be fixed...

From a customer service perspective that's really not okay. I've always been given an estimate by other ISPs (even if it turned out to be wrong) so I can tell if I need to pack-up and move somewhere with working internet (as I WFH) or try and hold out with a mobile hotspot until things are fixed.

It's really sad that VM are relying on volunteers such as yourself to make up for their abysmal CS.

[jbrennand]

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@spudandbeanz wrote:

Ah, so the tl;dr is: It's broken. VM know it's broken. It's been broken for a week, and VM still have no idea when it will be fixed...

From a customer service perspective that's really not okay. .

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What would the fix estimate be for this I wonder? 😎