M350 line is worse than my mobile!

[Anonymous]

Ok, before the logs a bit of history. Even during lockdown my download speed was pretty impressive for a M350 line, sitting at just under 380Mbs. However, since then the speed has depreciated dramatically with it now sitting at 50Mbs, if I am lucky. The time of the day seems pretty irrelevant. Last week VM’s website eventually admitted there were issues with the incoming line however their engineers fixed nothing. NOTE: This issue affected multiple areas in Edinburgh.

Over this period there has been no change in software or hardware at my end and the router (hub 3) has been reset a number of times (and also seemingly remotely by VM). I tried reporting this to the website but just keep hitting a brick wall of VM webpage errors. The connection has recently been so unreliable that for serious work I have to now use my mobile as a hotspot which gives me near-on 80Mbs.

Ok here are the logs….

[Anonymous]

Downstream bonded channels

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

1	331000000	3.7	40	256 qam	25
2	267000000	4	40	256 qam	17
3	275000000	3.7	40	256 qam	18
4	283000000	3.7	40	256 qam	19
5	291000000	3.9	40	256 qam	20
6	299000000	3.9	40	256 qam	21
7	307000000	3.9	40	256 qam	22
8	315000000	4	40	256 qam	23
9	323000000	3.7	40	256 qam	24
10	339000000	3.5	40	256 qam	26
11	347000000	3.5	40	256 qam	27
12	355000000	3.5	40	256 qam	28
13	363000000	3.5	40	256 qam	29
14	371000000	3.5	40	256 qam	30
15	379000000	3.5	40	256 qam	31
16	387000000	3.5	40	256 qam	32
17	395000000	3.5	40	256 qam	33
18	403000000	3.5	40	256 qam	34
19	411000000	3.4	40	256 qam	35
20	419000000	3.4	40	256 qam	36
21	427000000	3.5	40	256 qam	37
22	435000000	3.7	40	256 qam	38
23	443000000	3.7	40	256 qam	39
24	451000000	3.7	40	256 qam	40

[Anonymous]

Downstream bonded channels

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

1	Locked	40.9	13	0
2	Locked	40.3	2109	36
3	Locked	40.3	238	98
4	Locked	40.9	167	24
5	Locked	40.9	54	0
6	Locked	40.3	37	0
7	Locked	40.3	11	0
8	Locked	40.9	11	0
9	Locked	40.3	10	0
10	Locked	40.3	10	0
11	Locked	40.9	13	0
12	Locked	40.9	19	0
13	Locked	40.9	17	0
14	Locked	40.3	20	0
15	Locked	40.9	19	0
16	Locked	40.9	29	1336
17	Locked	40.3	12	0
18	Locked	40.9	11	0
19	Locked	40.3	6	0
20	Locked	40.9	10	0
21	Locked	40.3	7	0
22	Locked	40.9	7	0
23	Locked	40.9	23	0
24	Locked	40.3	4	0

Upstream bonded channels

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

1	25800000	43.5	5120	64 qam	6
2	32600000	44	5120	64 qam	5
3	39400000	44.5	5120	64 qam	4
4	46200000	46	5120	64 qam	3

[Anonymous]

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

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

Network Log

Time Priority Description

06/10/2021 09:12:6	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
06/10/2021 08:41:35	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
06/10/2021 00:06:51	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/10/2021 22:51:31	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/10/2021 20:06:54	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/10/2021 20:01:9	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/10/2021 20:01:9	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/10/2021 09:44:39	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/10/2021 06:44:6	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/10/2021 07:34:31	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/10/2021 03:51:52	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/10/2021 16:36:49	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/10/2021 14:54:12	notice	DHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt062+voc-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/10/2021 14:54:12	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/10/2021 12:10:36	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/10/2021 06:20:53	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
02/10/2021 16:44:45	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
02/10/2021 11:13:2	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
02/10/2021 07:28:33	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/10/2021 23:44:47	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

Hope I got all  you need, thanks.

[Adduxi]

Apart from a few noisy channels, (PostRS errors) not much to comment on.

I would setup a BQM here  www.thinkbroadband.com/ping

You say there was area works ongoing, do you know if this was ever finished?

[Andrew-G]

I'm not so sure myself.  The very low pre-RS errors on most higher frequency channels indicate that the hub was recently rebooted, and that makes the high post-RS error count on D/S channel 16 look significant, and the clustering on ch 2, 3, and 4 isn't good either.  The network log's poor, with repeated channel loss, timeout or synch failures every single day.

A BQM should confirm that it's a poor connection, but on the basis of speeds, the downstream stats, and the log forum staff should get a technician booked unless there's a known area fault being worked on.  Hopefully we won't get the "all looks good from out side" comment, since it clearly isn't.

[Anonymous]

---

@Adduxi wrote:

I would setup a BQM here  www.thinkbroadband.com/ping

You say there was area works ongoing, do you know if this was ever finished?

---

Thanks, i'll check the link after lunch. As for the work being finished, the VM website has gone back to saying there are no broadband issues in my area. I ran the tests again and it finds problems, then it gives you the usual spraf about connections etc. then tells you to try again and again and again and that is as far as you get! It is like a dog chasing it's tail! 🙄

[Anonymous]

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@Andrew-G wrote:

the hub was recently rebooted,

---

Yeah this is the nature of the problem with the line, lose of connection and remote rebooting of the router. It isn't a constant issue, it randomely rears it head. It used to ALWAYS happen on a Sunday at about mid-day, give or take 15mins, but last week it was everyday at random times with Wednesday being the entire afternoon (hence why I had to use my mobile as a hotspot). Thursday the engineer was apparently fixing it, but although marginally better, the issue is still there.

I ran the tests again on this Monday and the VM website said they couldn't get the connection and to try again in 24 hours and if they issue was still there then they would send out an engineer. I ran the test on Tuesday and as I said in my previous post, the VM website would not offer the engineer option. Just a continual loop of reboot, check connections etc.

[Anonymous]

Oh wait a minute now, I did another 'pin' reset and it is up from 50Mbs to 216Mbs... that's a bit more encouraging! 😀

[Andrew-G]

Maybe.  More likely that the reset (which restarts the hub) resulted in re-negotiation of all 28 channels the hub uses, and you've got a better connection for the time being.  But the likelihood is that (unless an area fault has been found and fixed, which is possible) the connection will continue to have poor and erratic speeds.