FIOS drops constantly, making me consider switching to comcast
benn683
Newbie

Router model westell 9100VM MDU

My internet connection constantly drops.  It's getting to the point where I am considering switching back to comcast, and comcast is horrible.

I am on my third router of the same model and the problem is still occurring.  Every time a technician comes out they can't replicate or identify the problem.  Customer service representatives never have a response other than "I'll send a technician" or "I'll send a new router."

Any thoughts?  Here is fios router log so you can see what I am talking about:

Oct 13 22:35:58 2010

System Log

Message

CONNECTION LOG: WAN status changed from No Internet Connection to Connected, IP address={edited for privacy}

Oct 13 22:32:52 2010

System Log

Message

CONNECTION LOG: WAN status changed from Connected to No Internet Connection

Oct 13 22:13:59 2010

System Log

Message

CONNECTION LOG: WAN status changed from No Internet Connection to Connected, IP address={edited for privacy}

Oct 13 22:09:42 2010

System Log

Message

CONNECTION LOG: WAN status changed from Connected to No Internet Connection

Oct 13 22:09:30 2010

System Log

Message

CONNECTION LOG: WAN status changed from No Internet Connection to Connected, IP address={edited for privacy}

Oct 13 22:01:00 2010

System Log

Message

CONNECTION LOG: WAN status changed from Connected to No Internet Connection

Dec 31 19:06:47 2002

System Log

Message

CONNECTION LOG: WAN status changed from No Internet Connection to Connected, IP address={edited for privacy}

Dec 31 19:00:09 2002

System Log

Message

DHCP LAN Connection IP:192.168.1.3, DNS:192.168.1.1, GTW:192.168.1.1, Subnet:255.255.255.0
 [repeated 3 times, last time on Dec 31 19:00:14 2002]

Dec 31 19:00:02 2002

System Log

Message

CONNECTION LOG: WAN status changed from Unknown to No Internet Connection

Oct 13 21:35:07 2010

System Log

Message

DHCP LAN Connection IP:192.168.1.100, DNS:192.168.1.1, GTW:192.168.1.1, Subnet:255.255.255.0

Oct 13 21:35:03 2010

System Log

Message

DHCP LAN Connection IP:192.168.1.101, DNS:192.168.1.1, GTW:192.168.1.1, Subnet:255.255.255.0

Oct 13 18:03:30 2010

System Log

Message

DHCP LAN Connection IP:192.168.1.3, DNS:192.168.1.1, GTW:192.168.1.1, Subnet:255.255.255.0
 [repeated 2 times, last time on Oct 13 18:03:31 2010]

Oct 13 10:42:47 2010

System Log

Message

CONNECTION LOG: WAN status changed from Connected to No Internet Connection

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Re: FIOS drops constantly, making me consider switching to comcast
MatthewH12
Contributor - Level 1

Only thing I can think of, is could there be something in your house interfering with the signal, making it drop? Hope you get it figured out!

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Re: FIOS drops constantly, making me consider switching to comcast
lasagna
Community Leader
Community Leader

Are you provisioned MoCA or Ethernet for Internet connectivity?   If MoCA, it sounds like it could be a bad cable or splitter somewhere (not uncommon).   In either instance, do you have the ability to relocated the router temporarily to a location in very close proximity of the ONT from where you could then directly connect (disconnecting any other cables, splitters, etc. that may be  present) the router to see if the behavior changes?

Since it appears this is happening on a regular basis, you wouldn't have to wait overly long to determine your results.

The idea here is to eliminate everything "inside" the house wiring as a potential source of the issue.   If you have a short high quality cable connection between the router and ONT with no splitters or anything else on the line, that will allow ruling out or pinpointing the source of the problem as the house wiring or not.

Re: FIOS drops constantly, making me consider switching to comcast
benn683
Newbie

It's MoCA/VDSL.  No ethernet in.

The ONT is in the basement of the entire condominium complex, not in our individual condominiums, so I unfortunately can't try that out.  The COAX cables split off and run from the basement to all the units.

So you think there could be a bad splitter from the ONT to the condos?

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Re: FIOS drops constantly, making me consider switching to comcast
lasagna
Community Leader
Community Leader

Interesting ... so you're provisioned VDSL, but they brought the connection to your unit up via Coax only? 

Typical installations I've seen have been to put low-pass filter on the Coax in the ONT area to allow the FiOS TV signals to transit the common Coax to all units but eliminate any MoCA signal and then run a DSL connection (over phone wire) up to the modem in the unit for the Internet.

If you're Coax only, then there is the possibility that there is a bad splitter somewhere (obviously all the outlets in your unit needed to be split in order to allow them to be on the same cable plant) and there is likely something in the ONT area (an active device of some sort) which is putting the VDSL back onto a unit specific MoCA -- another point of potential failure.

Re: FIOS drops constantly, making me consider switching to comcast
benn683
Newbie

well, my modem has 2 inputs: VDSL and MOCA.  There is a COAX cable AND a phone wire in my verizon modem.

Ok so your post made me think of something.  I just unplugged the MOCA from my modem, and the net still works.  It must be VDSL only.   The tech said I had to have BOTH plugged in though.  Weird.  So im VDSL only now apparently.

Does this change your opinion of the problem?

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Re: FIOS drops constantly, making me consider switching to comcast
lasagna
Community Leader
Community Leader

Yes.   Sounds like you have a typical setup.

OK... so the Coax is needed so that the STB's can talk to the modem and get access to the Internet for their guide data, etc.

Leave that disconnected for a bit.   Replace the phone cable between the modem and the wall -- just to make sure you don't have a bad cable if you haven't already done that.   Some have also reported that using a two-wire cable instead of 4-wire can also change your results -- not sure if I buy into that, but something you might want to experiment with if you happen to have a cable or two laying about -- can't hurt.

So, with the coax disconnected, does the behavior change?

Do you have another phone outlet in the house?   Can you temporarily move the modem to that outlet and test again?

Do you have other phones in the house?  Can you temporarily disconnect all phones from their outlets such that the only thing connected is the modem? (wondering if something isn't shorting or interfering with the DSL signal on the phone line).

If you do all this and the connection keeps dropping, then I would vote either modem or the interface card to which you are connected in the basement or wherever.  Latter obviously needing a truck roll.

If it clears up when you do any of the above, then we need to track down what is causing the interference inside your place.

BTW .. don't leave the coax disconnected after you complete your testing or your STB's will cease to get their Guide and VoD information.

Re: FIOS drops constantly, making me consider switching to comcast
benn683
Newbie

right now im not experiencing an issue, but it is intermittent so I wouldnt trust it to be solved.

I have another phone outlet in the house, yes, but it's not shielded from interference like this one is.  The tech installed a filter on this particular phone port.  I also have a phone connected to another outlet.  I can disconnect that and see what happens.  I'll try that first to see if it isolates the problem.

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Re: FIOS drops constantly, making me consider switching to comcast
lasagna
Community Leader
Community Leader

Wait a minute ... that filter is likely a DSL filter ... if so it REMOVES the DSL signal from the line so it doesn't interfere with regular phone calls, not the other way around.    Exactly what does that filter say on it?  If it's an inline filter, try taking the filter off once and see what happens.

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Re: FIOS drops constantly, making me consider switching to comcast
benn683
Newbie

the tech installed the filter behind the wall so I cant remove it.  The VDSL is coming out of the wall at the same jack my phone is coming out of.  The VDSL line is not plugged directly into a phone jack, it is plugged in behind the wall, coming out through a hole in the wall.  I think at the time the tech told me that I could only plug the modem into this particular jack/cord/port, but I haven't tested that yet.

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