I'm having issues with my own network running on Business Fios out of Pittsburgh PA. I've done all the troubleshooting I can, and it seems that even when I have a laptop connected with my static IP DIRECTLY to their ONT, uploads lock up, and reset. I've tried FTP uploads to our hosted web server, and the FTP logs show that the connection was dropped and started over again, constantly. This happens with any upload, while connected locally. Verizon can't "find anything wrong" at their end.
I spoke with support yesterday, and after being told it must be something at my end (even though I’ve bypassed all of my network by connecting the laptop to the ONT, and also tried TWO of their actiontec routers to their ONT – same situation). I was told “This is what I do for a living” and that’s that – after asking for a supervisor he agreed to send a tech to look at the ONT today between 1 and 5. No one ever showed up, I’m not surprised.
Has anyone seen behavior like this? All I can figure is a cooked ONT or a routing issue on their end, but how in the world do I convince them? I’m about 2 seconds away from jumping ship for Comcast with static IP’s since my business relies on this being a stable connection, and right now it isn’t. I’m doing a disservice to my own clients at the moment because I’m having so much trouble uploading files.
Fios is by far the best technology and it’s been running great here for 3 years – but last week something changed, and it was nothing internal.
Any suggestions?
-Matt Weaver
Just to simplify since I got "wordy" - Uploads freeze up and/or timeout - any upload: facebook, youtube, FTP to our webserver, etc. Some times small files will make it up, but if I"m uploading a 50MB video, it'll stop at 5% or so. (Let alone our 250GB backup files we usually upload!)
To test I've disconnected our network, gone straight from the Fios ONT to their actiontec router, and our spare actiontec router, and tried with 2 laptops. Also tried with both directly to the ONT configured with a static IP address. There's no more troubleshooting a non fios tech can do. The test laptops don't even have antivirus.
-Matt
The first thing I would suggest is to run the Argonne National Laboratories test, and see what it tells you.
It is pretty good about documenting and testing the network end to end. Go
and run the test.
The result doesn't look that awful, this is with it on my LAN, about to go direct to the ONT and see what I get...
Checking for Middleboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Done
checking for firewalls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Done
running 10s outbound test (client-to-server [C2S]) . . . . . 1.61Mb/s
running 10s inbound test (server-to-client [S2C]) . . . . . . 7.56Mb/s
The slowest link in the end-to-end path is a 10 Mbps Ethernet subnet
[S2C]: Packet queuing detected
Straight to the ONT the results are:
checking for firewalls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Done
running 10s outbound test (client-to-server [C2S]) . . . . . 1.42Mb/s
running 10s inbound test (server-to-client [S2C]) . . . . . . 12.24Mb/s
The slowest link in the end-to-end path is a 10 Mbps Ethernet subnet
[S2C]: Packet queuing detected
The thing is I don't thin kthis test will detect the issue I'm having, which is the connection resetting/dropping every few minutes causing uploads to fail. Between the drops everything works fine.
While i was out there with the laptop connected to the ONT I tried to upload another youtube video: FAILED, FTP failed 2.5 minutes in (connection reset.)
On our backup server this is what we've been seeing as well: constant connection lost / reset in the logs, every few minutes.
About to call again to raise hell that no one showed up after I rearanged my work schedule to be here, but I'm losing faith in Verizon, and I was a fios fanboy.
The next step is to try to find out why the connection is being reset. My experience is that usually the server on the other end asks for the reset. However you might want to look at the statistics and 'more details' to see if there are any things that stand out.
You should be seeing substantially better numbers than you are reporting if you are a commercial 25/25 customer.
I also work with a customer in Pittsburgh with a FiOS commercial connection. Unless you are using Vista or Window 7 for the ndt test, you aren't getting anywhere near the performance you should have. (With Vista and Windows 7 the network buffers are dynamically adjusted, and you need to run the test several times to get them adjusted to a size suitable for a 25/25 connection).
While I use FTP frequently, I rarely upload files larger than about 1mb, and I have never had a problem. I upload to a couple of web sites, one hosted by GoDaddy, the other by Pair Networks.
Thanks for the insight. The connection is 15 down 2 up so the numbers aren't completely off-par. Spoke to a much nicer and more knowledgable tech (named Dick, ironic when the last tech was a, well, dick) at support a few moments ago who spoke to dispatch, I got bumped from the 1-5 slot yesterday because they're sending a team of two fios techs: I predict a reinstall. I actually have another fios line and ONT here (long story) but we used to have FIOS tv coming in to a seperate ONT, wouldn't mind if they moved my connection over to that to eliminiate the line and hardware. I guess we'll see, I just need to be back to beind functional...
The plot thickens. A tech showed up at about 3:30pm on Friday - and stayed until about 7:30. He was GREAT - but couldn't fix the issue.
He replaced the ONT. Then he tried another fiber line (we used to have a seperate ONT here for video, so he repatched at the end of the street.) Then he tried a different model ONT. We configured yet TWO more Verizon routers, set up as default taking my network out of the loop, nothing. Speed tests are fine, file uploads fail, from now FIVE tested laptops including Verizons.
He called to argue with their network techs on my behalf, and their stance was "Hey if you can send an email the connection must be working fine." Sending data packets isn't the issue - file uploads / large streams of data is.
The tech escelated the ticket, but as he put it it's out of our hands now and we might not hear if anything is or isn't done. The issue is still happening, so it seems like nothing's been done 3 days later. I can't work like this.
I've been unable to do my job here for a week now, and Verizon has dissappointed me greatly, I'm feeling lightly heartbroken that I probably need to call Comcast (comcrap...) just so I can do file uploads again. It's been a great service for 3 years, but if I can't do my job, which keeps this roof over my head, fairwell Verizon.
Unreal...
Download a copy of Wireshark and do a packet capture of an FTP upload (note, this will capture the userid/password of the account you're accessing so you might want to change it first and change it back when you are done -- as well as disclose your IP source address/hosting server). Then let's have a look see at what might be going on. PM me if you don't want to post it for everyone to see. Can't gaurentee a fix, but maybe we can at least figure out where things are breaking down.
Have you by chance taken this same laptop to another location (preferably a FiOS location, but a Starbucks or other open wifi spot would be OK as well) to see if it results in similar behavior? Given no other changes on the laptop, if a change of location doesn't change the behavior, then we're dealing with a laptop configuration (yes, I know it's on several laptops) vs a network problem. At a minimum it will help pinpoint the problem.
.
I forgot to update this. I eventually ended up with 4 fios techs (yes, 4) working on it with me, who all came to the same conclusion: bad PON card, just as we'd decided on day one of that mess. One of them was my new neighbor from 2 doors up, that was just funny.
Eventually Verizon replaced the PON card overnight, and the next day everything worked once again I'm very happy its resolved, just blows my mind it took 5 techs saying the same thing before the "higher ups" would do anything about it.
I'm up and running and happy about that, but its bittersweet after that kind of frustration. Unfortunately Fios is the only way I can get the speed around here, and they know it 😕
-Matt
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