unreliable DSL in Washinton DC
slownet
Enthusiast - Level 3

I live in a neighborhood that is not served by FiOS because it is in Washinton DC - one mile from the vice Presidents House.  Go figure.  So I have a DSL link and it crashes occasionally - sometimes it runs for a month but some periods it crashes frequently.  The most recent period of crashes began about a month ago.  I do have a fix - reboot the router - but that gets tedious.  The router is always up and available when the link is down so I feel quite comfortable that the problem is the link and not the router. I called support - telephone works OK even when DSL is down - and they gave me the usual spiel about checking my line.  It was working fine b/c I rebooted the router so they saw no problems.  Since 2 Aug I have been keeping track of the problem and one no day have I not had to reboot.  That is, 9 days I had to reboot at least once and on six of those days I had to reboot twice in one day.  I reboot whe I see it is down, mornings and evenings generally, but that probably is an artifact of my work schedule.  I considered writing a script to ping somewhere every 10 minutes to track when the link goes down to see if there is a pattern to when the local switch reboots their DSL interfaces and leaves me hanging.  I've also considered using the neighborhood chatlist to see if any other people are having problems with their Verizon DSL service.

Anyone else have any ideas for getting reliable Verizon DSL service in the nation's captal? 

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Re: unreliable DSL in Washinton DC
slownet
Enthusiast - Level 3

You are right - thanks.  The line went down again this morning and I checked the transceiver stats before rebooting.  The downlink noise margin was 0.-3 (sic) when it usually is around 6.  After rebooting it was back to 6.

Thankyou for the help. 

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Re: unreliable DSL in Washinton DC
Telcoguru
Master - Level 1
Is the DSL light going out when you lose your internet connection? Please post your modem stats it would help to see if anything is wrong with the line.
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Re: unreliable DSL in Washinton DC
dslr595148
Community Leader
Community Leader
If you have no idea on what "Telcoguru" meant, the brand and model of your router would help...
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Re: unreliable DSL in Washinton DC
slownet
Enthusiast - Level 3
The light that reads "Internet" has changed to red from green.  All other lights remain green and active.
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Re: unreliable DSL in Washinton DC
slownet
Enthusiast - Level 3

Whew, for a while there I thought I'd have a day without a lost connection.  The "internet" light doesn't turn red, it goes off when the link is lost.  The "DSL" light remains green as does "power" and "E1."  "Wireless" also remains green.  In other words, the only visible difference between connected and disconnected is that the "internet" light goes out.  As seen from my computer, the router also remains fully accessible with no signs that it has suffered an internal malfunction.

Next time it is down I'll go through the system logs to see if they add any useful data although I have little doubt that the problem lies between my Westell 5700 and the local c/o.  Looking at the logs now just tells me what happened after I rebooted.

Appreciate the assistance. 

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Re: unreliable DSL in Washinton DC
Telcoguru
Master - Level 1
Please post your modem stats from this page. http://192.168.1.1/transtat.htm
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Re: unreliable DSL in Washinton DC - modem log
slownet
Enthusiast - Level 3
This is the log for this morning's link loss.  I've removed some computer names used on my network and begun the log when errors begin to appear right before the crash.  I laos had to delete soem redundant messages to avoid exceeding the max message length on this forum.  I'll collect more stats next time it crashes.  I was fortunate to be at my computer as the link went down.  By now I'm not going to bother resetting the clock in the modem to summertime.  Thanks for the assist.
 
Time Severity Process Details
Aug 13 05:23:29 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell PPP Environment:device:nas1 linkname:config0 
iplocal:96.231.xx.xxipremote:10.1.78.1 ppplogname:root orig_uid:0 connect_time:303452220 xx.xx
161.12
Aug 13 05:23:29 daemon.warn pppd[937]: pppd[937] EXIT_PPPOE_TIMEOUT_PADO caused InternetFail 

light to be lit
Aug 13 05:23:29 daemon.notice pppd[937]: PPPD Exit Status changed 

EXIT_OK->EXIT_PPPOE_TIMEOUT_PADO during phase PHASE_SERIALCONN->PHASE_HOLDOFF
Aug 13 05:23:29 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell phase_hook PHASE=PHASE_HOLDOFF(11)
 05:23:29 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell Random Holdoff returning 454 seconds
 05:23:29 daemon.warn pppd[937]: Leaving destroy_pppoesessionfile
 05:23:29 daemon.err pppd[937]: Unlinking PPPoE session file:/WFIO/ppp-config0
 05:23:29 daemon.warn pppd[937]: Enter destroy_pppoesessionfile
 05:23:29 daemon.err pppd[937]: Unable to complete PPPoE Discovery
 05:23:29 daemon.warn pppd[937]: Timeout waiting for PADO packets
 05:23:29 daemon.warn pppd[937]: waitForPADO: timed out
 05:23:19 daemon.warn pppd[937]: waitForPADO: timed out
 05:23:14 daemon.warn pppd[937]: waitForPADO: timed out
 05:23:09 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell PPP Environment:device:nas1 linkname:config0 
iplocal:96.231.xx.xx ipremote:10.1.78.1 ppplogname:root orig_uid:0 connect_time:303452220 
bytes_sent:9263314 bytes_rcvd:176378351 usepeerdns:1 dns1:71.252.0.12 dns2:68.237.xxx.xx
Aug 13 05:23:09 daemon.notice pppd[937]: PPPD Exit Status changed EXIT_PEER_DEAD->EXIT_OK during 

phase PHASE_DORMANT->PHASE_SERIALCONN
Aug 13 05:23:09 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell phase_hook PHASE=PHASE_SERIALCONN(2)
Aug 13 05:23:09 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Wan link is up and PPPoE Terminator on DSL:nas1 is done 

working
Aug 13 05:23:09 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell PPP Environment:device:nas1 linkname:config0 

iplocal:96.231.xx.xx ipremote:10.1.78.1 ppplogname:root orig_uid:0 connect_time:303452220 

bytes_sent:9263314 bytes_rcvd:176378351 usepeerdns:1 dns1:71.252.0.12 dns2:68.237.xxx.xx
Aug 13 05:23:09 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell phase_hook PHASE=PHASE_DORMANT(3)
Aug 13 05:18:33 daemon.info dnsmasq[189]: DHCPACK(br0) 192.168.1.42 00:13:d3:51:08:76 
Aug 13 05:18:33 daemon.info dnsmasq[189]: DHCPINFORM(br0) 192.168.1.42 00:13:d3:51:08:76
Aug 13 05:18:04 daemon.err cwmpd[234]: ddnsWanIPCallback WAN State Down
Aug 13 05:18:01 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell PPP Environment:device:nas1 linkname:config0 
iplocal:96.231.xx.xx ipremote:10.1.78.1 ppplogname:root orig_uid:0 connect_time:303452220 
bytes_sent:9263314 bytes_rcvd:176378351 usepeerdns:1 dns1:71.252.0.12 dns2:68.237.xxx.xx
Aug 13 05:18:01 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell phase_hook PHASE=PHASE_HOLDOFF(11)
Aug 13 05:18:01 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell Random Holdoff returning 308 seconds
Aug 13 05:18:01 daemon.warn pppd[937]: Leaving destroy_pppoesessionfile
Aug 13 05:18:01 daemon.err pppd[937]: Unlinking PPPoE session file:/WFIO/ppp-config0
Aug 13 05:18:01 daemon.warn pppd[937]: Enter destroy_pppoesessionfile
Aug 13 05:18:01 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell PPP Environment:device:nas1 linkname:config0 

iplocal:96.231.xx.xx ipremote:10.1.78.1 ppplogname:root orig_uid:0 connect_time:303452220 

bytes_sent:9263314 bytes_rcvd:176378351 usepeerdns:1 dns1:71.252.0.12 dns2:68.237.xxx.xx
 05:18:01 daemon.info pppd[937]: Sent 9263314 bytes,received 176378351 bytes.
 05:18:01 daemon.info pppd[937]: Connect time 5057537.0 minutes.
 05:18:01 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Connection terminated.
 05:18:01 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell PPP Environment:device:nas1 ifname:ppp0 
linkname:config0 iplocal:96.231.87.49 ipremote:10.1.78.1 ppplogname:root orig_uid:0 
connect_time:303452220 bytes_sent:9263314 bytes_rcvd:176378351 usepeerdns:1 dns1:71.252.0.12 
dns2:68.237.xxx.xx
Aug 13 05:18:00 daemon.warn pppd[937]: pppd[937] EXIT_PEER_DEAD caused InternetFail light to be lit
Aug 13 05:18:00 daemon.notice pppd[937]: PPPD Exit Status changed EXIT_OK->EXIT_PEER_DEAD during 
phase PHASE_ESTABLISH->PHASE_DEAD
 05:18:00 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell phase_hook PHASE=PHASE_DEAD(0)
 05:17:58 daemon.notice net_mgr[237]: Routes transitioning to Down state on ppp0.
 05:17:58 daemon.notice net_mgr[237]: QoS on ppp0 transitioning to Down state.
3 05:17:55 daemon.notice ip-down[1129]: ppp0: 9263314 bytes sent,176378351 bytes received
 05:17:54 daemon.notice ip-down[1129]: ppp0: disconnected;connected for 303452220 seconds
 05:17:54 daemon.warn pppd[937]: Couldn t increase MRU to 1500
3 05:17:54 daemon.warn pppd[937]: Couldn t increase MTU to 1500
 05:17:54 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell PPP Environment:device:nas1 ifname:ppp0 

linkname:config0 iplocal:96.231.xx.xx ipremote:10.1.78.1 ppplogname:root orig_uid:0 

connect_time:303452220 bytes_sent:9263314 bytes_rcvd:176378351 usepeerdns:1 dns1:71.252.x.xx
dns2:68.237.xxx.xx
Aug 13 05:17:54 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell phase_hook PHASE=PHASE_ESTABLISH(4)
Aug 13 05:17:54 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell PPP Environment:device:nas1 ifname:ppp0 
linkname:config0 iplocal:96.231.87.49 ipremote:10.1.78.1 ppplogname:root orig_uid:0 
connect_time:303452220 bytes_sent:9263314 bytes_rcvd:176378351 usepeerdns:1 dns1:71.252.x.xx
dns2:68.237.xxx.xx
Aug 13 05:17:54 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell phase_hook PHASE=PHASE_NETWORK(7)
Aug 13 05:17:54 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell PPP Environment:device:nas1 ifname:ppp0 
linkname:config0 iplocal:96.231.87.49 ipremote:10.1.78.1 ppplogname:root orig_uid:0 
connect_time:303452220 bytes_sent:9263314 bytes_rcvd:176378351 usepeerdns:1 dns1:71.252.x.xx
dns2:68.237.xxx.xx
Aug 13 05:17:54 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell ip_down()
Aug 13 05:17:54 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell PPP Environment:device:nas1 ifname:ppp0
linkname:config0 iplocal:96.231.xx.xx ipremote:10.1.78.1 ppplogname:root orig_uid:0 usepeerdns:1 
dns1:71.252.0.12 dns2:68.237.xxx.xx
Aug 13 05:17:54 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Westell phase_hook PHASE=PHASE_TERMINATE(9)
Aug 13 05:17:54 daemon.notice pppd[937]: Serial link appears to be disconnected.
Aug 13 05:17:54 daemon.info pppd[937]: No response to 6 echo-requests
Aug 13 05:16:23 user.err syslog: WSTLIB_HTTP: error sending request
 
{edited IP's for privacy}
Message Edited by KaLin on 08-14-2009 03:42 PM
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Re: unreliable DSL in Washington DC - modem log
Telcoguru
Master - Level 1
The logs don't help me. I need to see the transceiver statistics.
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Re: unreliable DSL in Washinton DC
dslr595148
Community Leader
Community Leader
Since I now know what modem you are talking about...

The correct path might be System Monitoring -> Advanced Status -> Transciever Stats.

^
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Re: unreliable DSL in Washinton DC
slownet
Enthusiast - Level 3

I had hoped to include stats for the transceiver when the link was down but have not had a crash since the morning of the 13th.  These are the stats for the transceiver while it is working fine.

Transceiver Revision A2pB020b3.d19d

Vendor ID Code 4D54

Line Mode ADSL_G.dmt

Data Path INTERLEAVED

Transceiver Information Down Stream Path Up Stream Path

DSL Speed (Kbits/Sec) 2944                             832

Margin (dB)                         6.8                                     9.0

Line Attenuation (dB)         40.0                                     25.0

Transmit Power (dBm)        18.8                                     11.9 

This weekend I expect to run a test to compare the logs from a physical line failure to those from a logical line failure.  As far as I can read the logs above and the lights, my problem is a logical disconnection rather than a physical one since the DSL link remains up but the internet connection drops.  Similarly, the error logs only refer to logical problems rathe than physical problems.  Of course, that is where I started, seeing the problem as being high in the OSI stack and on Verizon's end rather than in my modem or DSL path, but I don't usually spend my days troubleshooting modems, so YMMV.

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