Mike Barnes

Just recently our BT Broadband has been acting up and I'm about to start
complaining. Unfortunately the symptoms are bit nebulous - when
browsing, I experience occasional unexpected delays of several seconds,
and sites that cannot be found but magically appear if I try again. It
didn't used to be like that.

Trying to find some more objective grounds for complaint, I'm looking at
the (Draytek Vigor 2600) router status page. The figures don't mean much
to me, but perhaps someone here who knows better can tell me whether
there's anything odd here:

ATM Statistics
TX Blocks RX Blocks Corrected Blocks Uncorrected Blocks
1657787707 1657787500 812751 2277

ADSL Status
Mode State Up Speed Down Speed SNR Margin Loop Att.
G.DMT SHOWTIME 448000 7616000 9.0 20.0

Any advice would be appreciated.

--
Mike Barnes

Graham

"Mike Barnes" <mikebarnes@bluebottle.com> wrote in message
newsb7UHBU+qiGGFw3X@g52lk5g23lkgk3lk345g.invalid ...
> Just recently our BT Broadband has been acting up and I'm about to start
> complaining. Unfortunately the symptoms are bit nebulous - when
> browsing, I experience occasional unexpected delays of several seconds,
> and sites that cannot be found but magically appear if I try again. It
> didn't used to be like that.
>
> Trying to find some more objective grounds for complaint, I'm looking at
> the (Draytek Vigor 2600) router status page. The figures don't mean much
> to me, but perhaps someone here who knows better can tell me whether
> there's anything odd here:
>
> ATM Statistics
> TX Blocks RX Blocks Corrected Blocks Uncorrected Blocks
> 1657787707 1657787500 812751 2277
>
> ADSL Status
> Mode State Up Speed Down Speed SNR Margin Loop Att.
> G.DMT SHOWTIME 448000 7616000 9.0 20.0
>
> Any advice would be appreciated.
>
> --
> Mike Barnes

First things first.
Does the ADSL LED flash for a while when the symptoms start?
--

Graham
%Profound_observation%

Mike Barnes

In uk.telecom, Graham wrote:
>
>"Mike Barnes" <mikebarnes@bluebottle.com> wrote in message
>newsb7UHBU+qiGGFw3X@g52lk5g23lkgk3lk345g.invali d...
>> Just recently our BT Broadband has been acting up and I'm about to start
>> complaining. Unfortunately the symptoms are bit nebulous - when
>> browsing, I experience occasional unexpected delays of several seconds,
>> and sites that cannot be found but magically appear if I try again. It
>> didn't used to be like that.
>>
>> Trying to find some more objective grounds for complaint, I'm looking at
>> the (Draytek Vigor 2600) router status page. The figures don't mean much
>> to me, but perhaps someone here who knows better can tell me whether
>> there's anything odd here:
>>
>> ATM Statistics
>> TX Blocks RX Blocks Corrected Blocks Uncorrected Blocks
>> 1657787707 1657787500 812751 2277
>>
>> ADSL Status
>> Mode State Up Speed Down Speed SNR Margin Loop Att.
>> G.DMT SHOWTIME 448000 7616000 9.0 20.0
>>
>> Any advice would be appreciated.
>>
>> --
>> Mike Barnes
>
>First things first.
>Does the ADSL LED flash for a while when the symptoms start?

The router has two lights under ADSL, labelled LINE and DATA.
Fortunately they're visible from my normal seating position but
unfortunately they're rather dim[1]. I've never noticed either of them
flashing but I'll pay closer attention from now on.


[1] Designers often position the lights well inside the case, positioned
on the assumption that the user is viewing them from above. I'm actually
looking across the desk, not down. On the router, this results in nearly
invisible lights. On the ethernet switch nearby, it results in
*completely* invisible lights. Bah!

--
Mike Barnes

Graham

> [1] Designers often position the lights well inside the case, positioned
> on the assumption that the user is viewing them from above. I'm actually
> looking across the desk, not down. On the router, this results in nearly
> invisible lights. On the ethernet switch nearby, it results in
> *completely* invisible lights. Bah!

Take a look at this then
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/infoweb/router.jpg
It's the front panel of an expensive Cisco ADSL/ISDN router that I am
commissioning at our customers premises. The latest batch to be delivered
does not have a window in front of the ADSL LED (Cisco call it the CD
light) It's the most important diagnostic light on the thing IMHO as it
tells
you if its in sync with the DSLAM at the exchange. If you look carefully
Just above the ISDN "Link" light you can just about see it through the
plastic.
When the customers call for support, the first thing they are going to be
asked
is, "Is the CD light flashing". Nightmare.
--

Graham.
%Profound_observation%

Tony

Mike Barnes <mikebarnes@bluebottle.com> wrote on Mon, 9 Apr 2007 at
12:59:58:
>Just recently our BT Broadband has been acting up and I'm about to start
>complaining. Unfortunately the symptoms are bit nebulous - when
>browsing, I experience occasional unexpected delays of several seconds,
>and sites that cannot be found but magically appear if I try again. It
>didn't used to be like that.
>
>Trying to find some more objective grounds for complaint, I'm looking at
>the (Draytek Vigor 2600) router status page. The figures don't mean much
>to me, but perhaps someone here who knows better can tell me whether
>there's anything odd here:
>
>ATM Statistics
>TX Blocks RX Blocks Corrected Blocks Uncorrected Blocks
>1657787707 1657787500 812751 2277
>
>ADSL Status
>Mode State Up Speed Down Speed SNR Margin Loop Att.
>G.DMT SHOWTIME 448000 7616000 9.0 20.0
>
>Any advice would be appreciated.

Those stats look normal for a good line.

I suggest a variety of tests to help diagnose the problem -

1) Reboot the router (the large number of TX/RX Blocks shows it's been
up for a while). This can clear any accumulated problems in its own
software.

2) If a webpage fails to load, try using its IP address instead in the
browser's address bar (obtain it from a DNS lookup facility, e.g.
<http://www.zoneedit.com/lookup.html> - this will test whether your
computer's/router's DNS lookups are causing the problem or not).

3) Try the Netmonitor speed test at
<http://www.netmonitor.org/tools/ttest.php>. This gives the number of
retransmitted data packets - anything higher than a few per cent might
indicate a problem.

4) Try another computer connected to the router - do the same problems
occur?

--
Tony