[Hidden-tech] Suggestions on debugging a DSL/ router issue

[Kevin Phillips]

If the DSL modem is the original, I would insist they change that out for
you. Some models run hot and will burn out sooner or later, dependant on
their ambient conditions.
 

Kevin Phillips 
KPIT Consulting 
kevin at kpitconsulting.com 
Office (413) 420-0212
Cell (413) 330-7789 

www.kpitconsulting.com <http://www.kpitconsulting.com/> 

www.wmassforums.com <http://www.wmassforums.com/> 

 

  _____  

From: hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net
[mailto:hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net] On Behalf Of Cheryl
Handsaker
Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 7:51 AM
To: hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net
Subject: [Hidden-tech] Suggestions on debugging a DSL/ router issue



Hi all, 

I am looking for suggestions as to how I might go about debugging a puzzling
network connectivity issue that began yesterday. Specifically:

1. Has anyone else experienced these kinds of problems with a similar
Verizon DSL configuration?

2. Does anyone have suggestions about how to approach gathering additional
information or solving the problem? Things to try or questions to ask?

The details - and my apologies in advance for the length of this
description. 

I am a Verizon DSL Business customer and have been since DSL became
available here in Charlemont in 2004 or 2005 (and before you all dump on
Verizon as an ISP, please know that it is the only game in town). We have a
router connected to the DSL modem and have been using the same set up for
years. While we've had intermittent problems before, most have been traced
to the quality of the phone line and usually occur in the rain or snow.
Yesterday was dry and sunny for the most part here. To their credit, when a
Verizon technician actually comes on site, they have been very helpful and
knowledgeable. Phone support has been sometimes excellent and sometimes
dreadful. 

Beginning yesterday at about 7AM, we began to experience intermittent
connectivity problems. We begin to notice a degredation in performance that
gets steadily worse over a 10-15 minute period until the network becomes
unusable. This appears to be caused by the network setup dropping packets -
initially 10% packet loss, then 25%, then 50%. At about the 50% mark, we
reboot the modem and/or the router and the network does not come back up and
appears not to be able to sync for at least 15-20 minutes.

Our initial call to Verizon indicated that our old but very reliable US
Robotics router had failed. It appeared that all the packet loss was
happening at the router.

We happened to have another spare but old router in the closet (a Linksys, I
think). We configured this and the network came up for a while and then
connectivity died in the same way as before, with us showing packet loss at
the router about 10AM. 

The Verizon phone support person, a good one, suggested maybe both these
routers needed a firmware upgrade due to their age.

We decided not to mess with that because the network eventually came back up
(after a couple of reboots and about 20 minutes of attempting to sync). 

At 1:30, same pattern of network failure occurred again. Rather than upgrade
the firmware in the older routers, we happened to have access to a brand new
router that we had purchased for someone else in the fall that was not being
used, this time a LinksKey. We replaced the router yet again.

At about 7:15, the same pattern of failure occured with the new router.
Verizon tech support, this time a dreadful rep, said she saw no problems on
the line and that this third router must be bad. While on the phone, the
sync completed and the network was again restored.

Thanks for reading this all the way through :-). Any ideas?

Thanks,
Cheryl 










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