# Weird DSL issue



## Selenna (Jun 18, 2004)

Hey everyone.... been awhile since I've been by. For those who don't know, I got a new job and moved from Michigan to North Carolina and I've suspended my DirecTV service until I buy a house here to get it set up again. For now I'm just in a small studio apartment which leads to why I'm posting this....

I can live without satellite TV for a few months, but online gaming is pretty much my only recreational activity so I needed to get some kind of broadband even for just the few months I expect to be in this apartment. Cable isn't available so I went with DSL (was surprised that was available). It worked fine for about the first week. Then I started having random drops sometimes a few times a night, when it was at it's worst a few times in 10 minutes. I called tech support and they tell me it's an ongoing issue that they're aware of and working on. OK, fine... I end up trying to connect every night with DSL and after 3 drops in a short period I go to the dial-up backup. This went on for a couple of weeks. Now they say that's fixed but I'm still getting dropped. And here's where my real nightmare begins.

I started keeping track of how often it was happening and I found a pattern I hadn't really paid attention to before. It always happens on the hour. It doesn't happen every hour, but most of them (for instance last Saturday it was 10am, 11, noon, 2pm, 5, 6, 7, and 8 when I was online from 9:30am to about 9:30pm). They (of course) claim it's nothing they're doing. I don't have any scheduled tasks and as far as I know nothing running on my PC that should be causing this (and it doesn't happen when I'm using dial-up). I'm on Windows XP SP 2. My DSL modem still shows the link as active and it only disconnects for some seconds... but long enough for me to get disconnected from the game server and booted from the game. Even if I'm not in-game it still happens because ICQ will pop-up as unable to connect for a few seconds. It's not a timeout issue since I can boot up and login 5 minutes before the hour and still get dropped.

I run Adaware, Spybot and Spyware blaster and Norton for viruses so I really don't think I have anything malicious on my machine. I've taken the phone off the line so just the modem was hooked up. I've swapped out cables and on the suggestion of their tech support even tried a different network card (picked up a USB one). I had only one PC setup since it's so cramped for space, but I've also added my router and a second PC - I logged my older PC into another online game and both dropped on the hour. The next hour I had my old PC logged into a game and turned off my main PC completely and got dropped. I've offset the time on my PC clock to see if it was hourly based on the PC time or on real time and it did not drop on the PC hour but only the real time hour. With all that I've tested, I'm confident that it's nothing on my system(s) causing the problem.

I've asked if they release and renew the IP address every hour and they claim not. I've asked them to check their logs to see if my modem shows an unusual number of disconnects/reconnects and they claim they don't have the ability to track that... they can tell if there is a connect or disconnect from their pool, but not which customer it was (I find that hard to believe but that's what the guy told me). I asked if they would give me a static IP address temporarily as a troubleshooting measure but since that's a paid service and he says he knows it's not set to release the IP that frequently they won't do that. Their attitude seems to boil down to if it was something they're doing they'd be getting a lot more complaints and since they're not, it's obviously just me and therefore my problem.

The building I'm in is just 2 studio apartments. I'm on the ground floor and there's an apartment above me. So I don't think there's a problem going on from the perspective of building maintenance or anything like that. This has been going on for weeks now and I'm really frustrated and don't know what else to try. I'm looking for something that might be able to log to a text file any modem and/or other network activity so I can see if something there would give me a clue as to the cause. Or any other ideas are welcome too.

-Sel


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

No doubt in my mind that this is a server-side issue. You can use "IPCONFIG /ALL" to determine your lease time - but I've not seen any server that sync'd that to the top of the hour, so even if they are so stupid to make it 60 minutes, I doubt that's the problem.

Time for you to start raising holy hell about this and get the problem escalated.

I'm working a similar issue with an ISDN line that won't come up. I had to make a total F*ing idiot out of their 2nd-level tech rep to start getting action. He claimed to be pinging me just fine (but no RD lights on the modem). I had him start up a 250 ping loop - he said it was going OK. Then I pulled the power on the modem and he insisted it was still fine - giving me ping times.  I told him what I'd done. :nono: Now he insists it's the modem - he found one in their back room  and is shipping it out. :nono2: Frelling idiots all of them.

P.S. You might want to update your profile's location.


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## AllieVi (Apr 10, 2002)

You can check your current IP address at this site:

http://www.whatismyip.com/

Do it when you log on and then again after your have a problem to see if it's changed.


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## Selenna (Jun 18, 2004)

SimpleSimon said:


> No doubt in my mind that this is a server-side issue. You can use "IPCONFIG /ALL" to determine your lease time - but I've not seen any server that sync'd that to the top of the hour, so even if they are so stupid to make it 60 minutes, I doubt that's the problem.
> 
> Time for you to start raising holy hell about this and get the problem escalated.


It shows a 24 hour lease... but after the reference from AllieVi it occurs to me that what I'm seeing is my LAN IP from my router and not my Internet IP. I already had MyWANIP loaded and the address didn't change from before the hour to after... but it wouldn't necessarily if it was releasing and renewing the same number.. but forcing a renew in my router setup it shows DHCP remaining time of an hour but that still makes no sense that even if it was only an hour that it would be *on* the hour as you noted above.

So far they've more or less flat out refused to escalate it... I've asked multiple times to be transferred to someone in 2nd level support and they won't. One guy I I've talked to a few times I know isn't located locally so I suspect the support, if not the service itself is outsourced. I'm paying the local phone company but no idea if the tech support I'm talking to really is where the servers are. He definitly said some other things that I *know* are total BS but would sound plausible to the average non-techie user.


SimpleSimon said:


> P.S. You might want to update your profile's location.


Dang it, I saw that too and told myself to go fix it... then obviously forgot.
It's hell getting old


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## Selenna (Jun 18, 2004)

chaddux said:


> If the IP address you are seeing is 192.x.x.x where X represents anything, you are seeing the local IP for your network. Your WAN IP addresses is what will be visible at that website.
> 
> Couple of questions: what router do you have (as specific as possible)? How many computers are connected to the router?


Yes, I got my true IP from MyWANIP and it didn't change pre vs post hour. My router is a Linksys BEFSR41 ver.2 and there are currently 2 desktop PCs and a VOIP adapter connected to it. But I only hooked that up this morning to test if the second computer would drop too and as long as I was going thru the hassle figured I'd add the VOIP box too.... prior to today it's just been one PC with the DSL modem... no router, no VOIP.


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## Selenna (Jun 18, 2004)

It still drops, router or no... tho this evening I had several hours where it didn't. It dropped several times during the day but for whatever reason I was able to play in relative peace thru the evening hours. We'll see how it goes tomorrow *crosses fingers*.

Company is Wilkes Communications... local phone company that is actually a co-op. No idea how big they are, but this area is not exactly a booming metropolis so my assumption is not very. Address is @wilkes.net


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## cdru (Dec 4, 2003)

What brand and model is your DSL modem (not router)? Some routers have an internal diagnostics page that can tell you what your signal strengths are. My Westel modem from Verizon has a seperate program to access the stats for some models, or a built-in webserver much like a router has.

I'd be suspicious of signal strength issues. To you have access to the NID to hook the modem up directly to see if it's your wiring issue or theres?


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## Selenna (Jun 18, 2004)

cdru said:


> What brand and model is your DSL modem (not router)? Some routers have an internal diagnostics page that can tell you what your signal strengths are. My Westel modem from Verizon has a seperate program to access the stats for some models, or a built-in webserver much like a router has.
> 
> I'd be suspicious of signal strength issues. To you have access to the NID to hook the modem up directly to see if it's your wiring issue or theres?


Per the manual and modem itself, it's a Pacific Star Communications StarSmart model SSABR-B. I didn't get any software with it but I haven't checked online to see if I can find anything (I suppose I'll do that today). To me though, it's the on the hour aspect that tells me this is not a hardware issue be it wiring, modem or something on my PC. It's got to be something somewhere that is running some process or sending some signal - it just doesn't make sense that it would be that consistant otherwise.


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## Selenna (Jun 18, 2004)

chaddux said:


> No one has asked and I don't see where you have said so...you did install filters on EVERY in-use phone jack in the house EXCEPT the DSL jack, correct?


It's a studio apartment... there is only one jack. I do have a splitter with a line going to the DSL modem and another (with filter) going to the phone... but in my original (very long, I know, so you're forgiven for missing it) post I did mention that I'd taken the phone off the line.... for clarification, I totally removed the phone and splitter so it was just the line from the wall to the modem and nothing else... still happened.


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## chaddux (Oct 10, 2004)

Selenna said:


> It's a studio apartment... there is only one jack. I do have a splitter with a line going to the DSL modem and another (with filter) going to the phone... but in my original (very long, I know, so you're forgiven for missing it) post I did mention that I'd taken the phone off the line.... for clarification, I totally removed the phone and splitter so it was just the line from the wall to the modem and nothing else... still happened.


There is the possibility that the phone line itself is problematic, either inside or outside the wall. If it has been crimped or cut and poorly spliced, that could cause the signal to degrade resulting in the constant drops. I don't know how the building's wiring is set-up but unfiltered jacks in the other apartment could be causing problems.


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## Selenna (Jun 18, 2004)

At about a week into the service I lost both DSL and dial tone completely. They came out and I was told they replaced the line from the pole to the building. I suppose there's still the possibility of bad wiring inside the building (including the other apartment), but I still don't understand why it would always be on the hour if that was the issue. I do appreciate the questions and that you're all trying to help... it's just a very frustrating situation. With all the additional stuff I tried this weekend I'll be back to trying to talk to someone with a clue at tech support tomorrow.


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## chaddux (Oct 10, 2004)

Selenna said:


> At about a week into the service I lost both DSL and dial tone completely. They came out and I was told they replaced the line from the pole to the building. I suppose there's still the possibility of bad wiring inside the building (including the other apartment), but I still don't understand why it would always be on the hour if that was the issue. I do appreciate the questions and that you're all trying to help... it's just a very frustrating situation. With all the additional stuff I tried this weekend I'll be back to trying to talk to someone with a clue at tech support tomorrow.


Unfortunately, DSL can be affected by so many different factors as you've seen. It can be very difficult to diagnose on your own and usually involves lots of guess, check, and revise. I would venture a guess that your modem could easily be defective. My router worked fine for a couple of years and then, one day, I started having constant signal loss (back when I had cable). Tests with the modem were fine and the cable company was not showing any packet loss. Finally, I figured out that my router was causing the problem. A quick check with D-Link found that the router was randomly closing valid ports. It was replaced and all was fine. Your modem could be doing something similar.


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## pjmrt (Jul 17, 2003)

I'm not sure how you can check out the phone line issue itself - but I wonder if that might be your problem. I couldn't see if/where you said - but do you have a dedicated phone line into the apartment (i.e. a phone box connecting you physically outside the apartment - only for your apartment)? Also, I have heard that some meters use the phone lines (some locations) - so that meter readers do not have to physically access the property. You might want to quiz the building maintance tech - see if you can learn if there are any unusual phone line wiring in the building.


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## chaddux (Oct 10, 2004)

pjmrt said:


> I'm not sure how you can check out the phone line issue itself - but I wonder if that might be your problem. I couldn't see if/where you said - but do you have a dedicated phone line into the apartment (i.e. a phone box connecting you physically outside the apartment - only for your apartment)? Also, I have heard that some meters use the phone lines (some locations) - so that meter readers do not have to physically access the property. You might want to quiz the building maintance tech - see if you can learn if there are any unusual phone line wiring in the building.


Are you talking about power and gas meters? I've never heard of that. Our local water utility just got around to installing some form of RFID meters so a truck can just drive by. I can't imagine having to walk around and manually read 86,000 meters each month.


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## pjmrt (Jul 17, 2003)

chaddux said:


> Are you talking about power and gas meters? I've never heard of that. Our local water utility just got around to installing some form of RFID meters so a truck can just drive by. I can't imagine having to walk around and manually read 86,000 meters each month.


Yes exactly. I had DSL for a brief period. I was advised to put the line adapters on all the phones AND to check the gas, water meters as some utilities piggyback on the phone line. I guess that saves them the trouble of walking around every house to read each meter. If the meters are wired in this manner, I expect that every time the meter pings home or home pings the meter could be an interrupt of the DSL.


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## lee635 (Apr 17, 2002)

DSL craps out at same time every day

I guess you've been to www.dslreports.com and used their various tests and so forth to diagnose any problems?

I had Qwest DSL many years ago that was cheaper if you allowed them to disconnect you every two hours. I wonder if maybe this is your situation? A side note on the Qwest DSL, if I disconnected right before the 2 hours was up, I could reconnect again immediately, but if Qwest disconnected, it took a couple minutes to reconnect.

I checked around a few sites and someone said to turn off all extra phone services like call waiting. Others said there is something still connected to the line. Also, have you tried disconnecting a few minutes before the top of the hour, then see if you last through the hour? Finally, it sounds like something on provider's end, so you may just have to keep calling. sorry....


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## Skyburn (Nov 30, 2004)

Does your apartment building have security systems running in each individual apartment that may be utilizing the phone line for communicating with a security company such as ADT? I know that ADT and other companies' systems can cause issues with DSL, but I don't know why, if this is the case, you'd have issues every hour (unless the system phones-home every hour to tell the security company things are working).

It appears that your connection just comes back on its own, did I read that right? I.E, you don't have to reboot your DSL modem or anything like that to restart it?

I have Qwest DSL, and while your DSL provider may not be as sophisticated as Qwest, their technicians have portable analyzers that they can plug your phone line into and see a myriad of data about your DSL connection to their equipment -- if they had this thing running on your line for say 5 minutes on either side of the top of the hour, they could watch the DSL signal over time and see if it takes a hit at the hour. At a minimum, they should at least do this on the line outside your building to make sure it truly isn't their problem.


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