ADSL connection problem

[JamesQB]

Hi

I've been experiencing an odd problem with my ADSL connection issue which is similar to the one described in the thread "Really weird ADSL connection issue". For the past 2 weeks, my 3Com OfficeConnect wireless router has intermittently dropped its connection, sometimes for an hour or two, sometimes for 24+ hours. The ISP can't understand it and has said they'll get a tech to check into it for the 2nd time. None of their suggestions have worked so far and when it has come back on, it's done so by itself for no obvious reason and not because I've done anything. Currently it's been offline for around 20 hours and I'm only online now after finding a workaround that did the trick.

The 'sync' light is one, so the line is synched, that's not the problem, but the 'online' light is off during this problem. It last happened about 4 days ago and then again last night at around 2am until now (but only due to my workaround). Noise margins are well within tolerance for the line speed (1Mbit) and although it won't connect, the router status page shows the correct line speed for downstream and upstream. But no amount of trying to connect will do anything.

Router is set to PPPoE protocol and unlike the other thread with a similar problem, altering to PPPoA doesn't help. I've got online for now by changing the protocol to 'Dynamic/Fixed IP in 1483 Bridge Mode' in the router setup, and then creating a PPPoE connection in Windows XP networking using my username and password as usually present in the router configuration. Connected instantly. Router status still shows the connection as disconnected of course, but the PPPoE connection connected instantly and now I'm online and the net's fast and working fine.

I can't understand why this problem suddenly started happening (nothing was altered in the router configuration and it has been reset and set up afresh a few times in attempts to get it to connect) and why using the XP PPPoE connection is getting a result, but the router won't connect. Something set up wrong at the ISP end?

If more information is needed, please say so and I'll supply it (like more details of router configuration, etc.). This is getting annoying and the ISP seems stumped. Phoned them earlier for the 3rd time since this trouble started and they still say they don't understand it. I can't even speak to someone with technical knowledge; I only ever speak to people running through a script on a screen in front of them. If I start to mention how I've got online using an XP connection, they'll go boggle-eyed.

Thanks in advance,
James

 

[Primis]

Sounds to like your DSLrouter might just be dropping the PPPoE connection due to some blip. By manually connecting via software, you're reconnecting so it works just fine, because it's still synced, just not logged in. So while it remains synced on the line, the PPPoE is being sensitive to something.

Have you logged into the DSLrouter/modem's internal firmware and checked the status of the PPPoE connection when it conks out? It could be when it happens next time, all you'll need to do it login to the firmware and reconnect the PPPoE in that instead of through XP.

I know I occasionally have to do this same thing for my DSL at hopme with my SpeedStream. It went away when I finally put it the dumb thing on its own APC UPS (seriously). We never have real blackouts here or brownouts even, but the power here is flakey enough still and even if you can't see the brownouts they sometimes will make sensitive equipment go haywire (like our Seimens phone switch at work, urgh).

If you have a spare UPS kicking around or can afford to toss $35 or so expirementally at the problem by buying one, I'd give it a go...

 

[JamesQB]

Hi, thanks for your reply.

We have power problems here from time to time (especially bad weather time) and already have a UPS connected to the router which is known to be working perfectly.

Whenever this problem occurs, I've been entering into the rotuer's firmware and working from there. It wouldn't connect no matter how many times I tried to get it to (connect button is in the ATM PVC Status page, next to PVC1 which is the only connection created). The method of connecting using XP was only tried just before writing the original post, after being off for over 20 hours and desperate to try anything. It's standard procedure for the ISP tech helpline people to get you to go into the firmware software and try to reconnect the PPPoE connection from within it, as they'd talked me through yet again when I phoned them for the 3rd time.

Anyway, by last night it had been 2 days using the XP connection so I thought I'd better check to see if the router would connect itself yet... it wouldn't. But I clicked the "connect" button in the firmware software about 12 times in annoyance and on the last attempt it suddenly connected. Been on ok since then.

I looked through the log to see what happens during a successful connection since I now had that happen (log was previously empty from me doing router resets, etc.) and got this:

[small]2006.05.28 16:54:44 ADSL Media Up !
2006.05.28 16:55:14 Dial On Demand(PPPoE1)
2006.05.28 16:55:14 PPPoE send PADI
2006.05.28 16:55:15 PPPoE receive PADO
2006.05.28 16:55:15 PPPoE send PADR
2006.05.28 16:55:15 PPPoE receive PADS
2006.05.28 16:55:15 PPPoE1 start PPP
2006.05.28 16:55:15 Username and Password: OK
2006.05.28 16:55:15 PPPoE1 get IP:xx.xx.xx.xxx
2006.05.28 16:55:16 If(PPPoE1) PPP connection ok !
2006.05.28 16:55:27 192.168.x.xxx forced logout
2006.05.28 16:55:27 192.168.x.xxx login success[/small]

I don't have connect failure logs available, but I do remember looking before and seeing that only PADI was sent, no PADO received back (or acknowledged anyway). Why might that be, yet obviously it's happier with an XP PPPoE connection?