Line drops and confusion from Service Centre

[Gliwmaeden2]

Yesterday my internet dropped c 1pm, but came back up after a few minutes. 

Today it went down earlier, during the morning, and was long enough for me to bother to run a test to check it. Though the connection was back, it was below the minimum guaranteed speed:

 

Also, since last weekend you have indicated a phone fault, but I hadn't noticed problems with the phone:

 

You'll notice that the report above says that you are unable to load necessary network status information.

I ran a test and it appeared to be coming up with no problem, but the next moment they say they are "working on it", and to check back in a few days' time. 

Currently speeds are normal. 

 

Could you check what's going on?

Are they working at the exchange or something?

I need a reliable functioning line to give an online lesson later today as I am not yet fully back on my feet from Covid.

It's been reliable since last summer when the engineer came, so this is quite a sudden change to faults over the past week. 

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Great, I'll keep my fingers crossed 🙂

Chris

[Gliwmaeden2]

So far, pages seem to be loading better, @Chris-TalkTalk! 😊

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Your Huawei has the latest firmware version so we'll see if the disconnections continue.

Chris

[Gliwmaeden2]

@Chris-TalkTalk, I changed the default password for that router years ago but don't know where I kept the record of it.

Rather than factory resetting etc:

Have plugged in the Huawei.

THIS Huawei might well need a firmware update, as it has been lying around for 2 years.

1. Could you possibly push through any essential updates to it?

2. We'll see if the same dropouts happen when I have removed the smartphone device in the course of the next few days. 

Thanks, 😊 Gliwmaeden2. 

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Thanks Gliwmaeden2,

It's a good call really by ferguson, generally by default the router is set to connect on demand and so will drop the connection if the connection is inactive. Just wondering if it had been set to 'always on' and then something has caused the router to reset to 'connect on demand'. It's probably worth just checking the router settings to make sure it is still set to 'always on'

Chris

[Gliwmaeden2]

The router has only just started doing this over this weekend, @ferguson, as far as I can tell.

I have changed nothing in its settings and it never did this when I used to use it (switched 2 years ago to the Sagemcom).

@Chris-TalkTalk, again at around 1.15pm, it was off when I came into the house. Took a good 5 minutes to come back.

NB it's the internet light that goes red, Broadband stays green, but no connection. 

[ferguson]

Might sound like a daft question, but have you got the router set to "always on?"

[Gliwmaeden2]

The "poor connection" warnings were during lessons using Skype - glitchy moments but not grinding to a complete halt. Sometimes the visual is a  good 5 seconds out of kilter with the audio, and then just as suddenly corrects itself. That might just be Skype mismatching?

The two occasions when I noticed the red light, I had been out of the house, so no device connected till I came back in, @Chris-TalkTalk.

But it is usually fine when I go out and come back in. Late Sunday I went a walk, came back in towards 11pm, and all lights were green and correct.

It shouldn't just be switching to red when it's got bored with the lack of activity though!

I was actually out for longer on the late evening walk (when it doesn't seem to have gone off) than for either my planet watching expedition or my shopping on Sunday afternoon (both of which showed red on my return).

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi Gliwmaeden2,

Has the connection dropped while you've been actively using it or have you just noticed that it had dropped when you've gone back to it?

Chris

[Gliwmaeden2]

Yes - I haven't touched a thing, as I said, @Michelle-TalkTalk.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

I've re-checked the connection stats now and the line is showing in sync for 9 days, although I can see drops in authentication. The sync speed looks very consistent and there are some errors on the line but they don't appear to be too high. Is everything exactly the same as the engineer last left it?

Thanks

[Gliwmaeden2]

@Michelle-TalkTalk, could you possibly check for disconnections again since last we were in touch?

I went out to watch the planets before dawn this morning and got back in to a red light on the router. C. 4.10am, I think.

I have noticed one or two "poor connection" alerts while teaching on Skype this past week too.

Speeds have been excellent, but it's probably worth just taking a look. 

Edit: Also, the landline phone gave a single brief screech during Saturday afternoon. Odd!

Edit 2, Sunday pm: I've just come back home to find that red light and no internet again 😪. C 5.15pm.

So this is not OK!

I have not moved the router from the master socket at all - all is where the engineer left it downstairs in the living room less than 2 weeks ago.

I think this suggests that there is something going on outside the house, and not caused by wiring to the upstairs.

That engineer wasn't qualified to check underground etc and didn't manage to get hold of anybody to follow up. 

😪

Thanks!

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

I hope you had a lovely weekend. I've just had a look at the connection stats now and they are looking good at the moment 🙂

Thanks

[Gliwmaeden2]

I was out for long periods both Saturday and Sunday, @Debbie-TalkTalk, so not using home wifi for hours on end, but I haven't noticed any disconnections. 

In fact the smart phone sitting beside the router has had a super duper speed reading just now:

 

Some zigzagging at the end of last week:

 

Do you think DLM has now settled for this better speed?

It's quite different from before!

If that's the case, I have now got some head scratching to do with fitting my upstairs office equipment into my living / teaching room space downstairs, ..... ! The printer doesn't really work on wifi. 

The Openreach engineer was baffled as to how the extension wire had been built into the house, but it seems it will be too damaging to my infrastructure to even attempt to sort it. 

All good for the time being, I think, thank you! 😊

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Gliwmaeden2

I agree 🙂 I'm happy to switch my lights off myself, I don't need Alexa to do it for me 🙂

Eventually the profile should stop changing once DLM has got the best balance between speed and stability. DLM will always monitor the connection but hopefully wont be changing the profile all the time.

I will check in again with you on Monday.

Thanks

[Gliwmaeden2]

Thanks, @Debbie-TalkTalk!

Looking at my list of elderly household gadgets, I am obviously having to be dragged kicking and screaming into the digital age.

The wonderful thing about them is that they are resilient against the foibles of one's internet connection!

Should DLM stop adjusting if things are properly sorted? Talktalk's email did say the line might take "a few days" to adjust.

Is it worth taking another look on Monday to see if the 3.33am reset continues?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Gliwmaeden2

Ok. I think this is DLM, it's monitoring the connection and adjusting the profile to get the best balance between speed and stability. This is why the sync speed keeps changing.

The connection looks stable throughout the day so far.

[Gliwmaeden2]

@Debbie-TalkTalk, I have nothing smart in the house at all, other than the android smartphone!

Ordinary gadgets wouldn't interact at all would they? TV is off at the wall overnight and 12 years old; microwave, fridge, freezer, all doing well at 15 years, touch wood!

But I don't think these are the sorts of things that reset at a particular time or have anything to do with my Broadband?

If that's the case, why do you think DLM keeps resetting?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Morning Gliwmaeden2

I've checked the connection stats again and the line is back in sync at 16.3mb. It looks like DLM changed the profile in the early hours this morning.

It also looks like the connection re connects around 3.33 am. This could be DLM. Do you have anything set on a timer around this time?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Gliwmaeden2

I will check the connection stats again tomorrow and I will post back on this thread.

Thanks