Major problem, need advice. - AT&T Southeast (2024)

Elthesh

Member

2009-Jan-18 9:27 pm

I haven't made any calls yet on this issue, but I would like to know how I can get AT&T to send out a proper technician to diagnose this problem? The last time I had an issue with latency and speeds about a year ago, they said they'd send someone out and... they send a contractor with a laptop who showed up, he had little clue what he was supposed to do and only ran a speed test on his laptop after I asked him if there was anything he could do at all to check the connection. He didn't run any other tests, wouldn't even look at the DSLreports line quality tests I ran and really looked like he'd rather be elsewhere. He said he had no tools, and only works on customers computers or some such. He seemed more like the guy that would come in, look your computer over and tell you you have a virus or something.

I've done testing from this computer, a 2nd computer with a brand new Westell modem I had stored away and from both computers directly from the NID. Results are the same.

Anyway, the problem is that since Friday I'm having major speed/latency problems from about 6-9am till about 1-3am. Between those times, late late at night, the speed climbs back up and the issues go away. Then they start anew the next morning. After running a number of line quality tests over the past few days, the issue seems to be with the first hop directly above my home ip, although I can't be 100% sure of that. Here are some tests, from the oldest to the newest.

»/lineq ··· /2477364
»/lineq ··· /2477582
»/lineq ··· /2477675
»/lineq ··· /2477866
»/lineq ··· /2478137
»/lineq ··· /2478196

Here are a couple speed tests, one during the bad times, and one in the middle of the night once it has cleared up.

How do I get them to recognize that this is a problem and to not send out the wrong technician to diagnose the situation?

DeltaElite

Member

2009-Jan-18 10:37 pm

Well...

To start with, what are your dsl line stats? low margins sometimes cause latency...

They sent you a contractor. All they do is run speed test or blame it on CPE and leave....

Anyway, postyour line stats and we'll take it from there....Directions are in the FAQ.

Elthesh

Member

2009-Jan-18 11:29 pm

Operational data report : near end (Downstream)
-----------------------------------------------
Attainable line rate : 9752 kbit/sec
Attainable Atm rate : 9248 kbit/sec
Used line rate : 8612 kbit/sec
Fast used Atm rate : 8128 kbit/sec
Interleaved used Atm rate : 0 kbits/sec
Rel. capacity occupation : 88
Noise Margin : 9 dB
Line attenuation : 32 dB
Output Power : 19 dBm

Operational data report : far end (Upstream)
--------------------------------------------
No data available.

That's what the line stats come up as.

Elthesh

Member

2009-Jan-19 1:30 am

The above was from the Alcatel Speedtouch Home. The follow stats and log are from the Westell connected directly to the NID. Speed tests and latency are still in the tank on the Westell. Also, before Friday, everything was perfect for at least a year or so with max upload and download speeds, and before the last issue(which turned out to be repair work somewhere) it has run perfectly on 6 meg, 3 meg and 1.5 meg connections since 2001.

DSL Statistics Help

Line State Up
Modulation G.DMT Mode
Data Path Fast

Transceiver Information

Down Stream Path Up Stream Path
DSL Sync Rate (Kbits/Sec) 8128 512
SN Margin (db) 12.5 12.0
Line Attenuation (db) 30.5 21.0
CRC Errors 0 1

CURRENT MODEM STATUS
DSL Modem Status....... Up
PPP Session Status...... Up
Connection Type......... PPPoE
Time set from............. Local
Time since last boot.... 0 days, 0 hrs: 6 mins: 0 secs

Time last modem self test.. NEVER
Time last modem result.... UNKNOWN

EVENTS
**********************************************************************
Events are listed starting from the most recent. **********************************************************************

MON JAN 19 01:21:14 2009 Setting System clock to Local time MON JAN 19 01:21:14 2009

MON JAN 19 01:21:14 2009 Time set from Primary SNTP server: tock.usno.navy.mil

MON JAN 19 01:21:12 2009 PPP CONNECTED on VPI 8 VCI 35

MON JAN 19 01:21:09 2009 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to dsl Restart

MON JAN 19 01:20:53 2009 US Atten: 21.0 DS Atten: 30.5

MON JAN 19 01:20:53 2009 US Margin: 12.0 DS Margin: 16.0

MON JAN 19 01:20:53 2009 US Tx Power: 2.2 DS Tx Power: 19.7

MON JAN 19 01:20:53 2009 US DSL Rate: 512 kbits/sec DS DSL Rate: 8128 kbits/sec

MON JAN 19 01:20:53 2009 WanMgr reports DSL is UP

MON JAN 19 01:18:55 2009 Model Number: C90-610030-06

MON JAN 19 01:18:55 2009 Software Version: VER:03.06.02

MON JAN 19 01:18:55 2009 Product: WireSpeed Dual Connect Model: NAT Combo

end of diagnostic log file

Elthesh

Member

2009-Jan-19 1:57 am

These stats are from the Westell connected from it's usual spot and not from the NID. Over the past hour, speed has picked up a small bit and a line quality test from the NID on the Westell shows that the 50% packet loss at the hop above me has cleared up for the night. In the next few hours, speed should come back up in the 4-6 meg range and then tank again around 6-9am

»/lineq ··· /2478520

DSL Statistics Help

Line State Up
Modulation G.DMT Mode
Data Path Fast

Transceiver Information

Down Stream Path Up Stream Path
DSL Sync Rate (Kbits/Sec) 8128 512
SN Margin (db) 16.0 12.0
Line Attenuation (db) 30.5 21.0
CRC Errors 0 1

DeltaElite

Member

2009-Jan-19 5:51 pm

It aint a line problem....

I bow to the network Guru's, they'll be by shortly.

NormanS to Elthesh

MVM

2009-Jan-20 12:02 am

I looked at your first two LQ tests. You are dropping packets right out of the gate. I'd be suspicious of unwanted activity directly on your network.

Do you know how to find your gateway IP address? Seeing a ping test against your gateway IP address would be revealing. Here are a couple of ping tests to my gateway IP address:

No P2P activity on the wire:

Ping statistics for 69.105.39.254: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 8ms, Maximum = 9ms, Average = 8ms 

Notice that the deviation between minimum and maximum is just 1 ms. Now a ping test with uTorrent uploading at 16.9KB/s:

Ping statistics for 69.105.39.254: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 9ms, Maximum = 22ms, Average = 13ms 

There is a 13 ms deviation of maximum from minimum. Also, depending on whether modem, or router, is doing QoS, there could be a slowdown in surfing when there is activity on the network.

Elthesh

Member

2009-Jan-20 9:55 am

Well, for the past day, the line quality tests are no longer showing that massive packet loss on the first hop. none actually, but speeds are still tanking. Not like they were before, but from at least 6 am till about 8:30 or 9, speed tests were maxing out. about 6500/430. 10 minutes ago, it was

Download Speed: 2826 kbps (353.3 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 178 kbps (22.3 KB/sec transfer rate

As of right now, it is...

Download Speed: 3990 kbps (498.8 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 306 kbps (38.3 KB/sec transfer rate)

This line quality test, taken just now, has been the status quo since yesterday.

»/lineq ··· /2479057

Also, I'm reasonably sure this is a ping to my gateway, if my router isn't lying to me.

Ping statistics for 65.14.252.5:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 8ms, Maximum = 9ms, Average = 8ms

I can't say I have any clue what was going on since Friday or why the packet loss is gone, but speeds are fluctuating still. For example, during the bad days, speeds would be about 200/430 roughly, yesterday, at their worst they were roughly 1800/400

Elthesh

Member

2009-Jan-20 11:47 am

This is the latest speed test, download is pretty much bottomed out. Line quality test was the same as the previous, no obvious problems there.

Press2Esc2
join:2005-07-03
SC

Press2Esc2 to Elthesh

Member

2009-Jan-20 5:42 pm

Unplug all the devices from your router, wait about 2-3 minutes and re-test your speeds. Unplug this PC, wait 2-3minutes and (one at a time) re-run the speedtest on all remaining PCs.

If you see any major differences, I would start looking for a P2P app or malware. For purposes of comparision, try running a speedtest on a suspect PC in "safe mode with networking".

RJ44 to Elthesh

Member

2009-Jan-20 6:06 pm

Elthesh, you can always find a site where speed tests show slow speeds, especially on the west coast. Can you confirm the problem by testing at a closer server? I recommend the speakeasy test here:

»speakeasy.net/speedtest/

Choose the Atlanta server, and run a test for comparison, the next time your speeds are in the tank.

Elthesh

Member

2009-Jan-21 12:51 am

Speeds have returned to normal for the night.

Download Speed: 6382 kbps (797.8 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 420 kbps (52.5 KB/sec transfer rate)

That's from the Atlanta server. However it was erroring out all day long till now so I had to choose a different one earlier. I'll unplug everything shortly and retest, however I did that numerous times over the weekend with no improvements at all immediately after restarting everything. Although I was still have the massive packet loss on the first hop then still. I'll update once I get that done again, and then again in the morning/late morning to see how speeds and such are going then.

kremithefrog6
join:2008-06-27
Albany, GA

kremithefrog6

Member

2009-Jan-21 2:47 am

Airwolf7 to Elthesh

Premium Member

2009-Jan-21 10:06 am