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List:       ipcop-user
Subject:    Re: [IPCop-user] Red interface dropping off net with messages
From:       Alex McColl <Alex.Mccoll () noaa ! gov>
Date:       2006-03-31 22:57:26
Message-ID: 442DB3D6.8040900 () noaa ! gov
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Thanks Rick,
Allot of info you gave me there!
Do you think I should call my ISP, Comcast?

Demark to Modem:
First, this location is out in the sticks and was lucky comcast decided to
provide service out there... only other option available was satellite (and
dial-up...)  From the Box on the street the cable travels about 300' through
two different barrel connectors to Comcast's box on the side of the building.
~From the inside of the building we have another barrel connector and about
50' of cable (all cable from the demark to cable modem is quad shield RG-6.)

Recent offer of higher speed: Yes and no... they now offer the higher speed to
all customers for the same price.  Previously we were at the basic rate (3.5/.256)
and for a short period of time about a year ago I upped it to (4.5/.328)... but,
didn't notice much of a difference and a month or two later reduced it back to
(3.5/.256).

This system has always been on the cable modem, never any dial-up.  There is
only a cable between the cable modem and the RED interface on IPCop.

I have customized my IPCop, addons server and many of the green addons.
I thought of simply re-installing (and going to 1.4.10 at the same time)
but, I'm worried that my restore disk could possibly carry over the bad
ju-ju.  I just printed out all of my customizations so I can re-enter from
paper.  Do you think I need to reinstall and restore config from paper or disk?

Should I pursue talking with Comcast about these signal issues?
Is there a super superior cable modem that could overcome these signal problems?
And while I'm talking with an expert... what is your favorite cable modem?
They only seem to last me about a year and then pop.  I've had several RCA's...
this is my first Motorola (and the longest survivor yet - about 14 months now.)

Thanks for all your help and knowledge!
Alex.

Rick Kunath wrote:
| Alex McColl wrote:
|
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|> Hi Rick,
|> thanks for the information and your help!
|>
|> I didn't group reply to the list because I saw your response directly
|> to me -
|> do you care if I cc the list on with the following response (it might be
|> helpful to others?)
|>
|
| Posting to the list is fine. Your reply-to settings may have been set,
| and I didn't catch it. I had intended to post back to the list.
|
|> I didn't even know that I could gain access to my cable modem's
|> error/status
|> page... I have a "Motorola Surf board" and your suggestion got me into
|> it.
|> Pointing my browser at 192.168.100.1 gave me the info you requested:
|> ###
|> Cable Modem Log entries:
|> Time      Priority      Code      Message
|> 060331012445    5-Warning    D103.0    DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field
|> invalid in response
|> 060329224248    3-Critical    R02.0    No Ranging Response received -
|> T3 time-out
|> 060328021031    3-Critical    R04.0    Received Response to Broadcast
|> Maintenance Request, but no Unicast
|> Maintena
|> 060328020959    3-Critical    R02.0    No Ranging Response received -
|> T3 time-out
|> 060226022026    3-Critical    R04.0    Received Response to Broadcast
|> Maintenance Request, but no Unicast
|> Maintena
|> 060226021956    3-Critical    R02.0    No Ranging Response received -
|> T3 time-out
|> 060213024946    3-Critical    R04.0    Received Response to Broadcast
|> Maintenance Request, but no Unicast
|> Maintena
|> 060213024915    3-Critical    R02.0    No Ranging Response received -
|> T3 time-out
|> 060201013853    3-Critical    R04.0    Received Response to Broadcast
|> Maintenance Request, but no Unicast
|> Maintena
|> 060201013818    3-Critical    R02.0    No Ranging Response received -
|> T3 time-out
|> 060125020657    3-Critical    T01.0    SYNC Timing Synchronization
|> failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK
|> symbol tim
|> 060125020657    3-Critical    D01.0    DHCP FAILED - Discover sent, no
|> offer received
|> 060125020654    3-Critical    R04.0    Received Response to Broadcast
|> Maintenance Request, but no Unicast
|> Maintena
|> 060125015851    3-Critical    R02.0    No Ranging Response received -
|> T3 time-out
|> 060125015739    3-Critical    T01.0    SYNC Timing Synchronization
|> failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK
|> symbol tim
|> 060125015739    3-Critical    T04.0    SYNC Timing Synchronization
|> failure - Failed to receive MAC SYNC frame
|> with
|> 060125015735    3-Critical    T01.0    SYNC Timing Synchronization
|> failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK
|> symbol tim
|> 060125015735    3-Critical    T04.0    SYNC Timing Synchronization
|> failure - Failed to receive MAC SYNC frame
|> with
|> 060125015625    3-Critical    T01.0    SYNC Timing Synchronization
|> failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK
|> symbol tim
|> 060125015625    3-Critical    T04.0    SYNC Timing Synchronization
|> failure - Failed to receive MAC SYNC frame
|> with
|> ###
|> Cable Modem Signal information:
|> Frequency      609000000 Hz Locked
|> Signal to Noise Ratio     33 dB
|> QAM     256
|> Network Access Control Object     ON
|> Power Level     -8 dBmV
|> The Downstream Power Level reading is a snapshot taken at the time
|> this page was requested. Please
|> Reload/Refresh this Page for a new reading
|> Upstream     Value
|> Channel ID     7
|> Frequency     25000000 Hz Ranged
|> Ranging Service ID     7568
|> Symbol Rate     3.200 Msym/s
|> Power Level     46 dBmV
|> ###
|>
|
| I haven't seen the time stamps you listed before, so you may want to
| look into how to read them online. BroadBand reports
| (www.dslreports.com) might be a really good resource for this information.
|
| Some of the ranging response failures are normal, but depending on the
| time frame for the list, you are seeing quite a few.
|
| The sync timing issue is a big deal. When you see these, the modem has
| gone off-line and is trying to re-sync and get connected again.
|
| The DHCP failure indicates that the modem can't locate a DHCP server on
| your cable company's network. This later corrected itself after the
| modem synchronized again.
|
| Your Signal-to-Noise ratio is OK, sort of a low average, but OK. The
| downstream power level is on the low end. I'd like to see a +3 or +4 to
| maybe a + 10 dBm here. They are rated to -15 supposedly, but much below
| -5 and you're marginal. You can expect a normal variation during the day
| due to cable company plant gain/loss changes with temperature of as much
| as 6 dBm. So, you're pretty marginal with your -8. The FCC requires no
| lower than 0 dBm for a TV signal to insure proper operation, and most
| all cable companies will come in at the demarc with a +15 dBm signal.
|
| What is the splitter situation on your coaxial cable setup? can you
| describe everything from the demarc to the modem, splitters, etc.?
|
| Your +46 dBm upstream is really worrisome. You are right at the absolute
| edge with your upstream. You'll work with this reading, but won't have
| any headroom for variations on signal levels. I'd be concerned about
| this. Your modem may be online and offline like a yo-yo some days.
|
| I wonder if the cable company has done any plant maintenance of changing
| around that may have made your signals worse at some point? Has your
| cable company recently offered a higher speed tier? I see you are using
| QAM 256 now, so I wonder if your company upgraded from QAM 64 and went
| to the new QAM format recently? This may explain your troubles with your
| marginal signal levels. What cable company was this? (I think you
| mentioned this, but I have forgotten.)
|
|
|> Sorry, I'm a bit lost on the cable modems time stamps for it's log
|> entries:
|> Looks like first two digits are year, then next two are month, next
|> two the
|> day... but, the last 6 I'm not sure of the time (is it the same time
|> zone?
|> hh:mm:ss?)  So, I'm having a little trouble correlating the modem log
|> with
|> my IPCop log... here is my IPCop log for this month:
|> (once again, the errors "Dial Failed: 256" followed by "ERROR: Can't
|> start
|> RED when it's still active" are my kiss of death (about 50% of the
|> time) -
|> 200603280903 was caused by my selecting "connecting debugging" from
|> GUI...
|> the next known independent error, that brought internet access down, was:
|> March 27th at 16:06:31.
|>
|> Time    Section   31/07:35:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 30/19:35:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 30/07:35:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 29/19:35:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 29/07:35:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 28/19:35:01    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 28/19:33:07    ipcop    dhcpcd success
|> 28/19:33:03    ipcop    Starting RED device eth3.
|> 28/09:03:42    ipcop    Dial failed: 256
|> 28/09:03:42    ipcop    ERROR: Can't start RED when it's still active
|> 28/07:05:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 27/19:48:03    ipcop    DHCP on BLUE: DHCP server enabled. Restarting.
|> 27/19:48:03    ipcop    DHCP on GREEN: DHCP server enabled. Restarting.
|> 27/19:48:03    ipcop    Fixed IP lease removed
|> 27/19:05:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 27/17:58:37    ipcop    dhcpcd success
|> 27/17:58:33    ipcop    Starting RED device eth3.
|> 27/16:06:31    ipcop    Dial failed: 256
|> 27/16:06:31    ipcop    ERROR: Can't start RED when it's still active
|> 27/07:05:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 26/19:05:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 26/07:05:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 26/02:09:01    ipcop    Dynamic DNS ip-update for wile.dyndns.org:
|> success
|> 25/19:05:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 25/07:05:01    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 24/19:05:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 24/07:05:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 23/19:05:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 23/07:05:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 22/19:05:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 22/07:05:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 22/07:00:04    ipcop    ntpdate error
|> 21/19:13:56    ipcop    Dial failed: 256
|> 21/19:13:56    ipcop    ERROR: Can't start RED when it's still active
|> 21/19:00:05    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 21/08:56:02    ipcop    Dial failed: 256
|> 21/08:56:02    ipcop    ERROR: Can't start RED when it's still active
|> 21/07:00:01    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 20/19:00:06    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 20/18:59:21    ipcop    dhcpcd success
|> 20/18:59:17    ipcop    Starting RED device eth3.
|> 20/08:17:11    ipcop    Dial failed: 256
|> 20/08:17:11    ipcop    ERROR: Can't start RED when it's still active
|> 19/22:10:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 19/10:10:04    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 19/02:09:00    ipcop    Dynamic DNS ip-update for wile.dyndns.org:
|> success
|> 18/22:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 18/10:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 17/22:10:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 17/18:58:50    ipcop    Wireless config added
|> 17/18:32:24    ipcop    Dial failed: 256
|> 17/18:32:24    ipcop    ERROR: Can't start RED when it's still active
|> 17/10:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 16/22:10:05    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 16/10:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 15/22:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 15/18:30:58    ipcop    Dial failed: 256
|> 15/18:30:58    ipcop    ERROR: Can't start RED when it's still active
|> 15/10:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 14/22:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 14/20:51:54    ipcop    Dial failed: 256
|> 14/20:51:54    ipcop    ERROR: Can't start RED when it's still active
|> 14/10:10:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 13/22:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 13/10:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 12/22:10:05    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 12/10:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 12/02:09:00    ipcop    Dynamic DNS ip-update for wile.dyndns.org:
|> success
|> 11/22:10:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 11/10:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 10/22:10:01    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 10/10:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 09/22:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 09/10:10:05    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 08/22:10:05    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 08/20:06:04    ipcop    Dial failed: 256
|> 08/20:06:04    ipcop    ERROR: Can't start RED when it's still active
|> 08/10:10:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 07/22:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 07/10:10:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 06/22:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 06/18:51:42    ipcop    dhcpcd success
|> 06/18:51:38    ipcop    Starting RED device eth3.
|> 06/10:30:41    ipcop    Dial failed: 256
|> 06/10:30:41    ipcop    ERROR: Can't start RED when it's still active
|> 06/10:10:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 05/22:10:01    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 05/10:10:06    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 05/02:09:00    ipcop    Dynamic DNS ip-update for wile.dyndns.org:
|> success
|> 04/22:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 04/10:10:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 04/09:23:06    ipcop    DHCP on BLUE: DHCP server enabled. Restarting.
|> 04/09:23:06    ipcop    DHCP on GREEN: DHCP server enabled. Restarting.
|> 04/09:19:06    ipcop    DHCP on BLUE: DHCP server enabled. Restarting.
|> 04/09:19:06    ipcop    DHCP on GREEN: DHCP server enabled. Restarting.
|> 04/09:16:30    ipcop    DHCP on BLUE: DHCP server enabled. Restarting.
|> 04/09:16:30    ipcop    DHCP on GREEN: DHCP server enabled. Restarting.
|> 03/22:10:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 03/18:29:27    ipcop    IPCop started.
|> 03/18:29:13    ipcop    dhcpcd success
|> 03/18:29:13    ipcop    Starting RED device eth3.
|> 03/18:27:21    ipcop    Rebooting IPCop
|> 03/18:19:47    ipcop    Wireless config added
|> 03/18:19:19    ipcop    Wireless config added
|> 03/18:18:43    ipcop    Dial failed: 256
|> 03/18:18:43    ipcop    ERROR: Can't start RED when it's still active
|> 03/10:10:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 02/22:18:33    ipcop    Wireless config added
|> 02/22:17:14    ipcop    Dial failed: 256
|> 02/22:17:14    ipcop    ERROR: Can't start RED when it's still active
|> 02/22:10:03    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 02/22:08:06    ipcop    dhcpcd success
|> 02/22:08:02    ipcop    Starting RED device eth3.
|> 02/09:35:23    ipcop    Dial failed: 256
|> 02/09:35:23    ipcop    ERROR: Can't start RED when it's still active
|> 02/09:35:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 01/21:35:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|> 01/09:35:02    ipcop    NTP synchronisation event
|>
|> Do you happen to see a correlation?
|> Does my cable modem look happy based on the logs and signal information?
|>
|> I haven't re-installed yet... I was hoping to resolve this without a
|> reinstall.  The system has always been set to receive it's IP via DHCP
|> and has worked great up until about 4 months ago when this started
|> happening.
|> I don't recall changing anything within the last 6 months.
|>
|> I thought these messages were odd, and any message with "Dial" in it,
|> for a system that doesn't have a modem further confused me.
|>
|
| Yes, the dial errors should not be there. Was this system always on the
| cable modem, or did you switch from DSL at some point? Is there any
| piece of equipment in between the cable modem and the IP Cop box WAN
| interface (hub switch, etc.)?
|
| You can do an IP Cop setup without re-installing, but really it's only
| about 5-minutes different than reinstalling from a fresh CD.
|
| I take it that you have some customizations done on the firewall that
| might make a reinstall more work?
|
| I hope that some of this may be of some use, and I do believe that you
| are seeing your cable connection drop regularly. Again, on any of the
| installations I have, IP Cop will automatically re-establish the
| Ethernet connection and sail happily along. There is definitely
| something wrong happening.
|
| Rick Kunath
|
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