# Anybody else having problems with UTV broadband?



## ClubMan (7 Jun 2008)

For a good while now I have been having seemingly random modem/router disconnects and short outages while the modem/router re-establishes a connection. This is the case with their original _Creative Blaster _modem/router as well as with my newer _Linksys WAG54GS _device. There is only one other device on the circuit - the landline phone - and this has an appropriate splitter/_ADSL _filter. I can't see anything obvious wrong with the local setup but the sporadic/random disconnects keep happening. The modem/router logs are not really that informative in terms of diagnosing the problem. _UTV _support are not much help. Anybody experiencing anything similar? Any suggestions for diagnosing the problem and identifying the root? I'm on the _Crown Alley _exchange and about 2KM from it in case that matters.


----------



## euroDilbert (7 Jun 2008)

Hi Clubman,


I'm on UTV, and have had no problems like yours. Generally find broadband is working well. I use a Netgear DG834G modem/router.

I presume you are aware of the XP SP3 problem which is affecting lots of modems/routers ? Here is one mention of it :

http://apcmag.com/router_crashes_blamed_on_windows_xp_sp3.htm

Sounds a bit like your problems.


----------



## ClubMan (7 Jun 2008)

Thanks - but I don't have a _Billion _router and the problem occurs even if I am using _Ubuntu 8.04 _and not _XP [Home] SP3_ and was happening before I installed _SP3 _so that's not the explanation.


----------



## euroDilbert (8 Jun 2008)

It actually affects lots of different modem/router types - not just _Billion _- that was just one reference I found.

However, the fact that it happens with Ubuntu means it can't be an XP-SP3 issue. Sorry I can't help further.


----------



## ClubMan (8 Jun 2008)

euroDilbert said:


> It actually affects lots of different modem/router types - not just _Billion_


As many people said in response to this _"XP SP3" _problem if specific routers crash because of what is sent to them the it is much more likely a case of buggy router firmware than a problem with the operating per se.


----------



## Blinder (8 Jun 2008)

I have the same problem in the last few months with UTV. It happens several times a day. Sometimes it only last for a few seconds. Sometimes (a few times a month) I just reboot the router. Using a netgear router on xp.

I haven't bothered with phoning customer service, as previouslythey haven't been much help for other issues. and planning to switch to a mobile service soon ( for reason other than the connection issues)


----------



## ClubMan (8 Jun 2008)

Thanks _Blinder_. Sounds similar to my experience lately. I was rebooting the router too but eventually realised that this was pointless and any correlation between doing this and the service resuming was purely coincidental. In fact the link just drops and can be reestablished in anything from seconds to minutes to (more rarely) hours. Just to narrow things down I will do what _UTV _support (eventually - on my third prompting) suggested and plug the router into the master phone connector for a while with no other devices connected and see if that makes any difference.


----------



## hlm (25 Jun 2008)

We're experiencing this problem too for the last few months I'd say. And it seems to be getting worse, initially it was just dropping once every few days now its several times a day. Extremely frustrating. We can't change our phone connector as we also have eircom phone watch and there's only one phone connector we can use. As a matter of interest did changing your router to the master phone connector improve things?


----------



## car (25 Jun 2008)

Is there any recourse with ISPs for this?  Ive had 2 drops in the last 3 weeks with BT, router just cant get an IP for a few minutes at relevant times but it was enough for me to lose work both times whilst connected to my job.  Whilst accepting its a home connection and not a business one, its so frustrating.

Both times BT support were next to useless offering suggestions like changing my splitter and not having the router on the extension upstairs (even though its been working fine off it for last 3 years).    Anything rather then admit it was on their side.

Do outages not happen in their offices?  

The ISPs have to start stepping up in my opinion.#

sorry for hijacking CM, just highlighting its not just utv that random drops are happening with.


----------



## ClubMan (25 Jun 2008)

The connection still drops from time to time but not so much since I started this thread.


----------



## leex (26 Jun 2008)

I'm on UTV also and using a linksys WRT54. 2 common issues that each happen maybe once per day.

1. Wireless connections drop for no apparent reason. Comes back again in a few seconds.
2. UTV supplied modem (connected to Linksys) drops it's connection to internet. A power reset or remote connection to the web interface of the modem to hit connect usually does the trick.

Is not a show stopper yet but is quiet annoying.


----------



## ClubMan (26 Jun 2008)

leex said:


> 1. Wireless connections drop for no apparent reason. Comes back again in a few seconds.


If you mean the wireless link from your laptop to the router then chances are this has nothing to do with _UTV _per se.  Are you running the latest firmware on your router and drivers for your wireless network adaptor?


> 2. UTV supplied modem (connected to Linksys) drops it's connection to internet.


That is the problem that I have from time to time. Even after replacing the _UTV _supplied _Creative Blaster ADSL _modem (plus my own _D-Link DI-524 _wired/wireless router) with an all in one _Linksys WAG54GS _box. 


> A power reset or remote connection to the web interface of the modem to hit connect usually does the trick.


I was doing this until I realised that it was probably not actually helping at all and the connection just got re-established anyway if I waited.


> Is not a show stopper yet but is quiet annoying.


Yes - *VERY*!


----------



## leex (26 Jun 2008)

If I recall correctly a netopia wireless modem showed dropouts on the DSL connection also with UTV. I'm 5km from exchange so I'm putting it down to that.


----------



## ClubMan (26 Jun 2008)

We're about 2KM from our exchange. I must eliminate the possibility of any internal issue by hooking the router up directly to the main phone point downstairs.


----------



## leex (26 Jun 2008)

What's your line stats like when you view them in modem? I've a 2mb connection but know people between my house and exchange who can only get 1mb.


----------



## ClubMan (26 Jun 2008)

Always connects at 2Mbps down/256Kbps down and the other line details look OK. The problem is not line quality or throughput while it's working but the random disconnects. I do know of people who were paying for 2Mbps or 3Mbps but only getting 1Mbps or 2Mbps. Only on querying it were they told that their line was not suitable for the package they were being charged for!


----------



## leex (2 Jul 2008)

My line details look ok also. Attenuation: 57.5 SNR 12.5. Rang UTV today to see what they'd need to be to upgrade to 3mb. Was put on hold while they "checked" the line. The rep came back and said my line was capable of only .5mb and that I would experience dropped connections which I do...about 2 times per working day.


----------



## ClubMan (2 Jul 2008)

leex said:


> My line details look ok also. Attenuation: 57.5 SNR 12.5. Rang UTV today to see what they'd need to be to upgrade to 3mb. Was put on hold while they "checked" the line. The rep came back and said my line was capable of only .5mb and that I would experience dropped connections which I do...about 2 times per working day.


What is your router reporting as the connect speed? What are you getting using, say, www.irishisptest.com?


----------



## leex (2 Jul 2008)

Router reports 2048kbps DL and 256kbps UL. Typical daytime speeds on the speedtest sites is around 1750kbps DL and 200+ kbps UL. 5km from exchange. I think someone sprinkled holy water on my phoneline!


----------



## ClubMan (2 Jul 2008)

That looks reasonable. Obviously contention ratio may cut into this depending on who is online at any one time. Keep monitoring it to see how it goes. I'm still getting the random disconnects myself but still haven't tried moving the router etc.


----------



## leex (2 Jul 2008)

I actually went from a UTV supplied wired modem in attic to a netopia wireless modem at main eircom socket yesterday. SNR, etc stats improved considerably.


----------



## ClubMan (2 Jul 2008)

Interesting - thanks. Must try my own router on the main phone point rather than at the end of the extension lead to the upstairs as it is at the moment!


----------



## hlm (6 Jul 2008)

Just an update on our problem. We insisted UTV register this as an issue with eircom, which they did last week. Eircom rang yesterday to say they had found a fault and had resolved it. Early days, but so far since yesterday we have not had an outage.


----------



## ClubMan (17 Aug 2008)

ClubMan said:


> Interesting - thanks. Must try my own router on the main phone point rather than at the end of the extension lead to the upstairs as it is at the moment!


Tried this at last and while it's early days it looks like having the router closer to the main phone point may be helping - no disconnects so far over the weekend. 

Also I seem to have been automatically upgraded from 2Mbps to 3Mbps recently.


----------



## leex (18 Aug 2008)

Cool. 

If it is not practical to leave router near phoneline try using CAT5 from eircom socket to router - have recently seen it recommended on another site.


----------



## ClubMan (18 Aug 2008)

My original setup was probably far from ideal now that I look at it: a cable run from the main phone point to the stairs, a female/female _RJ11 _connector, an _RJ11 _splitter one side connected to _DSL _microfilter and phone and the other to another long cable run upstairs to the router beside the desktop _PC_. Basically all the connections and cable runs could feasibly have introduced flakiness causing the router to disconnect from time to time. I need to monitor it a bit more but it looks like moving the router to nearer the main phone point has helped.


----------

