NTL low signal strength

[dots1000]

Hello there,

am new to posting although I have been a member for a while and been keeping an eye on the discussions however no one has mentioned my issue before. I am hoping someone out there may be able to give me some advice or at least console me!

I am on 6MB NTL package south Dublin (Dun L area), speeds average 2 Mb, not great but ample for me. My problem is that the signal is continually dropping out and coming back, sometimes for hours on end (usually during peak hours, the slow flashing light on my modem has begun to really depress me).

Seems obvious to me that this is related to the amount of traffic on the line, last engineer told me I was quite far down the line and that the strength was quite low although their networks team confirmed there was no fault in the area??

Has anyone else experienced this? I have spoken to a few people already and their NTL broadband is working fine. I am wondering if taking a lower package would improve the situation but of course NTL couldn't tell me. Would appreciate any suggestions anyone may have.

thanks

Dots

[TeeLow]

I have the 6mb pack aswell in Blackrock and average at 2.5 to 3mb (constantly). I'd like to hear the story about downgrading to quicker speeds awell.

Thanks

[dots1000]

I'll start on the speed just as soon as I get a stable connection from them, slowly slowly catchy NTL......

[Wolfman]

Just got NTL 3mb in Shankill this morning. Ran a speed test, 2.6Mb/309kb. That was a 11am. Not the full 3MB, but from what I've been reading on the forums, it appears I shouldn't complain. I'll do another speed test tonight and keep you guys informed.

[djbillyk]

im on ntl 6mb as well and used to have the exact same problem as you running at 2 mb or less , got a decent computer a few days ago and and its been running at 5.5-6mb all the time

[purifol]

Im on the NTL 3mb pack and am super happy with it, constant 355k down and 128up prob best in ireland.
Also on PERLICO BB they suck 2mb does not equal 33.3k down and 15up??!!
have made formal complaint but theyre slow to respond - not what i signed up for.

To anyone who is not getting the most out of their high speed connection simply install something big off of a cd like a game and see how fast your comp can install.
If your installing at 4mb/s then a faster cpu not net comnnection is reqd.

[Wolfman]

Yep, ran speed tests every 5 hours and the 3mb Ntl line is constantly hitting 2.6 to 2.7 MB/309. How long this will last for, who knows. It does appear that the 6MB package is a bit of a ripoff, if I were you guys, I'd downgrade to 3mb and see how you get on.

[toloko]

U actually can enter their modem and observe signal yourself.

Try to google for manual to crapy modem thay gave u.
In my case it was i think 192.168.0.1
pass: root
log: root

But it might be something different in your case but manuals are online.

Anyway from my observation their signal is completely unstable reeling from lets say - 21 SNR to 32 SNR. So at 18:18 u can have 21 at lets say 18:20 u can have 29 or something. Signal is unstable and never in control does not meter where and what time. Fluctuation can be smaller in nite time but it don't change much is still unstable loosing connection on and on. Some people are lucky living in area where signal might be stronger reeling from lets say 32 to 44. But again it don't change much they will still experience disconections and downtimes due to signal usability.

In shortcut NTL network in Dublin area is completely overloaded and cant take any more users actually cant sustain users that has now.

They know about it and still doing aggressive promotion probably counting on getting some more casual internet users who wont see difference and wont be complaining if lets say they coudin`t read email from 6 - 8 and on 9 is ok again and they can open mailbox for half an hour.

Anyway if your job or entertainment relaying on stable broadband connection NTL is not for you go rather for Eircom.

And one more thing - buy expensive LCD-TV like Sony Bravia and connect NTL to it u will see signal usability on your screen directly in forms of waves going tru this. Signal to low to use with HD-TV only big tube CRT.

So what is NTL prospect for future ?

[dots1000]

After threatening to disconnect a couple of weeks back I had an NTL engineer out who changed the box outside the house and the upstream power level connection has been stable now around 56 dBmV since then which means I can at least get a connection (famous last words I hope not!!).

My PC is a Dell GX260 with penthium 4, not exactly state of the art anymore I know so not sure if my CPU is to blame for low download speeds, hadn't really thought about that angle but then again what I don't know about PC's could probably fill a pretty big book! Unfortunately I don't have another PC to check against, ripping tracks from CD's has never been a problem but I don't have anything big to really test it.

My speed is averaging around 2.5mb's so I may just switch on to the 3mb package as it sounds like 6mb speed (for whatever reason) is just not possible round these parts and the rest of y'all seem to be getting on well with that. If nothing else at least I'll be getting what I'm paying for which seems to be a bit of novel idea where broadband is concerned (assuming my speed doesn't halve when I halve the package, we'll see, what fun........)

[Wolfman]

Keeping you guys informed of my 3MB NTL adventure, I switched on my modem on Wednesday. No connection with Send LED flashing on modem. Being the patient guy I am after suffering Irish Broadband for over a year, I decided to just hold off for 24 hours in case it was due to maintenance. Thursday night, still no connection and the Send LED was still flashing, periodically it would go off and the Receive ligh would start flashing. I called NTL support at 8pm and ran through resetting the modem, no joy. They said they'd call me back that evening but didn't. Friday morning, still the same problem. I called NTL again and asked them to check if there was any work being done on the area, they said there wasn't. I asked for a tech call out to be arranged for next Thursay (12th July) which they agreed.

Lo and behold, when I get home from work yesterday evening (Fri) the modem is connecting again and the speed test is:

2931 kbps (358 KB/s) 308 kbps (38 KB/s)

A miracle...I wonder. I'll give it a few more days before I cancel the tech call out in case it drops again. Fingers crossed.

[toloko]

Wolfam your symptoms are exactly as I described in post. What is happening when your signal waves to lets say 29-30 SNR your modem gets signal strong enough to start connecting procedure. So its starting but then signal drops again to 22 SNR so it could not finish it and is flashing. Sometimes it is lucky it starts and finish but it gets disconnect after.

Do few simply things:

(FIRST)

1. Go to START>RUN type: cmd
2. In command prompt type: tracert/? - it will pop up trace route help menu.
3. Then try to trace route to lets say Yahoo! type: tracert Yahoo!
4. First thing on list is your NTL gateway, tru this u connect WWW.
Their gateway in Ireland is called: ntlworld.ie
5. Type ping/? - it will pop up ping facility help menu.
6. Then ping your gateway,lets say 100 times, type: ping ntlworld.ie -n 100
7. Read raports

On wired connections usually the are no losses on ping every ping is answered - 1-2% of losses are rare but possible pinging very remote location like server in located in Maledives. Wireless is different more depending from on weather - general rule is if u got more then 10% of losses on ping your connection speed will be visibly affected asking again for lost packages.

(TWO)

1. Connect your PC directly your NTL modem.
2. Go START>CONTROL PANEL run Network Connections.
3. In Network Connections click on your connection and in first bookmark thick - Show Icon in Notification Area.
4. On icon in Notification Area next to your system clock - right click take - STATUS.
5. Then click on bookmark called Service - you looking for Default Gateway.
6. Open browser u using Firefox/Opera/IE in address field type your Default Gateway address lets say: 192.168.1.1
7. It will open your modem website or pop up ask for pass and log to it.
8. Try default popular configurations like: log: admin or root / pass: admin or root.
9. If it wont work see your modem - type it serial number or name to Google and look for manual on producer site.
10. In your modem go to Downstream.

Results: Signal power is not very important thing here it can be from -15 to +36 dBmV. More important is signal SNR - Signal to Noise Ratio.

In shortcut u can have very powerful signal but full of noise ( no connection ) and u can have very week signal with zero noise ( good connection ).

Your signal SNR should be stable and minimum 34 to make your net working anything below that will coz huge loss on ping or disconnections.
SNR should int reel should be stable.

Have a Fun

[toloko]

tracert - after exact address not domain name like "www.natasha.com"

[Wolfman]

Thanks Toloko,

And yes, the connection dropped again. As it appears to do for 12 hours a day. When I am connected I get full speed, and great pings from when I followed part one of your instructions. The second part didn't work as I couldn't logon to the modem and to be honest, I'll talk to the techie about that on Thurs. For the other 12 hours I get nothing. It follows a wierd pattern...is it the modem or the signal?

When I switch on the modem the Send light flashes..then after about 10 mins it goes off completely and the REC light flashes. Then after about 20- 1 hour mins of alternating the SEND and REC light flashing it goes into Standby mode. When I press the standby switch, hey presto...immediate full connection. Now this doesn't always happen that it goes into standby mode. sometimes it'll flash for hours..so...Modem or signal?..the Tecnician will have to sort that out when he is supposed to call on Thurs.

Wolfie.

[june]

ask for new modem it will give you the speed you are paying for same happened to me. soveld mine good luck