Lots of intermittent dropouts

[robertwave]

Hi team,

My tpg username is rxxxxxxxxx (matches my account number)

I have a NBN service provisioned via FTTP.  I am seeing multiple PPP failures where the connection to the internet drops out.  The connection usually comes back online after a few minutes, but sometimes it can take up to an hour to come back online.

This has been occurring for months.  Often, restarting the modem is enough to fix the issue.
A look at the administration console shows a large number of downstream and upstream error packets

1. Can you please update the modem to the latest firmware?  I cannot send a DM to request this as I do not appear to have permissions

2. Can you please run remote diagnostics and check the logs for signs of network instability from this location, which may explain the dropped connections?

Thanks
Rob 

[Ahra_G]

Hi @robertwave,

There are many factors that can affect your connection: 

1. Network dropouts, this dropout is caused by a line fault on TPG or NBN's network. Affecting all device(s) LAN/Wireless connected to the modem/router this may require a real-time test and investigation by our Technicians and Engineers.

2. Wireless dropouts, this issue only affects the device(s) connected via Wi-Fi which can easily be fix by doing adjustment to the modem/router's settings.

3. Dropouts caused by ongoing outage in your area. 

We can request for a firmware update however it is also best to check your line to see if there is any underlying connection issue. Although at the moment, your modem shows connected for almost 2 days now. 

May we know your most convenient time to receive a call so we can have a tech specialist to perform troubleshooting along with you? 

Thanks! 

Ahra_G

[robertwave]

Hi @Ahra_G ,

Thank you for responding to my query.

There are two types of dropouts that I see

• Intermittent loss of internet - these often resolve themselves within 20 minutes to an hour, and are resolved by restarting the router.  During this type of dropout, the PPP connection is reported as up although the router reports not having internet access.  The router also reports error packets and I can see dropped packets if I run a ping.
  • Rebooting the router during this type of "dropout" usually resolves the issue in the short term, suggesting this is not an NBN fault.

• PPP dropouts where the entire connection fails.  The modem reports that the PPPOE connection is down.  These dropouts are less common (although I have experienced one at 1:20PM AEST today on 23/04/2022).  

I do not think that this is a WiFi connectivity for the following reasons

• Multiple devices are affected at once, despite each reporting good connectivity to the network
• Connecting to a different band (2.4ghz vs 5ghz) does not resolve the issue
• I am able to access the router admin console when these dropouts occur

I've had NBN outages cause connectivity issues before, although these are obviously not caused by my line or modem

I've attached some screenshots to this message

• Dropped packets during an outage - please note that packets are getting dropped, the external host isn't being reported as unreachable
• Modem status from today and yesterday to note the reported SNR and attenuation value.  Please also note the increase in dropped packets.

While a PPP failure might be caused by an issue with a TPG edge node, may I please request a router firmware upgrade to the latest version before we continue with troubleshooting the line further?  There could potentially be stability improvements to the router that might result in less downtime.  If the issue is still not resolved after this point, let's proceed with line tests.

Unfortunately, my wife has covid and is recovering, so it may be difficult to get a technician to the premises to run diagnostics on the line, which is why I'd really prefer we start with a remote firmware update and watch it for a few days. 

If you'd still wish to contact me to do basic troubleshooting, please contact me on the mobile phone number attached to my TPG account (robertwave).

Thank you again for your help,

Rob

[robertwave]

Apologies, I didn't nominate a time to receive a call.

If you still wish to call, any time from 9AM to 9PM any day including weekends is fine.  We are both isolating at home. 

[Ahra_G]

Thank you for all the additional info, @robertwave. 

I've organised a call back from our Tech team tomorrow, 24 April 2022 between 1-2PM AEDT. 

Feel free to reach out should you require further assistance.  

Cheers! 

Ahra_G

[Ahra_G]

Hi @robertwave, 

Recent update on the account indicated that the connection issue is now raised to our Engineering team for further investigation. 

You may respond the SMS sent by the Engineer should you have queries regarding the lodged fault. 

Cheers! 

Ahra_G