ADSL downloads keep stalling, any suggestions?

[grok]

Hi, I have a 4meg line that only syncs at 2 meg but I've been happy with the fact as I could not handle 384 speeds. The line's been running stable at 2 megs for > 3 months & I've always been able to max the line with simultaneous downloads up to ~220kbps.

Lately (since last week) all my downloads just stall, they start off at normal speeds then invariably just slow down and stall. I've tested different ISP accounts (Telkom, Afrihost, Axxess capped so not shaped) and the same thing happens which I think points to my line. I've had Telkom recreate the port and even lower the sync rate to 1 meg before the weekend in case it was a stability issue, but I'm still unable to finish any large downloads as they stall and don't finish.

Previously I was able to d/l a couple of gigs per day, yet since last week I've barely been able to finish 3 downloads of around 80-100meg, all of them over the weekend. Downloads are from all the major hosters like RS, MU, HF, FS etc. Browsing seems fine, as well as downloading small files as the problem seem to be related to how long the download takes.

Telkom said my exchange isn't congested & suggested I open a support ticket if the lowering to 1 meg does not resolve the issue. I'll do that tonite but was wondering if anyone had a similar problem or any suggestions as to that the problem could be?

 

[iCubed.Saajid]

Have you checked that the problem isn't on your PC?
- Try a different download manager, or different Web Browser to do your downloads.
- Try freeing up some space on your PC, and possible doing a defrag of your drive.
- Try from a different PC, cellphone or other device. If it still fails, then at least you're one step closer to identifying the problem.

Perhaps you are running out of disk space, which forces Windows to do a cleanup, which causes the download to stall for a bit, and then ultimately fail? I've seen things like this happen before, with users blaming Telkom and their ISPs, when in fact its just another case of PEBKAC.

 

[grok]

Thx iCubed. I've tried downloading with IE, firefox, opera & jdownloader - all with the same results. I've tried with my normal PC (lots > 300gigs of disk space) and my laptop (80gigs disc space). I've tried connecting via wireless & via cable to the router. I've switched off all firewalls, anti-virus etc still the same result - downloads will start off with expected speed then, bam, download times shoot up to something ridiculous like 213 days etc.

Everything was working fine until last monday, I had downloaded a couple of gigs over the previous weekend, then since monday night .. close to nothing. Just wasted bandwidth.

 

[iCubed.Saajid]

OK. So I would then guess that the problem exists somewhere between your ADSL modem, and the Telkom Exchange.

You've already tried different ISPs, so that can't be the problem. You've tried different software and different PCs as well, so that's another suspect eliminated.

Have you tried a different modem? If possible, try to borrow an ADSL modem from a relative/buddy/colleague - you can swap with someone for a couple of days. Check if it makes a difference, for both you and your relative/buddy/colleague. ADSL modems are very often the culprit when nothing else seems to be the problem.

Failing that, it has to be a problem on Telkom's side. Worst case scenario if Telkom are unhelpful or unable to determine the problem would be to apply for a new line with ADSL, check that it is working and stable, then cancel your existing line. Your new line might be routed differently, passing through different ports/connectors/hardware on Telkom's side, and this could make all the difference.

UPDATE: It could possibly also be the wiring in your house. Remember, anywhere between your modem and the Telkom Exchange.

 

[grok]

Have you tried a different modem

Not yet, I don't have a spare but thought about possible lightning damage so I've arranged a loan modem from a colleague at work for this week.

The telkom techie I spoke to suggested I log a support ticket which I'll do tonite. Are you aware of any logging software that one can use to log conditions on the line etc. to substantiate my problem if need be?

Appreciate the suggestions though ..

 

[iCubed.Saajid]

Software for logging of line issues would need to run on the modem itself. You do get modems where the firmware provides diagnostic tools that might actually provide something useful, or routers that allow custom firmware to be installed, which would probably contain useful tools. You'd have to find out about this on your own. But Google is your friend, or perhaps someone else on MyBB with more knowledge could help you out (there are tons of boffins here).

Try loging into your modem to see if you have any diagnostic tools. At the very least it should provide youw with some connection statistics, like line attenuation, SNR, sync rate, etc. Monitor them, and post your results here.

 

[grok]

Not knowing much about SNMP I enabled it on my D-Link DSL 2500U and got the following graph using PRTG. I've indicated with two arrows where the connection choked twice in an hour.

http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=18975&cat=500

This is how downloads typically start out, progress and end up stalled. The third pic represents the state around the second arrow in the image above.

http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=18977&cat=500
http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=18979&cat=500
http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=18981&cat=500

All I'm doing is wasting bandwidth ...