Dropped connections - router overheating?

[Zewp]

Okay, so I'm having a lot of issues with my internet connection dropping. It continuously loses connection to the DNS server and sometimes it takes ages for it to regain connection.

Before I spend hours on the phone with Telkom, the router runs pretty hot. I have a hard time keeping it cool for some reason, and this is an issue I've never encountered with any other TP-Link router. Only this one seems to overheat. Can the temperature be the cause of the dropped connection or would that be something else?

 

[Amphibious]

Okay, so I'm having a lot of issues with my internet connection dropping. It continuously loses connection to the DNS server and sometimes it takes ages for it to regain connection.

Before I spend hours on the phone with Telkom, the router runs pretty hot. I have a hard time keeping it cool for some reason, and this is an issue I've never encountered with any other TP-Link router. Only this one seems to overheat. Can the temperature be the cause of the dropped connection or would that be something else?

It's very good possibility that it can be causing issue. Maybe try testing another router? Or your exchange can be congested?
Also maybe ask Telkom or your ISP to do a port reset.

Regards
Amphibious

 

[Zewp]

I contacted Telkom just now and they can't find any faults, so I have no idea what to think.

I grabbed my ADSL statistics, if it's any help. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be looking for, so I don't know if these stats are normal.

SNR Margin (dB): 7.3 | 7.0
Attenuation (dB): 53.0 | 31.5
Output Power (dBm): 12.2 | 19.0
Attainable Rate (Kbps): 1824 | 552
Rate (Kbps): 1792 | 448
K (number of bytes in DMT frame): 57 | 15
R (number of check bytes in RS code word): 0 | 0
S (RS code word size in DMT frame): 1 | 1
D (interleaver depth): 1 | 1
Delay (msec): 0 | 0

Super Frames: 25664 | 25603
Super Frame Errors: 1333 | 6
RS Words: 0 0
RS Correctable Errors: 0 0
RS Uncorrectable Errors: 0 N/A

HEC Errors: 623 1
OCD Errors: 0 0
LCD Errors: 0 0
Total Cells: 1843186 0
Data Cells: 97666 0
Bit Errors: 0 0

Total ES: 282 0
Total SES: 3 0
Total UAS: 12 0

Numbers on the left are downstream. Right is upstream.

 

[Zewp]

Ah, okay. Based on the following guide;

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/186156-Understanding-SNR-and-Attenuation-Rates

I see that our line attenuation is pretty poor. Is there any way to remedy this or is this something that needs to be remedied on Telkom's end?

 

[Amphibious]

Are these issues recently started or have been here all along?

 

[Zewp]

The issues are fairly recent. Started about a week and a half ago, but today is the worst. I can't maintain 20 minutes of internet connectivity without the connection dropping.

Telkom claims there are no issues with the line, so I don't really know what to think.

 

[fiddle_sticks]

I'm in the same boat as you. My line has been running without any issues at around 6Mb/s. Now recently ( past month or so) i struggle to sync higher than 1Mb/s, my attenuation is terrible and my router gets extremely hot. I think the heat may be due to the attenuation.

Telkom has been called out to look into it but they say I'm just too far from the exchange. But then why was i getting decent speeds and low latency previously?

 

[Pada]

The heat shouldn't be due to the high attenuation value - or at least I'd guess that it would have a minimal change due to the possible increased output power by the modem chipset.

Usually the routers that include WiFi AP's run pretty hot due to a high WiFi output power, poor ventilation and high room temperatures!

If you knew your ADSL stats were much better (in particular your line attenuation), then you definitely have something to bargain with Telkom to fix it. Usually it is loose or corroded connections.

 

[fiddle_sticks]

If you knew your ADSL stats were much better (in particular your line attenuation), then you definitely have something to bargain with Telkom to fix it. Usually it is loose or corroded connections.

Afrihost manages my line, so I'm dealing with their support, who then deal with Telkom. Multiple faults logged and I'm still not getting anywhere.

 

[Pada]

@ fiddle_sticks
Perhaps contact Afriman and see if they don't have a history of your line attenuation. If they do have a history of your line attenuation and it was considerably lower (like 6dB or more), then something could be done about it to fix it to its original state.

 

[HavocXphere]

No. Its the crap line imho.

You can try positioning the router vertically..some do better like that heating wise, but its a long shot.

 

[Zewp]

Also starting to think it's simply the line. A 2mb line is now syncing at 1724, instead of 2048.