DSL connection dropping like clockwork

[Cleric]

I apologise in advance for the long post but I am having a strange issue, with plenty of weird symptons.

My router (Billion Bipac 7300N) is dropping my DSL connection after exactly 6 minutes and 9/10 seconds (I got these from my connection log on my Mweb usage - see example below), resetting itself and then repeating the process all over again. It has the latest firmware (as far as I can tell).

I see the lights run through the startup sequence (all the LED's light up and the power blinks red/green), which seems to imply the router is resetting itself, but the network seems ok, and if I unplug the DSL line then the router is fine, streaming over the network without issues or resets.

To add even more wierdness, this all started without warning yesterday as 6 in the morning, and for some reason yesterday from midnight to 5am the connection was solid. I checked the router page and noticed the DNS settings had changed from 196.28.80.139 to 196.28.75.200, so I changed them on my PC settings but it hasn't helped at all.

Mweb tells me its Telkom, when I called Telkom they reset the line and said they still aren't sure what is wrong. I am wary of buying a new router if the issue is with my line...

Also - my router was having an issue with randomly resetting a few months back, but it would be occasionally every hour or so. Don't know if this is related.

If anyone could provide any insight or suggest any tests I would be grateful.

Time Started Time Ended Data Sent (MB) Data Received (MB) Total (MB)
27 Jul 2011 09:59:02 27 Jul 2011 10:05:12 0.0 0.0 0.0
27 Jul 2011 09:57:26 27 Jul 2011 10:03:35 0.0 0.0 0.0
27 Jul 2011 09:56:12 27 Jul 2011 10:02:22 0.0 0.0 0.0
27 Jul 2011 09:52:46 27 Jul 2011 09:58:56 0.0 0.0 0.0
27 Jul 2011 09:50:50 27 Jul 2011 09:57:00 0.0 0.0 0.0

 

[d$k_1]

dont worry my line droppd 10times today alone... so something must be wrong with the lines.

 

[Leathal]

Try and post your SNR margins here.

Is there any noise on your phone line when you listen to it?
Like crackles ect?

If so telkom need to re-run the cable fromyour house to the phone pole.

-

Goodluck in getting them to do it though took them 2 months to do mine and then problem was resolved.

You can also if speed isnt an issue phone them and ask them to sync you at a lower rate. IE if oyu are 4mb ask for 1mb.
This usually lessons th eproblem but is by now way a true fix.

 

[grok]

Try a different router on your line first, then try your router on a different line - will give you an indication whether the problem is the line or the router. Take it from there.

 

[Cleric]

Thanks for the responses! I don't have a phone plugged in, so I can't check that (will try to beg/borrow/steal though). I will also try the router swircheroo with my brother, see if I can replicate the issue on his line and see if his router works on my line.

As soon as I get home I will check the SNR margins - unfortunately a lower sync rate is not an option, as I am only at 384K at the moment. I am hoping it is the router, I don't want to have to deal with Telkom's crap again.

Also, to clarify, it is dropping non-stop. It connects for exactly 6 minutes and 10 seconds and then drops.

 

[Cleric]

Just an update: my connection was working solidly for a few hours last night (from around 9pm until late) but this morning it is back to its regular resetting.

Some SNR margins and attenuation figures I got (but these were around the time the line started working, but there were a few drops afterwards):
SNR Margin (upstream): 32.7 db
SNR Margin (downstream): 10.9 db
Line Attenuation (up): 8.9 db
Line Attenuation (down): 18.0 db

I did notice the SNR downstream was below 10 for a while (around 8 or 9 point something) but I don't have those exact figures.

Billion support wasn't too helpful (but responded very quickly) - told me to update my firmware (which I had just done). Will update it again, to be safe but I am getting a little bleak.

 

[howardb]

IMO it doesn't sound like a router problem specifically, more a line problem. What speed is the line syncing at when it does connect? Did you try swapping/testing the router with your brother, outcome?