BQM Check

A line through EE (FTTC) - I wanted to ask, the internet keeps dropping for a family, and speaking with EE, they say they can see 'issues' on the line via their tests.

They sent out an OpenReach engineer, who came into this property, ran tests, could see 'errors', changed socket faceplate and advised to not use extension wires (for telephone).

Plugged telephone directly into socket, as well as modem.

(exact route is - socket only has telephone socket, so a filter is connected to the socket, and then modem connected to modem port while telephone connected to telephone port on filter)

Still getting issues, affecting home schooling for the kids.

Told EE again, and they sent out a replacement modem (This property had BrightBox 2, and now EE SmartHub).

Internet still dropping, despite new modem. Internet pages don't load, or modem disconnects entirely, then eventually connects, with new IP (as it's dynamic IP) etc.

Been monitoring for a some weeks on the BQM - before OpenReach engineer came, the red lines used to go through the full thing (packets dropped), it no longer goes all the way through, but it shows at the top.

Is that 'normal'?

It didn't used to have the 'red' before.

Our line with VM and backup 4G line also both have BQM, they do not have any of the 'red'.


BQM Image here

Edited by JakeRoof (Fri 29-Jan-21 12:11:24)

A resync will usually show as a 1 or 2 pixel wide full height red area, since generally takes 30 second to a minute to resync and reauthenticate

Errors can cause the jitter effect as packets get delayed while data correction occurs but you would not expect that to suddenly improve at what looks like 1am on the graph,

Feeling is that maybe someone has some thing running that is using a lot of download or upload capacity without them realising, and this finished or that computer got switched off.

Turn off the Wi-Fi and disconnect all the Ethernet cables from the router (i.e. stops anyone using connection) and then after an hour connect things back. If the in that hour with nothing connected the BQM is a lot better then shows issue is probably data use from the devices in the home.

Thanks for this.

Everything is only connected via Wi-Fi, and no laptops are on overnight.

Everyone just uses their phones (when not doing school work via laptops during the day).

The modem is connected into a router (via ethernet), as the router allows blocking of non-suitable websites for the kids.

As you've advised, I shall try removing the ethernet going to the router, which will mean no one can connect (modem wifi is off), all/any traffic routes through router.

if you disconnect ethernet between the modem and router you will drop the PPPoE session which the router is establishing and have no connection and see solid red.

If everyone is using Wi-Fi then log into router and turn wifi off, to turn it back on you will of course need to connect via an Ethernet cable and computer to access web interface.

In regards to the solid red, although IP address is mapped correctly on BQM, and firewall rule to 'allow traffic from 80.249.99.164 on the router, the BQM, for this connection, is very temperamental - by that, I mean it will work for a bit, then show solid red for maybe 18 - 20 hours, then start working for a few hours then repeat above etc.

It's probably an issue EE Internet or modem side, as BQM works perfectly fine for us on VM (main) and Three (backup).

We use the same model of router as them (Synology Rt2600AC), using the EE connection, but we just have a different ISP, therefore ruling out BQM error reporting from router.

Edited by JakeRoof (Sat 30-Jan-21 17:51:34)

Uhhh?

Why do you need a firewall rule to allow that address (to where) on the router? It is the router WAN address you should be pinging, which simply requires you to allow "Respond to ICMP", or "Don't block ICMP" in the firewall settings.

Are you managing somehow to ping a device?

Edit: Are you calling the EE Smart Hub a modem? Is it set to bridge mode? What "router" are you connecting to it?

Edited by RobertoS (Sat 30-Jan-21 19:43:42)

@RobertoS - I mention the above because of this page (https://www.thinkbroadband.com/faq/broadband-quality...). Go to the very bottom of this page, and you will see BQM instructions for the Synology.

I am calling the EE SmartHub a modem
I am calling the Synology RT2600ac a router

EE Smarthub is being used as modem only, while the Synology is acting as the router (for any wired or wireless traffic).

Hope that helps.

In regards to the first post, a Openreach engineer came out again yesterday, and he must have said to them the issue is to do with the modem (EE SmartHub) although this is a brand new device!

Surely, the issue can't be with the 3rd EE modem now!

Edited by JakeRoof (Tue 02-Feb-21 18:46:28)

I don't know the SmartHub specifically, but have you set it to bridge mode, or simply connected it by ethernet to the Synology, and what port on the Synology have you connected the SmartHub. A LAN port or a WAN port?

What have you done about DHCP?

I'm simply looking for incorrect configurations, seeing as all else seems to have failed.

EE Smarthub, what is being used as a modem in this instance has ethernet going into the WAN port of the Synology.

Devices connected to Synology get DHCP from the router.

EE Smarthub does DHCP, on a different range, for anything connected to it. But, only thing connected to the EE Smarthub, is the router.