Jump in HEC errors

Hi,
Since about 4pm today, i`ve been seeing a big jump in the amount of HEC errors, on the downstream. Usually, I would get at most, around 200 per day. I`ve been connected for 8 days now, and up until 4pm I only had 895 HEC errors.

Can anyone tell me if this is normal or not?

My stats so you can see for yourselves:

Mode: G.DMT
Type: ANNEX_A
Status: Showtime

Downstream Upstream
Rate (Kbps): 6240 kbps 448 kbps

SNR Margin (dB): 11.5 21.0
Attenuation (dB): 45.5 23.0
Output Power (dBm): 20.0 12.0

Super Frames: 41088439 41088431
RS Correctable Errors: 22957 52
RS Uncorrectable Errors: 27685 5

HEC Errors: 51696 6
Total Cells: 14311401 7701576
Data Cells: 80732662 10217259
Bit Errors: 0 0

Sorry if i`ve put this in the wrong place.

Look at both lots of RS Errors as well.

Pity it is night-time, as a reconnection now will be slower than if you waited till tomorrow in the daytime. But my first reaction would be to turn the router off for a few minutes and see/post what the stats are like immediately after a restart.

Before restarting I would make sure all connections are secure, as in plug and unplug the filter to the socket, both ends of the ADSL cable from filter to router, all ethernet cables from the router, and all phones.

The noise margin points to some trouble in the past. I'd like to see it after what I just suggested, whether you do it now or tomorrow.

Nobody has accidentally connected something without a filter have they, when it normally goes through one? Might be worth a look round.

Thanks for the reply.

I had no choice as my internet had disconnected!

My stats are now:

Mode: G.DMT
Type: ANNEX_A
Status: Showtime

Downstream Upstream
Rate (Kbps): 5088 kbps 448 kbps

SNR Margin (dB): 13.5 21.0
Attenuation (dB): 45.5 23.0
Output Power (dBm): 20.0 12.0

Super Frames: 1406 1406
RS Correctable Errors: 0 0
RS Uncorrectable Errors: 0 0

HEC Errors: 0 0
Total Cells: 14561692 7821178
Data Cells: 49 49
Bit Errors: 0 0

My logs showed up this error before it went off, if it means anything...

Virtual Circuits :
Test your Ethernet(1-4) Connection: PASS
Test ADSL Synchronization: PASS

INTERNET CONNECTIVITY CHECK
Test the assigned IP address: PASS
Ping ISP Default Gateway: FAIL
Ping Preferred DNS server: PASS

My speeds were also slow and I got the following result from BT speedtester:

Download speedachieved during the test was - 822 Kbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 600-7150 Kbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :6240 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 5500 Kbps

I`ve recently had a fault on my line. It was a voice fault, and the engineer changed the cable from the pole to my property. Before i`d been seeing a lot of disconnections. I don`t hear any noise on the line now though, so this may be a new issue I have.

He did at the time mention that some of the ducts had collapsed around here, and sure enough they had been digging up the road from two houses down from me. Could this be part of my problem?( These house were further away from the exchange from me)

Sorry for the long post, and thanks for any help you can offer.

Edited to add:
I`m now using a brand new router and filter, and i`m in the test socket. Stayed in the test socket to be sure that my problem had gone. Also using a brand new corded phone, and had noticed that I get a couple of upstream errors when it rings in, but not sure on an outgoing call.

I will have a go properly with just the phone tomorrow, as I don`t want to make things worse, given the time of night.

Edited by deleted (Sun 13-Feb-11 22:11:24)

Not sure what to say, except things seem to be going downhill fast. For example your IP Profile will fall again within minutes.

You don't happen to have another router to try do you? Just in case yours is dying. Also spare filters? That can fail as well. Apart from that, not a lot I can suggest right now. It sounds like a line fault somewhere, period. Engineer needed.

You need to raise this as a problem with your ISP. Which is it?

I have another new filter that I could try, and a new Netgear DGN1000, although the wireless doesn`t hold on that for me. That`s why I invested in the router i`m using now, and it`s only two weeks old, so doubt that`s the issue.

I`m with Virgin Media for my sins. Although I find their UK support very good!

I was really hoping this was over with, but I fear you are right, and I need another engineer out.

The errors kept coming and clearing, before the disconnect occured. Seems my stats only show up to 50000 before they clear.

Edit:
Must have been more than 50000, as my first stats show over that amount.

Edited by deleted (Sun 13-Feb-11 22:23:26)

Sounds nasty.

Worth a try with the old router and a new filter though. Callouts can be very expensive if it turns out to be your stuff.

Also electronic equipment can be odd. Whereas mechanical stuff wears out, a lot of electronics go on for ever once they get through the early days.

Just a thought, but a while back we had issues with an electric fault around this area, as in it would go on and off for a few seconds. Not sure if they ever found the cause of the problem, and I may email them to find out, before anything else.

Last week, we had a couple of outages with electric, so may be worth a shot.

You reminded me when you mentioned electrical equipment.

I`ve not noticed my equipment causing issues, and had a disconnect before with everything but the internet off. I was at the time, trying to rule it all out, although that doesn`t mean it isn`t to blame. This was a suggestion from VM, as they didn`t want to send an engineer out, and have to charge me.

Before the voice fault, i`d have a broadband engineer out, who discovered errors in their thousands on the upstream. I`m not seeing many of them now though, so assume that was sorted at the time.

This has been ongoing for months now, and i`m wondering if maybe a new line would be an idea?

A new line is an expensive way at this stage, and no guarantee it would solve it. Far better to get Openreach to find the problem and if it isn't easily repaired then to swap you to a different pair. That's free.

Let us know what you find out.

Well I checked with just the phone this morning, and have some noise on the line, although nothing too bad. Seems it hasn`t been cleared like I thought it had, and i`ll have to get onto BT again.

My stats this morning are:

Mode: G.DMT
Type: ANNEX_A
Status: Showtime

Downstream Upstream
Rate (Kbps): 6432 kbps 448 kbps

SNR Margin (dB): 12.5 20.0
Attenuation (dB): 45.0 23.0
Output Power (dBm): 20.0 12.0

Super Frames: 4134 4134
RS Correctable Errors: 32 0
RS Uncorrectable Errors: 0 0

HEC Errors: 0 0
Total Cells: 44 37
Data Cells: 44 37
Bit Errors: 0 0

Again thanks for the reply.

and have some noise on the line, although nothing too bad

There shouldn't be any as long as you only have a corded phone into the test socket.