Hi Steve

Looks like the actual issue is the Fritzbox not transferring to the secondary DNS when the primary doesn't respond.I don't know whether this is a generic 'fault' or due to how your local network is implemented.

Google, BT etc DNS are virtual so each IP does not relate to a single server so it may be that the 'customer' routers are not actually using the secondary DNS as it was originally designed

In reply to a post by SteveBushell999:

I get my second FTTP line installed tomorrow, so may be able to make direct comparisons between BTW and ZEN GEA then, but I am not sure if that would in any way help give pointers to assist diagnosis with what you are seeing.

How did that go for you?

I had a call from Zen yesterday. They'd swapped out a bunch of SFPs ("from a faulty batch") at the Norwich exchange the evening prior, but the speeds are still the same as they were (I saw the disconnection happen in the early hours). It's gone back to their network team and if they don't have any other ideas they're looking to move be back to BTW. Fido's post doesn't fill me with very much confidence though now that this will be a fix, and makes me wonder if there is a possibility just that something changed on the network around the same time as the migration happened. Still seems like too much of a coincidence, mind.

In reply to a post by jimbof:

In reply to a post by SteveBushell999:

I get my second FTTP line installed tomorrow, so may be able to make direct comparisons between BTW and ZEN GEA then, but I am not sure if that would in any way help give pointers to assist diagnosis with what you are seeing.

How did that go for you?

I had a call from Zen yesterday. They'd swapped out a bunch of SFPs ("from a faulty batch") at the Norwich exchange the evening prior, but the speeds are still the same as they were (I saw the disconnection happen in the early hours). It's gone back to their network team and if they don't have any other ideas they're looking to move be back to BTW. Fido's post doesn't fill me with very much confidence though now that this will be a fix, and makes me wonder if there is a possibility just that something changed on the network around the same time as the migration happened. Still seems like too much of a coincidence, mind.

Hmmmm.... welllllll.....
The second line is now up and running as about midday yesterday.

I assume that the new line is on BTW and my original one is on BTW as well for now?

It’s early days, but……

I was getting solid 500Mbps from the old line, the new one was installed, and I tested it at 500Mbps as well…

Now the rather more worrying news. After an hour or two the original line dropped back to 100Mbps, and then similarly the new one.

I swapped around the ONT connections so I am now on the ‘new’ line, and it was fine (500Mbps), before dropping back to 100Mbps after a while.

I powered down both ONT’s, and then got a full 500Mbps on both lines, followed by the new line dropping back to 100Mbps after a few hours.

I have since powered off and on the new ONT, and have 500Mbps back on both connections.

I am monitoring the situation, but it ‘seems’ that both of the lines may now be unstable???

I know that the new line apparently went back to an 8 port Huawei box at the end of my cul-de-sac (if that is any help) – no idea where the existing line egresses.

Update, both running OK as at 22:50 Thursday. I updated Zen this afternoon, but both Brandon and Andy are on vacation....

In essence, it 'feels' like there is something really flakey here, but time will tell, perhaps it's all just retraining or whatever....

Steve

I had hoped for clarity on this ongoing issue but we seem to still be a long long way from that.

OK, so, a few days further down the line.....
Both lines now look stable, giving 500Mbps down, so either it's some sore of retraining (do you get that with FTTP?), or just disturbing the connections in some way, and they have now settled down. Waiting for the Zen guys to get back from holidays, and see what they want to try next....

In reply to a post by SteveBushell999:

it's some sore of retraining (do you get that with FTTP?)

No, it should works immediately. No idea what happened.

With FTTP there is no training or retraining phase. It should be 'it works from day one' pretty much, some altnet ISPs might be a little different but generally with FTTP it's either it works or it doesn't. For example on my connection with Lightning Fibre for the first few hours after it was provisioned I had speeds of 1.5 gigabits or more. After a few hours I received the speed that I paid for (1 gigabit).

Thanks guys, that was pretty much what I thought, so it seems that something else was at play. Anyways, it's alright now on both lines, I suspect that the original line will be GEA migrated again, and I guess Zen hope that the problem I had will reemerge (on that line) so that they can further investigate. I will post when I have some more news.

OK....... So, my 'old' line has now been GEA migrated today (again)......

What do you know? It 'looks' fine so far (500Mbps down, 70Mbps up)... Seems to be routing via London though

steve@Steves-MBP ~ % traceroute news.bbc.co.uk
traceroute: Warning: news.bbc.co.uk has multiple addresses; using 212.58.244.57
traceroute to news.bbc.co.uk.pri.bbc.co.uk (212.58.244.57), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
1 fritz.box (192.168.178.1) 1.640 ms 0.622 ms 0.552 ms
2 lo0-0.bng2.ixn-lon.zen.net.uk (51.148.77.129) 23.086 ms 23.716 ms 24.431 ms
3 lag-5.p2.ixn-lon.zen.net.uk (51.148.73.91) 12.087 ms
lag-4.p1.ixn-lon.zen.net.uk (51.148.73.89) 12.167 ms
lag-5.p2.ixn-lon.zen.net.uk (51.148.73.91) 13.083 ms
4 lag-2.p1.thn-lon.zen.net.uk (51.148.73.132) 12.288 ms
lag-2.p2.thn-lon.zen.net.uk (51.148.73.138) 12.287 ms
lag-2.p1.thn-lon.zen.net.uk (51.148.73.132) 12.299 ms
5 lag-2.br1.thn-lon.zen.net.uk (51.148.73.167) 12.780 ms 11.524 ms
lag-1.br1.thn-lon.zen.net.uk (51.148.73.153) 12.329 ms

No idea if that's significant - new line (BTW) working fine.

In reply to a post by SteveBushell999:

I know that the new line apparently went back to an 8 port Huawei box at the end of my cul-de-sac (if that is any help) – no idea where the existing line egresses.

It definitely doesn't do that.
The only Huawei kit on FTTP is the ONT in the home and the OLT in the exchange.
Everything in-between the exchange and the home is passive equipment.

The only 8 port "box" will be the CBT which definitely isn't Huawei.

Your 2nd FTTP line will almost certainly use the same CBT, splitter and fibre back to the exchange.
It's only after the OLT it will be on a different GEA cablelink and backhaul.

Everything between the home and exchange will be identical between the 2 lines, down a single fibre.

Edited by j0hn83 (Tue 02-Aug-22 14:11:39)