[ale] [rant] I dislike "we only support winblows/OS X" AT&T internet
tom
tfreeman at intel.digichem.net
Mon Mar 3 16:56:33 EST 2008
And there is a wonderful example of _useful_ information. I'm hoping this
is from one of their Westel modem/routers, but I'll take notes and check
tomorrow.
On Mon, 3 Mar 2008, Michael H. Warfield wrote:
> Oh,
>
> I should have added, go to the logs page on your modem and dump the
> logs. That will give you detailed events up ups and downs on the DSL
> you can throw at them.
>
> 192.168.1.254 -> Broadband DSL Line -> Logs
>
> Example:
>
> CURRENT MODEM STATUS
> DSL Modem Status....... Up
> PPP Session Status...... n/a
> Connection Type......... Bridge
> Time set from............. Boot
> Time since last boot.... 61 days, 2 hrs: 9 mins: 6 secs
>
> Time last modem self test.. NEVER
> Time last modem result.... UNKNOWN
>
> EVENTS
> **********************************************************************
> The first number is the Event time (days,hrs:min:sec) since boot.
> Events are listed starting from the most recent.
> **********************************************************************
>
> 54,18:10:1 US Atten: 17.0 DS Atten: 30.5
> 54,18:10:1 US Margin: 13.0 DS Margin: 9.0
> 54,18:10:1 US Tx Power: 1.3 DS Tx Power: 19.7
> 54,18:10:1 US DSL Rate: 512 kbits/sec DS DSL Rate: 8128 kbits/sec
> 54,18:10:1 WanMgr reports DSL is UP
> 54,18:9:32 WanMgr reports DSL is Down
> 48,0:9:26 US Atten: 17.0 DS Atten: 30.5
> 48,0:9:26 US Margin: 12.0 DS Margin: 11.0
> 48,0:9:26 US Tx Power: 1.3 DS Tx Power: 19.7
> 48,0:9:26 US DSL Rate: 512 kbits/sec DS DSL Rate: 8128 kbits/sec
> 48,0:9:26 WanMgr reports DSL is UP
> 48,0:9:6 WanMgr reports DSL is Down
> 46,1:50:55 US Atten: 17.0 DS Atten: 30.5
> 46,1:50:55 US Margin: 15.0 DS Margin: 11.0
> 46,1:50:55 US Tx Power: 1.6 DS Tx Power: 19.7
> 46,1:50:55 US DSL Rate: 512 kbits/sec DS DSL Rate: 8128 kbits/sec
> 46,1:50:55 WanMgr reports DSL is UP
> 46,1:50:35 WanMgr reports DSL is Down
> 40,8:13:47 US Atten: 17.0 DS Atten: 30.5
> 40,8:13:47 US Margin: 14.0 DS Margin: 10.0
> 40,8:13:47 US Tx Power: 1.7 DS Tx Power: 19.7
> 40,8:13:47 US DSL Rate: 512 kbits/sec DS DSL Rate: 8128 kbits/sec
> 40,8:13:47 WanMgr reports DSL is UP
>
> Mike
>
> On Mon, 2008-03-03 at 16:38 -0500, Michael H. Warfield wrote:
>> Ok,
>>
>> I was kinda sitting this one out and staying quiet but I guess I need
>> to chime in as counterpoint.
>>
>> I recently had some similar problems with one of my DSL lines with
>> AT&T. I gave them some pretty detailed outage information and they
>> rolled a truck after running some remote tests with me on the line and
>> disconnecting things in the house to trouble shoot the noise level.
>> They know exactly and explicitly that I run Linux cause I told them that
>> right up front when I provided them with the diagnostic information I
>> had gathered. At no time did they even hint that running Linux was
>> unacceptable or any problem in any way shape or form. The gal I spoke
>> with immediately did some remote diagnostics and wasn't happy with the
>> results. I think the other poster got a bad first-line support person.
>> Next time you run into something like that, ask for their manager.
>>
>> The guy who came out for me ran some tests on my line and decided that
>> the SNL (Signal Noise Level) was marginal and so he switched out my DSL
>> filter in the house for one installed in the demarcation and brought the
>> DSL into the house on one of my spare pairs. That improved the SNL by
>> about two points. Not great but better. No problem since on that line.
>>
>> I have never had a problem with any AT&T people giving me any grief
>> over running Linux. In fact, that seems to be the one thing that breaks
>> them out of the script and to take you seriously. Snowing them under
>> with details from your logs of up time and downtime also helps. When
>> you start telling them that you are getting pad-t timeouts and it when
>> down here and you're getting this on your PPPOE interface, you start
>> getting a different reaction from them.
>>
>> On Mon, 2008-03-03 at 11:45 -0500, tom wrote:
>>> On Mon, 3 Mar 2008, Jim Kinney wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dropping DSL line is one of several things:
>>>>
>>>> 1. line noise - that will not get fixed by the phone co until it fails
>>>> completely since it requires they roll a truck. You need a signal
>>>> strength meter to verify. Phone co will only guarantee line quality to
>>>> demarc site. Bad house wiring is often a problem.
>>>
>>> Is there any semi-reasonable way to lay hands on a signal strength meter?
>>> The wiring in the apartment is elderly.
>>
>> The AT&T tech pointed me to where that can be checked on the Westel.
>> Just go to http://192.168.1.254 (or where ever you may have remapped
>> yours to, I have one on .1 and one on .2) and from there go to
>> "Broadband DSL Line" and then select statistics from the buttons on the
>> right and then "DSL". Watch for excessive CRC errors and note both
>> upstream and downstream attentuation and SNL. Sorry, I forget what the
>> figures are that he quoted me as being good vs bad. But your signal
>> meter is right there in the modem for you. BTW... I have the black
>> Westel. If you have the white one or older firmware, your mileage may
>> vary. There are even instructions up on the AT&T site (somewhere) on
>> how to update the firmware in your Westel modems from Linux (it's just
>> web upload so it's really no big deal).
>>
>> Right now, just glancing at my two modems I see the following:
>>
>> The one that had the problem...
>>
>> Down Stream Path Up Stream Path
>> DSL Sync Rate (Kbits/Sec) 8128 512
>> SN Margin (db) 10.5 13.0
>> Line Attenuation (db) 30.5 17.0
>> CRC Errors 636 9
>>
>> Time since last boot.... 61 days, 2 hrs: 9 mins: 6 secs
>>
>>
>> The one that didn't...
>> Down Stream Path Up Stream Path
>> DSL Sync Rate (Kbits/Sec) 8128 512
>> SN Margin (db) 11.0 12.0
>> Line Attenuation (db) 26.5 15.0
>> CRC Errors 2539 24
>>
>> Time since last boot.... 14 days, 19 hrs: 41 mins: 18 secs
>>
>> The "time since last boot" is on a "logs" page from another menu option
>> a couple of screens back from the statistics.
>>
>> I don't like AT&T for a number of reasons (and I detest the lying
>> bastards at Comcast) but not supporting Linux is decidedly not one of
>> those reasons.
>>
>>
>> Mike
>>
>>>>
>>>> 2. Bad modem. Semi-frequent occurrence. Only way to verify is with
>>>> another modem. If service is keyed to MAC then it requires MAC spoofing.
>>>> Phone co is reluctant to replace it as they can't RMA it anyway.
>>>
>>> This I could handle.
>>>
>>> <<snip some other good stuff>>
>>>> Good luck. The script-reading dweebs are useless and really don't care
>>>> if you have service or not. As long as they read their script, they
>>>> don't get in trouble. They also have no ability to run a line test from
>>>> their end.
>>>>
>>>> Speakeasy tech support can and will run a line test first thing to see
>>>> if there is a problem. Rather than argue with you, the person sending
>>>> them money, the presume that you wouldn't be spending the time to call
>>>> for help if the stuff was working. I've was terrified when Best Buy
>>>> acquired Speakeasy but so far it is still the same Speakeasy I have been
>>>> super pleased with for years.
>>>
>>> I'll agree with you on Speakeasy. Only trouble with them is that here in
>>> Charlotte they pretty much can not deliver dsl service. Outside the city
>>> I've heard of success, but inside you get idsl from Speakeasy. I put up
>>> with the limited service because of the quality of their support.
>>
>> Mike
>
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