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[Oranged]

I've had broadband since 2004 and the line attenuation has always been either 37.5 or 38. This was the case with Orange and also now that I'm with O2.

Yesterday evening at 8.47pm, the router unexpectedly re-booted while at SNRM 6.5 and the line attenuation is now 34.5.
There have been no variations to any of the other data eg  the sync, SNRM or Output Power data.

Currently stats are :

Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 1,321 / 8,187 
 
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12.0 / 19.0
 
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 19.0 / 34.5
 
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 7.0 / 8.5

Any suggestions why this should be ?

[roseway]

Hmm.. that is rather a large change. Of course, the reported attenuation isn't a simple single figure, but a sort of weighted average of the various attenuations of the different bins, so it can change depending on how the bins are used when the connection is negotiated. But I don't think that would explain what has happened here. Apart from that waffling, I really don't know.

[Oranged]

But that's a reassuring response because I'm baffled as well 

I've asked O2 if they can check connection data from their end as I've had a small number of unexplained reboots recently but the connection always resumes immediately with no strange stats......except for last evening.

[kitz]

As you already know attenuation should more or less always remain static.
As eric has already stated, it can be affected by different routers due to the way they record the frequency bins, or it can increase if you get higher speeds and therefore use the higher frequencies which are more attenuated (eg if you go to adsl2+).

A decrease in attenuation is normally different equipment on the line (router), improvement of internal wiring, a repair on the physical phone line or.. a new twisted pair.

TBH although O2 may perform a woosh equivalent, I wouldnt expect them to find anything much since it will be your router that responds to the tests and will likely give similar figures.

If it wasnt for the time at which this occurred, I would have said most likely some work has been carried out on your line which has improved the attenuation such as a new twisted pair or linecard.

[Oranged]

A further unexplained reboot occurred at 3:35am this morning after which the attenuation reverted to 37.5dBm.

These reboots are occurring regularly even though SNRM when it happens never seems to be below 5dB.

Current stats are :

Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 1,325 / 8,187
 
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12.0 / 18.5
 
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 19.0 / 37.5
 
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 7.0 / 9.5

So it does seem likely that there is a line problem of some description.

By the way, this is an O2 Standard ADSL2+ LLU service plugged into the main BT linebox using an O2 Wireless Box II TG585v7. I'm going to try my Belkin 7633 router and monitor if that reboots.

[kitz]

>> A further unexplained reboot occurred at 3:35am this morning after which the attenuation reverted to 37.5dBm.

maybe a false 34.5dB reading?

>> using an O2 Wireless Box II TG585v7.

There have been instances of some of these boxes doing unexplained reboots, so it may be worth giving the belkin a shot.

[Ezzer]

I would say its a false one off reading, was your router particuarly cold during the reboot perhaps.

If it was a change that stuck then I'll say some work has occured somewhere along you line between you and the exchange, but given the figures gone back to normal I'lld rule this out

[Oranged]

I would say its a false one off reading, was your router particuarly cold during the reboot perhaps.

O2 router is in an unheated room within the house......would this make such a difference ?

I thought TG585v7's ran warm.....I have mine stood on it's front edge, with the aerial on the back edge uppermost so heat is dissipated.

The reboots that have happened have been at varying times of the day/night, not necessarily only at night when it's coldest. Having said that, the reboots have only started since the sub-zero external temperatures have been with us.

[Ezzer]

I woder if you might be getting condensation inside the router, What made me think about cold temerature is if electronics are cold then the same energy from the current used has a more distinct/ crisper effect. Possibly (although only a theory and I WOULD NOT RECOMEND USING THIS AS A POSSIBLE MEANS OF TRYING TO CHANGE ROUTER PERFORMANCE) if the router was particuarly cold could have the dsl signal appear to be relitively stronger hence the lower attenution reading.

If this was the case the input signal is still the same as before, just the way the router has interprited the signal, this should naot make any difference to the sync speed which is one half of the reason I put the above bit in capitals.
In this respect its different to the effect of having a cooler cpu chip in a pc where a cooler temeratur does have a change in performance.

If the area ia particuarly cold with the router running at its normal temperature then maby condensation could be building up rather like dew and if theres any mineral content in the condensation (which will occur after some time) this could be causing a hr fault in the router and so the reboots.

[mr_chris]

could have the dsl signal appear to be relitively stronger hence the lower attenution reading.

I wouldn't imagine it would change by as large an amount as 3dB though.

Condensation sounds like a plausible theory though - and as it's a TG585v7 anyway, I have heard these aren't particularly fantastic routers to begin with - so perhaps a bad combination.

So I'd better cancel my custom Botch-Jobs-R-Us™ router liquid nitrogen cooling kit then, should I?

[Oranged]

That's an interesting and logical theory.....before I dust off the Belkin, I'll move the TG585v7 to a warmer position  

Unfortunately that's an extension (hard-wired from NTE5 minus ring wire) but I had no problems using for BB previously.

Re. B-J-R-Us, you could always first try putting one of those small freezer packs on top of the router 

[Oranged]

I've moved the router to a position in a bedroom on the floor behind the bed......cosy now 

In this location I'm only connecting at 24Mbps of the 54Mbps to the router but signal quality is "Very Good" and stats are still OK :

Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 1,325 / 8,187
 
Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12.0 / 18.5
 
Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 19.0 / 37.5
 
SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 7.0 / 7.0

and a speed test shows 7100/1100......so that's as good as before connected @ 54Mbps.....so now I just need to monitor the reboots with RouterstatsLite.
 

[roseway]

and a speed test shows 7100/1100......so that's as good as before connected @ 54Mbps

The 54 Mbps (now 24 Mbps) is just your wireless speed, and has nothing to do with your ADSL connection speed. As it's way above the ADSL speed it won't affect your actual download speed either.

[Oranged]

I appreciate that this is wireless speed to the router but I was inferring that an ethernet connection at 100Mbps sometimes produces a better result than a wireless connection on speed test sites.......I phrased it poorly 

[Ezzer]

Don't go overboard with keeping the router warm as they ALL with become tetchy to loosing connection altogether if too hot. had 2 dsl fault on one day last week both due to overheating routers.

Rule of thumb when you place your palm on the top or bottom of the router and if it were a cup of tea/coffee could you drink it, if yes, too hot. (Voyagers tend to run warmer than most routers but should only be a bit warm near to where the power lead plugs in.

As far as cold routers are concerned. I'm guessing on this one. Cold electronics can start to misbehave. some processors though get a big improvement in performance when cooled down hence some hard core pc nuts actualy refrigirate their cpu's in their pc's. Cooler complex intergrated circuits get as best can be described a better contrast with the digital signals running within them, hence my guess.

The last thing I want to do is start some silly urban myth and then have people going round refrigerating their routers in the belief it will improve performance. I'm guessing a cold temperature may cause an sligh change in the stats given but the actual signal loss on the line will remain the same.