Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[mbrijun]

Hi,

after many years with Virgin Media, I have decided to switch over to FTTC. My ISP (Cuckoo.co) supplied me with a Technicolor DWA0120 router. I could use some help interpreting the numbers I am seeing on the Physical Link Status, please. I am attaching an image to this post.

Thank you.

[j0hn]

The line stats aren't very detailed at all.
They show you connected at 32Mb/s down and 5.7Mb/s up.
The line is running at the default noise margin of 6dB.

No idea what cabinet type you are on, if the line is interleaved, or if it has retransmission enabled and therefore can't tell if things are likely to improve over time.

Best case scenario is you're on a Huawei cabinet and the downstream might go up by a few Mb/s over time if the line is stable.

The output power and attenuation figures don't really mean anything.
It looks like they are per band attenuation figures which tend to be plucked out of thin air by the chipset manufacturer.
Output power differs massively between lines and means diddly squat to the lines performance.

[Alex Atkin UK]

I'd kinda assume DSL Mode Fast probably means Fastpath, so no interleaving.

[j0hn]

I'd kinda assume DSL Mode Fast probably means Fastpath

You would like to think, but it definitely doesn't mean fastpath on most modems.
Most modems report Retx as Mode "Fast" (it isn't fastpath) and a few ISP modems report DSL Mode "Fast" no matter what the line is running at.

It's a dumbed down GUI with next to no detail.
Add to that ECI cabinets start interleaved and Huawei cabinets start with G.INP enabled from day dot now, the chances are the line is not on fastpath.

Over the years I've read mode "Fast" as "who knows".

[Weaver]

Would retx mean G.INP support?

[j0hn]

Would retx mean G.INP support?

They are 1 and the same thing.
G.INP/Retx/Retransmission.

[Alex Atkin UK]

You would like to think, but it definitely doesn't mean fastpath on most modems.
Most modems report Retx as Mode "Fast" (it isn't fastpath) and a few ISP modems report DSL Mode "Fast" no matter what the line is running at.

It's a dumbed down GUI with next to no detail.
Add to that ECI cabinets start interleaved and Huawei cabinets start with G.INP enabled from day dot now, the chances are the line is not on fastpath.

Over the years I've read mode "Fast" as "who knows".

Figures, it would be too simple for them to actually just give the proper darn statistics.

[mbrijun]

Gents, thank you for your answers. I have managed to pull some more stats from the CLI of the router. I also spoke to my neighbour next door who was getting 38/7Mbps on his BT service, according to Chrome's internet speed test. The same test shows 29/5Mbps on my line (Cuckoo ISP). I wonder if there is any point in investing in a "better" VDSL modem to replace my Technicolor DWA0120. At this point I don't know if my cabinet is ECI or Huawei, the landline number has not been added to the database yet.

Thanks again.

Code: [Select]

engineer>xdslctl --vendor info
/usr/bin/xdslctl: ADSL driver and PHY status
Status: Showtime
Last Retrain Reason:    1
Last initialization procedure status:   0
Max:    Upstream rate = 5830 Kbps, Downstream rate = 32394 Kbps
Bearer: 0, Upstream rate = 5830 Kbps, Downstream rate = 32463 Kbps
Bearer: 1, Upstream rate = 0 Kbps, Downstream rate = 0 Kbps
ChipSet Vendor Id:      BDCM:0xc190
ChipSet VersionNumber:  0xc190
ChipSet SerialNumber:   QFSL3003754_14

Code: [Select]

engineer>xdslctl --stats info
/usr/bin/xdslctl: ADSL driver and PHY status
Status: Showtime
Last Retrain Reason:    1
Last initialization procedure status:   0
Max:    Upstream rate = 5830 Kbps, Downstream rate = 32492 Kbps
Bearer: 0, Upstream rate = 5830 Kbps, Downstream rate = 32463 Kbps
Bearer: 1, Upstream rate = 0 Kbps, Downstream rate = 0 Kbps
Link Power State:       L0
Mode:                   VDSL2 Annex B
VDSL2 Profile:          Profile 17a
TPS-TC:                 PTM Mode(0x0)
Trellis:                U:ON /D:ON
Line Status:            No Defect
Training Status:        Showtime
                Down            Up
SNR (dB):        6.3             6.1
Attn(dB):        22.1            0.0
Pwr(dBm):        11.7           -5.6

                        VDSL2 framing
                        Bearer 0
MSGc:           -6              26
B:              243             175
M:              1               1
T:              0               38
R:              10              8
S:              0.2393          0.9577
L:              8490            1537
D:              8               1
I:              254             92
N:              254             184
Q:              8               0
V:              0               0
RxQueue:                24              0
TxQueue:                6               0
G.INP Framing:          18              0
G.INP lookback:         6               0
RRC bits:               0               24
                        Bearer 1
MSGc:           90              -6
B:              0               0
M:              2               0
T:              2               0
R:              16              0
S:              10.6667         0.0000
L:              24              0
D:              1               0
I:              32              0
N:              32              0
Q:              0               0
V:              0               0
RxQueue:                0               0
TxQueue:                0               0
G.INP Framing:          0               0
G.INP lookback:         0               0
RRC bits:               0               0

                        Counters
                        Bearer 0
OHF:            0               2410844
OHFErr:         0               23
RS:             365147776               91592349
RSCorr:         251             17
RSUnCorr:       0               0
                        Bearer 1
OHF:            1365603         0
OHFErr:         0               0
RS:             8193245         0
RSCorr:         0               0
RSUnCorr:       0               0

                        Retransmit Counters
rtx_tx:         26              0
rtx_c:          18              0
rtx_uc:         0               0

                        G.INP Counters
LEFTRS:         0               0
minEFTR:        32463           0
errFreeBits:    27441405                0

                        Bearer 0
HEC:            0               0
OCD:            0               0
LCD:            0               0
Total Cells:    1369365747              0
Data Cells:     5012412         0
Drop Cells:     0
Bit Errors:     0               0

                        Bearer 1
HEC:            0               0
OCD:            0               0
LCD:            0               0
Total Cells:    0               0
Data Cells:     0               0
Drop Cells:     0
Bit Errors:     0               0

ES:             10              90
SES:            10              0
UAS:            69              59
AS:             21935

                        Bearer 0
INP:            44.00           0.00
INPRein:        0.00            0.00
delay:          0               0
PER:            0.00            9.13
OR:             0.01            28.02
AgR:            32496.05        5857.81

                        Bearer 1
INP:            2.50            0.00
INPRein:        2.50            0.00
delay:          0               0
PER:            16.06           0.01
OR:             47.81           0.01
AgR:            47.81   0.01

Bitswap:        168/168         164/164

Total time = 15 hours 35 min 25 sec
FEC:            870             95
CRC:            0               107
ES:             10              90
SES:            10              0
UAS:            69              59
LOS:            1               0
LOF:            0               0
LOM:            0               0
Retr:           1
HostInitRetr:   0
FastRetr:       0
FailedRetr:     0
FailedFastRetr: 0
Latest 15 minutes time = 5 min 25 sec
FEC:            0               0
CRC:            0               3
ES:             0               2
SES:            0               0
UAS:            0               0
LOS:            0               0
LOF:            0               0
LOM:            0               0
Retr:           0
HostInitRetr:   0
FastRetr:       0
FailedRetr:     0
FailedFastRetr: 0
Previous 15 minutes time = 15 min 0 sec
FEC:            19              1
CRC:            0               0
ES:             0               0
SES:            0               0
UAS:            0               0
LOS:            0               0
LOF:            0               0
LOM:            0               0
Retr:           N/A
HostInitRetr:   N/A
FastRetr:       N/A
FailedRetr:     N/A
FailedFastRetr: N/A
Latest 1 day time = 15 hours 35 min 25 sec
FEC:            870             95
CRC:            0               107
ES:             10              90
SES:            10              0
UAS:            69              59
LOS:            1               0
LOF:            0               0
LOM:            0               0
Retr:           1
HostInitRetr:   0
FastRetr:       0
FailedRetr:     0
FailedFastRetr: 0
Previous 1 day time = 0 sec
FEC:            0               0
CRC:            0               0
ES:             0               0
SES:            0               0
UAS:            0               0
LOS:            0               0
LOF:            0               0
LOM:            0               0
Retr:           0
HostInitRetr:   0
FastRetr:       0
FailedRetr:     0
FailedFastRetr: 0
Since Link time = 6 hours 5 min 33 sec
FEC:            251             17
CRC:            0               23
ES:             0               21
SES:            0               0
UAS:            0               0
LOS:            0               0
LOF:            0               0
LOM:            0               0
Retr:           0
HostInitRetr:   0
FastRetr:       0
FailedRetr:     0
FailedFastRetr: 0
NTR: mipsCntAtNtr=0 ncoCntAtNtr=0


[j0hn]

You're on a Huawei cabinet.
You have G.INP enabled, which is good.
It used to be that you had to wait days (or weeks) for this to turn on but it's always on now from the very 1st connection.

There is an automated system called the DLM (Dynamic line management) that can make changes to the line.
Your downstream SNR target is currently set to 6dB (that's the default).
If you give it a week or so the DLM can lower the SNR target in 1dB increments to as low as 3dB.
This would increase the downstream by (very roughly) around 8-9Mb by my guess. That should bring you to around where your neighbours is.
Neighbouring lines can differ by quite a bit so it isn't uncommon for 1 neighbour to connect quite a bit higher than another.

The DLM monitors how many times the line reconnects and less is better. Try not to unplug the line or to reboot the modem.

[mbrijun]

@j0hn - this is a genuinely helpful response. Thank you. I will let it sit for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

[meritez]

Cuckoo are a TalkTalk Partner:
https://www.talktalkbusiness.co.uk/partners/news-and-insight/blogs/looking-back-at-2021/

Following the launch of our whitepaper we sat down for a round table discussion, hosted by Comms Dealer, with experts from TalkTalk Wholesale Services and our Partners including Windsor Telecom, Zen Internet, Merlin Telecommunications, ITS and Cuckoo, where we discussed the key findings of the whitepaper, how leading resellers see themselves capitalising from the state of the market and how it’s changing through homeworking.

Would TalkTalk FTTC profiling allow 3db?

[RealAleMadrid]

@Meritez It's using Openreach FTTC equipment so I don't see why it should be different for TalkTalk. They have no control over Openreach DLM behaviour.

[meritez]

@Meritez It's using Openreach FTTC equipment so I don't see why it should be different for TalkTalk. They have no control over Openreach DLM behaviour.

Is this no longer relevant then?
https://kitz.co.uk/adsl/DLM.htm

Code: [Select]

~ Stability Levels

ISP's known to use NGA Speed Profile: AAISP, BT, Plusnet, Zen.
ISP's known to use NGA Standard Profile: EE, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone.

[RealAleMadrid]

@G.INP is enabled so are you implying that even though it is enabled no reduction of SNRM is allowed because of TalkTalk use the standard profile. I don't know enough about the details of DLM to make a judgment on that. Probably best to see if G.INP does take any action in the next few days/weeks.

[j0hn]

Is this no longer relevant then?
https://kitz.co.uk/adsl/DLM.htm

Code: [Select]

~ Stability Levels

ISP's known to use NGA Speed Profile: AAISP, BT, Plusnet, Zen.
ISP's known to use NGA Standard Profile: EE, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone.

Yes it's somewhat relevant.

The policy picked determines the thresholds used before applying specific DLM profiles.

A line on the Standard policy might need to be a little more stable than a line on the Speed policy before applying a lower SNR target.

They all use the exact same DLM profiles though and can all lower the SNR target.

What you have quoted is also specific to Talktalk retail, not all Talktalk based services.
There are providers who use Talktalk backhaul that use the Speed profile.

It was also written nearly 10 years ago and I wouldn't bet on it being accurate as to what providers use what specific policy.