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No Broadband, but Wifi Still Works



 
 
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  #11  
Old December 25th 18, 02:57 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware
Paul[_28_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,467
Default No Broadband, but Wifi Still Works

VanguardLH wrote:
John McGaw wrote:

On 12/23/2018 11:05 PM, M.L. wrote:
The broadband light on the Arris NVG510 is blinking red on an
Ethernet-connected Win10 desktop computer. Restarting the router
didn't help, and it continues blinking red even when the Ethernet
cable is disconnected. However, all smartphones on the network have
WiFi working and connected to the expected SSID. Why doesn't the
broadband issue affect the wireless connections?

You seem to be certain that the red light means that communication are
absolutely and totally lost but what happens is it merely means that the
connection is intermittent or sub-optimal? What if the "red light flashy
circuit" is reacting badly?

Manuals don't always say what they mean -- sometimes the manual writer
really has no clue of what is actually going on beyond some vague notions
and notes from the designers (and designers don't always pay much attention
to correcting the drafts of the manuals even if they are actually included
in the loop). If you are sure that you have connection and can perform
tests to prove it then you _have_ connection no matter what the light is
telling you. Think of it as a defective "check engine" light -- put some
black tape over it. When the communications are truly lost then you will
have _no_ question about it and you can gaze at the LED then.

That said, I'd certainly be badgering my ISP for an immediate (free)
replacement of the old one and the flashing LED is as good an excuse as any.


I had originally understood the OP as saying there was Internet
connectivity via wi-fi to the modem but not when using Ethernet (wired)
to the modem. However, all the OP actually said is there is Internet
connectivity via wi-fi but never mentioned if there is Internet
connectivity via wired.

Regardless of the LEDs on the modem:
- OP said wi-fi gets to Internet okay.
- No mention of whether or not wired Ethernet gets to the Internet.
- Flashing red LED doesn't match wi-fi connectivity to Internet.

From reading articles about that modem, it has a history of poor
reliability. Some users noted the modem would lose the Internet
connection and have to renegotiate several times per day. With DSL, as
I recall, there is a keep-alive ping that can be adjusted. If a reset
(not a reboot) doesn't work and if the modem is leased, exchange it.


On my equipment here, I've actually had a flashing LED
on the panel of the hardware, due to "torrent-like connection
exhaustion" on the router section. In one case, it appeared
the box had crashed, and I couldn't "web" into it and check
anything. In another case, the red LED was flashing and
just the ability to make new connections was lost. I could
select "reboot" from the web interface, without getting out
of my chair and toggling the power on the network stack power
strip.

And that was at very low connection levels (caused by the
greedy behavior of Windows Update in Windows 10). Having 20
connections open, and closing some and opening others,
seemed to tip it over. AFAIK, to be a "good corporate citizen",
the router table should have room for at least a thousand
entries (which age out at some point, when not used).

By no stretch of the imagination, would my hardware ever
tolerate Torrent usage. It would likely tip over in
about 5 seconds or so. That's how bad it is :-/

I'd spend more money on spiffy network hardware, but
there's little visible benefit (except a lack of
flashing red lights maybe). As it is, to keep my
VOIP phone running wastes 17W of electricity total, and that
really ****es me off. Adding yet another 10W box-o-tricks
to the stack isn't going to improve that. You know, one
of those boxes with the "microwave array" on top :-)

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....Y300_QL70_.jpg

You put your bag of microwave popcorn in the center.

https://assets.hardwarezone.com/img/...-rt-ac5300.png

Paul
  #12  
Old December 25th 18, 03:28 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware
Mike S
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 78
Default No Broadband, but Wifi Still Works

On 12/24/2018 2:20 AM, M.L. wrote:


Wi-fi "working" could mean lots of different things. For example, maybe
the phones can connect via wi-fi to the modem but the users haven't yet
tested that they can actually get an Internet connection (by using a web
browser).


One user absent-mindedly logged into her office remotely and was
connected. That's how they found out they had wireless Internet.
That's her work phone and it doesn't have cellular service.

Unless they also disable their cellular data connection, they
won't know if the Internet traffic they generate is over the wi-fi
connection to the modem or through a cellular data connection.


One of my troubleshooting tips was to confirm the expected SSID of the
wireless connection.


I helped a neighbor diagnose poor download speeds once. His router came
pre-configured incl. wifi network SSID, username and password, just like
his neighbor's router, in fact identical to his neighbor's router. they
both came from the same local ISP. When I saw the duplicate we renamed
his network and connected to it, problem solved.
  #13  
Old December 25th 18, 03:29 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware
Mike S
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 78
Default No Broadband, but Wifi Still Works

On 12/24/2018 2:31 PM, John McGaw wrote:
On 12/23/2018 11:05 PM, M.L. wrote:


The broadband light on the Arris NVG510 is blinking red on an
Ethernet-connected Win10 desktop computer. Restarting the router
didn't help, and it continues blinking red even when the Ethernet
cable is disconnected. However, all smartphones on the network have
WiFi working and connected to the expected SSID. Why doesn't the
broadband issue affect the wireless connections?


You seem to be certain that the red light means that communication are
absolutely and totally lost but what happens is it merely means that the
connection is intermittent or sub-optimal? What if the "red light flashy
circuit" is reacting badly?

Manuals don't always say what they mean -- sometimes the manual writer
really has no clue of what is actually going on beyond some vague
notions and notes from the designers (and designers don't always pay
much attention to correcting the drafts of the manuals even if they are
actually included in the loop). If you are sure that you have connection
and can perform tests to prove it then you _have_ connection no matter
what the light is telling you. Think of it as a defective "check engine"
light -- put some black tape over it. When the communications are truly
lost then you will have _no_ question about it and you can gaze at the
LED then.

That said, I'd certainly be badgering my ISP for an immediate (free)
replacement of the old one and the flashing LED is as good an excuse as
any.


Agreed, it looks like the h/w is failing.
  #14  
Old December 25th 18, 03:31 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware
Mike S
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 78
Default No Broadband, but Wifi Still Works

On 12/24/2018 5:57 PM, Paul wrote:
VanguardLH wrote:
John McGaw wrote:

On 12/23/2018 11:05 PM, M.L. wrote:
The broadband light on the Arris NVG510 is blinking red on an
Ethernet-connected Win10 desktop computer. Restarting the router
didn't help, and it continues blinking red even when the Ethernet
cable is disconnected. However, all smartphones on the network have
WiFi working and connected to the expected SSID. Why doesn't the
broadband issue affect the wireless connections?

You seem to be certain that the red light means that communication
are absolutely and totally lost but what happens is it merely means
that the connection is intermittent or sub-optimal? What if the "red
light flashy circuit" is reacting badly?

Manuals don't always say what they mean -- sometimes the manual
writer really has no clue of what is actually going on beyond some
vague notions and notes from the designers (and designers don't
always pay much attention to correcting the drafts of the manuals
even if they are actually included in the loop). If you are sure that
you have connection and can perform tests to prove it then you _have_
connection no matter what the light is telling you. Think of it as a
defective "check engine" light -- put some black tape over it. When
the communications are truly lost then you will have _no_ question
about it and you can gaze at the LED then.

That said, I'd certainly be badgering my ISP for an immediate (free)
replacement of the old one and the flashing LED is as good an excuse
as any.


I had originally understood the OP as saying there was Internet
connectivity via wi-fi to the modem but not when using Ethernet (wired)
to the modem.Â* However, all the OP actually said is there is Internet
connectivity via wi-fi but never mentioned if there is Internet
connectivity via wired.

Regardless of the LEDs on the modem:
- OP said wi-fi gets to Internet okay.
- No mention of whether or not wired Ethernet gets to the Internet.
- Flashing red LED doesn't match wi-fi connectivity to Internet.

From reading articles about that modem, it has a history of poor
reliability.Â* Some users noted the modem would lose the Internet
connection and have to renegotiate several times per day.Â* With DSL, as
I recall, there is a keep-alive ping that can be adjusted.Â* If a reset
(not a reboot) doesn't work and if the modem is leased, exchange it.


On my equipment here, I've actually had a flashing LED
on the panel of the hardware, due to "torrent-like connection
exhaustion" on the router section. In one case, it appeared
the box had crashed, and I couldn't "web" into it and check
anything. In another case, the red LED was flashing and
just the ability to make new connections was lost. I could
select "reboot" from the web interface, without getting out
of my chair and toggling the power on the network stack power
strip.

And that was at very low connection levels (caused by the
greedy behavior of Windows Update in Windows 10). Having 20
connections open, and closing some and opening others,
seemed to tip it over. AFAIK, to be a "good corporate citizen",
the router table should have room for at least a thousand
entries (which age out at some point, when not used).

By no stretch of the imagination, would my hardware ever
tolerate Torrent usage. It would likely tip over in
about 5 seconds or so. That's how bad it is :-/

I'd spend more money on spiffy network hardware, but
there's little visible benefit (except a lack of
flashing red lights maybe). As it is, to keep my
VOIP phone running wastes 17W of electricity total, and that
really ****es me off. Adding yet another 10W box-o-tricks
to the stack isn't going to improve that. You know, one
of those boxes with the "microwave array" on top :-)

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....Y300_QL70_.jpg


You put your bag of microwave popcorn in the center.

https://assets.hardwarezone.com/img/...-rt-ac5300.png

Â*Â* Paul


box-o-tricks, lol.
  #15  
Old December 25th 18, 04:19 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware
Paul[_28_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,467
Default No Broadband, but Wifi Still Works

Mike S wrote:
On 12/24/2018 2:31 PM, John McGaw wrote:
On 12/23/2018 11:05 PM, M.L. wrote:


The broadband light on the Arris NVG510 is blinking red on an
Ethernet-connected Win10 desktop computer. Restarting the router
didn't help, and it continues blinking red even when the Ethernet
cable is disconnected. However, all smartphones on the network have
WiFi working and connected to the expected SSID. Why doesn't the
broadband issue affect the wireless connections?


You seem to be certain that the red light means that communication are
absolutely and totally lost but what happens is it merely means that
the connection is intermittent or sub-optimal? What if the "red light
flashy circuit" is reacting badly?

Manuals don't always say what they mean -- sometimes the manual writer
really has no clue of what is actually going on beyond some vague
notions and notes from the designers (and designers don't always pay
much attention to correcting the drafts of the manuals even if they
are actually included in the loop). If you are sure that you have
connection and can perform tests to prove it then you _have_
connection no matter what the light is telling you. Think of it as a
defective "check engine" light -- put some black tape over it. When
the communications are truly lost then you will have _no_ question
about it and you can gaze at the LED then.

That said, I'd certainly be badgering my ISP for an immediate (free)
replacement of the old one and the flashing LED is as good an excuse
as any.


Agreed, it looks like the h/w is failing.


The reviews for the product are Not Good.

It could easily be the Firmware Elves at fault.

Paul
  #16  
Old December 25th 18, 11:10 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware
M.L.[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 19
Default No Broadband, but Wifi Still Works



Wi-fi "working" could mean lots of different things. For example, maybe
the phones can connect via wi-fi to the modem but the users haven't yet
tested that they can actually get an Internet connection (by using a web
browser).


One user absent-mindedly logged into her office remotely and was
connected. That's how they found out they had wireless Internet.
That's her work phone and it doesn't have cellular service.


VOIP service is separate from Internet service. That's why when you
call to report an outage they ask if the other service still works (to
know the physical connections and cabling are still okay).

Unclear if the work phone is a landline phone or a cell phone but with
no cellular service (no voice or data service plan).


It's the latter.

One of my troubleshooting tips was to confirm the expected SSID of the
wireless connection.


While you could dig into the modem's configuration to see, for example,
if the wifi connection was subnetted away from the Internet access (it's
very possible to use subnets within the intranet that grant no WAN-side
access, and the same for the Ethernet wired ports), it would probably be
much easier to reset the modem to its defaults.


Thanks VanguardLH. As always, your reply is thorough and
well-researched. However, at this point we're not trying to fix
anything. Just waiting on AT&T.

I'm just baffled as to how all the smartphones have WiFi even though
the router's Broadband light is flashing red. The Ethernet-connected
desktop is the only one without Internet.

  #17  
Old December 25th 18, 11:19 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware
M.L.[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 19
Default No Broadband, but Wifi Still Works



You seem to be certain that the red light means that communication are
absolutely and totally lost but what happens is it merely means that the
connection is intermittent or sub-optimal? What if the "red light flashy
circuit" is reacting badly?


That said, I'd certainly be badgering my ISP for an immediate (free)
replacement of the old one and the flashing LED is as good an excuse as any.


The Arris NVG510 is paid for.

I had originally understood the OP as saying there was Internet
connectivity via wi-fi to the modem but not when using Ethernet (wired)
to the modem. However, all the OP actually said is there is Internet
connectivity via wi-fi but never mentioned if there is Internet
connectivity via wired.


There is no wired connectivity. WiFi only.

Regardless of the LEDs on the modem:
- OP said wi-fi gets to Internet okay.
- No mention of whether or not wired Ethernet gets to the Internet.
- Flashing red LED doesn't match wi-fi connectivity to Internet.

From reading articles about that modem, it has a history of poor
reliability. Some users noted the modem would lose the Internet
connection and have to renegotiate several times per day. With DSL, as
I recall, there is a keep-alive ping that can be adjusted. If a reset
(not a reboot) doesn't work and if the modem is leased, exchange it.

  #18  
Old December 25th 18, 12:14 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware
Paul[_28_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,467
Default No Broadband, but Wifi Still Works

M.L. wrote:

Wi-fi "working" could mean lots of different things. For example, maybe
the phones can connect via wi-fi to the modem but the users haven't yet
tested that they can actually get an Internet connection (by using a web
browser).
One user absent-mindedly logged into her office remotely and was
connected. That's how they found out they had wireless Internet.
That's her work phone and it doesn't have cellular service.

VOIP service is separate from Internet service. That's why when you
call to report an outage they ask if the other service still works (to
know the physical connections and cabling are still okay).

Unclear if the work phone is a landline phone or a cell phone but with
no cellular service (no voice or data service plan).


It's the latter.

One of my troubleshooting tips was to confirm the expected SSID of the
wireless connection.

While you could dig into the modem's configuration to see, for example,
if the wifi connection was subnetted away from the Internet access (it's
very possible to use subnets within the intranet that grant no WAN-side
access, and the same for the Ethernet wired ports), it would probably be
much easier to reset the modem to its defaults.


Thanks VanguardLH. As always, your reply is thorough and
well-researched. However, at this point we're not trying to fix
anything. Just waiting on AT&T.

I'm just baffled as to how all the smartphones have WiFi even though
the router's Broadband light is flashing red. The Ethernet-connected
desktop is the only one without Internet.


https://www.broadcom.com/products/br...d/xdsl/bcm6362

Single-Chip IAD with Integrated ADSL2+, 802.11n and DECT


ADSL2+ transceiver and AFE with a high-performance multicore
MIPS32 CPU, ATM/PTM hardware SAR, hardware packet-processing accelerator

Gigabit Ethernet switch core with four 10/100 Ethernet PHYs and
dual GMII interfaces, dual USB Host/Device, multichannel TDM/PCM bus,
parallel expansion bus supporting CardBus, and mini-PCI into a single
high-performance monolithic device

2x2 802.11n core, which offers best-in-class range and throughput
to support the video, voice and data services that broadband
providers are offering to subscribers

WLAN subsystem includes Accelerange technology

2x2 802.11n radio supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz operation

High performance 400 MHz dual core processor architecture,
hardware-assisted wirespeed bridging and routing, hardware
assisted IPsec security for virtual private network (VPN)
termination, gigabit switching, and support for USB 2.0 host
and devices

CAT-iq DECT core for HD voice, multi-line cordless VoIP and
internet connectivity

https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Motorola_N...nabling_Telnet

Serial output from boot sequence

Light starts blinking red when DoDyingGaspCommand is printed

*******

Maybe the secret is "hardware-assisted wirespeed bridging and routing".
It could be that the MIPS handles setting up new connections in
a table somewhere, but once set up, packets follow the same path
autonomously.

Seems pretty far fetched though - modern Wifi MACs use a processor
and have their own code. There is no indication this product
does that - engineers don't generally waste resources, and
if you wanted a processor for keep-alive on the wifi, the
main processor could run that code quite nicely.

Another possibility is a division of labor. There are two cores.
Perhaps one core can execute a Halt, and the second core keeps
running, and the division of labor is such that lashed up
connections continue to deliver data. Maybe one core is
considered "RT" for the DSP, while the other core runs Linux.

Something has to do DSP for the ADSL. That would use up any where
from half a core to one core of horsepower. And that would run
continuously. I don't see the word DSP in the description (like
a dedicated DSP for just the front end). The serial port log output says

"Allocating memory for DSP module core and initialization code"

which suggests the MIPS32 does the necessary DSP on the digitized
signal from the analog front end.

You could have service, if there was some way for a second
WAN path on the router. I don't know how you'd figure that out
though. What could your Wifi connect to, that would relay packets ?

*******

The four pin serial header would be chassis ground referenced.
The box would normally be "fully floating" except for whatever
earthing was via the ADSL RJ11. If there was a need to run the
serial header while the ADSL was hooked up, if I was doing it
I would look for an optoisolated TX/RX from there to a
USB dongle on my computer. That would be necessary to help
preserve the noise floor on the ADSL2+ connection. The log
on that web page was collected with the ADSL2+ line unplugged
(and just as a means to collect hardware detection info
from inside the box).

Paul
  #19  
Old December 25th 18, 12:28 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware
VanguardLH[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,453
Default No Broadband, but Wifi Still Works

M.L. wrote:

The Arris NVG510 is paid for.


If their customer buys their own modem instead of leasing it from the
ISP then the ISP won't support that modem. Well, they might but they
will likely charge for fixing something that isn't their property. The
customer should start hunting around for a new modem after checking with
their ISP which are their recommended brands and models.
  #20  
Old December 26th 18, 04:03 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware
M.L.[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 19
Default No Broadband, but Wifi Still Works



The Arris NVG510 is paid for.


If their customer buys their own modem instead of leasing it from the
ISP then the ISP won't support that modem. Well, they might but they
will likely charge for fixing something that isn't their property. The
customer should start hunting around for a new modem after checking with
their ISP which are their recommended brands and models.


I just got back from Christmas dinner at the folks I was helping. User
said he fiddled with the router and PC until somehow the PC started
receiving Internet. Unfortunately he isn't computer savvy and has no
idea exactly what he did to fix the issue. The broadband light is a
solid green now. I checked his Android and it was still receiving
WiFi, and his cellular data was enabled. Thanks to all who replied,
sorry for the anti-climatic closure.
 




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