sparky

Frontier do not cease to amaze me with yet more issues!

So recently I have been having issues with what I am going to call Semi-Disconnects on my DSL service, extreme ping times of 150ms and for DSL that SUCKS!

I made the usual phone calls to get a response of "oh, we will look into that"... yeah right. I ran some software I use to diagnose issues with my connection to find out yet again its Frontiers network causing the issues as seen in the image

I have also noticed a lot of comments in my modem connection logs like this "WED DEC 29 08:31:10 2010 LAN PC Unable to communicate with DNS Server. (error = 'connection timed out', count = 21)".

So after a little research and testing I found out that Frontiers DNS servers are probably not very reliable, just like there network... anyway I run a local DNS server on my Windows Home Server which I did have set to use the DNS servers of my DSL Modem, obviously this is the issue and now I have reconfigured my DNS server to use the following servers.

8.8.4.4 Googles Open DNS
8.8.8.8 Googles Open DNS

208.67.220.220 OpenDns
208.67.222.222 OpenDns

All of which are free and your more then welcome to drop the Google ones if your worried about Google, anyway I use all 4 so I have some redundancy if some go down and now my Ping times are back to where they should be and every single address is being resolved with no errors in my modem logs!

You may find if your using any ISP being it cable, DSL, Dial up or whatever you may want to at least try changing your DNS settings to reflect some of the above, you may get an increase in speed, OpenDns also provide a free version of the software to do this for you if you do not have a DNS server of your own and can be found at opendns.com.

Why I have a DNS server you may ask! well in a nutshell I have a lot of machines in my home with local resources that I need Domain Name Resolution for hence the DNS, it Caches all external requests speeding up my time as my computer does not need to go looking for it, I get almost a 2ms Response from the server which is fantastic! Enough of my toys already!! lol

Anyways, I hope this may be able to help some of you out there in Puter Land! it helped me and I just wanted to share my findings with you..... Hope someone gets some use from it. Ohh I also added the results of the new DNS settings

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright © 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\deano>pathping frontier.net

Tracing route to frontier.net [64.150.182.42]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
0 deans-puter.home.local [192.168.0.7]
1 192.168.0.35
2 10.8.10.1
3 184.19.255.2
4 184.13.127.1
5 so--5-0-0---0.car01.asbn.va.frontiernet.net [74.40.1.53]
6 xe-0-2-0--0.cor02.asbn.va.frontiernet.net [74.40.2.221]
7 ae0---0.cbr01.asbn.va.frontiernet.net [74.40.2.178]
8 3-2.r1.dc.hwng.net [206.223.115.175]
9 2-3.r2.dc.hwng.net [69.16.190.26]
10 3-1.r1.at.hwng.net [69.16.191.126]
11 1-1.r2.ph.hwng.net [69.16.191.70]
12 ve1012.ar2.ph1.hwng.net [69.16.190.166]
13 network-69-16-135-206.phx1.puregig.net [69.16.135.206]
14 gi0-47.dr1.dg2.phoenix.codero.com [69.64.66.106]
15 216-55-139-147.dedicated.abac.net [216.55.139.147]
16 plesk1.brainstorminternet.net [64.150.182.42]

Computing statistics for 400 seconds...
Source to Here This Node/Link
Hop RTT Lost/Sent = Pct Lost/Sent = Pct Address
0 deans-puter.home.local [192.168.0.7]
0/ 100 = 0% |
1 0ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 192.168.0.35
0/ 100 = 0% |
2 28ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 10.8.10.1
0/ 100 = 0% |
3 31ms 1/ 100 = 1% 1/ 100 = 1% 184.19.255.2
0/ 100 = 0% |
4 29ms 2/ 100 = 2% 2/ 100 = 2% 184.13.127.1
0/ 100 = 0% |
5 45ms 1/ 100 = 1% 1/ 100 = 1% so--5-0-0---0.car01.asbn.va.frontiernet.net [74.40.1.53]
0/ 100 = 0% |
6 47ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% xe-0-2-0--0.cor02.asbn.va.frontiernet.net [74.40.2.221]
0/ 100 = 0% |
7 47ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% ae0---0.cbr01.asbn.va.frontiernet.net [74.40.2.178]
0/ 100 = 0% |
8 --- 100/ 100 =100% 100/ 100 =100% 3-2.r1.dc.hwng.net [206.223.115.17
5]
0/ 100 = 0% |
9 48ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 2-3.r2.dc.hwng.net [69.16.190.26]

0/ 100 = 0% |
10 62ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 3-1.r1.at.hwng.net [69.16.191.126]

0/ 100 = 0% |
11 119ms 2/ 100 = 2% 2/ 100 = 2% 1-1.r2.ph.hwng.net [69.16.191.70]
0/ 100 = 0% |
12 --- 100/ 100 =100% 100/ 100 =100% ve1012.ar2.ph1.hwng.net [69.16.190.166]
0/ 100 = 0% |
13 120ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% network-69-16-135-206.phx1.puregig.net [69.16.135.206]
1/ 100 = 1% |
14 130ms 1/ 100 = 1% 0/ 100 = 0% gi0-47.dr1.dg2.phoenix.codero.com[69.64.66.106]
0/ 100 = 0% |
15 114ms 1/ 100 = 1% 0/ 100 = 0% 216-55-139-147.dedicated.abac.net[216.55.139.147]
1/ 100 = 1% |
16 116ms 2/ 100 = 2% 0/ 100 = 0% plesk1.brainstorminternet.net [64.150.182.42]

Trace complete.

Some packet loss on the way, local routers messing around I guess, every pathping I do comes up with the same Routers messing up!

And getting slower and slower!

:::.. Download Stats ..:::
Download Connection is:: 720 Kbps about 0.7 Mbps (tested with 6152 kB)
Download Speed is:: 88 kB/s
Tested From:: https://testmy.net/ (Dallas, TX USA)
Test Time:: 2010-10-24 17:30:29 GMT
Bottom Line:: 13X faster than 56K 1MB Download in 11.64 sec
Tested from a 6152 kB file and took 69.968 seconds to complete
Download Diagnosis:: Running at 96% of hosts average (141.77)
D-Validation Link:: https://testmy.net/db/Y1DFQKO2X
User Agent:: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.11) Gecko/20101012 Firefox/3.6.11 [!]

And slower...

:::.. Download Stats ..:::
Download Connection is:: 401 Kbps about 0.4 Mbps (tested with 1013 kB)
Download Speed is:: 49 kB/s
Tested From:: https://testmy.net/ (Dallas, TX USA)
Test Time:: 2010-10-24 18:17:03 GMT
Bottom Line:: 7X faster than 56K 1MB Download in 20.9 sec
Tested from a 1013 kB file and took 20.69 seconds to complete
Download Diagnosis:: Running at 54% of hosts average (141.77)
D-Validation Link:: https://testmy.net/db/93DQZ8JG7
User Agent:: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.11) Gecko/20101012 Firefox/3.6.11 [!]

According to the FCC this is no longer in the broadband range!

Ok, after another nasty e-mail to Frontiers President! lol... That was yesterday evening I got a call from the GM for this area and they came out today to do tests on my line and said your right, would seem like a routing issue. Anyway he made a call and they re-built the crossovers which may have got messed up during the Verizon to Frontier switch over.
I am no longer showing up as being in Kansas, my Ping times are lower and my speed, well I will have to wait between the hours of 6:00PM and midnight to find out. I hope this is now fixed. Ohh they also brought me a shiny brand new wireless modem Lots of pretty lights so I can watch them if my speed goes down I will have something to look at.
Just need some Christmas tree balls on it and I am good. lol

My speeds have been on the downward spiral for weeks now.

Here is what I am getting on the download....

:::.. Download Stats ..:::
Download Connection is:: 75 Kbps about 0.1 Mbps (tested with 1013 kB)
Download Speed is:: 9 kB/s
Tested From:: https://testmy.net/ (Main)
Test Time:: 2008/11/21 - 5:35pm
Bottom Line:: 1X faster than 56K 1MB Download in 113.78 sec
Tested from a 1013 kB file and took 111.234 seconds to complete
Download Diagnosis:: May need help : running at only 7.55 % of your hosts average (direcpc.com)
D-Validation Link:: https://testmy.net/stats/id-Z1YXVDS4C
User Agent:: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.0.4) Gecko/2008102920 Firefox/3.0.4 [!]

Beat that if you can, (Dial ups not allowed). $75 a month for this? I am not FAP'd, it is 6:43Pm as I type this 29 seconds for this webpage to load, signal strength is 70 clear weather.

LMAO! I love Hughesnet, So glad I am not in a contract, so not so glad there is no other option for me! MotherF*#$#@'s

One thing with DSL like most other services you have to be careful of is noise on the line!

My DSL service worked great, just over 3.1Mbps and up to 3.3Mbps.....

Here is some information before I go on.

I am on the furthest point on our Loop! they had to install what they call bridges but to you and I would be a range expander, Technically I am about 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile outside the loop, but I have it and it works great.

Recently my service would start to go out on me, just die... then I would get a really slow connection, I called and spoke to someone in Malaysia then someone in India and no one knew what the problem was but they could see a problem, 2 weeks later a DSL Tech comes out to look at my issue.

After being here for 15 minutes he plugged his gizmo into the box on the outside of my house, he said I should be able to get 7Mbps if they would allow it, that's how good the signal is, then we went into my house and he plugged into the outlet feeding my DSL modem... Ohh boy was it bad!

My Modem was running at 100% capacity, they prefer 80% or less, turns out there is a lot of excess wire running around my house acting like an antenna, I took him to the distribution point and he disconnected everything but the one point, does not bother me as I am on a dry loop (No Phone Service).

We went back in, turned the modem off and tested again, now I am showing 40% capacity on my line and can if supplied get 7Mbps, my internet is running so much better and on a daily basis I see a connection of 3.3Mbps down and about 0.8Mbps up, I am happy!

So what you may want to look at is your wiring to start off with, remove anything you don't need to start with or just unplug your service outside of your house and plug direct into it, just to test with.

Other things you may want to check is, make sure you have NO FILTER inline with the modem, you should only have filters inline with your phones, move anything that might create noise (transformers and so on) away from your phone line and modem, do not run phone lines including the one for your modem parallel to power wires, cross at 90° only.

Hope you get it fixed, if not call and have an DSL tech come to your house.

Good luck.