topic Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing? in My Router

Hub Two Event log times are changing?

Madeleyite — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 07:34:20 GMT

Trawling through the WAN filtered event log I notice that the 'Time' column time-shifts by a few seconds over a few days. See photo of the same event listing taken 4 days apart and the times are all 4 seconds different.

This may cause confusion when asking for help. In one post you may refer to an event at "19:18:28, 24 June" but days later it reads "19:18:32, 24 June" and it may be that a different event is showing at the "19:18:28, 24 June" timing. Events can occur seconds apart so timing references are important to be consistent, if not accurate to avoid confusion.

Is this something a firmware update can fix?

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

Dan_the_Van — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 09:38:43 GMT

Hi @Madeleyite

I've taken a look at my event log and have found NTP entries

02:10:58, 28 Jun. NTP synchronization success
02:10:58, 28 Jun. NTP Server: ntp.plus.net

02:08:23, 27 Jun. NTP synchronization success

02:08:23, 27 Jun. NTP Server: ntp.plus.net

I see these entries everyday around this time, are you seeing them?

I would be worried about this message repeating

WAN connection WAN2_INTERNET_PTM disconnected.[ERROR_NO_CARRIER]

as this would suggest your connection is not very stable.

Dan.

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

jab1 — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 09:51:55 GMT

RE; times - I always noticed when with PN, that the time servers appeared a little, shall we say, erratic. I have a couple of atomic clocks, and used see my machines clocks very often varied by a few seconds from those - which always agreed.

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

Madeleyite — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 11:48:03 GMT

@Dan_the_Van - I see these NTP events at around 19:20 daily but there were 3 of them on 24th June. Yes, connection stability is something I am keeping my eye on. See photo.

@jab1 - So you reckon the log is on PN's servers and the hub is simply pulling the events and times from the servers? This sounds possible. Maybe someone can confirm? If that is the case then updating the hub firmware will have no effect and this time shifting is something that we have to live with unless PN can make their servers report more consistently at their end.

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

jab1 — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 11:54:56 GMT

@Madeleyite The time server issue exactly that - a server issue, so no, updating HUB firmware will have no effect. This 'discrepancy' has existed for many years, but as it was only ever +/- a few seconds, I lived with it. Doesn't happen with my current provider, though.

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

Dan_the_Van — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 12:24:57 GMT

@Madeleyite

the event logs for the hub are held locally on the Hub not on any Plusnet server.

There are many reasons why time can drift on a device and I would not worry about it to any degree.

You really need to raise a fault on you connection, you've had more failures over the last few weeks than would be considered acceptable.

EDIT: Looking at your spreadsheet you are already on the latest firmware version 20th June, the reboot 21st June would be the hub rebooting to apply the upgrade.

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

Madeleyite — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 12:45:58 GMT

Okay, I will forget about the time shifting but maybe PN can work on fixing it in a firmware upgrade if the logs are on the hub. Over to you PN. 😔

I texted the FAULT landline number to PN but the bot doesn't think there is a problem. It simply tells me my line is working: -

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

jab1 — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 12:57:42 GMT

@Madeleyite As @Dan_the_Van says, you HAVE a fault, whatever the BOT thinks. I'll leave it to Dan to suggest a way forward.

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

Madeleyite — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 13:29:14 GMT

@Dan_the_Van - Is there a way to get past the bot and progress this fault? Thank you

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

Dan_the_Van — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 15:23:02 GMT

@Madeleyite

The faults you are getting are between the Hub and the Green Cab your copper line is fed from so I would suggest you reply with ADVISOR as prompted so you can speak to someone and explain the DSL drops you are getting.

HTH

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

Madeleyite — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 15:52:44 GMT

Okay, I'll try that tomorrow and report back.

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

Madeleyite — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 07:52:58 GMT

Okay, I spoke to a PN guy who checked things out and said they would only report the dropouts to Openreach if they were happening about 2 or 3 times on a daily basis. Until that happens the dropouts I am seeing are considered 'normal' because they are days apart. I said that there had been 6 dropouts in May and 5 dropouts in June and he said that this did not warrant them contacting Openreach. See photo. At least I tried and I now know the point at which to bother contacting PN in the future.

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

Dan_the_Van — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 08:33:45 GMT

Morning,

That is disappointing as some would say, couple of thoughts.

For a stable broadband connection you need a phone line clear of noise, using a corded phone connected to the test sock dial 17070 take option 2, there should be no noise. If the line is clear of noise try the test next time you get a DSL see if there is any noise then.

Is you Hub connected directly to the master socket or on an extension?

With regards to the Openreach Master Socket, is it a 5C with a MK4 faceplate? A poorly seated faceplate can cause intermittent line drops or noise on the phone line which also could cause drops your broadband connection. The faceplate is held on with clips, so it's easy to reseat.

Dan.

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

Madeleyite — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 13:42:57 GMT

The quiet line test is quiet so no problem there.

Hub is connected direct to Openreach Master Socket type 5C with a MK4 faceplate and the faceplate seems firmly seated. It is located in a safe place where it is unlikely (but not impossible) to be disturbed by accidental contact.

I'll live with it until or if it gets worse. Thanks for your help.

I'll unsubscribe from this thread now.

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

Dan_the_Van — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 13:45:39 GMT

Regarding the event log timings, I check mine earlier and I have a 2 second drift over 24 hours 🙄

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

Madeleyite — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 16:25:34 GMT

Wouldn't you think that when events get recorded the timings would be set-in-stone except for the new events that get added? When new events get added the PN firmware must be re-creating the whole log with different timings instead of just adding the new events.

This is crazy. If I edit a Word document and save it I am only saving the changes. The rest of the document remains unchanged.

Come on PN. Get your act together.

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

RealAleMadrid — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 16:52:49 GMT

@Madeleyite Not sure why you are so bothered by this slight discrepancy in the log timing values, is it really that important?

Your connection issues and line drops are much more in need of a fix.

I can confidently predict that Plusnet will not make any effort to update the hub firmware to sort out the timing bug.

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

jab1 — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 16:56:20 GMT

@RealAleMadrid wrote:

Your connection issues and line drops are much more in need of a fix.

I can confidently predict that Plusnet will not make any effort to update the hub firmware to sort out the timing bug.

Agree totally with the first line

And I suspect, but may be wrong, that the time issue is due to the time server(s) and nothing to do with the Hub - firmware or anything else.

Re: Hub Two Event log times are changing?

bobpullen — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 22:48:57 GMT

@Dan_the_Van wrote:

Regarding the event log timings, I check mine earlier and I have a 2 second drift over 24 hours 🙄

I'll have to find some time to look into the feasibility, but I may be able to force the hub to use a time server other than Plusnet's. If I can find a way to do it then that would at least help elimintate the NTP server as a contibutor. Happy to take it from there.