topic Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New) in Plusnet Feedback

Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

TORPC — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 17:33:06 GMT

Quote
Plusnet Service Status Email
To Me Today at 5:57 PM
Service: Broadband
Posted: Thu, Oct 16 2014 at 17:52:57
Subject: Broadband Connectivity (83190) - NEW
Earlier this afternoon we became aware of a problem resulting in some of our customers not being able to establish a connection to the Internet.
Our network engineers are currently investigating this.
If you are struggling to connect to the Internet then please try powering off your router for 1 hour before powering it back up and attempting to re-establish a connection to the Internet.
We'll provide another update later this evening.
Apologies for the inconvenience.
Kind regards,
Linn Karstrom
Customer Relations
--

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

ejs — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 17:42:08 GMT

Presumably now is not a good time to reboot your router or gateway hop, in case you can't then re-connect.

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

TORPC — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 17:52:43 GMT

Is this just for PlusNets routers or all routers connected to PN's network ?
@ejs
Good point & will await for PN's clarification with a reasonable explanation as to why the switch of / back on after 1 hour

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

Pettitto — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 19:08:42 GMT

I think the Service Status is referring to any customers who are having problems connecting. If you're not having any problems, you've no need to drop your connection.

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

TORPC — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 19:19:32 GMT

Chris
For those that are having problems
What are the reasons(s) for the time period of the 1 hour switch off ?

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

Pettitto — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 19:27:07 GMT

It's so that not everyone is trying to reconnect at the same time and hitting BT's Radius platform simultaneously.
Generally our customers will see this SS at different times thus an hour wait to reconnect will likely differ in terms of time they will reconnect.

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

TORPC — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 19:30:16 GMT

Is it related / ongoing or similar to last Saturdays outage ?

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

Pettitto — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 19:31:21 GMT

I'm unsure as I'm not in the office I'm afraid.

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

TORPC — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 19:34:25 GMT

Can you please find out for us, as soon as you can

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

Anotherone — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 20:04:28 GMT

It is clearly not similar to last Saturday's outage. Not only did the initial Service Status make no mention of of users losing connection, as was stated in reply #3, it refers to those having a problem trying to connect.
In other words, new customers who have never had a connection and anyone else who didn't have a connection (because their hardware was off) or couldn't reconnect after switching off/rebooting/fault repair etc. This is confirmed in the SS update.
You can also see that by checking the usage graphs, there have been no drops.
Luke's Service Status update is quite clear and gives good advice.

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

ScottStorey — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 20:07:50 GMT

Considering that Chris has nothing to do with the service statuses anymore after moving jobs and he is posting in his free time you would be best waiting for CRT to post any info tomorrow as to why the SS was posted.
If there was anything critical that had gone down that was affecting a large number of customers like previous outages Linn would no doubt be all over the forums and twitter with updates.
As anotherone has point out there would be a clear indication on the graphing as well.

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

TORPC — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 20:27:56 GMT

Quote from: Anotherone
It is clearly not similar to last Saturday's outage. Not only did the initial Service Status make no mention of of users losing connection, as was stated in reply #3, it refers to those having a problem trying to connect.
In other words, new customers who have never had a connection and anyone else who didn't have a connection (because their hardware was off) or couldn't reconnect after switching off/rebooting/fault repair etc. This is confirmed in the SS update.
You can also see that by checking the usage graphs, there have been no drops.
Luke's Service Status update is quite clear and gives good advice.

Sorry I have to disagree in part as the updated status does not say anything about "(because their hardware was off) or couldn't reconnect after switching off/rebooting/fault repair etc" , however it does advise that where one is connected, not to turn off the router where possible

Quote
Plusnet Service Status Email
To Me Today at 7:51 PM
Service: Broadband
Posted: Thu, Oct 16 2014 at 19:46:18
Subject: Broadband Connectivity (83190) - Update
This is in an update to our previous post regarding the recent connectivity problem.
Our engineers are continuing to work on the issue and restore service to customers as quickly as possible. Please be aware that this will only affect customers who are trying to connect today for the first time or anyone who has lost connection today.
If you are already connect please to prevent any connection problems please avoid turning the router off where possible.
Kind regards,
Luke Sanderson
Customer Relations

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

pwatson — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 20:37:37 GMT

Exactly, you've even highlighted the relevant sentence
Active connections were not dropped today, but connection attempts were affected. Last weekend, active connections were dropped.

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

Anotherone — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 20:40:09 GMT

Quote from: TORPC
Sorry I have to disagree in part as the updated status does not say anything about "(because their hardware was off) or couldn't reconnect after switching off/rebooting/fault repair etc" , however it does advise that where one is connected, not to turn off the router where possible

Oh dear, it doesn't have to say anything about "(because their hardware was off) or couldn't reconnect after switching off/rebooting/fault repair etc" that's quite obviously (I thought) a logical deduction from what has been said in both SS notices, aren't you able to make such logical deductions?
It's quite obvious that if you disconnect (or are disconnected - for whatever reason) you might have trouble reconnecting (until the issue is resolved).
Scott Storey has also pointed out there has been no drop in connections.

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

TORPC — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 21:02:54 GMT

So your claiming that the SS message does not mention anything about those who have indeed lost active connection(s) today
Ok it does not say the word active (however it clearly implies that the connection would of been active to have been lost in the 1^st place)
Please see bold as it is as clear as mud

Quote
Plusnet Service Status Email
To Me Today at 7:51 PM
Service: Broadband
Posted: Thu, Oct 16 2014 at 19:46:18
Subject: Broadband Connectivity (83190) - Update
This is in an update to our previous post regarding the recent connectivity problem.
Our engineers are continuing to work on the issue and restore service to customers as quickly as possible. Please be aware that this will only affect customers who are trying to connect today for the first time or anyone who has lost connection today.
If you are already connect please to prevent any connection problems please avoid turning the router off where possible.
Kind regards,
Luke Sanderson
Customer Relations

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

ejs — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 21:05:37 GMT

It could still be related to work being done on the BNGs intending to avoid another mass disconnect, e.g. something might have been changed with the intention of preventing ptn-bng01 from becoming overloaded, which inadvertently caused problems for people trying to connect.

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

TORPC — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 21:22:07 GMT

I am also thinking along the same lines tbh
However no amount of speculation or making any such logical deductions is actual fact(s) of the matter in hand

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

Anotherone — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 21:45:00 GMT

It doesn't matter what speculation or logical deductions you do or do not make. It is patently evident from the statements of 4 different members of Plusnet staff that there's been no "drops in connection/outage".
ejs may well be right with his inspired guess, but it hasn't involved any outage (nor did he imply that it did).

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

TORPC — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 22:15:39 GMT

Again from the Service status, this time via a screenshot & is click-able to make the image larger if required

Please quote the 4 different Plusnets staff members posts where they have stated the words "No drops in connection / outage" since in this case you are calling Luke a liar
Chris Pettitt was unable to comment as he was not in the office
Luke clearly stated what is in the SS message
Linn Karstrom only mentioned where customers are not able to establish a connection in the original message
Scott Storey

Quote from: Scott
<snip>
you would be best waiting for CRT to post any info tomorrow as to why the SS was posted.
If there was anything critical that had gone down that was affecting a large number of customers like previous outages Linn would no doubt be all over the forums and twitter with updates.
<snip>

That is your 4 Plusnet members of staff
Where did you see any indication that ejs implied any outage or where are you deducing that from ?

Re: Today's reason to switch your Router off for 1 hour (SS Update New)

pwatson — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 23:08:27 GMT

For goodness sake, stop and read what is being written!!!
The point is that the problem today, whatever it is, did not kick people off. Connections drop all the time for all manner of reasons (just look at your router's connection uptime periodically) and if this happened today there may have been a problem re-establishing a working connection.
It's really not difficult!!!