Help me diagnose this problem: Router or something else?

[#1]

OK I have set up openDNS on my main PC so if my other devise glitch again I will see if that keeps on going.

On another note, this thread URL is linked to my support ticket as record of the symptoms and troubleshooting steps I am going through, so I would appreciate it if we can keep it on topic.

Thanks.

[#2]

@twyly I have had the router just over two years (I think!) My old Netgear router was probably well over 10 years old and still going strong when I retired it.

But I tend to agree with you. Also the PlusOne hub has run really hot from day one - so much so that I posted a thread about it on here but was told it was normal. I suppose it is possible that my epic Zoom chat placed enough stress on it for it to properly overheat, a bit like a CPU maxing out on a gaming machine, but that's just speculation.

I plan to buy a cheap 2nd hand Hub One from eBay as a simple swap-out option if my connection ever goes down and I can't get it back. If that turns out to be the route cause I shall probably invest in a better router full stop.

[#3]

I plan to buy a cheap 2nd hand Hub One from eBay as a simple swap-out option if my connection ever goes down and I can't get it back. If that turns out to be the route cause I shall probably invest in a better router full stop.

you would be better getting a similarly priced Bt smart hub 6 , they're easy to use on Plusnet , just check other forum posts and are much better than the hub one

[#4]

@geoffb22 the moderators on this forum are not Plusnet staff members but ordinary customers volunteering their time.

[#5]

No issues at all yesterday so I started to think it was fixed, then first thing today it conked out big time. I must have reset the router a dozen times now and my internet traffic is completely erratic.

Facebook: Home page loads but site itself is unusable

YouTube: Either fails to load at all or works almost completely fine.

BBC news  weather: Works but is slow.

BBC iPlayer: Home page loads but wont stream

PlusNet: Works but is V slow

Amazon: Works but is V slow

This is the same using PlusNet's DNS and OpenDNS, so I guess its not a DNS issue.

A few more symptoms:

• Now, when I do a factory reset my router stays stuck on the "setup@plusdsl.net" username and password. I have to manually enter my account details whereas before the router set itself up. Sometimes it takes two or three attempts to connect.
• My connection status says downstream 70-80Mbps and upstream 20Mbps on the router. but when I run a BT wholesale speed test I get a ping of 11-5 ms, 70Mbps downstream but zero upstream. 
• I did the "plug your router into the test socket" thing - just to tick all the boxes when I called PlusNet back. I have a BT MK2 socket with the ADSL socket at the top. I found that when connected to the test socket behind the faceplate via a microfilter the DSL line would not even pick up, but connecting to the normal ADSL socket was always fine. I tried two different cables and two different microfilters and the result was always the same. That, I think, is quite an odd result.

So I called PlusNet (straight through yet again!) and gave them all the new info. Thankfully I got someone who was prepared to let me explain all the symptoms, but I think the odd test socket result convinced her that something really strange is happening and I now have an Engineer booked for tomorrow morning.

Will report back on what they find...!

[#6]

Last update for today, sports fans,

Not long after I posted the previous update my DSL line dropped completely and was down for about an hour. Without any intervention from me, my router eventually not only reconnected but came back with full internet access for all my devices.

However at some point in the afternoon the line dropped again and as been up and down ever since. Sometimes it comes back with internet, sometimes without. When the line drops I get the orange light on the front of the router.

I am hoping that the line is down when the Engineer visits tomorrow otherwise this it going to be a nightmare to diagnose...

[#7]

Engineer has visited. No faults found on the line. He didn't enter my house to check the master socket. He did say that he could see the history of my connection going back to the weekend and other than the times when I was busy resetting the router my line had a solid 70Mbps conection.

He said he was aware of cases where the router develops a fault where from the "BT side" everything looks OK, the router shows a blue light, but it doesn't throughput any traffic.

Anyway - he is going to recommend I be sent a replacement router.

I have also now disabled 5GHz wifi as described in this thread, as some of the symptoms of the 5GHz wifi firmware bug are identical to what I have been experiencing - even though my problem also effects wired devices. 

https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router/Hub-One-5GHz-WiFi-issue/m-p/1731860#M18307

[#8]

Hi @Digsy,

I have ordered a new router for you, please allow 3-5 working days for this to be delivered.

[#9]

@Beyhive Many thanks!

[#10]

You're very welcome @Digsy

[#11]

OK the new router arrived today, but I have to point out that since I disabled 5GHz wireless (and also since the Engineer visited) I have had no issues at all.

So assuming that PlusNet didn't coincidentally change something at their end, I am now wondering if my issues are not somehow linked to the known 5GHz firmware bug, which gives similar symptoms but only affects wireless devices.

Tonight I have re-enabled 5GHz wifi to see if the problem comes back, which it should do within 24 hours if my hypothesis is correct.

Watch this space!

[#12]

For anyone still following this I had one very short connection drop this morning but after that no problem (apart from an unrelated billing issue which is now resolved). Connection seems to be stable even after re-enabling 5GHz wireless.

I am at at a loss to explain any of this. Either my router fixed itself all on its own, or there was actually a problem on my line which also fixed itself all on its own at almost exactly the same time as the BT Engineer visited, or a problem at the PlusNet end which has been quietly fixed without being linked to this problem..