keep losing router connection

[#1]

Using a Hub one Router, Fibre to the cabinet as connection.

Over the last few weeks, usually in the evening (between 18:00 & 23:00, I lose connection to the internet AND the Hub One Router.

I'm using a TPlink extender in Access point mode, using Powerline extenders to connect back to the Hub One via ethernet cables. 

I retain my ip address, as expected, and can ping the extender, and another devices also  on the powerline adapters, but find I can't ping the Hub one.  After a wait of between 2 & 5 minutes everything suddenly reappears, the internet is available again and I can ping the hub one again. When I can't ping the hub one I can't web manage it either, as it's in a loft it isn't easy to check any lights for errors.

I've changed the Lan Port used by the ethernet connection to see if it was a port issue but that doesn't help either.

Looking at the system log on the hub one I find repeated references to ;'remote administration', often the first of these corresponds to the initial disconnection, and often they seem to stop at about the time the connection is re-established.

I've tried taking the access point out of the loop and connecting directly to the hub one by wireless, but I still get the same loss of connection, and the WiFi signal is much lower so it is not a long term solution

I enclose part of the log when the most recent disconnection occurred and can upload more of the log if required

18:35:30, 13 Dec.	IN: BLOCK [16] Remote administration (TCP [128.1.91.203]:41324-​>[209.93.92.127]:80 on ppp3)
18:33:54, 13 Dec.	OUT: BLOCK [7] ICMP replay (ICMP type 3 code 1 209.93.92.127-​>172.217.20.142 on ppp3)
18:33:52, 13 Dec.	BLOCKED 3 more packets (because of ICMP replay)
18:33:51, 13 Dec.	OUT: BLOCK [7] ICMP replay (ICMP type 3 code 1 209.93.92.127-​>172.217.20.142 on ppp3)
18:27:44, 13 Dec.	IN: BLOCK [16] Remote administration (TCP [208.93.152.17]:42967-​>[209.93.92.127]:443 on ppp3)
18:09:39, 13 Dec.	IN: BLOCK [16] Remote administration (TCP [77.247.109.73]:44908-​>[209.93.92.127]:80 on ppp3)

Can anyone suggest anything as it's becoming very annoying

[#2]

A few years back my Dad had a problem with DSL internet connections between fixed times. It turned out to be due to a set of Christmas lights on a timer 😂 I presumed it was some cheapo switching power supply causing interference.

[#3]

I'd thought of that, but it occurs irregularly, our lights are LED now, and I can still access any part of the network that DOESN'T pass via the router

[#4]

Hello @dougjbarnes1

Thanks for getting in touch with us.

I've performed a few remote tests over your service and have now escalated to our suppliers for the banding to be removed from your service - once this has been done we'll be able to work on the initial issue you mentioned here. It can take up to 24 hours to complete.

Please the monitor the connection for the next 48 hours preceding this and let us know how you get on.

Thanks.

[#5]

Hi

I've been monitoring the connection to the router using NirSoft's PingINfoView

Initially I just logged the router, but have now started another device as well so I can check whether the dropouts are across all interfaces. The Pings areevery 5 seconds, so 12 sample/minute

I'd like to enclose an Excel spreadsheet (saved as XLSX for there's no macro involved), covering the last few days. I can't print to PDF as the sheet is 4 tabs, ~6500 rows per tab so the PDF comes out as more that 800 pages.

Is there any way you can accept the excel spreadsheet as it stands (1.1MB)

What's curious is that major loss of connection seems to start happening in the evening, i's pretty steady, apart from ther odd single ping drops during the day.

The router sits in the loft, the only 'vaguely' electronic connection is a TV cable, but as the TV is on for much of the afternoon, surely, were that the cause, it would have an effect during the afternoon as well 

[#6]

Update

Remembered that Plusnet had sent a replacement router Oct 2018 when our mains got zapped and all PSU's got fried

Fitted that this morning @ ~10:00 so will see if the problem continues or has gone away

[#7]

Hi @dougjbarnes1

Let us know how you get on with the other router.

Also, is there any way that you can test the router via a direct, ethernet connection (eg, drop the TP link and PL adapters) - even if that's just on a temporary basis?

Thanks

Dave

[#8]

Seems the problem is MUCH MORE involved than this

I've always used an extender because of my layout, and until a few weeks ago this had worked very well.  About three weeks ago I started getting "No INternet" on the laptop, which continued for between 5 seconds  & 15 minutes then everything started working OK again. During the outage I couldn't ping the Router, but could ping devices connected by Powerline Plugs if I switched the Laptop to Ethernet, and then attached an ethernet lead.

Recently I'd noticed the LEDs on the repeater were advising 'poor signal', I moved the repeater but no change.

I assumed it was the repeater getting old, so purchased a new unit (Netgear EX3700) and set that up.

It kept on reporting the 2G signal was average to poor, and the 5G signal kept switching between reasonable & poor.

Set up an old PC adjacent to the Hub One in the loft, and used Xirrus WiFi monitor program to monitor the WIFi Signal.

Results are quite alarming.

The 2G signal varies by up to 15dBm ovcer a short time, but with horrifying drops of 30 dBm intermittantly. Monitoring is 30 second samples to keep down the number of graphs created.

The 5 G signal is more steady, but still changes by up to 5dBm

As nothing in or around the router is changing, theer are no pipes nearby, there are mains wires but no nearer than 10 cm, but they don't move so why is the signal this erratic.

I enclose some of the graphical captures I've made

[#9]

Thanks for getting back to us.

I've looked at this can't find much in the way of help, though the 5g channel does look OK.

Apologies if you've already done this, but have you changed the channel on the 2.4Ghz as this could improve it? Have you used the anazliser to check for the best channel on that frequency?

[#10]

Have tried a channel reset

According to InSSIDer the channel numbers haven't changed from before, however the original Extender now reports sufficient signal on both 2G & 5G signals (but it did months before, before I started noticing issues)

The answer DOESN'T EXPLAIN why

Why the 2G (and 5G to lesser extent) signal varies with time, the 2 G by upto 15dBm (~30 times different signal level I believe) 

Why there are 35-40 dBm drops at 2G at irregular intervals, these sometimes equate to "No INternet" messages if I'm working when they occur

As the router is ONLY some 15 cm from the receiving PC, in an open loft space with nothing changing in the immediate vicinity, apart from maybe the odd pigeon landing on the TV antenna (but they are about 2 M away), I would have expected the signal levels to be more or less constant!

Enclose some recent captures

[#11]

Thank you for the reply. Do you feel these issues occur when you have no wireless extenders connected?

[#12]

Might be difficult to do but I'll think on it

As it has/had worked OK with extender for over 18 months I can't see that their prescence really matters, true I never checked the router performance, but mainly as I hadn't had any need to do it

[#13]

Hi TedT

Removed extender for about 20 minutes, managed a capture enclosed.

As far as I can see it's made no difference, now reattached extender as near impossible to use Nework without it in circuit

[#14]

Done some more tests.

Have reverted to previous HubOne, find that this doesn't suffer from the huge >30dBm drops in the 2G4 signal but both the 2G4 & 5G signals are about 3dBm lower than the mean signal the 'newer' router offered.

It's strange that even with the older router, the 2G4 wifi signal level varies by ~ 6dBm over time, the 5G signal is steady.  Note that the monitoring is being performed by a static laptop, about 50 cm from the rouiter, running on mains power, both units in the loft space so no physical disturbance to the signal at all

The new extender (Netgear EX3700) seems much happier with the WiFi from the older HubOne router

I'm still curious why the 2G4 signal is so variable, 6dBm is 200% variation if I recal my physics. Anyone got any ideas?

I encolse a couple of signal captures