Internet Dropping

[discoveranother]

Hi all,

 

Have a school which has Smoothwall as the firewall and Virginmedia as the ISP.

 

The Internet keeps dropping almost daily and has done for sometime. Smoothwall can check their log files and see if the issue relates to their firewall. They cannot find anything that confirms this. However, log files from the router shown below, Smoothwall confirm show it's an ISP issue.

 

However, Virginmedia have been to the premises 3 times in as many months but say they cannot find a problem.

 

Also, the school are part of a MAT (Academy) and the I.T at the MAT insist the issue is with the Smoothwall. Why they insist this has never been found out. There is no evidence from them to prove it is a Smoothwall issue other than them saying "we had this happen somewhere else"

 

The issue is not bad cabling as the cabling is in good condition. All hardware i.e. switch, wireless is new equipment. There is only one switch onsite anyway.

 

I have always found the Smoothwall support very good and Smoothwall still insist the issue is certainly with Virginmedia. These are the logs below from the router.

 

Any replies from anyone would be very much appreciated. Thanks all

 

 

LOG FILES BELOW

 

103/10/23 05:40:1682000200criticalNo Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=f8:1d:0f:fd:c3:40;CMTS-MAC=70:6b:b9:01:36:ae;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

 

1203/11/23 20:12:3268010300errorDHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=f8:1d:0f:fd:c3:40;CMTS-MAC=70:6b:b9:01:36:ae;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

 

1303/11/23 20:12:3268010600noticeDHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmbus-vmdg515-bbt067_gres-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=f8:1d:0f:fd:c3:40;CMTS-MAC=70:6b:b9:01:36:ae;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0

 

1403/14/23 05:30:1382000200criticalNo Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=f8:1d:0f:fd:c3:40;CMTS-MAC=70:6b:b9:01:36:ae;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0

 

1503/15/23 08:12:3268010300errorDHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=f8:1d:0f:fd:c3:40;CMTS-MAC=70:6b:b9:01:36:ae;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

 

1603/15/23 08:12:3268010600noticeDHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmbus-vmdg515-bbt067_gres-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=f8:1d:0f:fd:c3:40;CMTS-MAC=70:6b:b9:01:36:ae;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0

 

1703/16/23 08:19:0490000000warningMIMO Event MIMO: Stored MIMO=-1 post cfg file MIMO=-1;CM-MAC=f8:1d:0f:fd:c3:40;CMTS-MAC=70:6b:b9:01:36:ae;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

 

1803/16/23 08:19:1273040100noticeTLV-11 - unrecognized OID;CM-MAC=f8:1d:0f:fd:c3:40;CMTS-MAC=70:6b:b9:01:36:ae;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

 

1903/16/23 14:03:1690000000warningMIMO Event MIMO: Stored MIMO=-1 post cfg file MIMO=-1;CM-MAC=f8:1d:0f:fd:c3:40;CMTS-MAC=70:6b:b9:01:36:ae;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

 

2003/16/23 14:03:2573040100noticeTLV-11 - unrecognized OID;CM-MAC=f8:1d:0f:fd:c3:40;CMTS-MAC=70:6b:b9:01:36:ae;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

[F_admin]

In my previous workplace (a secondary) we had this exact setup (Smoothwall with Virgin Media ISP) and whilst it was not as often as your outages, we had issues with the internet dropping out also.

Each time there was a different reason (according to Virgin Media) sometimes referencing issues in the exchange, others included issues with their device connected to our core switch

 

 

Unfortunately I don't have much in the way of a resolution - but if Smoothwall suggest there's no issue on their device I'd be more inclined to believe them compared to Virgin Media.

[chaplic]

No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out​

 

This seems the be the pertinent error, the others look less exciting.

 

However, this looks like a divide and conquer type problem. Presumably you are not getting the support because someone is throwing the FUD of 'oooh smoothwall'. You need to unambiguously exclude that from your investigations

 

 

Have you got monitoring confirming when the internet drops (PRTG trying to get to the bbc website or similar - don't use ping).

 

And is the internet drops regular, how long would it take to say it's likely working OK?

 

Could you swap out the virgin router for something else overnight or similar e.g a 4G router configured with the same IP as the virgin box?

 

Alternatively, could you put something the other side of the firewall and have the probe for internet too. If that does down AND your internal probe goes down, it cannot be smoothwall?

 

[discoveranother]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I've tried getting VM to replace the router. Getting them to do that is impossible.

 

Had another school where the Internet dropped frequently for days on end. In this instance, it was BT line but VM broadband. BT said the issue is VM or the school network, VM said the it is either BT or the school network !!! After nearly 2 years of asking, VM finally sent out a different router. The Internet was stable after that.

 

It may not be the same issue here, but even getting them to replace the router is so difficult.

[speakercon]

I'd disconnect the smoothwall and connect a laptop directly to the virgin router (just set a static IP the same as configured in the smoothwall). Then do a ping-t to 8.8.8.8 maybe over the weekend and see if there are any drop outs on monday (assuming the wan connection is not needed over the weekend for a vpn or something. Edited March 17, 2023 by speakercon

[Michael]

If possible I'd do both at the same time -

 

- Leave the Smoothwall plugged into the LAN <> Virgin Router

- Configure a notebook with a static config (as above) plugged into Virgin Router also

 

As and when the connection on the LAN drops, test the notebook.

 

Separately, if Virgin won't replace the router, ask them to update the firmware if they haven't already.

[chaplic]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I've tried getting VM to replace the router. Getting them to do that is impossible.

 

Had another school where the Internet dropped frequently for days on end. In this instance, it was BT line but VM broadband. BT said the issue is VM or the school network, VM said the it is either BT or the school network !!! After nearly 2 years of asking, VM finally sent out a different router. The Internet was stable after that.

 

It may not be the same issue here, but even getting them to replace the router is so difficult.

Would be completely immoral to tell them there's no lights on it, and a funny smell...

[MatthewL]

Change your cables between router and firewall and any other equipment to rule them out too.