Is it ADSL connection by phone line?

Yes it is.

Can you show us screen shot from Basic Status->DSL table?

is this ok?

cheers

mark

I can see problem with SNR Margin - 5dB means that your line is very poor.

Thanks for that since my other modem has also become erratic. Will get on to my ISP.

Cheers
Mark

After talking to Plusnet, I'm now confused �� They are saying that they've been increasing SNR due to the dropouts - reducing speed but attempting to increase reliability. BT claim to start at 6dB and then increase in 3dB increments in an effort to hot the speed/reliability sweet spot. Hence that would suggest 5is good! Clearly I'm failing to understand something. Anyway, they're resetting SNR to the default and suggested I retry on 24 hours.

Cheers

Mark

mjenderby wrote

I have had a WD8970v1 connected to plusnet for a year with no problems. About 8 weeks ago, it started dropping the wan connection requiring a reset. Diagnostics failed at the PPP server connection.

My old D-Link router works fine so I don't think it's an issue with the ISP.

Today, I did a factory reset and updated to latest firmware (0.6.0_2.11(141008))

The WAN has configured fine but there's no internet. Diagnostics now fail at Ping default gateway.

Any ideas?

Cheers

Mark Enderby

Is 141008 the latest firmware available for the TD-W8970 in your region?

Did you reset settings after upgrading to the latest firmware?

If not already using latest firmware upgrade to the latest firmware and reset settings preferably using hardware and software reset methods.

The TD-W8970 is not automatically re-establishing ppp authentication.

CHAP authentication has periodic authentication challenges often fail with some modem/routers and ISP authentication server configurations.

Ask your ISP for their preferred authentication information, for example my ISP iiNet advises customers use PAP authentication.

The TD-W8970 is likely defaulting to CHAP authentication which may be causing issues.

WAN authentication can be changed under:
Network > WAN Settings > Next to PPPoA/PPPoE field blue EDIT text > Authentication Type:

Try PAP and CHAP individually.

An SNR of 5dB is not an indication of an issue itself.

https://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/adsl_theory

https://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/adsl_theory#adsl_theory_snr

Sounds like your ISP Plusnet is increasing SNR margins in intervals of 3dB is the hope of improving connection reliability. If authentication dropouts are the source of the issue increasing SNR margins won't achieve anything.

I take it you are from the UK?

The UK is a horrible place for copper-based Broadband because of your wet climate and BT who is the main provider and reseller of copper based services poorly maintain the Copper Access Network so faults often go undiagnosed. We have the same problem in Australia and just like the UK a prior utterly incompetent government privatised an infrastructure monopoly that ensures large swathes of our country remain broadband wastelands with poor if any service.

6dB is quite a low SNR margin, if your line has issues and/or your have an internal issue like bad wiring or a dying filter or fault device connected to the PSTN it doesn't leave you much margin for error.

Try an isolation test: https://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/isolation_test

I think that Broadcom chipset will be better for poor line. For example W8950, W8960N or W8970v3.

Both, thanks for the feedback. One puzzle is that the uplink site only acknowledges the 8970v3 and 8970bv1 and not the 8970v1. I found the firmware by doing a search. The 8970bv1 looks to be a visual match but I guess the firmware is different.

Cheers

Mark