AT&T (SBC DSL) Dropouts and slow connection

[fscalpi]

Hi,

I have had the line from the SBC server to my modem confirm 6.0 Mbps per SBC tech staff. My computer has a direct ethernet connection to the Netgear wireless router. The Netgear is conneted from the Speedstresm 5360 via its 10baseT ethernet port.

I have to reboot the SpeedStream several times. The speed test show the same 2.544 Mbps when I had the lower High Speed Pro package which top offed at 3.0 Mbphs.

I have done the optimizer in the setting suggested. Will upgrading the DSL Modem give me the full speed of the bandwidth coming in?

Francesca

Stats and set up

Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.01Ghz
Operating System XP Pro - Updated
Nic card on the motherboard - Intel Pro/1000 CT
Ram 4G

SBC DSL - AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet Elite Package
IP Address: 1 Dynamic
Downstream Speed: 3.0 to 6.0 Mbps
Upstream Speed: 384 to 608 Kbps
SpeedStream Modem 5360
Netgear RangeMax Next wireless router Gigabit Edition


TCP options string = 020405ac01010402
MTU = 1492
MTU is optimized for PPoE DSL broadband. If not, consider raising MTU to 1500 for optimal throughput.
MSS = 1452
MSS is optimized for PPPoE DSL broadband. If not, consider raising your MTU value.
Default TCP Receive Window (RWIN) = 65535
RWIN Scaling (RFC1323) = 0 bits
Unscaled TCP Receive Window = 65535

Note: TCP 1323 Options need to be enabled for RWIN over 2^16 (65535). Windows 9x might also need the MS Vtcp386 fix.
For optimum performance, consider changing RWIN to a multiple of MSS.
Other RWIN values that might work well with your current MTU/MSS:
511104 (MSS x 44 * scale factor of 8)
255552 (MSS x 44 * scale factor of 4)
127776 (MSS x 44 * scale factor of 2)
63888 (MSS x 44)
bandwidth * delay product (Note this is not a speed test):

Your TCP Window limits you to: 2621.4 kbps (327.675 KBytes/s) @ 200ms
Your TCP Window limits you to: 1048.56 kbps (131.07 KBytes/s) @ 500ms
MTU Discovery (RFC1191) = ON
Time to live left = 53 hops
TTL value is ok.
Timestamps (RFC1323) = OFF
Selective Acknowledgements (RFC2018) = ON
IP type of service field (RFC1349) = 00000000 (0)


Speed Guide Speed Test

2.093 seconds - 500kb file
1.957 Mbps bandwidth

SBC DSL Speed Test

download 2.544 Mbps
Upload 661.48 kbps

[YeOldeStonecat]

Is the 5360 running as a router? Or pure bridge? (it could do both..depending upon which firmware it had, how it's setup)

The 5360, while being an older DSL modem, was still rated for 8 megs...so it's not the bottleneck. I just upgrade a clients DSL from the regular 1.5 to the AT&T 6 meg pipe yesterday..I kept their 5360 modem in the server room with an RV082 router behind it...they benchmarked at almost 5 megs..pretty good considering their office was in a professional center..the DSL line went through several phone blocks in the building before hitting their office.(signal degradation along the way)

[fscalpi]

I have never done anything with Speed Stream 5360 other then plug it in. It has been several years (3or4). I have always had another device as a router. When the unit was first set up I used a NetGear RT311 link to a NetGear Fast Ethernet switch FS116. I updated the switch to a GS108 Gigabit switch when I bought my new computer with a 1000 netwrok card.

Now I just have the SpeedStream and the NetGear RangeMaz gigabit wireless router.

I welcome your advice becuase I should be getting better through put.

Cheers,

Francesca

[fscalpi]

Hi

The firmware for the SpeedStream 5360 is for the 120-5360-502 modem. They do not have any firmware for the model I have. There was also no end user configuration.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Does the WAN interface of your router obtain a public IP address? Or a private IP address? The router do the PPPoE?

[fscalpi]

The router is setup for PPPoE which is what SBC tech informed me to set up up.

[fscalpi]

I just purchased the SpeedStream 4100 dsl modem. I did not load the installer software that came with it from SBC. I already had my internet connection set.

How do I acess the dsl modem setting and what do you recommend for settings.

Also how do I check what firm ware version I have?

So now I have replace both my router and my dsl modem and the speed test stills shows 2.5.

Thanks

[fscalpi]

1. Your Tweakable Settings:
Receive Window (RWIN): 65535
Window Scaling: off
Path MTU Discovery: ON
RFC1323 Window Scaling: OFF
RFC1323 Time Stamping: OFF
Selective Acks: ON
MSS requested: 1452
TTL: unknown
TTL remaining: 50


2. Test 69697 byte download
Actual data bytes sent: 69697
Actual data packets: 49
Max packet sent (MTU): 1492
Max packet recd (MTU): 1492
Retransmitted data packets: 0
sacks you sent: 0
pushed data pkts: 5
data transmit time: 0.696 secs
our max idletime: 3282.7 ms
transfer rate: 17061 bytes/sec
transfer rate: 136 kbits/sec
This is not a speed test!
transfer efficiency: 100%
3. ICMP (ping) check
Target unpingable

Notes and recommendations:
We have no recommendations for <64k lines
Looking good

Notes and recommendations:
Good data stream (no/few rexmits)
2+ second stall detected (FAQ #1606)

[YeOldeStonecat]

Originally Posted by fscalpi

How do I acess the dsl modem setting and what do you recommend for settings.

Should be a yellow sticker on the bottom of it..says the modems web admin page is http://192.168.0.1
There number on the sticker is also the password for the advanced section of the web admin..click on the link for PPTP location...you'll see 3x choices there with an explanation of each choice.

[zeitwatch1]

So what I'm hearing is that the 5360, in theory, SHOULD work with a 3.0 to 6.0 Mbps DSL connection? I just upgraded to the AT&T Elite package from the Pro package, and I was wondering if I needed to upgrade my modem as well. This old dinosaur has run like a champ for the past few years, but if it means better speeds, I'll put 'er out to pasture.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Originally Posted by zeitwatch1

So what I'm hearing is that the 5360, in theory, SHOULD work with a 3.0 to 6.0 Mbps DSL connection?

I can state that from fact. When SNET first deployed the 6 meg business package, back then it was called something like "Expert plus S"...they used those modems. I setup our business on one...we were close to the CO and we hit about 5800 on download...was darned quick. Had it behind a Symantec 200R router.

I've setup several other 6 meg DSL connections using the older 5260 and 5360. They are rated for 8 megs down, according to their own documentation. And as I mentioned above...last week I upgraded a client of mine from the standard 1.5 that they had for years...to the 6 meg AT&T package (called Elite now, or something like that). They have the old 5260 modem. Ran fine.

The 4100/4200 series is faster...(even though its tiny and looks cheesy)...it handles 24 megs download. So yes..it's a faster modem..but the older ones, on a regular 6 meg account, still aren't the bottleneck.

[fscalpi]

Hi,

Thank you for your info I will look for the sticker. What do you recommend in terms of settings? I use my NetGear RangeMax Next Gigabit edition router as the main device in terms of the network, firewall etc.

Do you also have any setting for the NetGear RangeMax Next?

Thanks again.

Francesca

[YeOldeStonecat]

As far as the router is concerned, I prefer to manually set the MTU on them. For PPPoE DSL, you want that at 1492. I find that "auto-MTU" doesn't work well..regardless of what brand router you have.

I always like the router to do the router job. Many DSL ISPs are now shipping what people are still calling "modems"...but they are actually more like what I'll call gateway appliances. Take the 4200 for example. By default, it's setup to run NAT, it has a LAN IP address (192.168.0.1)..and it does the PPPoE login for you. It's basically a combo modem/router.

If you add your own router to that, such as the Nutgear, you're now double NAT'ing..and there are other issues. Yes you fiddle with them and get them to work somewhat but I stay away from that. So I always flip the device the ISP sent..into pure bridged mode.

Wireless settings...change default admin password of router, change default SSID of your wireless, setup WPA security.

[fscalpi]

The address on the bottom of the SpeedStream is 192.168.0.1

When I try to log into it via a web browser it state that the operation timed out when attempting to contact 192.168.0.1

My Internet connection keeps dropping on the computers and I have to turn the modem on and off in order for it to let me surf the net.

I really need to get this stable.

Cheers,

Francesca

[burple]

Originally Posted by fscalpi

The address on the bottom of the SpeedStream is 192.168.0.1

When I try to log into it via a web browser it state that the operation timed out when attempting to contact 192.168.0.1

My Internet connection keeps dropping on the computers and I have to turn the modem on and off in order for it to let me surf the net.

I really need to get this stable.

Cheers,

Francesca

Are you trying to connect to the modem through your router? I know with mine, even though I am direct connected to my router on this pc, I have to direct connect to the modem and bypass my wireless router to get to 192.168.0.1. Otherwise it will just time out.

[YeOldeStonecat]

You need to plug your PC into the modem directly. Now assign your PC a LAN IP in that range...something like 192.168.0.10, with a 255.255.255.0 snm. You can leave your DNS and gateway blank..you don't need those to access the web admin.

Log in..do your stuff...once the changes are made...set your TCP back to what it was...put your gear back together however you had it.

[fscalpi]

Hi,

Thanks again for your help. I have a home office with 3 laptops (2 xp 1 OSX) and one xp pc desktop.

In my netwrok setting for the desktop and laptops with windows do I assign an IP for each machine? I have DCHP internet verses a static IP so my TCP/IP properties setting are set to Obtain and IP address automatically. I also have Obtain DNS server address automatically.

Is is this setting that I should change to a specific IP address like 192.168.0.10?

Thanks again

[YeOldeStonecat]

That was just a temporary thing...for you to take 1x PC..and be able to connect it to the Speedstream modem at 192.168.0.1. You configure the modem as you wish (putting it in the mode for having your own router do the NAT and PPPoE) Then once done...set your PC back to "obtain auto"...put the Netgear router back in place...WAN to the speedstream, LAN ports to your PC. Configure the Netgear..and good to go.