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Unable to use Zoom

Posted: Sat May 02, 2020 2:49 pm
by john_v
I have been unable to use Zoom on my Fusion X2 connection. At a 3-hour meeting last week, I had about a dozen disconnects, constant freezes, and messages that my internet connection is unstable. Sonic support seems unable to fix this. ATT came out today and checked the lines; it found no problems with the copper.

When running a 24-hour ping test, I get about a 7% packet loss. While watching a continuous ping of the gateway, it will work fine for few seconds, then time out, then start again. I have seen about 20 timeouts in a row before it starts working again. Normally the ping time is 6ms but it sometimes jumps up to 700ms. My normal download/upload speed is 18/2 but sometimes drops to 3/1.

We have a Pace 5168. Lately we have had to reboot it regularly to get reconnected, so maybe it is on its last legs. I would like to get a new modem, but I have a fixed IP and use the modem in pass-through mode. Supposedly, the newer modem (5268) has a firmware bug that prevents it from working properly in this mode. Does anyone know about this, or how to solve it or work around i? Would it be possible to get an older version of firmware that supposedly used to work on it? Is new firmware imminent?

I am at a loss as to what to do with all of this. My wife wants me to switch to Comcast, but I hate them, and, besides, I have been with Sonic since its inception (1995.) Any ideas out there?
johnv

Re: Unable to use Zoom

Posted: Mon May 04, 2020 11:00 am
by david.c
Hello John,

Sorry to hear you are having connection issues especially since many of us are working from home. I would like to first mention that DSL connections are not normally used for uploading and when using ZOOM on video chat when conferencing requires a minimum of 1.5Mbps upload speed.

If possible you can try lowering the ZOOM video quality or resolution which should help lower the amount of upload needed. This is important because if you use the full amount of upload bandwidth your connection will drop.

When running a 24 hour ping test it could help to know when your ms hits 700+ and if its around the same time of day or during the same activity like using ZOOM. This could help to isolate the packet loss and speed issues if its a device or application that turns on around that time. Also checking the physical location of the modem to make sure its not next to other devices that can cause issues like printers, speakers, microwaves and power supplies.

The 5168 can be replaced by a 5268 and configured for IP pass-through which will allow a 2nd router to be plugged in without causing double NAT and routing issues. The 5268 can also be configured for bridge mode which completely disables the routing and firewall settings. Both settings will allow for Static connection to be configured with your own 3rd party router.

Hope this helps,

Re: Unable to use Zoom

Posted: Mon May 04, 2020 12:22 pm
by ngufra
if you are on VDSL and the issue is a low upload speed, could you try to enable annex M to increase upload speed (but decrease download speed) ?

Re: Unable to use Zoom

Posted: Mon May 04, 2020 12:33 pm
by dane
Zoom only requires a couple megabits, so an X2 connection should be well able to accommodate it.

But the 7% packet loss points toward a circuit or equipment issue, not any inherent limitation of the service. I'd suggest support do some troubleshooting, may require dispatch of an AT&T technician to check the lines. I really doubt it's actually a problem with the modem.

One advantage of X2 connections is that we can look at stats for each of the two circuits. Sometimes one is fine and the other a mess, that really makes it clearer what's going on. Do engage with support today, they can assist! http://sonic.com/support

-Dane

Re: Unable to use Zoom

Posted: Tue May 05, 2020 10:34 am
by john_v
Thanks everyone.
Support has promised to send out a new modem today, but it is the 5268 which has a bug in the firmware and will not work with my fixed IP while in bridge mode. I guess I can change my ASUS router to be an access point instead, although that may break a few things. Someone needs to put pressure on Pace to fix their firmware. I am really hoping that a new modem will fix this as my wife is getting very frustrated with being unable to attend any Zoom classes. I will report back once I install the modem.

Below are the results of a continuous ping of my gateway over a wired connection (ping -t.) Sometimes it works fine. Sometimes I will get 10 or 20 timeouts in a row before it starts working again. Occasionally I have to reboot the modem.
johnv


Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Request timed out.
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=63
Request timed out.
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Request timed out.
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Request timed out.
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Request timed out.
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=63
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=63
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63
Reply from 75.101.58.1: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=63

Re: Unable to use Zoom

Posted: Tue May 05, 2020 11:22 am
by dane
If this testing is from a wired Ethernet connection, I'm going to predict that this has nothing to do with the equipment there. Packet loss like this is generally an issue with the circuit itself. Please do engage with support and they can dispatch.

Re: Unable to use Zoom

Posted: Tue May 05, 2020 4:30 pm
by ewhac
john_v wrote:Support has promised to send out a new modem today, but it is the 5268 which has a bug in the firmware and will not work with my fixed IP while in bridge mode. I guess I can change my ASUS router to be an access point instead, [ ... ]
Bridged mode is b0rk3d, but the LAN Subports feature will get you what you need. Do not map all four ports, as doing so leaves you with no way to access the modem's config (short of factory reset).

The only downside to this setup in my experience is that the service LED on the modem will turn permanently red because it's trying to acquire a DHCP address it will never receive.

Re: Unable to use Zoom

Posted: Tue May 05, 2020 7:14 pm
by john_v
So I did a bit more testing a while ago when my connection went wonky again...it had been working well for a couple of hours.

I configured my laptop Ethernet port for my fixed IP address and connected it directly to the modem; thus eliminating everything in my house from the equation except the modem and the phone cable going to it. I still got many timeouts during the ping test. Since ATT said the copper was fine, that leaves the modem and the wire going to it. I do have a "home run" DSL filter and use a Cat-5 cable to run the phone lines to the modem.
Maybe tomorrow I will disconnect the filter and all phones to see if this helps or not. Assuming I still have a problem, that would narrow it down to the modem or something on Sonic's side. The new modem is supposed to arrive on Thursday.

Re: Unable to use Zoom

Posted: Wed May 06, 2020 10:29 am
by dane
Do you have filters on all of the other telephone devices, or a filter at the MPOE that'd protect the DSL signal from interference from all of the phones?

Re: Unable to use Zoom

Posted: Wed May 06, 2020 10:35 am
by john_v
I just have a filter at the MPOE. Then a "home run" to the modem via Cat 5 cable.
The phones do not have any filters...but they should not need them.
I was going to do more testing this morning, but of course, right now it is working well.
I will try again later this afternoon.
johnv