DSL Frequent Disconnects with Firewall/Router - Bellsouth DSL, Westell 6100 modem, Netgear RP614v2 firewall/router

I verified that my firewall/router also had the latest firmware, just to rule out a missing known-issue correction.
Just wanted a sanity check on ethereal. I'm not aware of anything it won't pick up either.

To clarify, my DSL modem is the one creating and maintaining the PPPoE session, not my firewall/router.
There are no options (even in "expert" mode) to change any inactivity timeout values. The only two options are
the "connection type" which can be "Manual", "On Demand", or "Always On", and something called "Turbo TCP",
which is a checkbox. I haven't messed with that, but it's defaulted to off. It didn't sound like it had anything to do
with the issue, probably some kind of performance optimization.

I captured 2 logs from the DSL modem last night, one with the firewall/router in the path where the PPPoE session failed and then also failed to reconnect despite regular retries, and one with a PC hooked directly to the modem with no failures over an 8 hour period. You can ignore the part about not self-testing the modem. I have done that, but it doesn't seem to capture that fact in its log. It always passes its self-test.

Also, I do not believe I have any line interference issues or anything like that because I've had it stay up on a single PPPoE session for as long at 16 hours if I have a PC connected directly to it. The only reason it wasn't longer than that is that I've been trying to diagnose the problem and put the firewall/router back in the loop after that.

1st log, firewall/router between DSL modem and LAN (failed after about 20 minutes and never recovered)

All Entries
CURRENT MODEM STATUS
DSL Modem Status....... Up
PPP Session Status...... Session failure
Connection Type......... PPPoE
Time set from............. Boot
Time since last boot.... 0 days, 2 hrs: 32 mins: 28 secs

Time last modem self test.. NEVER
Time last modem result.... UNKNOWN

EVENTS
**********************************************************************
The first number is the Event time (days,hrs:min:sec) since boot.
Events are listed starting from the most recent.
**********************************************************************

0,2:31:57 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,2:31:26 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,2:23:25 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,2:22:54 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,2:14:53 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,2:14:22 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,2:6:21 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,2:5:50 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,1:57:49 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,1:57:18 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,1:49:17 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,1:48:46 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,1:40:45 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,1:40:14 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,1:32:13 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,1:31:42 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,1:23:41 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,1:23:10 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,1:15:9 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,1:14:38 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,1:6:37 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,1:6:6 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,0:58:5 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,0:57:34 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,0:49:33 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,0:49:2 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,0:41:1 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,0:40:30 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,0:32:29 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,0:31:58 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,0:23:57 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish PPPoE session
0,0:23:26 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to AlwaysOn
0,0:22:55 PPP CONNECTION ERROR on VPI 8 VCI 35 : Could not establish Link
0,0:22:54 PPP DISCONNECTED on VPI 8 VCI 35 : PPP link layer failure
0,0:5:11 DNS: Unknown host: 'wpad.launchmodem.com'
0,0:0:28 PPP CONNECTED on VPI 8 VCI 35
0,0:0:28 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to dsl Restart
0,0:0:12 US Atten: 18.0 DS Atten: 29.0
0,0:0:12 US Margin: 16.0 DS Margin: 31.0
0,0:0:12 US Tx Power: 0.0 DS Tx Power: 16.4
0,0:0:12 US DSL Rate: 384 kbits/sec DS DSL Rate: 3008 kbits/sec
0,0:0:12 WanMgr reports DSL is UP
0,0:0:0 Model Number: B90-610030-06
0,0:0:0 Software Version: VER:03.00.61
0,0:0:0 Product: WireSpeed Dual Connect Model: NAT Combo
end of diagnostic log file


2nd log, PC hooked directly to modem, stayed up for as long as I let it sit there (over 8 hours)

All Entries
CURRENT MODEM STATUS
DSL Modem Status....... Up
PPP Session Status...... Up
Connection Type......... PPPoE
Time set from............. Boot
Time since last boot.... 0 days, 8 hrs: 50 mins: 14 secs

Time last modem self test.. NEVER
Time last modem result.... UNKNOWN

EVENTS
**********************************************************************
The first number is the Event time (days,hrs:min:sec) since boot.
Events are listed starting from the most recent. **********************************************************************
0,0:0:28 PPP CONNECTED on VPI 8 VCI 35
0,0:0:28 Connecting session(0): My Connection due to dsl Restart
0,0:0:12 US Atten: 18.0 DS Atten: 0.0
0,0:0:12 US Margin: 17.0 DS Margin: 31.0
0,0:0:12 US Tx Power: 0.9 DS Tx Power: 16.7
0,0:0:12 US DSL Rate: 384 kbits/sec DS DSL Rate: 3008 kbits/sec
0,0:0:12 WanMgr reports DSL is UP
0,0:0:0 Model Number: B90-610030-06
0,0:0:0 Software Version: VER:03.00.61
0,0:0:0 Product: WireSpeed Dual Connect Model: NAT Combo
end of diagnostic log file

So, since your modem is holding the PPPoE session, and providing NAT and DHCP, lets see if we can configure that router as a bridge.  I am not familiar with the router's interface, and the documentation on the web is not really that great on this router. ...  (I don't have a whole lot of time to look right now..:)  But ck to see if you can set it up as a different device type...

Ah... that meshes well with my continued reading on the subject. The Westell 6100 (even pre-configured by BellSouth) does support a "Bridged Ethernet" mode as an alternative to the PPPoE mode.
I found some advice on another forum suggesting that very thing. They were alleging that the firmware in the 6100's firewall and/or DHCP was flawed and that it was a known problem by both BellSouth and Westell but no fix has been put out yet. There were numerous allegations that somehow MSN Messenger logging in was triggering the disconnects because of these flaws. I'll try to test that theory.

Anyway, it appears that if I set the DSL modem to bridged ethernet mode, then my firewall/router should be the one controlling the PPPoE session.
That would solve my double-NAT, double-DHCP question by eliminating it. Basically, I believe that would put me as close as possible to the old cable-modem environment.
I will try that this evening and see what happens.

FYI, here's a link to the manual for the Westell modems. However, this describes the full capabilities of the unit. BellSouth apparently selects a subset of this and locks it down
in their customized firmware.

http://westell.com/content/sales/liteline.pdf

I do so like it when my suggestions are seconded by other techs.  :)    This all makes sense to me, so that should be the path to take at this time.   the MS Messenger thing in interesting also, and I take it that you will test this by turning off messenger, but I wonder what difference it would make when bypassing the router..??  hmmm

Let me know how it works out....  maybe we can all learn something from this, eh?

FE

Most interesting results so far. I haven't even gotten to trying the bridged ethernet mode. I left the DSL modem alone for now and tried the Messenger experiment first.
I shut off the service on every Windows PC on the LAN, then reset the modem and firewall/router one time. It stayed up all night. I even put it to the test with a few BitTorrent
downloads and Windows updates. The modem dropped the PPPoE session once, but due to the Always On setting, it successfully reestablished the connection within a minute.
In other words, normal, expected behavior. I am thinking there is something to this Messenger business.

The next test this evening will be to deliberately start turning on Messenger one PC at a time and see what breaks.

I think after that I will try the bridged mode anyway as that should allow me to do whatever I want.

Yes, very interesting...  this thread seems to be a good learning experience for all of us..

Ok, next step. First I must confess to some ignorance. I don't fully understand the difference between the Windows Messenger that comes with XP
and MSN Messenger. This thread on dslreports.com is speaking of MSN Messenger:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,10962049~mode=flat?hilite=MSN

But I was able to duplicate the "2nd login kills the modem" with Windows Messenger. It had been up for over a day now and the instant I allowed
the second computer to restart Windows Messenger and login the modem disappeared and the Internet light went out. Poof.
So there's my work-around, don't run Messenger. :)

I'll try the bridge this weekend and see what happens there. Theory says that should bypass the issue all together.

Well, as expected, setting the DSL modem to 'bridged ethernet' mode solved all my problems.
I can launch Windows Messenger from all the XP systems now with no problems.

This also fixed my next problem which was being unable to access my network from the Internet.
With only my firewall/router handling the job, the DSL modem's "convenience features" are no longer in my way.

I'll try to keep an eye on this 6100 firmware issue, but as long as it behaves itself in bridged mode, I'm happy. :)
Thanks for your help!

*grin*  No Problem..  that is why we are here, eh?

and thanks..

FE

I am having a similar problem with a CenturyTel WesTell 6100 (firmware 03.00.50)...

I also have a linux-based router downstream from the 6100's subnet (192.168.1.x) that NAT's and serves DHCP to the 192.168.92.x subnet.

The DSL modem crashes every so often, and I cannot ping the modem's IP 192.168.1.1 - but lights are green.

I cannot set the modem to bridged mode because there are computers needing DHCP in the 6100's subnet (192.168.1.x).

Has this firmware bug in the 6100 been fixed yet? Anyone know where I might obtain newer firmware for the Westell to fix this bug?

I haven't tried the Messenger test yet...

changing the modem to bridge is all well and good but i cannot access the modem.  i downloaded the manual for the modem and the address is the same as my linksys modem, if i enter http://dslmodem i get an error message.  how do i get to the modem?  has bellsouth locked me out somehow?