Powerline causing internet connection to drop

[Finelli123]

I've had Sky broadband and Powerline adapters at home for 5+ years, and sky broadband fibre optic for 3+ years. Had no issues with wifi or powerline connection in this time. Then last week the internet started dropping at multiple points during the day dropping across wifi and powerline connected applications. Via trial and error I have worked out that it was the powerline adapter causing the internet connection to drop.

I thought it was due to faulty powerline, so bought new TP LINK AC1000 and still getting the same issue. 

When I turn on the powerline this is what I see in the logs (I switched on the powerline just before 9am)

08:55:09 syslog: Lease renewed 3600 ip 2.222.65.7
09:00:19 syslog: [59212.481000] eth1 (Ext switch port: 1) (Logical Port: 9) Link UP 1000 mbps full duplex
09:04:37 syslog: Lease renewed 3600 ip 2.222.65.7
09:04:59 syslog: WAN IPV6 UP
09:07:54 syslog: Voice Connecting
09:08:40 syslog: [59712.664000] eth1 (Ext switch port: 1) (Logical Port: 9) Link DOWN.
09:13:50 syslog: Voice Connected

Has anybody seen this before or got any tips on how to resolve?

I have got SR203 router and Sky Full Fibre 500

[JimM1]

@Finelli123 So if you leave the PL disconnected then everything is fine? Have PL connected and been using for years, never caused a wan IP connection drop in the slightest!

Ports below on the SR203 if you need them.

Lan Port 1 on the Hub.
eth0 (Ext switch port: 0) (Logical Port:8) Link UP 1000 mbps full duplex

Lan Port 2 on the Hub.
eth1 (Ext switch port: 1) (Logical Port: 9) Link UP 1000 mbps full duplex

Lan Port 3 on the Hub.
eth2 (Ext switch port: 2) (Logical Port: 10) Link UP 1000 mbps full duplex

Lan/Wan Port 4 on the Hub. Set as a WANoE port, not on Auto...
eth3 (Ext switch port: 4) (Logical Port: 12) Link UP 1000 mbps full duplex

[Finelli123]

Thanks for replying and sharing the ports for SR203... Yeh if I turn off the powerline or unplug it, then no issues.

It is really strange, cannot work out why.

[JimM1]

@Finelli123 What are both devices plugged into for the mains side off things, the sky Hub PSU adapter and the PL master unit, has anything been changed in oparation for either/both the units, there is nothing much in the log file apart from the voice dropping inbetween and not sure if that was a disconnetion as the PL Ethernet port disappeared as well...

""08:55:09 syslog: Lease renewed 3600 ip 2.222.65.7 Condition IP checked renewed
09:00:19 syslog: [59212.481000] eth1 (Ext switch port: 1) (Logical Port: 9) Link UP 1000 mbps full duplex TP Connected lan up
09:04:37 syslog: Lease renewed 3600 ip 2.222.65.7    Condition IP checked renewed
09:04:59 syslog: WAN IPV6 UP
09:07:54 syslog: Voice Connecting   ***Why voice issue
09:08:40 syslog: [59712.664000] eth1 (Ext switch port: 1) (Logical Port: 9) Link DOWN. TP Dropped off the lan connection ?
09:13:50 syslog: Voice Connected   ***Why voice issue

Try leaving the TP powered up but not connected to the lan connection and see how it goes!  

If the TP is in an extension socket try it direct on the mains socket, they do not like extension socket's and do strange things at times!

[Chrisee]

@Finelli123 try moving the powerline adapter to a wall socket a few feet away from the hub. Powerline uses high frequency carrier signal which can cause interference. I have heard that can cause older VDSL partial fibre connections to drop and yours is the first full fibre connection affected but usually using a different socket from the hub sorts things if it is interference. Never use the adapters in trailing sockets etc.

[Finelli123]

Thanks both. I've moved the plugs around where the router/powerline/tv etc. is and separated out the router from the powerline as much as possible. So far so good for the last 1.5 hours ... fingers crossed

[Finelli123]

Everything seemed ok from 8.42pm until about Midnight, then I can see this in the logs...

23:42:12 syslog: WAN IPV6 UP
23:57:58 syslog: Lease renewed 3600 ip 2.222.67.181
00:00:08 syslog: No lease renewal received
00:00:11 syslog: eth3.1 - WAN link DOWN.
00:00:11 syslog: DHCP lease expired from server. Connection DOWN.
00:00:20 syslog: eth3.1 - WAN link UP.

then around 2.45AM something seems to have gone wrong too:

02:42:13 syslog: WAN IPV6 UP
02:45:33 syslog: [21945.042000] eth0 (Ext switch port: 0) (Logical Port: 😎 Link DOWN.
02:46:10 syslog: [21982.208000] eth0 (Ext switch port: 0) (Logical Port: 😎 Link UP 1000 mbps full duplex
02:46:15 syslog: [21987.255000] eth0 (Ext switch port: 0) (Logical Port: 😎 Link DOWN.
02:46:18 syslog: [21990.290000] eth0 (Ext switch port: 0) (Logical Port: 😎 Link UP 1000 mbps full duplex
02:46:24 syslog: [21996.336000] eth0 (Ext switch port: 0) (Logical Port: 😎 Link DOWN.
02:46:27 syslog: [21999.356000] eth0 (Ext switch port: 0) (Logical Port: 😎 Link UP 1000 mbps full duplex
02:50:15 syslog: Lease renewed 3600 ip 2.222.67.181
03:12:13 syslog: WAN IPV6 UP

So frustrating! Are there other options other than powerline, like mesh wifi maybe I should consider? Although would quite like to get to the bottom of the underlying issue here.

[JimM1]

@Finelli123 Did you lose the connection at that time, that is the question the log is just showing what happened on the midnight rollover and the Port Lan 1 connection dropping whatever you have on it!

[Finelli123]

Still having issues so tried something else to try and work it out... I moved the main powerline plug to the other side of the room and connected it to the router via a longer ethernet cable (to try and work out if it is interference causing the issue)

As soon as I plugged it in, this happened in the logs:

11:42:40 syslog: [140360.109000] eth1 (Ext switch port: 1) (Logical Port: 9) Link UP 1000 mbps full duplex

11:46:47 syslog: Lease renewed 3600 ip 2.222.67.181

11:46:55 syslog: WAN IPV6 UP

11:47:28 syslog: Lease renewed 3600 ip 2.222.67.181

11:47:45 syslog: Send out NTP request to ntp1.isp.sky.com

11:49:14 syslog: Send out NTP request to ntp1.isp.sky.com

11:49:36 syslog: Voice Connecting

11:50:46 syslog: Send out NTP request to ntp2.isp.sky.com

11:52:36 syslog: Send out NTP request to ntp1.isp.sky.com

11:52:36 syslog: Received NTP Sync Reply from ntp1.isp.sky.com

11:52:36 syslog: System time is up to date

11:52:36 syslog: Received NTP Sync Reply from ntp1.isp.sky.com

11:52:41 syslog: Voice Connected

11:57:57 syslog: Voice Connecting

12:00:20 syslog: Failed to upload Telemetry data - Error(28)

12:01:08 syslog: Voice Connected

12:05:20 syslog: TR69: Connect to Production ACS

12:05:28 syslog: TR69: Connection to ACS Complete

12:06:17 syslog: Voice Connecting

12:07:35 syslog: TR69: wget failed - ConnectionError (3)

Voice was basically disconnecting all the time...does this help in anyway? Any other suggestions 🙂