my 3COM router is dead, or?

Might need advice on a new router, but at present I have a problem
where the reliable (up until now) 3com officeconnect won't synch with
the exchange. When this happens, the router status page says
"training". I spent many a happy hour with India BT support (I have
had BT Openworld for 6 trouble-free years), who detected evrything
from a fault on the line to incorrect user id etc, finally telling
there was no fault at my exchange (Cosham) but a back end server fault
and I should unplug the router for 24 hours. I duly plugged it in an
hour or so later and it worked that evening for a couple of hours
before losing synch again. Same yesterday - OK for a few hours.

Today, no synch and after an hour with India I plugged in ye olde
Speedtouch frog, and lo, it synched, and still is now, a few hours
later. I will try the 3COM again shortly, but in the event it has
died is "not synching" a valid failure mode? If so, any
recommendations for a replacement router in the affordable price
range. I don't mind wireless, but don't use it at present.

Many thanks

--
Regards, Danny

http://www.gaggia-espresso.com (a purely hobby site)
(apparently bad grammar but I like it that way...)

"Danny" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Might need advice on a new router, but at present I have a problem where
> the reliable (up until now) 3com officeconnect won't synch with the
> exchange. When this happens, the router status page says "training". I
> spent many a happy hour with India BT support (I have had BT Openworld for
> 6 trouble-free years), who detected evrything from a fault on the line to
> incorrect user id etc, finally telling there was no fault at my exchange
> (Cosham) but a back end server fault and I should unplug the router for 24
> hours. I duly plugged it in an hour or so later and it worked that
> evening for a couple of hours before losing synch again. Same yesterday -
> OK for a few hours.
>
> Today, no synch and after an hour with India I plugged in ye olde
> Speedtouch frog, and lo, it synched, and still is now, a few hours later.
> I will try the 3COM again shortly, but in the event it has died is "not
> synching" a valid failure mode? If so, any recommendations for a
> replacement router in the affordable price range. I don't mind wireless,
> but don't use it at present.
>

Have you tried using the cable that connects the Frog to the line with the
router? Can you get line stats out of the frog? Maybe your line has become
degraded to the point the router won't sync. I used to use a 3Com router
and that would sync with a 1db noise margin so I doubt this is the problem.

Other stuff to try would be using the reset button on the router and setting
it up again. You can also try re-uploading the firmware in case something
has happened to corrupt the router.

Or, you could just say sod it, all this hassle isn't worth the 50 quid a new
router will cost and just buy a new one. :-)

> Many thanks
>
> --
> Regards, Danny
>
> http://www.gaggia-espresso.com (a purely hobby site)
> (apparently bad grammar but I like it that way...)
>

"Danny" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Might need advice on a new router, but at present I have a problem where
> the reliable (up until now) 3com officeconnect won't synch with the
> exchange. When this happens, the router status page says "training". I
> spent many a happy hour with India BT support (I have had BT Openworld for
> 6 trouble-free years), who detected evrything from a fault on the line to
> incorrect user id etc, finally telling there was no fault at my exchange
> (Cosham) but a back end server fault and I should unplug the router for 24
> hours. I duly plugged it in an hour or so later and it worked that
> evening for a couple of hours before losing synch again. Same yesterday -
> OK for a few hours.
>
> Today, no synch and after an hour with India I plugged in ye olde
> Speedtouch frog, and lo, it synched, and still is now, a few hours later.
> I will try the 3COM again shortly, but in the event it has died is "not
> synching" a valid failure mode? If so, any recommendations for a
> replacement router in the affordable price range. I don't mind wireless,
> but don't use it at present.
>
> Many thanks
>
> --
> Regards, Danny
>

Lighning damage in the recent storms perhaps? You don't need a direct hit to
fry a modem; nearby strike will suffice.

WCZ wrote:

> Have you tried using the cable that connects the Frog to the line with the
> router? Can you get line stats out of the frog? Maybe your line has become
> degraded to the point the router won't sync. I used to use a 3Com router
> and that would sync with a 1db noise margin so I doubt this is the problem.

I have always used the frogs' cable, on either router/modem. Line
stats as reported by the 3com seem as usual. The frog has also
dropped the connection a couple of times since my post, but re-synchs
almost straight away.

>
> Other stuff to try would be using the reset button on the router and setting
> it up again. You can also try re-uploading the firmware in case something
> has happened to corrupt the router.

I have downloaded the latest firmware from 3com, and will reload it in
a minute...

>
> Or, you could just say sod it, all this hassle isn't worth the 50 quid a new
> router will cost and just buy a new one. :-)

Starting to feel that way


--
Regards, Danny

http://www.gaggia-espresso.com (a purely hobby site)
(apparently bad grammar but I like it that way...)

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Danny <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Might need advice on a new router, but at present I have a problem
> where the reliable (up until now) 3com officeconnect won't synch with
> the exchange. When this happens, the router status page says
> "training". I spent many a happy hour with India BT support (I have
> had BT Openworld for 6 trouble-free years), who detected evrything
> from a fault on the line to incorrect user id etc, finally telling
> there was no fault at my exchange (Cosham) but a back end server fault
> and I should unplug the router for 24 hours. I duly plugged it in an
> hour or so later and it worked that evening for a couple of hours
> before losing synch again. Same yesterday - OK for a few hours.
>
> Today, no synch and after an hour with India I plugged in ye olde
> Speedtouch frog, and lo, it synched, and still is now, a few hours
> later. I will try the 3COM again shortly, but in the event it has
> died is "not synching" a valid failure mode? If so, any
> recommendations for a replacement router in the affordable price
> range. I don't mind wireless, but don't use it at present.
>
> Many thanks

If you have access to a generic transformer-based power supply [1] with the
right characteristics (12v 1A or whatever) try the 3Com router with that
rather than with the rubbish switched mode supply which comes with it. If
it's like mine, you may find that it will work perfectly with a decent
supply.

The fact that it works for a bit after it has all cooled down makes it sound
exactly like the problem I had. When it worked for a bit, did the error rate
go sky high - and the throughput speed become dire - just before it lost
synch?

[1] If you don't have a mains supply, you may be able to rig up something
using a car battery - at least for long enough to test the theory.
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

Roger Mills wrote:

> If you have access to a generic transformer-based power supply [1] with the
> right characteristics (12v 1A or whatever) try the 3Com router with that
> rather than with the rubbish switched mode supply which comes with it. If
> it's like mine, you may find that it will work perfectly with a decent
> supply.
>
> The fact that it works for a bit after it has all cooled down makes it sound
> exactly like the problem I had. When it worked for a bit, did the error rate
> go sky high - and the throughput speed become dire - just before it lost
> synch?
>
> [1] If you don't have a mains supply, you may be able to rig up something
> using a car battery - at least for long enough to test the theory.

I've done as you've advised and am at least logged on now with the
3com. It synched first time, using an old 12v supply I had (after I
stole the 3Com 12v power connector - different size to anything else I
had). See if it's still up in the morning. Thanks for your help!

That must be why there are loads of these routers on Ebay, sold with
no power supply



--
Regards, Danny

http://www.gaggia-espresso.com (a purely hobby site)
(apparently bad grammar but I like it that way...)

Danny wrote:
> Roger Mills wrote:
>
>> If you have access to a generic transformer-based power supply [1] with
>> the
>> right characteristics (12v 1A or whatever) try the 3Com router with that
>> rather than with the rubbish switched mode supply which comes with it. If
>> it's like mine, you may find that it will work perfectly with a decent
>> supply.
>>
>> The fact that it works for a bit after it has all cooled down makes it
>> sound
>> exactly like the problem I had. When it worked for a bit, did the error
>> rate
>> go sky high - and the throughput speed become dire - just before it lost
>> synch?
>>
>> [1] If you don't have a mains supply, you may be able to rig up something
>> using a car battery - at least for long enough to test the theory.
>
> I've done as you've advised and am at least logged on now with the
> 3com. It synched first time, using an old 12v supply I had (after I
> stole the 3Com 12v power connector - different size to anything else I
> had). See if it's still up in the morning. Thanks for your help!
>
> That must be why there are loads of these routers on Ebay, sold with
> no power supply

Shame about the dodgy psus as they are excellent, reliable routers, good on
long lines, and never 'forget' their settings.

Gaz

Gaz wrote:

> Shame about the dodgy psus as they are excellent, reliable routers, good on
> long lines, and never 'forget' their settings.

I agree. Mine has been faultless for the 2+ years I've had it. On
ebay for £30-odd is a bargain, even if you need to source a 12v PSU.


--
Regards, Danny

http://www.gaggia-espresso.com (a purely hobby site)
(apparently bad grammar but I like it that way...)

Roger Mills wrote:

> If you have access to a generic transformer-based power supply [1] with the
> right characteristics (12v 1A or whatever) try the 3Com router with that
> rather than with the rubbish switched mode supply which comes with it. If
> it's like mine, you may find that it will work perfectly with a decent
> supply.
>
> The fact that it works for a bit after it has all cooled down makes it sound
> exactly like the problem I had. When it worked for a bit, did the error rate
> go sky high - and the throughput speed become dire - just before it lost
> synch?
>
> [1] If you don't have a mains supply, you may be able to rig up something
> using a car battery - at least for long enough to test the theory.

Thanks Roger. The router has been up for several days with another
12v power supply I found.


--
Regards, Danny

http://www.gaggia-espresso.com (a purely hobby site)
(apparently bad grammar but I like it that way...)

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Danny <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Roger Mills wrote:
>
>> If you have access to a generic transformer-based power supply [1]
>> with the right characteristics (12v 1A or whatever) try the 3Com
>> router with that rather than with the rubbish switched mode supply
>> which comes with it. If it's like mine, you may find that it will
>> work perfectly with a decent supply.
>>
>
> Thanks Roger. The router has been up for several days with another
> 12v power supply I found.


Glad to have been of help. The 3Com power supply seems to be a common
problem - I can't believe that they don't *know* about it - and can't
understand why they don't *do* something about it.
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!