Is there a diagnostic tracing tool for ADSL broadband users? 

For SOHO ADSL broadband users accessing the internet and email from Windows XP
is there a hardware (or software) tracing tool that can log outbound
request packets from the consumer's XP computer and the corresponding
inbound response packets from the cloud back into the consumer's XP
computer?

What is the problem?
Intermittent service outage.
The notorious Internet Explorer message "Page not found/displayed"
provides no real reason for the browser error.  Once it occurs, it is
*not* limited to just one website. Intermittent errors *are* hard to
diagnose.
Perhaps the problem clears in few hours or minutes and the ISP says
"they found no errors on the line".  But *they* able to determine
absolutely that my browser failed to send a proper request, or did the
request fail to make it all the way to Central Office of the phone
company.  My ISP *is* my phone company.

The ISP tech support will begin from the presumption that the error is
in the consumer's computer or its connection point in the phone jack
and will begin a *long* checklist of items to be ruled out--starting
always from the top.

What is needed is objective evidence of the nature of problem,
especially when the service outage is intermittent.

What can be done?
Is there a trace tool, possibly in hardware, that can be inserted in
series with the consumer computer and the ADSL modem to trace events
in extreme detail and retain perhaps 5 minutes of history data.   If
and when the problem recurs the trace data can be retained and sent to
an IP specialist for review and recommendations.

The answer must apply to ADSL.

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Clarification of Question by grthumongous-ga on 04 Oct 2004 15:19 PDT

The specific configuration is an XP Pro SP1 computer running IE V6 at latest
critcial maintenance (August).

Ethernet (not USB) connected ADSL modem.
100 Mbits/sec theoretical speed; 
Actual download speed is less than 300KBytes/sec.
No Router in the circuit. 
I did have a Dlink DI-704P router in silver Titanium, corresponding to
a specific firmware revision code, but I took it out of the circuit to
rule out the router after the ISP said that they don't support
configurations with Routers.

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Request for Question Clarification by aht-ga on 04 Oct 2004 22:13 PDT

grthumongous-ga:

Can you clarify who your ADSL service provider is? The various
telephone companies use different approaches to offering connectivity
over ADSL. For example, MTS (like Bell in Ontario and Quebec) uses
PPPoE (PPP over Ethernet). The challenge with this is that the first
device after your DSL modem must be capable of negotiating a PPPoE
session using your username and password. You use either the software
client supplied by your provider, or you use a device like a DSL
router/gateway to handle this. The reason they do this is to control
access to the network. Other providers, such as Telus, use a direct IP
connection and MAC address identification to accomplish this.

Due to the need to have a PPPoE-capable device or software client, you
will either need to purchase an expensive router with PPPoE support
and packet logging, or you will need to use a packet logger program on
your PC. In either case, trying to convince a minimum-wage tech
support trainee to deviate from their script will be next to
impossible.

You can get closer to the source of your problem by using a couple of
commands already built into your operating system. First, when your
Internet connectivity is actually working (such as right now, while
you're reading this), do the following:

Go to Start>Run
Type 'cmd' and hit Enter.
At the command prompt that appears, type 'tracert www.mts.ca'.
As the results begin displaying, make a note of the IP address of the
second response line.
Type 'ping <IP address>' where '<IP address>' is the one you made a
note of earlier.
You should get back four responses.

The next time your connectivity breaks down, do the following:

Go to Start>Run
Type 'cmd' and hit Enter.
Type 'ipconfig /release' and hit Enter.
Type 'ipconfig /renew' and hit Enter.
If your computer is able to obtain an IP address, then proceed to the
next step; otherwise, try 'ipconfig /renew' again, and watch the
lights on your DSL modem for sign of activity
After your computer has an IP address again, type 'ping <IP address>'
where '<IP address>' is again the one you made note of before

If you are able to obtain an IP address, but cannot ping the <IP
address>, chances are there's a problem in the ISP's network. If you
are not able to obtain an IP address, the result is inconclusive, as
the problem is anywhere between your keyboard and the DSL equipment at
the other end of your phone line in the telephone company's facility.

There is also something else you will want to do; in checking MTS'
online documentation, I see that they recommend a MTU setting (maximum
transmission unit) of approximately 1400 (or even as low as 1362 in
some cases). The default MTU for most DSL routers is either 1492 or
1500. So, if you do put the DLink router back in, you will need to
remember to change the MTU value to 1400; this is typically found in
an Advanced menu. If you are using the software client, then check to
see if these instructions are applicable; they are for Windows
95/98/ME, but might still match how the driver for the PPPoE client
works in XP:

http://ebusiness.mts.mb.ca/mtsapplications/css/home.nsf/prod/How%20to%20Change%20your%20MTU%20(Maximum%20Transimission%20Unit)%20Settings?opendocument&~v1=_is~v2=DSL%20High%20Speed%20Internet~v3=sct-Technical%20Support~v4=

(by the way, that URL may qualify for the "longest URL this month"
award, so you may need to cut and paste it into your browser address
field)

When the ISP's network is exceptionally busy, a smaller MTU can help
eliminate lost or fragmented packets.

Please clarify the details of your ADSL service provider, and try the
above suggestions, then let me know how it goes.

Regards,

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher

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Clarification of Question by grthumongous-ga on 04 Oct 2004 22:48 PDT

Hi again agt,

I use PPPoE (PPP over Ethernet). 
The provider is Sympatico, a subsidiary of Bell Canada.

I entered the tracert cmd:
Tracing route to www.mts.ca [205.200.36.42]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

response_line 2 (of 15) was a sympatico entity in quebec with IP address
64.230.222.73 which I then pinged by IP address.

Four packets sent and received in 9 to 13ms with 10ms average response time.

I am eager to hear you elaborate on the, "....expensive router with
PPPoE support and packet logging" hardware, and the "....will need to
use a packet logger program on your PC" software.


thanks so far...

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Clarification of Question by grthumongous-ga on 04 Oct 2004 23:13 PDT

I should add that response_line 1 also had an IP address, an IP
address without the long symbolic name but that you specifically
wanted the second
response line.

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Request for Question Clarification by aht-ga on 04 Oct 2004 23:50 PDT

Since you are a Sympatico DSL customer, can I ask if you have already
downloaded and installed the free Net Assistant software that they
provide to their customers? Sometimes a local diagnostic program such
as this can find the cause of the problem on its own.

Regards,

aht-ga
Google Answers Researcher

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Clarification of Question by grthumongous-ga on 04 Oct 2004 23:59 PDT

Aht, you are the first person to mention it.

http://www1.sympatico.ca/help/local/bell/tools/netassistant_features.html

I will review it tomorrow and consider downloading it as long as it
doesn't go ape and change "everything" :)