Strange Happening

[roehrle]

I was on the Internet last night reading various news pages when all of a sudden I wasn't able to go to a new page. I tried running a speed check and that didn't work so I turned off the ATA and also my wireless modem. After several attempts of turning them on & off I went to bed with the hope that it would be OK in the morning. It wasn't so I called Verizon. I was on the cell phone talking to a tech for almost an hour when he decided to get someone with more experience.
While he has gone I tried playing around with different passwords that I had used it the past and finally got one to work before the tech came back. I find it hard to believe that the password changed on its own and I am sure I didn't change it.
Just wondering if anybody has experienced this happening to their modem where the password changed on its own ??
I have the ATA in front of my wireless modem.
Is it possible to have the VOIP go out but still have the DSL working? I assumed that my problem was with the DSL so I called Verizon first but would a ATA failure prevent me getting the Internet ??

[wagnerb]

I doubt the ATA had anything to do with it. If VOIP has failed, doesn't mean your high speed internet connection has failed and it's possible to have connectivity. Verizon's Tier 1 is a huge waste of time. You're never going to get anywhere with those clowns. My guess is your modem dropped the logon and pswd for whatever reason. Verizon's Tier 1 fix for everything is scripted hard rebooting sequence, but I digress.

I'm also a Verizon DSL customer and my service problems with them were an epic.

I assume your modem is also a router, b/c I didn't quite follow when you said your ATA is in front of the modem?

[roehrle]

Yes I did mis-speak about the ATA in front of the wireless modem router . I too have had many problems with Verizon DSL In fact one of the Techs at VT have me his own personal cell number to call at any time I had a problem. I generally try the normal procedure before I call him on the cell.. Don't like to take advantage of him.

[NY Tel Guy]

I was on the Internet last night reading various news pages when all of a sudden I wasn't able to go to a new page. I tried running a speed check and that didn't work so I turned off the ATA and also my wireless modem. After several attempts of turning them on & off I went to bed with the hope that it would be OK in the morning. It wasn't so I called Verizon. I was on the cell phone talking to a tech for almost an hour when he decided to get someone with more experience.
While he has gone I tried playing around with different passwords that I had used it the past and finally got one to work before the tech came back. I find it hard to believe that the password changed on its own and I am sure I didn't change it.
Just wondering if anybody has experienced this happening to their modem where the password changed on its own ??
I have the ATA in front of my wireless modem.
Is it possible to have the VOIP go out but still have the DSL working? I assumed that my problem was with the DSL so I called Verizon first but would a ATA failure prevent me getting the Internet ??

Verizon DLS in NJ?

Do you have an Actiontec DSL modem or a Westell 327W?
Either way, any "orange, amber or red" lights on these modems indicate a variery of failures, the most common being a Radius Authentication failure which prevents Verizon from validating your credentials. While this has nothing to do with voip or voipo, it will prevent both the Internet and any voip provider from working.

By the way: This is my 500th post here! Break out the cake!

[roehrle]

I have the Westell 327w. The light was red over the Internet
label.
"prevents Verizon from validating your credentials" ?

Any ideas on what caused the password to change??
First time in 2 years for that to happen....i think

[wagnerb]

Could be a modem hardware/firmware issue. Did you ask Verizon for a new one? Is your DSL a dry loop? I don't know if you got socked with the snow up there, but does your connectivity drop with certain weather conditions? Have you considered going hard wired as opposed to wireless. The former is less secuirty issues and IMO, better trade-off performance wise.

[usa2k]

By the way: This is my 500th post here! Break out the cake!

Happy 500th yea of moderate posting habits!

[NY Tel Guy]

I have the Westell 327w. The light was red over the Internet
label.
"prevents Verizon from validating your credentials" ?

Any ideas on what caused the password to change??
First time in 2 years for that to happen....i think

Every time your DSL connection signs on to the Internet, the DSLAM (cabinet your Westell connects to in the central office) sends a request to a totally separate server to validate that you are who you are supposed to be in the form of a username and password. Sometimes when this radius server fails, you cannot be validated as an authorized user of DSL through no fault of anything you did (or didn't do).
The offshoot is this: no authentication, no Internet, no Internet = no voip.

I'll bet you never had to enter the password in that 2 year period, right?
The authentication failure caused the red light to stay lit meaning that you had no "authorized connectivity" to the Internet even though you had a physical connection through your Westell.
Why did the password change? Dunno.... one of the Telephony mysteries of faith I guess....

Just know that without the green lights, you will lose access to the net and your voip connection if it ever happens again.
When these Radius servers fail, it usually covers a large area of customers who all have the same issue.

Dry loop and regular DSL works the same way in case anyone else was wondering. The only real weather issues that affect DSL is/are lightning storms which tend to cause random disconnects when lightning storms move through an area.

[roehrle]

I'll answer several question from previous posts.
I have a Verizon dry loop DSL for 2 years. I was on Voicewing before coming to VOIPo
I have the Linksys PA2Pt ATA from POIPo
I think I lost the modem password once before when I changed my password to Verizon Central. The VZ tech told me that caused my DSL to go down ?? This sounds strange but may be true ?
When I enter the Verizon Westell 327w from my computer I see that I can change my username and also my password. Before I can do that there is a box that appears that looks like a MSXP format asking for a password. Is this the same password the 327w is using?
If I was more knowledgeable about the modem I could have gotten back on-line without the help of the Verizon Tech. That's why I'm trying to clear up some of the many questions I still have and I appreciate you guys trying to help me get on-board.

[wagnerb]

I'll defer on the 327 then as it is beyond my knowledge, skill and ability. Maybe some Wi-Fi types on DSL Reports can help out on the Verizon forum?