Hey all,

Ever since I have set up my MikroTik HexS router for home use - I have been getting WAN link drops. Sometimes happens once a day, sometimes once every other day, sometimes multiple times in a day.

If I check the log in the HexS, it says:
WANPORT link down
dhcp-client on WANPORT lost IP address xx.xx.xx.xx - lease stopped locally

I then go unplug the ethernet cable from the WANPORT and plug it back in and link is restored.

The log then says:
WANPORT link up (speed 1G, full duplex)
dhcp-client on WANPORT got IP address 135.23.174.167dhcp-client on WANPORT got IP address xx.xx.xx.xx

Easy layout - cable modem > cat6a > router. I had a tech from the ISP out to move the modem to the main incoming cable jack and he showed me all his fancy numbers on his diag tool for the modem. All looked solid. There doesn't seem to be a problem with the modem. The HexS is on v6.49 now. All equipment including new cat6a cables are <3mo old.

Any ideas?

I normally try two things whenver I see this kind of flipping
1st and most infuriating one is to force the port to be a lower speed than rated (100mbps full duplex in my case) see if lower speeds helps. If it does then try forcing the speed instead of using autosensing for this port.
2nd either try static ip or click on dhcp-client "renew" button and see if it is successful without unplugging the cable.

In my experience this type of flopping is normally due to cable malfunction/incompatibility so it doesn't hurt to try and rule this out first.

Hard to say, what type of internet modem service do you have, cable? fibre?

I would certainly log every instance so you have evidence to show the ISP if its determined to be at there end.

It's cable.

When cable modems lock up...
https://dlidirect.com/products/new-pro-switch

BS gotsprings, LOL, do you work for that company

Seriously, I have had plenty of cable modems in the family attached to all kinds of routers including MT and NOT a PEEP of any such lockups.
I would get the modem replaced and check the wiring from the road to the modem
BUT FIRST CHECK THE CABLE from the modem to your router (replace it with a known good quality one).

I would also check to see if you have an old router kicking around replace the MT for a couple of days and see if the failure also occurs.
It could be a matter of reloading the software on the MT for example.

Finally without seeing your config, hard to say
Export two configs for you to compare
/export file=full
/export hide-sensitive file=minimized

Then compare the two, the first one should show all your WAN settings etc.
So simply replace anything sensitive like WANIP, WAN GATEWAY etc. with fake numbers so we can see the full setup but not the real numbers!!

Anav,

Nope... Not employed by DLI.

But I buy their units by the case. I have hundreds out there quietly rebooting locked up modems without me having to hear about it. I will log into a project I have not heard a peep out of in 2 years...

Will check the log on the digital Loggers and see that it seems to have to reboot the modem for cause about once every 3 weeks.

Did the customer have noticable downtime? Nope
Did they call me bitching? Nope
Did they have to try to figure out what plug to pull with a "restaurant full of people"? Nope

For years I would spend the day after a thunderstorm, on the phone explaining to people how to unplug a modem and wait 60 seconds. Then plug it back in. Enormous waste of unbillable time.

These things have saved me countless tickets.

Wow, thanks for the experience lesson.
That seems to be a godsend for your work.

If the everything else checks out and a modem replacement doesnt fix it are you saying
that some modem/ISP combinations are just whacked ???

Anav,

This is also why I hate Wattbox!

They came out later.
Cost more.
And had a 100% failure rate in several revs.

Meanwhile... The DLI in my basement used to reboot a locked up modem. Now it works on my FiOS ont.

It's been quietly doing it's thing for a long time.

Hey guys thanks for the replies.

I have a tech from the ISP coming out because the modem has been crashing now and not just the router showing WAN link down.

I should have mentioned before, even if it rains lightly we usually loose internet so something is probably bad with the cable line outside.

These are cool devices, thanks for the recommendation!

Please keep us informed, if nothing else to show that I saved you $179US

Batteries were replaced at the node down the street. Tech said they were failing.

Fingers crossed it's all good now!

Still having the issue. In the screen shot below you can see the WAN coming up and going down, losing the IP and then regaining it. At first, the port settings were set to auto negotiate with all options from 10mbps half&full to 1000mbps half&full.

So I disabled auto negotiate and set it to 100mbps full duplex. As soon as I do this, the link restores and I can see the flow in the graph is active on the WANPORT.

Then it drops again moments later. So I go back into the port settings and change it back to auto negotiate with only 10 and 100 half&full and it immediately restores itself where I can see activity in the graph again.

Other "fixes" seem to be unplug the ethernet from the modem>firewall and plug back in or reboot the modem or firewall. It went up and down like a toilet seat at a Chinese buffet today and I can't figure this out! I even factory reset the firewall the other day and reloaded the current 6.49 stable firmware.

I don't have another firewall/router on hand to test, wish I did. Maybe I can grab one from work in the near future.

When cable modems lock up...
https://dlidirect.com/products/new-pro-switch

I have several of the DLI switches and do like them.

It went up and down like a toilet seat at a Chinese buffet today and I can't figure this out!

Thanks for the laugh lol

Didn't see it mentioned anywhere in the thread - has the ISP replaced their modem at any point? Also do you have a spare port on the hEX S which you can reconfigure as the WAN to see if it's a port issue? You mentioned rebooting the hardware, disconnecting/reconnecting the cable, or renegotiating the ethernet resolves the issue, this would indicate to me that you have an issue at Layer 2, either at the modem or the router.

Lastly, I hope

The HexS is on v4.69 now

is meant to be "v6.49" ha

It went up and down like a toilet seat at a Chinese buffet today and I can't figure this out!

Thanks for the laugh lol

Didn't see it mentioned anywhere in the thread - has the ISP replaced their modem at any point? Also do you have a spare port on the hEX S which you can reconfigure as the WAN to see if it's a port issue? You mentioned rebooting the hardware, disconnecting/reconnecting the cable, or renegotiating the ethernet resolves the issue, this would indicate to me that you have an issue at Layer 2, either at the modem or the router.

Lastly, I hope

The HexS is on v4.69 now

is meant to be "v6.49" ha

Haha,

So a tech is coming back out on the 24th because they are bugging me about the signal strength coming into my modem being too high. After that, if they cannot resolve it I will ask for a new modem and after that, I will try a different firewall.

You're right that it is certainly either the firewall or modem, now just to find out which one. I checked the log this morning and it shows it hasn't dropped once between 10:00PM and 4:00AM now which makes me think it is the modem but who knows. Stranger things are out there!

And yes, that was meant to be v6.49. I fixed it, thanks!

It went up and down like a toilet seat at a Chinese buffet today and I can't figure this out!

Thanks for the laugh lol

Didn't see it mentioned anywhere in the thread - has the ISP replaced their modem at any point? Also do you have a spare port on the hEX S which you can reconfigure as the WAN to see if it's a port issue? You mentioned rebooting the hardware, disconnecting/reconnecting the cable, or renegotiating the ethernet resolves the issue, this would indicate to me that you have an issue at Layer 2, either at the modem or the router.

Lastly, I hope

The HexS is on v4.69 now

is meant to be "v6.49" ha

Reading not your strong suit there FliMitch??

Wow, thanks for the experience lesson.
That seems to be a godsend for your work.

If the everything else checks out and a modem replacement doesnt fix it are you saying
that some modem/ISP combinations are just whacked ???

OR

BS gotsprings, LOL, do you work for that company

Seriously, I have had plenty of cable modems in the family attached to all kinds of routers including MT and NOT a PEEP of any such lockups.
I would get the modem replaced and check the wiring from the road to the modem
BUT FIRST CHECK THE CABLE from the modem to your router (replace it with a known good quality one).

I would also check to see if you have an old router kicking around replace the MT for a couple of days and see if the failure also occurs.
It could be a matter of reloading the software on the MT for example.

Thanks for the laugh lol

Didn't see it mentioned anywhere in the thread - has the ISP replaced their modem at any point? Also do you have a spare port on the hEX S which you can reconfigure as the WAN to see if it's a port issue? You mentioned rebooting the hardware, disconnecting/reconnecting the cable, or renegotiating the ethernet resolves the issue, this would indicate to me that you have an issue at Layer 2, either at the modem or the router.

Lastly, I hope is meant to be "v6.49" ha

Haha,

So a tech is coming back out on the 24th because they are bugging me about the signal strength coming into my modem being too high. After that, if they cannot resolve it I will ask for a new modem and after that, I will try a different firewall.

You're right that it is certainly either the firewall or modem, now just to find out which one. I checked the log this morning and it shows it hasn't dropped once between 10:00PM and 4:00AM now which makes me think it is the modem but who knows. Stranger things are out there!

And yes, that was meant to be v6.49. I fixed it, thanks!

Or an issue of the line connecting the street to the modem.
The fact that there ISP side readings to the modem are whacky pretty much absolves your router from being part of the equation but do ensure the cable from modem to router is good!

Yeah, I understand that.

They certainly need to rule out any issue on their end before I go replacing things.

I've tried multiple new ethernet cables from the modem>router. There are two ports on the modem I have tried as well. The only thing I have not tried on the router physically, is switching WAN to a different port.

So we will see what they say on the 24th and I will request a modem replacement and go from there!

Issue is at the TAP and proven today with evidence.

There is nothing wrong with my HexS or modem.

Should be resolved by the ISP in the next couple days.

Thanks for all the advice!