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fionabuckner's avatar
fionabuckner
New Contributor
2 years ago

IPv6 fails on OPNSense this morning, Support tells me to replace my 4 year old SB8200 that was working fine last night...

This morning around 9-10am, my internet started getting unstable.  The Teams calls were disconnecting, web pages failed to load, and Speedtest.net tests failed to complete.

I rebooted the OPNSense router, same issue, Speedtest would kill the connection.   Updated and rebooted the router, same issue. Rebooted the modem (once through the Cox web page, once by unplugging for 60 seconds), same issue.  Rebooted the router again, same issue.  The Ubiquiti Switch and Access points looked fine, so didn't touch them.

While running the Speedtest the IPv6 address in the OPNSense dashboard would clear, the DHCP6 service would stop, then a couple seconds later DHCP6 would start up and get an IPv6 address.  I looked at the modem web page to see if there was anything that looked out of place, nothing obvious except Downstream channel 159 has a ton of uncorrectables.

NOTHING has changed between last night when it was working and 10am today.  We didn't even have a power outage.

I called Cox support after the text message support put me in a loop (replying AGENT to the modem reboot success notification text message sends you to a bot, not an agent...).  The person on the phone acknowledged my troubleshooting steps after I explained everything including the channel 159 and IPv6 issue.  They ask me to do another speed test, of course this one works fine...  I get ~220Mbps down, ~12Mbps up on my 250/10Mbps connection, cool, working perfectly.  They say my slow speeds are due to my old modem and insists that I buy a new one because it's more than 3 years old, and, "as we know, old equipment eventually stops working."  This modem is 4 years old...  It is also an SB8200 which is ON THE SUPPORTED MODEM LIST.  I tell them that the speed is fine, it is exactly as I expect and it's the intermittent connection issue that I'd like address.  They then repeat that I need to buy a new modem and no longer want to help me.  I say thank you and hang up the phone once the call is done.

So I go back to OPNSense and disable IPv6.  It's 2pm now and I have not had any issues since.  I am glad I didn't waste money replacing my modem and taking time off because I cannot work from home while I go buy the same modem I already have.

So, I ask, does anyone know what may be going on with my IPv6?  Anyone have any suggestions on what to do to get it working again?


Also, I've noticed these messages (below) are ALWAYS present when I log into Cox.com.  They're contradictory and not helpful.

> Your network looks good – We don't currently see any outages or issues related to your equipment. If you're having an issue, let us know which service you're having trouble with and we'll help to troubleshoot. Get SmartHelp
> A network issue has been identified in your area that may cause service interruptions. We are working to restore service as soon as possible.
  • WiderMouthOpen's avatar
    WiderMouthOpen
    Esteemed Contributor
    2 years ago

    While it could be a firmware issue, I doubt it's the modem. The SB8200 is the modem used by Cox Business so I would assume it would be fully IPv6 compatible. OPNSense is a niche clientele though, so there probably aren't many here that can help. You might try Reddit or DSLReports. Hopefully I am wrong and someone else will chime in.

    BTW, do you have any other routers you can try with? Might help to isolate some things.

    • fionabuckner's avatar
      fionabuckner
      New Contributor
      2 years ago

      Unfortunately no, no other routers available.  Thanks for the response though.

      I also have these events in the modem event log.  When I looked them up, I found a thread from another ISP where the customer was having the issue. The company said it was because the transmission power was too high on that channel and that could cause intermittent connectivity issues. They sent out a tech who confirmed the issue, adjusted the levels, and customer reported issue was gone.

      I plan on calling Cox tomorrow and asking for a Tier 2 support person as the Tier 1 person ignored my call out of high correctables and uncorrectables on channel 159.


      https://imgur.com/j1uCzs9

      • WiderMouthOpen's avatar
        WiderMouthOpen
        Esteemed Contributor
        2 years ago

        That looks like noise or some problem with the OFDM channel. Can you post your signal levels, specifically the SNR of the OFDM channel. If possible, try uploading the screenshot directly by joining the forum using the link on the bottom found here. See here for more info. I am having problems with Imgur. It opens then goes to a blank screen. Anyone else? ::edit:: Got around it by using Firefox. Must be a Chrome issue. Feel free to use Imgur going forward.