pppd Timeout waiting for PADO packets

[NetGain]

Hi all:

I'm posting in this forum because I never ever use WiFi, and the problem is related to PPPoE over DSL. If this post belongs somewhere else, please feel free to move it with my apologies.

While I'm reasonably technical in terms of general computing, my networking knowledge is limited.

My setup:
- Router: Asus RT-AC68U running FreshTomato r2025.3 (performs PPP duties)
- SmartRG DSL modem in bridge mode

DSL sync works fairly quickly. However, after rebooting the router, I sometimes see multiple log entries similar to:
pppd[3007] Timeout waiting for PADO packets .

Usually, there are at least three or four of these entries before I'm authenticated by the PPP server. My ISP claims ignorance, and says they can't really see much more detail at their end than I can in my logs. It always manages to authenticate eventually, but one one occasion, it didn't authenticate until the 8th try. This can be annoying.

I came across this post on the Openwrt site, but wasn't sure if it contained the same problem
https://forum.archive.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php?id=55158

Unlike the poster in the above linked post, I always get a logon, it just sometimes takes quite a few tries.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Twiglets]

Don't see a problem.
The point is that the PPP session is made eventually, which gives you your 'internet'.

The process is meant to retry until the connection is made.
A problem would be IF the connection was not made ... the PPP negotiation could eventually fail because of too many retries.

I have only seen this happen once when the fibre connection was faulty.
The external fibre line was moved to another physical connection and all was well.

Extreme traffic levels upstream could slow the PPP connection down which may delay the PPP session being established but again this is rare.

Grasping at straws, if the connection to your SmartRG DSL modem is via bridge mode replace the ethernet cable to the modem from the router with a new good quality cable.
It is possible that you have a faulty cable that having difficulty interfacing with the modem, or there is extreme RF interference on that cable etc.
Again this is pushing the bounds of likelyhood BUT is possible theoretically !!!

If all is well and there is no sign of a faulty cable I would say that PPPoE is working as it is intended to.

 

[NetGain]

Thanks for your reply. Normally, if a company wants to pacify you, they tell you everything is fine. However, my ISP tells me that they almost never see that behaviour in similar clients' setups. It also wastes a fair amount of time when I have to reboot a lot of times in one day. I sometimes do that to test the FreshTomato firmware I run. If everyone else's setup worked like that, maybe I'd settle. But no one else I've spoken with has the same problem.

I have tried another cable. I wish that were the problem. My line statistics are supposedly quite good, and I'm close to the CO.

 

[Twiglets]

Only thing left is to eliminate that the bridged connection to the router is making some difference.

You have PPPoE running on the Router vs PPPoE running directly on the modem.

Can you see a diffence if you only run directly from the modem.

If you are getting the same result then it is something between the modem and the ISP.

 

[Twiglets]

Can you test your router on another line to the same ISP i.e. someone you know that is using the same ISP ?

Are you sure there are no known issues with this version of FreshTomato r2025.3.
(I don't run this firmware so cannot help !!!)

Running out of ideas at this point.