Sorry if this is being posted in the wrong forum (I'm thinking my problem is line based instead of config based because the configuration has not changed in over a year).

I started having high packet losses (~25%) on my Streamyx connection (Aztech DSL208U modem connected directly to my Linux boxen) last Friday. It went down to 1% by Monday earlier this week but now its back to 30% packet losses.

Loaded up the modem on my Windows boxen to get the relevant diagnostic output (the linux ueagle-atm driver didn't provide the diagnostic information):

i) Margin upstream: 18 (doesn't seem to change)
ii) Margin downstream: 25 (doesn't seem to change)
iii) Attenuation: 0 (doesn't seem to change)
iv) DSL Frame counts: Upstream OK: xxx, Downstream OK: yyy, Upstream Error: 69 (xxx and yyy increase over time but Upstream Error never changes)

Brought the modem over to a friend's place and the packets loss is 16/10000 packets (which is certainly much better then the 30% packets losses I'm getting at my place).

I did a diagnostic test with the Windows utility that came along with the modem and it reports that:

i) Interface Text Configuration OK
ii) Modem Test Configuration (expected DSL mode: G.DMT, Data mode timeout: 60, VPI: 0, VCI: 35) OK
iii) Line Test configuration (OAM_VPI: 0, OAM_VCI:32, Number of cells to send: 5, OAM_LOOPBACK_TYPE: F5E2E): Failed with error "CO modem did not respond to OAM cells from RT modem; Possible causes: (1) The set of OAM VPI/VCI does not match the ones at the CO side (2) OAM LookBack type is no the proper type)
iv) Network test configuration (VPI: 0, VCI: 32, Expected driver type: WAN, Expected Encapsulation: Bridge_LLC): OK

So the questions are:

a) what's the problem?
b) why is the Line Test failing?
c) what are OAM cells and is the OAM_VPI and OAM_VCI values significant in the scheme of things?
d) "CO modem did not respond to OAM cells from RT modem" - what does this mean?
e) is the modem going to modem heaven? Or is it a Telekom/TMnet problem?

It would help if folk could help me, so that I can accordingly follow up with Telekom/TMnet if necessary. And if the problem is something non-obvious, I'd blog it so that others who have this problem can fix their problem accordingly

Thanks in advance.

Made an official complaint to TMnet and all is good now. I never did touch the OAM_VCI value so I doubt that's the problem. VPI/VCI was set correctly. What's OAM_VCI anyway?