Troubleshooting a Slow Viasat Connection
This Job Aid covers:
Customer Education about Speed
This Job Aid supports the Super Agent audience, while supporting a Reseller customer.
Customer Education about Speed
- If the customer has questions regarding speed test results or sites, inform the customer that their speeds can vary based on multiple factors such as the time of day, the network and internet congestion – just to name a few.
- If the customer indicates that they have performed a speed test, ask them:
- Did you know that not all current test sites are designed for satellite internet connections? The results may not be accurate.
- We recommend speedtest.net to test your Viasat speeds.
Customer Education about VPNs
If the customer has VPN, ask how does Viasat Internet Service function when not using the VPN?
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- If slow, continue the steps within this article.
- If there is a connectivity issue, proceed to article Technical Troubleshooting for Viasat Services (SurfBeam2 Equipment) to troubleshoot the issue
- If there is a connectivity issue to a specific website, use the article No Connectivity to a Specific Website – Viasat to resolve the issue.
NOTE: If after following the articles, the Viasat Service is working as it should, inform the customer: I have validated that your internet service is working as it should be. Unfortunately, we do not troubleshoot VPN connection at this time. I apologize for any inconvenience. Please contact your VPN provider to troubleshoot issues you are having with that service. Thank you for contacting Viasat.
Troubleshooting with eSVT
Login to eSVT https://esvt.exede.net
Using eSVT, identify the issue. The main icons will change color to identify each action required by an agent to resolve a customer’s issue. If the icon is grayed out, that particular action is not required for the customer. Hover over any main icon to obtain details and required actions for the account you are currently viewing.
If you see the green OK icon, then all performance values are as expected.
Note: Clicking most of the main icons will not perform any specific action. You may use the reboot button to reboot the modem. We recommend you request permission from the customer before doing so.
The following illuminated indicators confirms that the customer may be experiencing slow speed:
Indicator Action/Script
Web Acceleration This appears in the This Subscriber section of the dashboard.
If red, yellow or gray, follow the escalation procedure for notifying the reseller’s distributor, or other escalation point.
Packet Loss and Throughput These appear in the This Subscriber section of the dashboard.
I apologize for any inconvenience this may be causing. This issue could be the result of your equipment and we’ll do some further troubleshooting to determine where the issues exist.
Proceed to the Hardware Reset section below.
Congestion This appears in the Peer Subscriber section of the dashboard.
I apologize for any inconvenience this may be causing. We are consistently upgrading our network to resolve this type of concern. This condition will clear up and you should see some relief soon.
If none of the main icons are highlighted, end your process here.
If multiple main icons are highlighted, resolve the issue in the following order:
- Repair Account
- Home Setup
- Reboot (use the reboot button in eSVT)
- Weather
- Network Outage
- Educate Customer
- Truck Roll (resellers set their own guidelines for when to order a service call)
- Escalate
Use the below applicable processes for the specific main icon that is illuminated.
Reboot
When illuminated, the customer’s computer and modem must be rebooted.
This icon may be available in the bottom row of icon; it reboots the modem.
Important! Follow This Order!
- Click the Reboot Modem icon or ask the customer to power off the modem at the wall. Power on the modem again and WAIT for the 2nd LED to stay solid.
- Power off the computer, then power on the computer.
Truck Roll
When lit, click the truck icon and recommendations will be presented.
Follow the steps in Super Agent Escalation Guide
Repair Account
The customer’s account is either restricted because of their data usage, or it is suspended for some reason.
In eSVT, look for the DAP icon in the Setup and Account section. If yellow, the account is restricted. Click the View Usage Data icon to see more details about the DAP status.
In the Support Portal, on the Quick Flash tab in the Products section, under Provisioning Status, it will say Suspended. Follow the job aid How to Suspend/Resume a Viasat Account using Order Management to resume the account.
Home Setup
Indicates a problem with how the customer has arranged their modem, computer (and router, if present)
Confirm that the customer has
- The COAX cable attached firmly to the modem
- An Ethernet cable is between the modem and the router (if present), or between the modem and the computer.
- Confirm that the computer’s Network card is enabled (in the operating system), or that the computer is connected correctly to the wireless router
Network Outage
A network outage is affecting this customer.
In the Support Portal, check the Network Outages portal to confirm the outage for the customer’s beam. Review the outage for the ETR.
Weather
Bad weather is impacting the customer, either at their home or at the gateway.
Note: Gateway information is available in the dashboard header.
Wait for the weather to clear.
If the weather cleared more than an hour in the past (at the home and the gateway), yet the service remains slow, try a modem reboot.
Escalate
In the Support Portal, check the Network Outages portal to confirm the outage for the customer’s beam.
If no network outage, follow the escalation procedure for notifying the reseller’s distributor, or other escalation point.
Educate Customer
Depending on the issue, this icon provides more information that may be shared with the customer.
Hardware Reset
Are any of these LEDs yellow or red?
- Software Version
- Equipment
- Web Acceleration (if red, follow your normal escalation process)
If yes, reboot the modem following these steps:
- Confirm that the customer is not calling with a VOIP phone.
- Click the Reboot Modem icon or ask the customer to power off the modem at the wall. Power on the modem again and WAIT for the 2nd LED to stay solid.
- Power off the computer, then power on the computer.
Is the problem resolved? If yes, end the call
If no, AND you rebooted the modem using the Reboot Modem button in eSVT, ask the customer to power off the modem from the wall.
Does the customer have a router? If yes, ask the customer to power off the router.
Power off the computer
Restore power to the modem and WAIT for the 2nd LED to stay solid.
Power on the router
Power on the computer.
Does this resolve the problem? If yes, end the call.
If the problem still exists, follow this step if a router is present.
Ask the customer to remove the router. Do this by removing the Ethernet cable from the router and plugging in directly to the Network port on the computer. Reboot the modem.
Does this resolve the problem? If yes, end the call with this script.
Mr. /Mrs. (Last Name), I can see that your connectivity is restored when the router has been completely removed from the Viasat Network. You may want to contact the manufacturer of the router for further support. You can typically find the contact information on the back or bottom of the equipment. If not, the information may be available online.
If no, continue to the Speed Test section below.
Speed Test
Cover the following with the customer
Suggested talking points:
We suggest that you use (list the sites below) to perform speed tests using our Viasat services. The results from these sites will vary; however, they are found to be more consistently accurate with our Satellite services.
AGENT NOTE: The customer can run the test up to three times per site to obtain a good average.
During “Peak Periods” you may experience slower download speeds depending on the congestion of our network. We tend to have more customers utilizing our network during peak times. I suggest that you attempt a speed test outside of our peak time to obtain more accurate results due to the amount of network congestion during these periods.
AGENT NOTE: Peak Periods (when most users are on our service) are typically 8:00 pm – 12:00 midnight the customer’s local time.
We’ve completed the necessary testing in an attempt to identify the root cause of your slow speeds. It does not appear to be a result of our network; however, a variety of conditions within the network and/or on your computer could result in you experiencing slow speeds at this time. Sometimes, the network conditions often clear themselves up overtime. I apologize for the inconvenience. You may want to have your computer checked to ensure that it is not the cause of the slow speeds.
The approved speed test site for Viasat products is:
- speedtest.net
- Mobile app for speedtest.net is called Ookla
ONLY If the customer asks about speakeasy.net, toast.net or https://testmy.net please use the following verbiage:
Speedtest.net is the speed test we have qualified for use with Viasat. Some other speed test sites may work well, some do not work well. We have found speed test sites can frequently under report the connection speed and have inconsistent performance with a satellite service, which is why we recommend speedtest.net.