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Fiber Troubleshooting — Bertram & DCB

Fiber Troubleshooting — Bertram & DCB

Overview

Bertram Wireless handles ALL Wisconsin fiber. Fiber customers use a NID (Network Interface Device) on the outside of their home instead of a radio/SM. The customer plugs their router into the NID Ethernet port.

Key difference from wireless: Fiber customers do not have an SM, PoE injector, or tripod. Their NID is powered by a separate power supply or PoE at the NID location.

Equipment & Credentials

  • Trango NID (Bertram Fiber): admin / trango
  • Access via Powercode: click the IP address on the customer CPE

Step 1: Verify Account Status

Before troubleshooting, confirm in Powercode:

  • Account is Active (not suspended, delinquent, or on vacation hold)
  • Service plan is correct under the Services tab
  • Equipment shows online (green) in Powercode

If the account is delinquent or suspended, resolve billing first.

Step 2: Check NID Accessibility

Click the IP address on the customer CPE in Powercode to access the NID management interface.

  • NID accessible: Continue to Step 3
  • NID not accessible: The NID may be powered off or there may be a fiber cut/upstream issue. Check:
    1. Is there a known outage? Check Slack for relevant outage notifications
    2. Have the customer verify the NID has power (check for lights on the unit)
    3. If NID has power but is unreachable, escalate to engineering — possible fiber cut or upstream equipment issue

Step 3: Check Fiber Link / Light Levels

Log into the NID and check the optical signal levels.

  • Normal light levels: Between -5 dBm and -25 dBm (varies by equipment — check with engineering for specific thresholds)
  • No light / out of range: Escalate to engineering. Possible causes: fiber cut, dirty connector, bad splice, or OLT port issue

[PLACEHOLDER: Exact navigation path for Trango NID light level check — verify with engineering and update]

Step 4: Check Ethernet Interface

Verify the Ethernet link between the NID and the customer router:

  • 1000Base-T Full Duplex (1 Gbps): Normal — continue troubleshooting
  • 100Base-TX Full Duplex (100 Mbps): Customer router or cable is limiting the connection. Have customer try a different Ethernet cable or check their router specs.
  • No Link: Cable is disconnected or damaged. Have customer:
    1. Reseat the Ethernet cable at both ends (NID and router)
    2. Try a different Ethernet cable
    3. Try a different port on their router
    4. If still no link, schedule a service call

Step 5: Bypass the Router

This is the most important diagnostic step. Have the customer:

  1. Unplug the Ethernet cable from their router
  2. Plug it directly into a laptop or desktop computer
  3. Run a speed test at speedtest.net using the Bertram Communications server

If speeds are normal on bypass: The customer router is the problem. Recommend a new router — dual or tri-band, Wi-Fi 6, no built-in modem, capable of 1 Gbps throughput.

If speeds are still slow on bypass: Continue to Step 6.

Step 6: Reboot the NID

If the NID is accessible, reboot it through the management interface. Have the customer reseat the Ethernet cable after reboot.

After reboot, have the customer run another speed test.

If still not hitting plan speeds after NID reboot, escalate to engineering.

Step 7: Check for Ethernet Errors

If accessible, check the NID Ethernet interface statistics for error counters: CRC errors, frame errors, collision counts.

High error counts suggest a bad cable run between the NID and the customer router. Schedule a service call if cable replacement is needed.

Common Fiber Issues

Customer Reports Slow Wi-Fi but Wired Speeds Are Fine

This is a router/Wi-Fi issue, not a fiber issue. Suggestions:

  • Move router to a more central location
  • Check for interference (microwave, baby monitor, neighbor Wi-Fi)
  • Upgrade to a mesh system if home is over 2,000 sq ft
  • Ensure router supports the speeds they are paying for

Customer Just Got Fiber Installed but Has No Internet

  1. Verify the account is Active in Powercode
  2. Verify equipment is provisioned and has an IP assigned
  3. Check that the customer router is plugged into the correct port on the NID
  4. Have them reboot their router
  5. If still down, try bypass test
  6. Escalate if bypass does not work

Intermittent Drops

  1. Check NID light levels — fluctuating levels suggest a physical fiber issue (bad splice, bend, connector)
  2. Check Ethernet error counters
  3. Check if drops correlate with weather (ice on fiber, wind on aerial runs)
  4. Escalate to engineering for fiber plant investigation

Customer Cannot Get Full Gigabit Speeds

Fiber should deliver consistent speeds close to plan. If a 1 Gbps customer is getting less than ~900 Mbps on a wired bypass test:

  1. Verify their device NIC supports 1000Base-T
  2. Verify Ethernet cable is Cat5e or better
  3. Check NID Ethernet interface for 1 Gbps link
  4. Check light levels
  5. Escalate to engineering if all above checks pass

Escalation

For any fiber issue that cannot be resolved through the above steps, escalate to engineering with:

  • Customer name and account number
  • NID IP address
  • Light levels (if accessible)
  • Ethernet link speed
  • Bypass test results
  • Error counters
  • Description of the issue and steps already taken
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