Re: Help needed with intermittent internet

On May 1, 7:03 pm, "JM" <j...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The activities of the front panel lights don't tell me anything, although
I'm not sure I would know what I'm looking at anyway. The power light is
on, of course, as the "network" light (as the csr called it), indicating
sync with the ISP. Then there two opposing "lightening bolt" lights
(upstream/downstream) that flicker contstantly. They seem to flicker 3
times in unison, and then several times alternating. Then there are
numbered lights for the lan ports connected.

As for network monitoring, I asked about that, and, you're correct, it's not
something they can do from their local help desk. They simply don't have
the tools.

Your modem is receiving radio waves. Just like any radio, signal
integrity is determined by signal strength, or more important, Signal
to Noise ratio.

Many cable modems for some reason cannot bother to provide that
critical parameter. Without it, then one can only speculate whether
the cable connection is good or bad. As obvious from responses -
modem 'swappers' are only speculating. Wildly replacing modems
without first learning what is wrong. Without that 'signal to noise'
ratio number, then no one can even know which side of the modem is
failing.

That number is displayed by a modem on a status page. But only if
the cable provider had an engineer (not a bean counter) selecting
modems.

Meanwhile, eliminate other reasons for intermittent operation.
Start with something so often forgotten by untrained cable installers
and that can permit household or neighborhood appliances to create
intermittent failures. That cable must drop down to be connected
'less than 10 feet' to the same earthing electrode that is also 'less
than 10 feet' from the breaker box. Make that earthing connection
before cable enters the building. Connected to an earth ground that
every other utility also connects to; using a ground block (as even
sold in Lowes for $2) and 'less than 10 feet' of 12 AWG wire.

Next, where does that cable wire route. What else connects to it?
An alternative test is to route a wire direct to where cable enters
the building with nothing else connected - and change nothing else.
Does system work more reliable? You would know that immediately if
modem provided S/N ratio numbers. Of course this test performed only
because useful information to identify a fault is (apparently) not
available AND your cable 'tech support' has no idea.

Meanwhile, a computer can connect directly to modem's status page -
constantly. That being one way to monitor customer side of the
modem. When outside connection is lost, is that modem status page
still accessible?

Of course, anything you do to make the problem worse should help
find the failure. Find a failure before trying to fix or replace
anything. Since they did not do that and then replaced modems, what
do you know? Nothing. You don't even know which side of the modem is
problematic because they did not identify a problem before fixing it.
Instead they shotgunned. Therefore nothing useful was learned.
Therefore zero progress has been made. You don't even know what is
good. Everything is still unknown.

If available, get that S/N ratio number that every miminally
acceptable modem (cable, DSL, etc) must report.

.

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