So apparently Linksys broadband routers confuse cable modems?

[wbarnhill]

According to the Northland Cable tech, everything I know is wrong! Among these:

- Broadband routers will confuse cable modems, causing them to go offline randomly!
- Packet loss is common with broadband routers as well!
- 27dB SNR on the downstream signal is perfectly acceptable, regardless of the fact that Motorola states anything below 30dB can cause connection and data problems.
- I must be lying about my modem going offline because their servers never recorded my modem going offline.
- Speed tests are wholly unreliable, because the servers may not have the capacity to support my downstream.
- The diagnostic information on the modem is none of my concern (regardless of the fact that they've given me the wrong config file before, giving me 1.5 meg service while I was paying 3 meg prices)

It's a good thing the tech came by to set me straight.

Where's that phone number for Sprin...er, Embarq (I hate that name...)...

 

[SkyHog]

According to the Northland Cable tech, everything I know is wrong! Among these:

- Broadband routers will confuse cable modems, causing them to go offline randomly!
- Packet loss is common with broadband routers as well!
- 27dB SNR on the downstream signal is perfectly acceptable, regardless of the fact that Motorola states anything below 30dB can cause connection and data problems.
- I must be lying about my modem going offline because their servers never recorded my modem going offline.
- Speed tests are wholly unreliable, because the servers may not have the capacity to support my downstream.
- The diagnostic information on the modem is none of my concern (regardless of the fact that they've given me the wrong config file before, giving me 1.5 meg service while I was paying 3 meg prices)

It's a good thing the tech came by to set me straight.

Where's that phone number for Sprin...er, Embarq (I hate that name...)...

Heh. Techs.

If you have a Motorola modem, you can do a lot to tech it yourself by going to http://192.168.100.1/

With the Surfboards, you can even generate soft-reset hits to it. Your cable company won't tell you that because they don't want you screwing around with it.

As I'm sure you know, a router won't cause your modem to drop packets, but some routers can lose packets themselves. If you are connecting without problems by bypassing the router and connecting directly to the modem, then your ISP is not at fault.

HOWEVER, if you connect directly and still have problems, then you are looking at either the ISP or the computer causing the problems.

BTW - the logs the tech speaks of can be found at that URL as well, so you can verify if he's telling you the truth.

 

[wbarnhill]

Heh. Techs.

If you have a Motorola modem, you can do a lot to tech it yourself by going to http://192.168.100.1/

With the Surfboards, you can even generate soft-reset hits to it. Your cable company won't tell you that because they don't want you screwing around with it.

As I'm sure you know, a router won't cause your modem to drop packets, but some routers can lose packets themselves. If you are connecting without problems by bypassing the router and connecting directly to the modem, then your ISP is not at fault.

HOWEVER, if you connect directly and still have problems, then you are looking at either the ISP or the computer causing the problems.

BTW - the logs the tech speaks of can be found at that URL as well, so you can verify if he's telling you the truth.

Yeah, I've been using that page for my info regarding SNR since they implemented SNMP trapping to stop me from reading the raw diagnostics from the modem. With and without the router, the modem has the issue and it started this summer. I just can't believe the guy tried to smooth me over with that. And said "Oh, and people get so upset when they get 2200 kbps when they're paying for 3mbps." and I said "Well if that was a constant thing, I'd be upset too, I'm wasting 10$" (the cost of the upgrade from 2mbps to 3mbps) His response: "Yeah well, it's not noticeable."

 

[SkyHog]

Yeah, I've been using that page for my info regarding SNR since they implemented SNMP trapping to stop me from reading the raw diagnostics from the modem. With and without the router, the modem has the issue and it started this summer. I just can't believe the guy tried to smooth me over with that. And said "Oh, and people get so upset when they get 2200 kbps when they're paying for 3mbps." and I said "Well if that was a constant thing, I'd be upset too, I'm wasting 10$" (the cost of the upgrade from 2mbps to 3mbps) His response: "Yeah well, it's not noticeable."

Yeah, that's likely the ISP (or your computer, but likely the ISP). The speed thing is unfortunately life with cable. "Up to 3 megabits" says it all. There is no guaranteed minimum speed. There are times when my 8 mbps cable drops to 3 or 4. That blows. You got a bum tech that was most likely a cable tv tech recently converted to HSI. Good luck, man.

 

[mikea]

http://localization.sbc.com/loc/controller?cdvn=landinglocalization&pid=1080&ltype=res

 

[wsuffa]

Mike,

Sometimes SBC is better, sometimes not.

I've had to argue to get the SBIS phone number after 3 levels of tech support refused to help me when the SBC neighborhood router went down (sorry, unless you'll run our crapware on your Windows machine, we can't help you. Linux/Unix can't be used on our network). It took using the corporate connections to get that fixed. I now have a real techie tech support phone number that avoids the Yahoo folks.

I've also had, SBC dropped my network connection for 24 hours over a weekend (taking my 5 static IPs, servers, and other stuff down with it).

TWC isn't much better according to folks that have their service. And static IPs/server connections are hard to come by with TWC.

It's been a lot better with SBC since Grande ran fiber through the neighborhood and started aggressively marketing service.

Actually, I've reached the conclusion with any provider that the only way to truly reliable service is to have multiple providers.

bill

 

[wbarnhill]

Yeah, that's likely the ISP (or your computer, but likely the ISP). The speed thing is unfortunately life with cable. "Up to 3 megabits" says it all. There is no guaranteed minimum speed. There are times when my 8 mbps cable drops to 3 or 4. That blows. You got a bum tech that was most likely a cable tv tech recently converted to HSI. Good luck, man.

Looking at Embarq service... Currently I'm paying 57$/mo for 3mbps/384kbps, and a connection that drops randomly. Embarq is offering me 5mbps/640kbps for 75$/mo and that includes home phone service. Only downsides are 1 year contract (don't see myself moving anytime soon, considering the new job), the installation/activation fees, and the higher monthly rate (but higher speed).

 

[wbarnhill]

Ok, definitely need a new cable company. Appointment to hook up my digital cable was supposed to be between 8 and 12. Then they said they'd try to get whoever came to diagnose my cable modem to do the digital at the same time. Tech comes this morning for cable modem stuff, says the other guy will be by. 12:30 rolls around and I want to know if they meant between 8 and midnight. Now, 1.5 hrs after the latest time they should've arrived, I get the call that "he should be there within 30 minutes". Yay. Morning wasted.

 

[EdFred]

You're getting bent over.

I'm paying 90 for 3mb + digital cable + HBO + Cinemax + Starz. This includes free VOD, and a bunch of music channels I listen to as well.

 

[wbarnhill]

You're getting bent over.

I'm paying 90 for 3mb + digital cable + HBO + Cinemax + Starz. This includes free VOD, and a bunch of music channels I listen to as well.

Well aware. Charter is much cheaper, but I live in a small town and it's a crappy small cable company (Northland Cable here, Charter or TimeWarner almost all around us). They know there's not much competition in the form of broadband and they capitalize on it. The prospect of DSL is getting more and more reasonable by the minute (Tech to install my digital cable is 2.5 hrs late and counting...).