cable modem problem

i got cable internet last august and it worked fine for a little while, then i can't remeber when, it started to drop the connection so all i could think of was to unplug the modem and reset it (maybe a newbie poor decision) anyways so now some days it won't drop the connection at all and some days it will drop the connection like every 5 minutes. can anybody help? anybody seen this? i bought the modem from the cable company (cox communications in conroe, texas)
eric

 

sounds like a bad modem to me. Have you tried calling your ISP to see if they can send a tech down to check it out?

 

yeah i have and they said they are currently restructuring thier internet lines (this has been happening now for 2 years) so i am currently researching braodband alternatives. any suggestiongs? thanks for the input.

 

Cox specifies that the cable entering your home be split no more than once before it goes to your modem. Do you have a splitter in the attic they don't know about that's before the modem, or have you added a TV in the bedroom next to the computer recently? Signal strength is just as-- if not more-- important to your internet connectivity as it is to your TV picture.

 

yeah i have a split in the attic. i didn't know that would make a difference. so should i run the modem before the split? let me know asap becuase i am getting mad at my internet. thanks for the info.

 

Eric,

I am a cable tech. for cox communications in new orleans. Your best bet is to run a line before the splitter in your attic. Use RG-6 cable with at least a tri shield (quad shield perfered). Make shure the splitter you use is rated for 5-1000 mhz.

Every time the line is split you loose signal. Thus the more it's split the less likely your internet will work. Not only is the downstream signal lost, but the modem inturn has to work harder to send the signal upstream to the node. If the moden is working too hard to send the signal back to the node it will periodically reset itself.

Hope this has been helpful.
The Grundle

 

I am having a problem like that myself. We don't have a splitter that I know of and we have had Tech's for Comcast Cable come out to our house and try to fix the problem. They are saying that the Modem is fine and it's my computer with a software error that makes me lose packets.
I used to play computer games a lot, and now I can't even play those without getting disconnected. I have a hard time going through webpages because it seems like my internet will randomly freeze.

My family has the Cable modem go to a 4 port router which is split into 3 computers, mine being one of the 3. I tested bypassing my router and just plugging my computer into the cable modem, but I still seem to get this packet loss or whatever it is. The lights are always on and the data light is always blinking on the cable modem and the Comcast guy says it's not the modem so I don't know what else it could be.

I did reinstall Windows without formatting a while ago because my friend just put in the CD and reinstalled thinking it was a good joke, but it made me really really mad. I don't know if that would have anything to do with it, but I would appreciate any help.

Thanks and sorry for the novel I wrote,
Matt

 

i only have one cable lead before the splitter in my attic so how do i run the line before the splitter?

 

I will clarify: Cable comes into your house. You must, of course, split it to provide TV and internet. With a two-way splitter, send one feed to your cable modem, and the other to your TVs-- how you split up the TV feed after that is up to you. The end result being that, at worst, your cable modem is getting half the total signal strength (electronic geeks please don't over-analyze this statement, it's a layman's illustration).

 

ok so i need to go buy a cable internet splitter or not? right now as far as i know the splitter is for 4 tvs i don;t think it had anything about the internet, if that matters not then please be kind i am young and still learning, thanks for all the help.
eric

 

OK, you need the cable coming from the street to do two things-- (1) go to your modem and (2) go to your TV(s), so you need, at minimum, a two-way splitter. All I'm saying is the feed from the splitter that goes to your modem should not be split any further to hook up any other devices. The split that services your TV can be further split to service additional TVs, but the feed to your modem should not be.

 

ok gentlemen. i have just purchased a two way splitter and ran one to my modem and one to the tv splitter. and the modem connected. but then once again it dropped the connection. if it makes any different the splitter is for 5-900 mhz. let me know if i need to get another splitter or what else i should do in terms of tourble shooting. i have put another call in to cox and they are yet to get back to me. any more ideas would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

eric

 

I have read that you should use one rated at least to 1GHz (1000mHz).

I thought your problem posted in your other two threads sounded familiar...

 

yeah and i couldn't find one rated at that. would the lack of the 901-1000 mhz make that of a difference? (yes i am still learning the bascis if this is a stupid question).

eric

 

The more I read, the more I can't be sure what minimum rating is necessary. Try eliminating the splitter altogether and have your cablemodem as the only thing hooked to your cable period and see if you still get the drops. At some point you did say it worked fine for about 6 months, no?

 

not 6 months. it working for a while but it started dropping the connections so long ago that i forgot when it started this crap. and i can't try having only the modem hooked up becuase i am only 16 and my parents aren't really into computers so they could care less if my connection works and they don;t want to loose their tvs for any amount of time. thanks

eric

 

That is indeed a shame that missing watching TV for a couple of hours is more important to them than you. Sorry, bud. Did you ever get your NIC working?

 

no not yet. i want to get this modem full-time then i will mess with that. that wasn;t very important to me, i was just going to see if maybe it was the usb dropping the connection between the computer and the modem becuase when the connection is dropped all the lights still blink normally. i appreciate it.

eric

 

hey eric. i don't know how well i can help you on this, but maybe if you post this info it'll allow either me or someone else to figure out this problem for you.

tell us:
1) the operating system your computer runs
2) the manufacturer of your network card and its model number
3) the manufacturer of your router and its model number
4) the manufacturer of your cable modem and its model number
5) the layout of the cable-grid in your house (ie. what the Grundle was getting at: describe how the cable line goes from your street, and ultimately to your computer. example:
the cable runs from the street to my house where it splits into two lines at the basement. one line goes directly to my cable modem, the second line goes to a box and is split up further into four lines that run to various tvs in the house.)
6) tell us if you've hooked up any other computers, in any variations (several at a time, one computer, through the router, straight to the mode...) and what operating systems these computers run.

i think that should be a helpful amount of info

ciao!
o draith

 

ok here we go. if i word any of this wrong just work with me.
1. windows xp home.
2. stock dell nic card from the 4600c model.
3. no router just modem.
4. toshiba pcx2500 (bought from cox)
5. cable grid = street line to attic, attic splits in a two way splitter one goes to my room (cable modem) and the other goes to another splitter which runs all the tv's (no tv in my room, just modem.)
6. only dell has been hooked up to this modem and the cable (bought modem and computer in the same week)
there ya go. sorry i didn;t post the info earlier i wasn;t thinking. thanks for the help.

eric