hermeez
join:2008-01-24
| [TWC] Intermittent Connection Issues - Austin, Texas
I haven't posted here before, but after doing everything I can think of myself and through Time Warner tech support, I decided to give it a shot (I have been reading through a lot of the help topics, and you all are very knowledgeable).
First, let me explain the problem I am having. I started Road Runner service at my apartment since the apartment pays for cable and all I would have to do was get the modem and pay. This was about a month ago. They gave me an old modem which would cut the connection every once in a while (5-6 times per day, at least). After a couple of weeks of this, I got fed up and called tech support, "Yes sir, we'll send a guy out in 2 days." Tech guy arrives, tells me that the power supply on this particular modem (do not have a brand, it was covered with information stickers) has been giving people problems, so he gave me a new power supply and left. I think the problem is solved, yet the connection still drops. I endure the disconnects for a few more days, then one night the speed dropped to under 1000 kbps (on the 7000 kbps service) so I called again. The tech support lady suggested I trade in the modem and she would also send a guy out in a few days.
I traded in the old modem and got a Scientific Atlanta (model DC2100) and thought, "this will solve my problem!" However, the connection still drops 5-6 (sometimes more) times per day. I checked and when it drops the cable light on the modem goes off and then starts blinking. The PC light goes solid green since no data is being sent, I assume.
Tech guys came out today, checked the levels - they look perfect. They replaced the white cable I had running from the wall outlet to the modem with one of their own. I have a splitter which splits to the tv and modem that they installed (I am running the SmokePing test currently with the wall cable plugged directly into the modem - no splitter, but I still saw at least one drop). They also claimed to have replaced all connections in the box outside to my unit. In addition, they said that no one else from the complex had this problem. I am connected directly into the modem (no router).
Does anyone have any other suggestions or questions for me to ask the tech support next time I call? It is aggravating since I play a lot of online games and do remote access work on a server. I don't know what else to do at this point...
Thanks. |
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Albion9
join:2006-08-21
Milwaukee, WI | Does it drop while you're downloading? If so, where are you downloading from? |
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hermeez
join:2008-01-24
edit:
February 27th, @04:00PM
| It drops at any time, no rhyme or reason to it. I have had it drop accessing my school webmail over ssl, while streaming youtube videos, downloading articles from usenet (ssl from news server and also over port 81), just reading posts on a forum, and simply trying to google things. It does not seem to occur at any particular time, but it is consistent in that the connection will undoubtedly drop when I am using the computer at any given time.
Edit: I also have smokeping running now (I am in a computer lab) and I see at least 3 instances of total packet loss in the last two hours. Smokeping is the only thing running. |
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poolek
join:2003-11-04
Austin, TX
 ·RoadRunner Cable
 ·AT&T Yahoo
 ·ViaTalk
| reply to hermeez
I'm in Austin, signed up for Road Runner, and experiences similar issues. Sounds like I had the same crappy recycled modem as you did - a giant, ugly, obviously used thing that would drop 30-50% of packets.
I ended up buying a Motorola Surfboard modem from BestBuy and that seems to have addressed my problems. No more significant packet loss, no issue keeping VPN, VOIP or any other streaming protocol connected.
Austin RR should really be ashamed at the quality of modems they're handing out these days. I guess they're only investing in new ones that support their Digital Phone service or something. |
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hermeez
join:2008-01-24
| Thanks for the reply. I guess I am not the only one with this annoying problem. Funny you should say that about the quality of their modems, because when I asked the guys if they had any newer models than the new one I got from the office, their reply was, "Nope, they're all refurbished." I suppose this is true with most cable companies, but you would think that since it seems like this problem is obviously happening to more than just a few people, that they might consider getting better modems or at least a better refurbishing center haha. I feel sorry for the poor guy/girl who gets my old modem "refurbished" when they sign up for the service. |
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ezdsl
join:2002-03-13
Austin, TX
| I'm in Austin also and have seen the problem you describe.
I have a Toshiba PCX1100U which I got when I first signed up for RR back in 2001, but in the last few months see the drop out. The modem will loose the "Cable" and "Data" indicators for a few seconds, then the "Cable" LED will flash slowly for a few more seconds, then everything is back to normal. This happens intermittently and with no pattern.
I too called TW about it and was told I could swap out the modem. Good to know that I might get a refurb, so I think I'll hang on to this modem as a "new" refurbed box might be more problematic ... bummer ... |
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alexintexas
join:2003-01-11
San Antonio, TX
clubs:
·RoadRunner Cable
·Time Warner VOIP
·AT&T Yahoo
| reply to hermeez
on the rr.com site for austin it shows planned maint. through out the city from 2/14 - 3/2, could this be peoples problems in austin?
san antonio was/is going thru this and i experienced very little down time/dropping of signal, maybe austin is having issues doing whatever it is they are doing on the network |
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ezdsl
join:2002-03-13
Austin, TX | I've been seeing these short outages for several months now, almost like the cable modem has reset, or is resynchronizing, or something. |
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hermeez
join:2008-01-24
edit:
March 5th, @10:25PM
| reply to hermeez
UPDATE:
So, the disconnecting problems persisted after the techs replaced the cables/modem/box connections *gasp* leading me to put in another call to tech support. They said that since I had a service call so recently I qualified to have a "senior level tech" come out, hoorah! Well, he came out today, very nice by the way, looked things over (everything looked fine of course) and ended up replacing the Scientific Atlanta with a Ambit. The one good thing about this modem is that I can access the event log. The tech said that he would monitor the modem from his computer throughout the day to see if he could see the problems. About 3pm he called me and said that the modem had gone off (lost signal like normal I assume) and implied/asked if I had turned it off. I was not at home, thus the modem was acting on its own accord. He offered to come out again tomorrow and try and replace the modem again (though I am convinced now that it has nothing to do with the modem since I have had 3 different ones with the same symptoms). Since I can now access the logs, I will post what they show occurring this afternoon/evening here, and hopefully someone here can decipher them... I googled a few of the errors and there seem to be a lot of people with these problems, yet no solutions that I have found. See errors below:
o No UCD's Received - Timeout
o SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
o SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
o No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
o Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 timeout
o DHCP FAILED - Discover sent, no offer received
All these errors show the last time of occurrence as today (there are more, but I think they are saved from the previous modem holder). I do not want to clear the logs so I can show the guy tomorrow. By the way, does anyone know if I should not show him? Might it violate TOS or something like that? Thanks.
Edit (Update.02):
I just ran a speed test and my download speed is 747kbps whereas the upload speed is normal 465kbps... When the tech ran the speed test this morning my download speed was 6895kbps (which is about normal) and the upload was the same. You know it is slow when it takes your computer longer to load the speed test page than it usually takes to run the speed test. I am really becoming fed up with RR! |
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babakhaan1
@utdallas.edu
| reply to hermeez
had the same problems it was the modem on my case every 10 min i would have down time of 20secoinds or so .. lights wouldnt go off ..
it was hte motorola surfboard 5120 i replaced it with a 5101 and it fixed the problem
from my research i also found out ..certain modems dont work good with one provider in a certain area and works fine with others .
so try using both the surfboard models ... get em from bestybuy or frys .. or walmart and return them ...
it mite be a ethernet cable ... or old drivers on the nik card.
in my case it was the modem ...so best of luck ...
the techs did all that at my place too had 3 visits ... but in the end the modem model made a difference |
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GReYVee
join:2006-10-25
Colorado Springs, CO
| reply to hermeez
Hang in there, intermittent problems can be the most elusive ones.
The technicians will do all the preventative maintenance they can, and even if they find that it all looks ok does not completely rule out issues with the cable signal.
If others in the complex have internet with TWC and are not having the same issue this mostly rules out any signal problems further down the line.
However, also consider sampling your connection on a different power outlet, maybe run an extension cord from another room to see if the issue persists there. A Unit Complex has this annoying habit of being occupied by others who use a lot of appliances randomly. Maybe a water pump somewhere is creating a brief problem that kicks your modem offline, who knows?
Like I said, hang in there and try to isolate as many factors as you can.
PS: In regards to your speeds slowing down, this could be related, or it may not. I'd advise you note what the reported Downstream SNR is on the modem when speed is good, and also take these readings when it's slow -- this at least will tell you whether you are dealing with too much signal noise. |
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hermeez
join:2008-01-24
edit:
March 19th, @01:30PM
| First of all, thanks for the replies.
The problems have persisted, so the techs came out yet again. The last bit of trouble had the inconsistency issues coupled with terrible download speeds for about 2 days (1mbps). The tech replaced the Ambit modem with another one... however, it didn't even recognize the cable (only the power light came on). He went and got another one from the truck, connected it, works fine when he is here. I downloaded a few big files to test the connection, they downloaded fine, and at nearly full speed. However, after about 1 hour, web pages started not to refresh giving error. I checked the modem event log and this is what happens.
When pages load slowly or not at all, the modem event log produces: "Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out." I have about 120 of these errors in roughly 1.5 hours of on-time with new modem.
When pages don't load at all, I get the following: " Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 timeout." About 4 of these. The few times I looked over at the modem when I caught it, this error coincided with the ready/sync lights going out and then coming back on.
Just got a new error (4) within the last few minutes, "No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out." I am unsure what happens when this error is produced as I just noticed it.
I have tried 3 different wall outlets. The tech gave me his cellphone number so I wouldn't have to call the main office if I had problems, so I will probably give him a call tonight. Anybody have any other ideas?
Edit: A bad ethernet card in my laptop couldn't cause these problems correct? I have the same connection drop problems with my 360, so I don't think it does, but just wanted to make sure so I don't look like an ass after I call again haha...
Edit(2): To the previous poster who suggested the motorola surfboard, I would like to try and avoid buying a modem for myself (if possible) since I will not have this service long enough to justify a $80 purchase (moving where I have a dsl connection). If the problems persist after the next call, I might pick one up to test, just to see if I have the same problems or not. Right now I think I am on modem #6 haha. |
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kwanzai
join:2008-03-20
| reply to hermeez
I also recently moved into an apartment in Austin and I'm having almost the exact same problem. But, from what I've experienced so far, my disconnects only seem to happen when I am playing World of Warcraft or have Azureus open, and if I have both open they seem to be even more frequent. This could just be coincidence since I have these 2 programs open a lot, but idk.
My modem is a tiny, grey one with no name labels and green lights.
After reading this forum, I'm going to try a different power outlet and see if that helps. |
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