| Actiontech 701c Modem I have been using TDS for years, but recently wanted to ditch the Actiontech 704 router/modem combo for the 701c modem only option and use my own router since I had to reboot the 704 once a day since I got TDS's new 10Mbps service.
I can find very limited info on using the modem except for instructions to hook it directly to a computer. There is no mention of using PPPoE, which is what the 704 uses to connect. If I use either a router or my PC connected to the 701 modem I cannot get the internet light to light up. I assume someone out there is using this modem with a normal router. |
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| I just got a response from TDS tech support stating that they use DHCP not PPPoE for their connections. Which is odd, since my 704 router has been set to PPPoE for years now. I will try the 701c with DHCP and see how it works for me. |
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| reply to novafire
Nova, TDS is eventually trying to convert all customers to DHCP. There are many advantages to using DHCP. The biggest one being if you you use TDS as your email account and decide to change your PW, you will no longer have to change settings on your modem.
The new 701c modems and 724( 4 port/wireless) will be able to handle the faster speeds more reliable and future speeds upgrades as the can handle ADSL2 connections |
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| Thanks for the info. I did get the modem working, but I cannot get the modem to work without using PPPoE. I figured out that the modem can be accessed via 192.168.0.1, which conflicted with my router's own local IP. So by setting up PPPoE on the modem I can access the internet, or by setting the modem to "bridge only" mode I can then use a router with PPPoE turned on to connect. In no way was I able to get connectivity with the default modem settings of DHCP turned on; which is frustrating since tech support, the TDS modem manual, and now Keebler all state that DHCP should be the preferred method for connecting to TDS. |
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| quote:
I figured out that the modem can be accessed via 192.168.0.1, which conflicted with my router's own local IP
If it's like the 724, you can change your modem's lan-accessible management IP address by clicking on Advanced Setup -> Lan IP
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Very happy TDS DSL user | Wildblue in Lake Michigan |
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| Thanks, yes. I can indeed change the IP if needed. I was just not used to using a modem that even had an IP (at least not an IP on the same subnet as my router/LAN).
How do you like the 724? I have only ever used the 704 and 701. The 704 required frequent power cycles. |
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| I've only had the 724, but I like it a lot - does what I need and works flawlessly. It's been on solid for the last two months since install and I haven't seen a glitch. We had a nearby lightning storm that zapped our other analog phoneline and melted something on the outside of the house (answering machine kept picking up.) I must admit that I did not turn off my DSL because I was in the middle of a large download that I wanted to finish and didn't realize how close the storm was, and it came though without a glitch, interruption, etc. so I'm happy.
I used it at first as most probably do as a router, but I didn't like the way firewall rules are entered nearly as well as a smoothwall box (which I had been using before for satellite to have the squid cache.) So I ended up just switching the 724 to transparent bridged mode and hooking it to my smoothwall box which acts as my gateway and gives me better firewall interface, graphs of traffic per client machine, IDS logs, and squid cache to save a little bandwidth and be green to make up for the big files I transfer 
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Very happy TDS DSL user | Wildblue in Lake Michigan |
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| reply to novafire
What I want to know is how is the 10mb working |
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| That's a great question. And I have a weighted answer.
When the tech came out to make the upgrade to 10Mbps he installed a filter at the point where the phone line enters the house (basement wiring panel). I don't know if this is something they do for all DSL installs now, or if it's only something they do with the new 10Mbps service. Anyway, the device filters all phone lines in the house except the one that the modem plugs into, which makes sense. But since the jack for the modem in one room actually shares a drop with the phone/answering machine jack in a different room, the phone was never filtered. The tech never bothered to check if the modem was the only unique device on the unfiltered line.
This led to dropped connections for a day or two before I figured out that the phone shared the line with the modem. I eventually removed all unnecessary lines from the filter and moved the modem to the basement. It is now hooked directly into the pass-through on the filter with a short phone cable. The only other line hooked to the filter is a rather short run of new cat5 for the phone.
At this point I still experienced disconnects. I called TDS and they made me go through the standard checklist of issues (how many lights do you see? etc) and opened a ticket on the issue. I had a friend who works for TDS check my line from their end and he stated that it looks like the best the line can do is about 8Mbps down and 700kbps up (about 6Mbps/600kbps from internet speed tests), but even that is borderline, so he took the line speed down to that and things got somewhat more stable. I don't know if the original tech checked the signal in the basement or if he just checked it outside, but I would have thought they would have set the speed to something that would have stayed stable instead of jacking it up to 10Mbps and taking off once the modem light comes on and I can load google.com.
So now I don't know what to do next. I could call TDS and jump through their hoops over the phone, only to have them close the ticket as "resolved" a week later like last time. Right now I have only the modem and the short run of cat5 for phone hooked up, so I doubt the line inside the house is causing the slowdown. I live in downtown Verona, so I don't believe the line would be a long run from the Verona CO. I asked TDS for the modem only option (hence my original post) and am now using my own IPCop router. This helped resolve some issues with the unreliable Actiontec 704 router. The connection still goes out a few times per day and my speed is about 6Mbps down/ 600Kbps up, which is not bad, but it is not exactly 10Mbps. And if they bump the speed down more, it may be more stable, but then I might as well go back to 4Mbps for the lower rate. |
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| reply to novafire
Well today I have a tech coming out to check the lines inside the house, so hopefully they can figure out my my 10Mbps service cuts in and out several times per day. |
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| Tech came out, all signals look good, but the disconnects still occur 6-12 times a day. He thinks that possibly TDS's infrastructure cannot handle the additional load that the new 10Mbps service puts on their network. He asked me to keep a log of outages to see if they indicate any specific problems. I will post if I figure anything else out. |
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| I've been having some issues with this same type of thing in Cross Plains. Originally, it was poor wire inside the building. After they resolved that, things were great, until last night.
Last night the port I was using at the CO went bad. They changed ports, but didn't change the provisioning. So when I'd look at the stats for the modem, it'd start out great, but at most it was getting 10 meg down for the max speed. This was causing me to use 100% of the potential connection; errors and modem restarts followed.
So if you havn't already, make sure that the modem is provisioned properly. For my connection (10 meg, Actiontec 701c modem), my connection type lists ADSL2Plus, if that helps. |
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| I guess I am not entirely sure what you want me to check. I logged into the modem and saw that Mode was set to MMODE. I have since changed that to ADSL2Plus and will see how that works.
I have a few additional questions...
1). Why would a change they make at at the CO effect the settings that the modem should use? I assumed that the settings that the modem defaults to would work since it's what TDS sent me in the first place.
2). Isn't 10 meg down good for a 10Mbps service? I mean, I have 10Mbps and I can only get roughly 7Mbps down, and I am fairly close to the CO in Verona. I guess I am not clear on what you were saying about "at most it was getting 10 meg down for the max speed". At most I get 7 meg down...
3). How do I know if ADSL2Plus is what I need for my modem and whatever port I am on at the CO? It seems like this would be something that TDS should check when they come to the site. |
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| Well, as it turns out, my problems ain't entirely solved either, but I'll answer your questions. Remember, I'm not a CO employee, nor do I want to seem as if my answers are all 100% gospel; I'm just picking up stuff as I hear it from the techs, that I see and make sense, or that I read.
quote:
1). Why would a change they make at at the CO effect the settings that the modem should use? I assumed that the settings that the modem defaults to would work since it's what TDS sent me in the first place.
The negotiated mode is what I was wanting you to look at, and I wasn't even aware that you could change it yourself. I wanted you to have TDS look at the provisioning, and make sure that it's properly set up. Sounds like you've been through that part before.
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2). Isn't 10 meg down good for a 10Mbps service? I mean, I have 10Mbps and I can only get roughly 7Mbps down, and I am fairly close to the CO in Verona. I guess I am not clear on what you were saying about "at most it was getting 10 meg down for the max speed". At most I get 7 meg down...
Well, look at it as a highway. You have to move 10 cars per second one way; you either have enough room to move 7 cars, 10 cars, or 12 cars. When you can only move 7 cars, but you're trying to send 10 through, it's not going to work at all obviously. You have to slow it down to 7 cars. When you have room for 10 cars, it'll work, but with many accidents, as the cars are all right on top of each other. When you have room for 12 cars, everything moves along much more smoothly.
When it slows down, it's because the modem and DSLAM can't negotiate the proper speed for some reason. Generally, this is due to noise on the line, though I'd think other issues could also cause it.
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3). How do I know if ADSL2Plus is what I need for my modem and whatever port I am on at the CO? It seems like this would be something that TDS should check when they come to the site.
That's determined by the CO. They can change it on their end; sometimes they don't set it right. I'm assuming you need it because that's the meathod that can negotiate 10 meg service properly; whether other meathods can or not, I'm not sure.
Tech support certainly isn't very helpful in this area, unless you get one of the good ones. I've had some VERY good tech agents, but today got one that knew next to nothing. Chances are, it'll have to be a field tech to look into this properly for you, unfortunately. |
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| I get what you are saying on the 10Mbps speed. I think they already bumped me down to 8Mbps because 10Mbps was just too fast for my lines as you were saying.
I simply changed my modem to ADSL2Plus. I suppose it could still be something on the CO side of things that is wrong and I will have to have them check into that.
This is getting to be incredibly frustrating. It is TDS's job to get this to work and I am on the phone with them several times a week now, taking time off of work to meet with their techs and still nothing. This makes me want to sign up for Charter and say goodbye to TDS. |
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| I know the frustrations... Mine's being sporadic still too. Now they want to try giving me a different modem... Like that's going to work. I gotta give 'em a call and figure out what is going on myself.
What does your SNR look like? Is that good? And how many CRC and RS FEC errors are you seeing? |
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| I should be able to get that info from the modem admin page right? I will need to check that out while I am at home tonight. |
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| Yeah, you just click on the Status button, and it's all there. I'm not sure if we have the exact same problem or not; my issue seems to lie with random noise on the line. It's not continuous though, which is what makes diagnosing the problem difficult. |
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| The modem has been up since last night (about 8 hours now).
SNR is 16/13 right now. It was in the 20's last night if I remember correctly.
Near End CRC Errors : 164/0
Far End CRC Errors : 1787/0
Near End RS FEC : 18020/0
Far End RS FEC : 178391/0 |
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| Sounds alot like my situation in that case. I am getting a lot more CRC errors, but aside from that... We're down to swapping modems right now.
My modem is able to connect at 12 meg (or, when they slowed my connection down to try to stablize it, 8 meg), and I still had the same issues. If replacing the modem doesn't help, I'll also have to drop to 4 meg service. |
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