Re: Intermittent loss of connection in Road Runner

Re: Intermittent loss of connection in Road Runner http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r20731845 en Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:24:24 EDT Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:24:24 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20787402 dstanic :

said by hobgoblin

:

That pay rate is very high.....Most Tier 3's I know have worked their way through to that position, its VERY rare to hire a tier 3 tech off the street. Many get promoted to Noc positions.

In a perfect world that holds true. We would all like to think that a company cares enough about it's employees to promote from within, if they have enough qualified personnel to choose from. They also run ads for NOC people as well as Tier 3.

I only speak my views as an IT Professional with 25 years of experience. What bothers me was TWC moving forward to try and cater to the Business Class customer, when they obviously aren't interested in listening to business class needs.

I don't debate their methods of hiring or the people that try to do a good job. I do criticize when we are told that it's Corporate Policy to do things that disrupt service when it doesn't have to be that way.

Global resets to bulk network clients is/was a practice used by many ISP's in the past. That practice dates back to the dial-up days when ISP's flushed networks to ensure load provisioning. Today, many nodes are being over tasked because the object is to over sell regions before NOC and provisioning can get caught up.

Ambit developed a fix in their firmware that I personally had an opportunity to test (1017), by accident. It was like a slap in the face to all those techs and so-called experienced NOC guys. The answer... it wasn't approved by Corporate. At least we know there is a firmware version on the shelf that will solve most of our specific networking issues.

So, we can close our eyes, pray and listen to excuses and do nothing. Or, we can light up their phone lines and demand the service they said they would provide.

A common weakness in business today is making claims that a service can do more than it was designed to do, and hire enough people who will work for peanuts before consideration goes to out-sourcing to maintain profits.

Hob, they bank on the fact that most people will simply bend over and accept things as they are. Look at these forums and other lists... we aren't the only ones wondering what's going on. There is a certain faction of people lurking around here that will always seem satisfied. I'm of a generation that will pay through the nose because I expect things to work. Service and quality is what most of us want, and Corporate Policy is what???

Last year, CEO Glenn Britt earned $9.5M which included a $5.6M bonus. Wouldn't it be nice if they used some of their record profits to keep customers happy? ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20787402 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:25:59 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20786367 hobgoblin : "Do the math, that's a lot of tickets between then and now! TWC is hiring like crazy. You can read the ads by searching the internet. A Tier 3 tech gets $40,000 - $60,000 a year. If you read the qualifications, you end up feeling a little sorry for those who make it. They don't last long."

Based on the Customer base and that a ticket is created for every contact across the base that's not unreasonable.

That pay rate is very high.....Most Tier 3's I know have worked their way through to that position, its VERY rare to hire a tier 3 tech off the street. Many get promoted to Noc positions.

Hob
--
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20786367 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:19:09 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20786300 dstanic : I have a feeling that a lot of modems are being replaced and that's not the problem. The problem has been discussed in this thread. MacLeech hit the nail on the head. If there is a mis-match between their modem query's and what they expect, they simply do a reset. I have run speed tests and it's nowhere near the levels I once had. That is probably a separate issue.

The main thing is trying to get them to stop resetting the modem whenever they feel like it. Once a week has turned into 3-5 times a week. All shortly after midnight.

Refunds are based on actual outage time. Almost a joke. A reset takes 2-5 mins. that's about $3.60 for me.

I have clients connected to my server that stay connected to receive real-time data. The packets are small but produce a constant flow. When the modem is reset the clients get tossed off. That's my issue. I hardly ever use the 10/1,5Mbps I'm signed up for. In fact, I seldom send more than 250kbps upstream of the 1500kbps I'm allowed. Downstream comes from my hub connection and is nothing at 25kbps.

Tier 3 is the end of the road for tech support. Beyond that is NOC (and they don't talk to customers). At some point when frustration levels get too high they'll refer you to Corporate. Since the techs feel their hands are tied by Corporate Policy. Tier 3 is there for one thing... to resolve issues for their customers where they have the expertise to get things handled. Beyond that, I'm not sure where we go.

I smell a more serious problem. When you call with an issue, they give you a ticket number for the problem. 30 days ago I got a ticket #2620374. Last week I got a new number because someone accidentally closed the first one. It was # 2894000. Do the math, that's a lot of tickets between then and now! TWC is hiring like crazy. You can read the ads by searching the internet. A Tier 3 tech gets $40,000 - $60,000 a year. If you read the qualifications, you end up feeling a little sorry for those who make it. They don't last long.

The current object of their madness appears to be replacing modems to assure tickets are closed. Replacing parts is not a fix_it_all. But it seems to be the easiest way to get customers off their backs. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20786300 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:03:22 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20785928 jmkramer : I'm Chiming in too that I've had the same Problem in Venice, CA since the beginning of June...I've had Tech out twice and they blame me for the Problem. Modem was replaced, though it wasn't the issue anyway. I don't get disconnected , it just slows down to a crawl, as in 250 Kbps, snail mail slow. I must have spent 10 hours on hold and the phone repeating the problem over and over and over. I have done some research and there is a lawsuit being brought by the City of LA on Time Warner for the muckups during the switch from Comcast. But I'm not sure if they are including the lack of customer service/ help/ internet service from current issues on the lawsuit. But my requests for refunds for the lost service time have basically been laughed off. Very frustrating to not have anywhere to turn for help!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20785928 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:39:05 EDT Re: (was) Intermittent loss of connection Arizona (now) Corp. Po http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784842 dstanic :

said by dstanic

:

Somebody in Tier 3 authorized the bin file to be uploaded to my modem. It worked great for over days until someone in Tier 3 suggested the modem be replaced.

Sorry a typo on my part... It worked great with the 1017 version firmware for over 30 days. 'Nobody' reset the modem during that time. I made the exception list... but it was never authorized by Corporate. They came out and picked up the modem and replaced the new modem with the old 1011 firmware. Back to step one with the resets.

Somebody on this list suggested I get my own modem. TWCBC doesn't allow that. They no longer support that policy, and you have to use their modems if you have a static IP.

Seems policies have changed dramatically in the 7 months I've done business with TWCBC. My only issue is to stop them from resetting my modem when they feel like it. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784842 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:58:36 EDT (was) Intermittent loss of connection Arizona (now) Corp. Policy http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784772 dstanic : Well, an answer at last. Ambit released a firmware version that corrected the small packet issues I was experiencing. Somebody in Tier 3 authorized the bin file to be uploaded to my modem. It worked great for over days until someone in Tier 3 suggested the modem be replaced. I was told that they would upgrade the new firmware we had tested (1017). The upgrade never happened. And back to the same old issues. Mind you, during that 30 day period somebody reset the modem as was I effectively removed from the 'automated reset' process.

2 Days after they were eager to replace my modem, I got a call from Tier 3 support. The 1017 firmware was not approved by Corporate. Somebody in Tier 3 was not authorized to do the upgrade and it was Corp Policy to do these periodic resets globally to its customers. There would be no exceptions and who ever removed me from the exception list was not authorized.

There has been 4 modem resets, I have no control over, in the past week. Just long enough to dump all my clients from my server. Usually, it is down from 2-5mins. And usually just after midnight.

Corporate Policy??? So, I asked for the phone number or an email address. Corporate doesn't have a phone number (I was told). But the tech, after waiting 20 mins, came up with an email address:

nat.officeofthepresident@twcable.com

I almost can predict what's next LOL

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784772 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:42:02 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection Arizona http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20754589 dstanic :

said by MacLeech

:

So it seems TWC firmware updates are fighting amongst themselves.

The automated system is something entirely different as it's designed to upgrade entire systems of modems. That's really what needs the new firmware for your modem. That's also what would be reconfigured for the "no touch list". Changing this is more involved and needs much more planning as it affects multiple customers.

Yup. It happened again shortly after noon:

'Resetting the cable Modem Due to DocsDevResetNow'

I called Tier 3 and they are waiting on paperwork. Corporate has to approve my removal from the automated process due to my 'always on' status.

The auto-reset process started at :09 minutes after the hour and the modem finally sync'd at :12. Had 178 connected clients, on a trip through la la land.

Note of interest... The resets never happen on weekends. Mostly Mondays and Tuesday evenings after midnight. This time, exactly 7 days after the last modem was installed... to the hour .

Most of the people in Tier 3 never knew this was happening or knew the process even existed. This is good news now as one tech said. Seems I wasn't the only one in the loop with the issue.

The flip side to all this is how Corporate handles these requests and future clients that run data servers like mine. If I was a CEO I'd find a way to make the change profitable! Be a hard work-around, since they advertise 'always on' service as-is.

Anyway, thanks again for your assistance...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20754589 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:45:16 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection Arizona http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20749757 MacLeech : My mistake, I though you got the 1017 firmware from Ambit and did that part yourself. I totally misunderstood and after rereading your post, I'm not sure how...

So it seems TWC firmware updates are fighting amongst themselves.

Upgrading individual modems is easy with the right software (lots of it available for desktop use) and information. I USED to do that, as could any other individual with the right access. Works great for individual modems and it's probably how your modem is getting upgraded by the TWC people you're talking to. Given the correct access one could upgrade a single modem with different firmware in a couple minutes.

The automated system is something entirely different as it's designed to upgrade entire systems of modems. That's really what needs the new firmware for your modem. That's also what would be reconfigured for the "no touch list". Changing this is more involved and needs much more planning as it affects multiple customers.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20749757 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 17:23:11 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection Arizona http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20749664 dstanic :

said by MacLeech

:

It checks the version on the modem and uploads the version in it's database to the modem if it doesn't match. That is, as you know, what is causing the resets. Everytime you update the modem to a newer version to fix the small packet issue, it no longer matches and gets changed back at the scheduled check time. You're fighting the automated system.

I haven't changed anything at the modem. TWC is doing the upgrades of the firmware. I was at 1017 with the Ambit fix on the old modem... TWC did that upgrade. When I got the new modem, it came with 1005. 'They' upgraded it to 1011. So, effectively someone lost the Ambit fix with 1017.

The automated system you are talking about is now looking at 1011 and is NOT resetting the modem. However, the fix has vanished from their system.

1) No resets are occurring because the firmware matches their automated system (1011).
2) They lost the fix in 1017.

They need to upgrade me to 1017 and fix the automated system to match the same firmware to avoid the resets. Does that make sense to you?

I was told when the new modem was installed that they would upgrade to 1017. It didn't happen. It's obvious that more than one group of engineers have access to the modem for upgrades, and the automated system was never re-programmed for the fix.

You have been extremely helpful and 'the light has finally turned on'. I can only assume at this point that the right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing.

The 'No touch' list may just be a ploy to satisfy ticket resolution and closure...

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20749664 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:57:23 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection Arizona http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20749186 MacLeech : The system for upgrading modem firmware is automated, as you have found out.

It checks the version on the modem and uploads the version in it's database to the modem if it doesn't match. That is, as you know, what is causing the resets. Everytime you update the modem to a newer version to fix the small packet issue, it no longer matches and gets changed back at the scheduled check time. You're fighting the automated system.

There isn't any global reset system, but this has that effect for YOU because you keep changing the firmware. I'm somewhat disturbed that the modem is allowing you to update the firmware as DOCSIS modems usually allow only the service provider to do it for a variety of reasons. I know some modems have hacks to allow it, but it's a hack... anyway THAT is a whole other issue beyond the scope of this problem.

Tech support told you there is a "no touch" list. Presumably such a list would blacklist your modem on the automated firmware "update" system. I'm sure it's possible, I've just never heard of it with TWC/RR so I have no idea how you get on it.

What seems to be the BEST solution is for TWC/RR to update their database with the new firmware version for your modem, so not only do you get the update, but everybody else suffering the same issue gets the update. Their Engineering department would have to verify the new version firmware doesn't cause any other issues with that modem in other configurations though. IF you're up to the fight/frustration, I'd pursue this option. It's mainly a matter of contacting the RIGHT person to get this done.

A different model of modem would also fix the firmware fight which is causing the weekly resets. There is the possibility of some other bug in the new modem model that would cause you issues. EVERY modem has some sort of bug that affects someone in some particular configuration. This would probably be the quickest solution, but in reality it's just going around the problem and is prone to other unknowns.

The 3rd solution, I have the least faith in, would be the "no touch" list. Good luck with that. Find the right person and it could be done in seconds, but it may cause issues later if newer firmware is made available or upgrades are done that require your modem to be "touched" to achieve/keep best performance.

I've been through this situation MANY times with different companies and different modems, on this site and elsewhere, including my personal modems at home. I've seen that packet loss issue with that model of Ambit modem as well for a business client running several VPN connections through it, but at the time (last year) Ambit's newest firmware didn't fix it, so the modem was swapped with a different model. On occasion, I've updated the firmware on the modems myself, but it's either using inside information or through security loopholes left in the modem.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20749186 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:50:34 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection Arizona http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20748385 dstanic :

said by Vchat20

:

If the problem at hand is tied to this specific modem, may I ask why you have not tried a different brand/model modem? Surely one of them should work with your specific requirements and, as MacLeech stated, many members here including myself can quote months of uptime on these modems.

And, many have had issues. Maybe not as unique as the problem I have encountered. I was hoping to gain a little more information above what has been tried... your suggestion has no merit in my case, if you are a happy camper. The modem has been replaced 3 times in 6 months. You certainly wouldn't run out and start buying modems to see if they work at your own expense, before we know the answer.

Much of MacLeech has said is the same information I hear from tech. If it works for both of you that's not a consensus. Neither of you have the problem and obviously don't want to accept, someone does .

No, if my car won't start I'm not going to run out and buy a new car. I would rely on somebody that can either fix it or can share information as to the best way to get it running. So far, I haven't got to that point.

I love forums because sometimes they can 'turn a light on'. I have a good relationship with TWC people and they are trying to solve the problem. Ambit is not hiding anything... they are very much aware. The problem is that I'm not their customer, I'm the end-user and it's up to TWC to sort it out.

Levels are good. The techs that have come out all agree that the modem/s are working fine. Graphs, charts, SmokePing, all show the drop outs when they happen like clock work.

I sorry, if all this isn't doesn't make sense... but if you are having a good time, I'm not. I do appreciate the suggestions because I believe stuff can be fixed. I tell it like it is... six months is a little long to be chasing this issue.

Once again, the issue is that I lose my signal (bandwidth) every Tuesday night at exactly a half hour past midnight for no more than 2 minutes. The server isn't crashing... I'm willing to share more detailed information, if it will lead to a resolution...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20748385 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:29:42 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection Arizona http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20748132 Vchat20 : If the problem at hand is tied to this specific modem, may I ask why you have not tried a different brand/model modem? Surely one of them should work with your specific requirements and, as MacLeech stated, many members here including myself can quote months of uptime on these modems.
--
I swear, some people should have pace-makers installed to free up the resources. Breathing and heart beat taxes their whole system, all of their brain cells wasted on life support.-two bit brains, and the second bit is wasted on parity! ~head_spaz]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20748132 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:31:28 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection Arizona http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20747914 dstanic :

Weekly auto resets could possibly be due to a mismatch in FIRMWARE revisions between what your modem is provisioned for, what TWC has currently, and what it actually has. It will continue UNTIL the provisioning is fixed or your modem updates the firmware. Log files often will indicate which it is. There isn't any sort of "no touch list" that I've ever heard of.

Reseting modems won't change those parameters or the load on the CMTS (for more than a couple minutes).

I wasn't attempting for this to get too technical. But, I will address 2 issues. TWC's Ambit modems, stock out of the box, have v5.72.1005 software. When they handed me a second new modem, they uploaded v5.72.1011 software. Because of the way my clients access data in realtime (constant flow, never stops) I complained about the modem lacking proper handling of small packets (packet loss was too high). Ambit was aware of the problem and sent a new version v5.72.1017 to provisioning. They uploaded the file and it solved small packet handling, TCP NO_DELAY. Everything is good to go... no packet loss. The modem still tries to re-sync once a week, each time they do it I end up with v5.72.1011 (NOT 1017 with the fix).

The problem is that when this event occurs (even if it's for 2 minutes), all my clients get dumped. If a client can't (by design) keep up with the data destined to them, the server see's them falling behind. They are allowed to catch up (15 seconds worth of data, individual queue builds)... or they will be terminated by the server. This is a realtime packet delivery system. Old data, because of GPS tracking is a no no. The server gets data from my hub connection at about 25kbps (not much). If I have 200 clients connected they each see 25kbps. Do the math. My upstream from TWC is 1.5mbps. Speed tests for whatever they are worth show around 1.3mbps. Have to take into consideration overhead.

Most people surf the internet and occasionally download files. Their requirement to upload is minimal, unless they are sending files somewhere to a single client. Big difference.

So, why does the modem feel it has to do a re-sync once a week? There is nothing in the logs until that happens. Then the logs show the authorized and re-sync sequences. I clear the logs until a week later when it all happens again. Clients get dumped and the modem resets. There is nothing in the modem, according to Ambit, that tells it to re-sync or resent just for giggles. Tech support (tier 3) has already said they do these things globally, but can remove me from the process. So who is right? You or TWC. All I know is that it is a timed event... and you say no. Wouldn't it be a kick if you worked for TWC... because you sound like you've been down this path before. I'd be willing to take this discussion off list, if you want to share your thoughts privately... ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20747914 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:02:59 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20746519 kingsoprano : haha
o have been losing connection a;; day. cant download service packs for windows so i am screwed here.

this was my last speed test. before the modem reset again!

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20746519 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:37:16 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection Arizona http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20746036 MacLeech : EVERYTIME the modem sync's with the system, it downloads a bin file. That is what sets the bandwidth limits, number of allowed IP addresss, priority level, and a whole host of other things. A lot of things CAN cause the modem resets, but right now let's go with your idea...

Weekly auto resets could possibly be due to a mismatch in FIRMWARE revisions between what your modem is provisioned for, what TWC has currently, and what it actually has. It will continue UNTIL the provisioning is fixed or your modem updates the firmware. Log files often will indicate which it is. There isn't any sort of "no touch list" that I've ever heard of.

It's NOT common practice on TWC or RR to do "global resets". Plenty of people on this site will tell you there modem uptime is in months. The modems I have on the system are up for months. I personally reset them more then "the system" ever does.

NOC has little to do with provisioning ANYTHING for the local node. Local engineering and headend techs are the ones in control of that. Bandwidth available (as in how much capacity is used) to the node is dependent MOSTLY on how many modems are connected to the CMTS ports which is dependent on plant/headend design. How the CMTS ports are configured is pretty standardized and they're usually configured with the max bandwidth capacity available on the CMTS port for the DOCSIS version being used. Reseting modems won't change those parameters or the load on the CMTS (for more than a couple minutes). TWC's NOC main task is to MONITOR the network and contact the correct people needed to resolve issues they see.

If you could post your modem logs, I'll decipher them for you. Post you signal levels too.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20746036 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:20:53 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection Arizona http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20745966 dstanic :

said by MacLeech

:

How do you know "Once a week, shortly after midnight they access my modem and upload a bin file. " Is it listed in the log file of the modem?

I'm just curious about the situation... once a week planned interruptions certainly seem excessive for a Business connection.

It is a common practice a tech admitted. The modems event log shows it happening. What gave it away, was the software version numbers, after a little detective work on my end. To upload the .bin file the modem is reset.

When I talked to 'super tech' he said he would get me on a list that would prevent the weekly updates. You can log into your own modem 192.168.0.1 with name/password as User/User to read the event log. I made printouts of the events and sent them to tech support. They were surprised that I knew how to log on to the modem to read what they only thought they could.

The best part was that nobody in tech support knew what the error codes meant. So, I went to the Ambit site and asked. No luck, they only supply that info. to tech support LoL

I've been told that it is a common practice for some ISP's to do a global resets to keep people from 'hanging around' for long periods of time.

Another issue... Sales sells cable to your local residences. There could be hundreds of people on the same cable before it hits the first node down the street.
The node has to be provisioned by NOC to handle the traffic. The problem in many cases is that sales is over-selling the node before NOC can get it provisioned for more usage...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20745966 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:01:36 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection Arizona http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20745226 MacLeech : How do you know "Once a week, shortly after midnight they access my modem and upload a bin file. " Is it listed in the log file of the modem?

I'm just curious about the situation... once a week planned interruptions certainly seem excessive for a Business connection.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20745226 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:16:46 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection Arizona http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20745143 dstanic :

Any particular reason this important server isn't in a data center? Seems like it'd be a much better environment for such a thing...

None whatsoever. We have our hubs and a few lower-level servers in DC's. Gave me the opportunity to try something out, to see how TWC would stack up with their Business Class service. Especially with their heavily advertised 'work at home' environment claims. I had excellent T1 'residential' service for years. DC's are great if you have access to them 24/7/365. However, that wasn't my point.

The topic was 'Intermittent loss of connection' and I wanted to try and shed some light on my experience with TWC as a Business Class customer. If they can make claims like 'always on', 'work at home' and 'reliable support'... they need to prove it. In my case, and some others on this forum, they haven't.

Yes, there are many options and some of us simply want TWC to back up their claims. If they want my money, they have to earn it... like I do...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20745143 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:57:15 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection Arizona http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20736584 MacLeech :

said by dstanic

:

A little background... the service I provide requires 'always on' connectivity. All data to outbound to clients is real-time GPS tracking. Been doing this for about 7 years. Did have a T1 and somebody at TWC said 'try us'. When I moved the business to a new location back in Jan. I figured I'd give it a try. We have 48 servers around the world that do the same thing my server does. We all use the same hubs and share the same exact data. Clients can connect to any server in our group and get the same data. If one server disappears the clients auto-connect to another server.

Any particular reason this important server isn't in a data center? Seems like it'd be a much better environment for such a thing...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20736584 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:56:07 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection Arizona http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20735400 dstanic : I have TWC Business Class 10m by 1.5m up. They are slowly driving me crazy. Once a week, shortly after midnight they access my modem and upload a bin file. The problem is that I run a server and usually have 175-200 clients connected. When this happens I lose all inbound connects and my outbound hub connect.

A little background... the service I provide requires 'always on' connectivity. All data to outbound to clients is real-time GPS tracking. Been doing this for about 7 years. Did have a T1 and somebody at TWC said 'try us'. When I moved the business to a new location back in Jan. I figured I'd give it a try. We have 48 servers around the world that do the same thing my server does. We all use the same hubs and share the same exact data. Clients can connect to any server in our group and get the same data. If one server disappears the clients auto-connect to another server.

Now for the fun part. Because I'm a Business Class customer I get to talk to Tier 3 support near Denver. After 6 months of trying to explain my outages to them someone finally came up with a answer. They are going to put me on 'NO TOUCH' list, as soon as they find the list . I've had techs out 4 times in 6 months, replaced the modem (ambit) 3 times. B Class customers get a modem that has additional ports (4). Frankly, I don't know what else they offer BC customers than they do for residential customers.

The signal is fine, up times are good, packet loss is minimal, and the service continues to stop once a week for a few minutes, dumping all my clients.

Clients pay for the service we provide. And, thank God they can roll-over to other servers on our network. Of the 48 servers we have around 2500 clients that can track mobile units that represent around 25,000 trackers in the field. They can see these mobile units in real time on their mapping programs. It is a world-wide service.

The last thing I want to hear from a TWC tech is, "It must be your server". Or, "There doesn't appear to be anything wrong at the moment".

I called billing last month.... this is the fun part. I told them that I had outages and wanted to have my bill adjusted. They came up with a formula and measured my down time... and refunded me $3.43 for so many minutes of down time.

Needless to say, when I had my T1 line... if there was an outage (happened twice in 5 years), I got free service for the next month. That policy keeps everyone on their toes... because T1's aren't cheap.

TWC has really missed the boat on their Business Class operations for a lot of reasons. From my view, I have given them every opportunity to perform as they said they would (sales). I have a 3 year contract that I'd love to take to court because I have my customers refunds documented along with the 30 'planned' outages from TWC that they can't seem to locate.

Enough is enough, if you know what I mean! LoL

Dick]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20735400 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:19:08 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20732956 anon : I had a roadrunner tech come out (Northeast Ohio), and he tried to blame it on my equipment as well. Finally he connected from the street and he had a slower connection there from his computer than I did. He also had the frequent time-outs. He said he was escalating the issue to his supervisor. We will see what happens, but at least I know I am not the only one with this issue.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20732956 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:56:40 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20732352 roc5955 : FWIW, the same thing happened to me several years ago. After changing my cable modem, and still getting the same intermittent outages, I had to schedule a visit from their lineman. I told him to check everything on his side, as I had already checked everything on my side. When he checked the wire from the pole to the house, he found out that it was more than twenty years old.

Well guess what? It came back a couple of weeks ago! So I went through the motions of checking all of the connections on my end, and again, nothing was a problem. Other people on my road were also having the same problem, so me being the techie that I am, called the cable company. I told them that I thought that the concentrator might be giving up the ghost, what with all the heat, and the fact that the battery had never even been changed on the UPS in the thing, they should check it. THREE DAYS LATER, they finally send someone over who apparently changed out the concentrator, and it seems much better.
--
"Understanding is a three-edged sword."]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20732352 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:11:59 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20731845 hobgoblin : "Anyone know of any class-action lawsuits that are open against RoadRunner? Maybe that's the only way to get their attention"

Maybe you should start one.

Good Luck

Hob
--
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20731845 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:53:32 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20731772 anon : I'm having this issue in NE Ohio as well. What's going on?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20731772 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:39:43 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20729135 Gib4500 : I'm in southeast Ohio. I also had the same issue last night. It was very strange. Although this evening it hasn't dropped once. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20729135 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:54:14 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20728801 anon : I am currently in a phone queue (45 minutes and counting) for the same thing. Pittsboro, NC- speed goes from 6500 to 2000, now under 1000. This has been going on for a month since our *upgrade* to 7000. I have gotten everything but the truth from their techs. I have been using TW for cable for 15 years and internet for 2 years- I have never had such poor response to a problem.

For any TW techs out there- how about some truth?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20728801 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:43:18 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20724688 biota : Just wanted to chime in and say that I've been having the same problem here in Northeast Ohio.

I thought the issue was localized since my HD reception has been suffering also. Guess not...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20724688 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:11:39 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20721872 anon : I've also been having this dropout and degraded bandwidth problem for a few weeks now. In fact before I saw this I placed my 4th call to Time-Warner cable (Raleigh, NC) to schedule a line tech to come and check out the line.

I think it's been about 3 weeks or so, and maybe coincidentally that was about the time TW Cable swapped out my cable modem for a new one to enable me to get their free "enhanced speed" of about 7000 kbps.

When the RR line is ok I get just under 7000 kbps from either wireless or wired, and when bad, assuming I can reach their website my speed is under 60 kbps!! Other times it's out for up to 30 minutes or so.

I thought it was my new D-Link DIR-655 router that might be defective, plus I read just now that D-Link is more susceptible to line noise, etc. So I went back to my rock-solid Belkin Pre-N router and PC Card pair, and experience the same losses.

I'll post again at the end of Thursday after the RR tech leaves. But based on what I've read here am not optimistic. Anyone know of any class-action lawsuits that are open against RoadRunner? Maybe that's the only way to get their attention.

Regards,
pizzaiolo

Raleigh, NC]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20721872 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:42:46 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20720126 liamwright : Oh wow. I thought there wouldn't be a post about this and that I was the only one. I'm in NYC and I've been having that same issue for the past few days now. I just thought it was my computers but its not, I've checked everything and gone over all logs. It's definitely something to do with their side.

I have also called them about this and got the same run-around with 'it' being my issue and to just restart the modem.
--
One more bad excuse, Before you turn me lose,
Give me something to remember you by,
Couldn't you offer me a little dishonesty,
Promise me you'll try,
You'll lie to me...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20720126 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:51:16 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20718972 Stickynugs : I live in Maine and i'm having the EXACT same thing going on, and yes i called and they do and say the same thing. Everytime they just tell me to reset the router,modem yadda yadda over and over then say "well its not a problem on our end.."

I too play games like you said and does the same thing.

Im seriously just thinking about finding something else at this point.There support alone makes me want to punch a hole in the wall,far from helpful.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20718972 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:23:06 EDT Re: Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20718933 anon : Im having the same problems, so its not just you. I live in Riverside CA, and for some reason, the last past week my i'll lose connection for a few seconds, and this happens pretty much every 10-20 minutes, sometimes even sooner. How I know its not our hardware is that several people that live near me with TW/RR have been having the same spikes/loses of connection, and get this, its at the same exact time. We use ventrilo and we all spike at the same time, along with World of Warcraft, and all of out online steam games. Its so bad that we can be on the phone with each other and both point out the spikes at the same time. I've called TW and they tried to give me the runaround that it was my hardware, when I told them about the other people, with different hardware experiencing the same problem, they told me they would be sending out a tech to see what the problem is. I don't need someone to come to my house to tell me theres a problem, theres absolutely nothing they can do from my side to fix this problem, its obviously on their side, and they are reluctant to say it. People I know in my area with the same ISP and problems are getting the same responses from TW/RR and to be honest is damn annoying. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20718933 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:04:15 EDT Intermittent loss of connection http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20714681 MQMan : I've been having an intermittent connection problem with my cable service for some time now. Every now and again, I'll lose connectivity for anything from a couple of seconds, up to about 5 minutes. Sometimes it'll be just the occasional drop, other times it'll happen 6 to 7 times an hour.

I've had the guys from TWC out a number of times, and they keep pointing the finger at my equipment.

First time they said it was my Centillium VoIP adapter, so I got that changed to a D-Link. This made the situation even worse because of the way the D-Link responds to even a short loss of connectivity.

Next I removed the adapter altogether and connected my Linux server directly to the modem. No difference.

Today I had a supervisor and a senior tech come out, and they repeated the same thing. The "evidence" they gave was that they had been running some sort of trace, back to my modem, and it hadn't shown any interruption in service, even though I'd had numerous "drop outs". Also, they said it couldn't be them as when they asked about the lights on the modem, I told them they it never loses Sync, even when I can't connect.

So, after all that, my question is: Can this still be a cable issue, even if I still have Sync, but cannot even ping my assigned Gateway. I can still ping the modem, from my internal machines, even when I can't ping to anything else. Their claim, is that with Sync, I'm still connected, and if it was their problem, then everyone on the same "loop" would have issues, but they don't.

Cheers.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20714681 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:51:34 EDT