RickFriedman
join:2003-10-21
Flushing, NY
| [modem/router] Modem "Wearing Out"?
For the last 2 days or so, I've been getting very slow connection speeds. I have a DSL line with Verizon (3000 kbps/768kbps). Since Sunday, my download speed has been varying anywhere from 250kbps to 1500kbps and my upload speed has been from 175kbps to 670kbps.
I called Verizon this morning. After running some tests, which seemed to show no problem with the line, the representative concluded that my modem is "wearing out." My modem is old. It's the same modem I've had since originally getting DSL about 4 years ago. It's a Westell Model C90-3R516-01. The representative said I should buy a new modem.
Is it truly possible for a modem to be "wearing out" such that it would degrade the connection? Isn't it more likely that it would simply stop working altogether? I don't know. I'm looking for advice.
Thanks,
Rick |
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Jodokast96
R.I.P Bassman442
Premium
join:2005-11-23
Erial, NJ
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| No, you are pretty much right. They tend to either work or they don't. It's common practice for them to blame the modem. To start, go to the Tools section here and try running a Line Quality Test and the Tweak Test. Post back a link to the results page of each. |
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tschmidt
Premium,MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
 ·Hollis Hosting
·Verizon Online DSL
·Fairpoint Communic..
| reply to RickFriedman
As Jodokast96  posted modems tend to either work or not, if it fails it tends to fail totally.
First step is to access modem stats to see if modem is able to sync at correct rate. Since Verizon said line looks fine problem most likely is not physical DSL circuit but network congestion between customer and remote server.
Next step is to do line quality test on the BBR tools page and/or do Traceroute (tracert in Windows) to stable sites like BBR. Round trip time should gradually increase with hop count and distance. If you see sudden increase it may indicate congestion at that or previous hop.
/tom |
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RickFriedman
join:2003-10-21
Flushing, NY | Well, here is the result of the line quality test. Perhaps someone here can decipher it for me and let me know what it means?
»/linequality/nil/2439955
Thanks,
Rick |
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drwho01
@verizon.net
| reply to RickFriedman
first off go to www.2wire.com do a speed test if your speeds are all over the place it has nothing to do with the modem speed is set from verizon secondly they will replace the modem basic one for free the action tec dsl modem will cost you from my issue with verizon to much signal can have the opposite effect a slow down of the speed from my experience it was a line issue to long of a line i am having issue my self dns errors it related to there servers try this call the no. for the phone ask for the no. or dsl tech support try and get the no. that is for advance tech youll get Americans on the phone there more experienced than the off shore techs |
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RickFriedman
join:2003-10-21
Flushing, NY
| Interestingly, I just (at about 6am EDT) ran a new speed test (at speedtest.net). The result is below:
I don't know if Verizon fixed the problem or if it's simply a matter of peak time usage. I'll continue to check as the day goes on.
Rick |
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DC DSL
Stays crunchy even in milk
Premium
join:2000-07-30
Washington, DC
·Covad Communications
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to Jodokast96
said by Jodokast96 :No, you are pretty much right. They tend to either work or they don't. It's common practice for them to blame the modem. Several of their offshore script monkeys have tried telling me that speed issues were caused by "bistream residue buildup in the modem because of the extremely high speeds and you must buy a new modem every 18 months or so." WTF?
I laughed my tush off!
--
There is no giant fur-bearing trout. |
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tschmidt
Premium,MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Hollis Hosting
·Verizon Online DSL
·Fairpoint Communic..
| said by DC DSL : "bistream residue buildup in the modem because of the extremely high speeds and you must buy a new modem every 18 months or so." If that were the case couldn't you just shake out the accumulated electrons rather then buying a new modem 
/tom |
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dslfan
join:2006-02-02
Brooklyn, NY | That above makes even me laugh.
LOL just using a brush will help (shhhh... don't tell of static electricity!). Comb the charge out. |
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dataice
Premium
join:2002-10-27
Crisfield, MD | LMAO! I just snarfed my coffee about 3 feet across the room. That is to funny. Those idiots they have manning the phones these days will apparently say just about anything. :-O |
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Odaeus
join:2008-09-27
Brooklyn, NY
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to RickFriedman
said by RickFriedman :For the last 2 days or so, I've been getting very slow connection speeds. I have a DSL line with Verizon (3000 kbps/768kbps). Since Sunday, my download speed has been varying anywhere from 250kbps to 1500kbps and my upload speed has been from 175kbps to 670kbps. I called Verizon this morning. After running some tests, which seemed to show no problem with the line, the representative concluded that my modem is "wearing out." My modem is old. It's the same modem I've had since originally getting DSL about 4 years ago. It's a Westell Model C90-3R516-01. The representative said I should buy a new modem. Is it truly possible for a modem to be "wearing out" such that it would degrade the connection? Isn't it more likely that it would simply stop working altogether? I don't know. I'm looking for advice. Thanks, Rick It's not your modem, they told me the same thing. I am too, currently experiencing the same problems. From 5PM - 12AM, my connection dips anywhere from 200 kbps to 1.5 Mbps. After 12AM, it goes back up to 2.6Mbps to 2.9Mbps. (Upload, however is unaffected during any of these times.
I will soon be posting in the direct forums if this problem persists.
sigh. Never had a problem like this before. |
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RickFriedman
join:2003-10-21
Flushing, NY
| Well, as it turns out, the problem has been resolved.
I woke up this morning at about 6am EDT and found that during the night my internet connection had failed. So, I restarted it by bringing my dsl connection back up with ifup dsl0 (I am currently running opensuse linux).
As soon as I did that, the connection came back up and the speed was back to normal. Now, I had previously rebooted the connection several times trying to restore the connection speed but with no luck. So, I presume that during the night, Verizon changed something that killed the connection and repaired the speed. It simply waited for me to reconnect.
Rick |
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