angry_in_LA
@nbcuni.com
|  replacment modems?
I recently lost service in Los Angeles. I called up AT&T and they said maybe your modem died. I had the SpeedStream 5360 modem for 5+ years and it has worked perfectly until last week. the older speed stream modem has 4 light power, dsl, activity, and ethernet. Last week the modem stopped working, after a reset 3(dsl, act, and eth) of the four lights started to blink in unison and it would no longer connect.
»Efficient Networks Forum FAQ »What does it mean when the pwr light is steady but all other lights flash?
They sent out a tech who replaced the modem with a motorola modem and the tech had to "bridge" the account since I have had my service since before they went to PPPoe. I can't prove it but I think I was scammed by AT&T and they charged me $100 for a new modem + $60 labor. The tech who came out made it a point to let me know that they were going to charge me an extra $60 plus the cost of the modem to my phone bill before he even checked the line signal.
I am starting to think that maybe AT&T tried to update my modem remotely and that rendered it useless. I'd like to know if other subscribers have recently experienced the anything similar |
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btr94
join:2009-02-09 | You definitely should not have been charged for a modem. I had the speedstream too and ours died. I called up and they sent me a replacement. Problem is - you had someone come out - which, unless you have LineBacker, will incur charges. |
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David
No,there is another.
Premium,VIP
join:2002-05-30
Granite City, IL
clubs:
 ·DIRECTV
 ·magicjack.com
 ·AT&T Midwest
| reply to angry_in_LA
said by angry_in_LA :
I recently lost service in Los Angeles. I called up AT&T and they said maybe your modem died. I had the SpeedStream 5360 modem for 5+ years and it has worked perfectly until last week.
There's your first clue, the efficient 5360 went out of warranty back in 2002. the fact you got 5 years out of something that typically lasts only 2 years tops you really can't complain.
You probably got billed for the trip charge and the DSL modem.
No there's no conspiracy, the 5360 probably just finally died. My 5360 committed suicide back in 2005 ironically.
--
If you have a topic in the direct forum please reply to it or a post of mine, I get a notification when you do this.
Koetting Ford, Granite City, illinois... YOU'RE FIRED!!
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DeathStarDon
join:2009-02-26
Las Vegas, NV
| reply to angry_in_LA
1) You agreed to a service call, knowing that there could be a charge, even before the tech arrived.
2) You agreed to accept the modem knowing you'd be charged for it.
Nobody scammed you, sir.
Your modem crapped out, plain & simple. It happens. As for the tech needing to bridge the new one (A silver-colored Motorola 2210, I presume), that's not a big deal. PPPoE to the average end user should be a relatively transparent process.
In my opinion, you've got a better modem now than you did then. As for the cost, are you sure its $100, that seems bout $25 too much. I don't know how the new modem issue came up, but a billing agent should be able to waive the charges for part or all of that in exchange for a term commitment for continued service. Look into that possibility before paying for the modem.
-Don
Inside the Death Star |
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PeteC2
Got Mouse?
Premium,MVM
join:2002-01-20
Bristol, CT
clubs:
·AT&T Yahoo
| Well, the modems don't last forever, and they are not wrong to charge for a new one, although $100 is too high considering that you can buy an AT&T install "kit" complete with modem and filters for less than that. They do charge too much for them, IMHO.
As far as the charge for coming out there? As stated, unless you have the plan for it, any "interior residence" visit will cost you.
However, I will say that I have 2 SpeedStream 5100 modems, and one even older SpeedStream 5160...all having been around longer than your modem, all still running just fine. Just because they may only have a 2 year warranty does not mean that they are only "good" for that long!
The newer modems are in no way "better" than the older models, but they are now PPoE enabled "routers", and do need to be bridged if you are going to set it up through a router.
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Deeds, not words |
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perchfisher
@sbcglobal.net
| All of the DSL modems die because of a design flaw that I believe the manufactures know about. They do this so that people will keep buying modems. DSL modems have a chip inside them that gets extremely hot. I know this because I took mine apart to look inside, out of curiosity. I put my finger on the chip and it just about burned the hell out of me. Eventually the modem dies because of heat. What the manufactures need to do is put a heat sink on the chip to dissipate the heat away from the chip better and add more ventilation around the modem enclosure. Just like the heat sink on a CPU inside a computer. In order for the modem to last a little longer I just leave the cover off of mine so that it runs cooler. I hope this information helps anybody out there with a dsl modem. And shame on the manufactures for not making a product that will last! |
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David
No,there is another.
Premium,VIP
join:2002-05-30
Granite City, IL
clubs: | I don't think the 5100b or 4100 runs near as hot as the 5360. Some people have told me they run a lot cooler.
I will have to feel my 4100 tonight, I don't think it will be that hot though. |
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perchfisher
@sbcglobal.net
| Open up your SpeedStream. Its simple just one screw. On the circuit board there will be a square chip. It's the only one that's square on the board. It's like one inch by one inch. It's the processor for the dsl modem. It kind of looks like a north bridge chip on a mother board but with out the heat sink. Wait about five minutes after you have taken the cover off and have it all plugged in and turned on. Start streaming video or down load something. While it is turned on and negotiating information, touch it with your finger and you will see what I mean about the heat. The SpeedStream modems do not have adequate ventilation on the case surrounding the board inside. This is why they have a high failure rate. By making a simple modification by adding a heat sink to this chip. The modem could last a long time. I have seen a good heat sink at Radio Shack that's about the right size for it but I don't have a way of attaching it. I have been looking for some kind of thermal paste that has an adhesive quality to it like a glue, but can't find anything like that. So in the mean time I just run my modem with the cover off of it. |
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perchfish
@sbcglobal.net | I'm bumping this post so that I can get a reply from people out there in the cyber world. |
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perchfisher
@sbcglobal.net
| reply to perchfisher
I forgot to mention that if anybody decides to open up their modem. Make sure that you have discharged the static electricity from your body, by touching something metal. And to make sure your hands are completely dry. Integrated Circuits (IC's) can be damaged by static electricity. Also do not touch the circuit traces on the circuit board or the capacitors and resistors while the modem is powered on. As this will cause a short circuit and damage the modem if your hands have any kind of moisture. Only touch the top of the chips! Proceed with caution! I would hate for anybody to get hurt. |
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asmorris
@embarqhsd.net | reply to perchfisher
»www.arcticsilver.com/products.htm#epoxy
There are ceramic and silver versions of thermal adhesive. It can be removed with "Arctic Clean." |
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perchfisher
@sbcglobal.net
| Asmorris,
I was aware of arctic silver 5 which is a thermal paste with a grease like consistency. Mainly used for computer processors. But, I didn't know that they made a thermal adhesive. I have seen the thermal paste at radio shack and at Fry's electronics, but I don't think I have seen the thermal adhesive there. I'll have to look better, or ask someone at Fry's if they have it, next time I go there. By the way, I have used arctic silver 5 on my current system build, and it works great! You just have to use it sparingly! I little bit goes a long way. Too much of it will ruin the motherboard if it oozes into the cpu socket.
Thanks for the information! |
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