1 edit | [GA] My Cable Service I have been working with MediacomChad to resolve this issue, but I feel it is time it got some light by the public since things aren't getting fixed.
Five months ago I had my cable installed. The entire time I have had my cable, my service levels have been terrible. I have been told to change my wiring (re tipped all the cables myself with professional tools and verified exact loss expected for RG6 at 50-100ft), change my splitter (done twice and even used a 2GHz splitter), tried without the splitter, changed the box, tried different TVs, AND I even went as far as to take a 100ft extension cable and plugged my box/tv to the outside of the house.
Guess what? still having issues. There have been over 10 appointments for my house, some I have actually been charged for. NO COMPENSATION has been given to me on my bill even though I have asked for it. So, I have paid for people to fix my service multiple times, it still isn't fixed, and the below video's are all recorded at the date listed from the ONLY digital box I have in the house (only 1 other TV hooked up and even tried it without).
Unfortunately, I didn't think to start recording videos till November. Lets face it, you don't expect for your cable to be broken in a new house for 5 months.
November 13th.
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=62VrNPZp···N4oLMwYR
November 30th
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUuauiZT···yoNfgE-H
December 15th
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zo17mh-···fiLfWouw
December 22nd
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=EInF3FH7···EnFuI_4l
January 2nd
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB_6DfqY···fiLfWouw
EDIT: Removed last statement as anon user comments removed. |
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1 edit | reply to rmatt86
Re: [GA] My Cable Service EDIT: Removed since anon user comment was moderated. |
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1 edit | reply to rmatt86
EDIT: Removed since anon user comment was moderated. |
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k9iua6
join:2004-05-23
Dubuque, IA | reply to rmatt86
Re: [GA] My Cable Service If would seem you are not getting sufficient signal strength, or there is a noise problem on your line, or both. You don't say what fixes the Mediacom techs have done (as you only mention what you have done) or what signals levels either you or they are receiving on the line, or what your signal-to-noise ratio is. What kind of TV(s) are you using and what types of set-top boxes? Does this happen on all channels or just a subset of the channels (such as those at higher frequencies only)? Also, what does MediacomChad report is the problem?
I'm also a little surprised you have stuck with Mediacom this long and haven't switched to satellite TV. I couldn't stand to watch TV this way.
As for the compensation issue, many customers on this forum have reported problems, and rarely have been compensated. |
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| reply to rmatt86
I do not want to be one of those guys that hover, but so far from what they have told me, they have added/subtracted an amplifier twice, added an equalizer and other than that. The guy comes over and says, "yep there is a problem. I'll have to have them check the street." End of story and never hear back from them except to contact Chad again and say my service still doesn't work.
Oldcableguy. You joke about that fix it yourself comment, but I honestly have thought about it. If I wouldn't get arrested for tampering with their equipment, I would start tracing this back to whatever is causing the issue myself and tell them they can take my pay and apply it to the bill. |
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Reviews:
 ·NetINS
| Is there one channel that you are having the worst problem on? Get some number specific information out of a tech that is there.
DBmV on a specific freq? (Make sure it is a digital channel you are having difficulty with)
MER of that channel?
Pre BER of that channel?
Post BER of that channel?
This information will tell you alot!!!
If they can not read this information (old meters) they are going to find anything wrong.
Let us know what you find out!
I wish I could fly down there and get it fixed for you!! |
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| reply to rmatt86
It sounds like noise ingress into the line, which an older meter is not going to detect, MCCShawn's suggestions are correct we need a QAM meter that can actually decode the QAM frames and determine what is wrong. If I had to guess the signal is probably fine (if adding an amp didn't help) but the SNR is probably too low due to the noise ingress. The bad news is that can take a long time to solve because they basically have to work backward from your home to the cable plant to find where the ingress is.
I wish you good luck but there is a lot more to a CATV HFC network than an ethernet network. |
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| reply to rmatt86
I understand. We use half inch coax for cable at some of our older properties so I know how finicky those things can be. Unfortunately, I sent my model 3 to a technician in NC while I RMA his, so the only thing I have around is a dinky TR-3.
So far my signal strengths are a bit on the lower side, but nothing to the point it should be interfering with service levels. I would be fine if they had to kill my service for a day or two while they traced it back, but that means they have to actually start tracing it. They just show up at the house, scratch there head, and leave. Although, one did actually have the audacity to send me his resume... before even leaving the house. This guy literally sat on my couch and emailed me his resume. |
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| That's because you are putting in tickets with customer service, they will roll a tech who can work on the line from the pole to the house and nothing more. You need to get in touch with the regional manager and have them send a crew out to investigate, if it really is a problem outside of that.
And again, signal strength may not be the issue as a meter does not show you how much of that signal is actual signal and how much of it is noise. |
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1 edit | Apologize if that was confusing the way I stated it. I was meaning to say that signal strength is fine, quality has to be the issue. Since I am without my model 3, I cannot give exact measurements of BER. All I can tell you is the feed is at -7sh DBmV at the cable box on most channels.
Edit: Basically, agreeing with everything you said and going farther to say it has to the noise on the line.
Side note. For those that are thinking of ever buying a TR-3/TR-2. DON'T. It's almost a pure waste of money. |
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| reply to rmatt86
And back again because the issue still exist. Now my internet has gotten 10x worse and yesterday I could not maintain a connection to a remote server for more than 45-60 minutes at a time.
Ran into a slew of these:
Tue Jan 24 20:21:39 2012 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - ...
Time Not Established Critical (3) DHCP FAILED - Requested Info not supported.
Tue Jan 24 19:55:44 2012 Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Tue Jan 24 19:55:37 2012 Critical (3) Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Un...
Tue Jan 24 19:55:04 2012 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - ...
Tue Jan 24 19:46:20 2012 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - ...
Video taken this morning..
»www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl···_6IL-c9M
So far the "fix" they have in place is an equalizer on my cable box. I'm sorry, but if I need an equalizer on my box, SOMETHING is off on the line. If something is off on the line, are you honestly telling me they are going around and putting an equalizer on EVERY cable box? I mean, it didn't work, but where the heck was the logic in that? Wouldn't it have made a lot more sense to, oh I don't know.. balance the line? |
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| reply to rmatt86
Adding signal readings from modem.
Downstream Status
Operational
Channel ID 5
Downstream Frequency 111000000 Hz
Modulation 256QAM
Bit Rate 20000000 bits/sec
Power Level -3.2 dBmV
Signal to Noise Ratio 36.0 dB
Upstream Channel
Upstream Status
Operational
Channel ID 4
Upstream Frequency 33000000 Hz
Modulation 16QAM
Symbol Rate 2000000 bits/sec
Power Level 42.7 dBmV
Everything appears to be in range on that one. |
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1 edit | reply to rmatt86
You must not be married. There is no way a (my) wife would put up with this kind of TV service for so long. You need to seek other alternatives like satellite TV. Directv/Dish service is cheaper, many more channels and superior DVR/s/Receivers. Also customer service is head and shoulders above Mediacom. Yep, I speak from first hand experience with Mediacom, DishNetwork and Directv.
The thing that constantly surprises me is Mediacom's Customer Service seems to be consistently bad, not matter where you live. |
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| Problem is.. I am Married. And have a 3 month old child, so the wife is constantly watching TV while feeding. I had Dish before we moved into this house and it is very sad to see that I had better service with a dish than a hard line.
The internet thing is what is really driving me crazy right now. I use Skype for work and when you are dropping calls left and right, that can get upsetting very quickly. |
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| reply to rmatt86
said by rmatt86:The internet thing is what is really driving me crazy right now.
hehehe, yep been there too. I have Frontier DSL and Dish Network now. Mediacom is still in my village but they have few customers left. And you can figure out why... |
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Reviews:
 ·Mediacom
| reply to rmatt86
Not really. Equalizers are used for end of the line customers. Most of the plant Mediacom owns was not built by them and it was done some time ago and not really designed to handle advanced services. Don't get me wrong a lot of has been done to upgrade the plant but there are still areas where at best you have no tilt at the tap. Those are slowly getting fixed but until then that's about the only option.
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I speak for myself, not my employer. |
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