| I require urgent help on this weird issue 4 service techs later, many hours wasted.
So it all started about 3 weeks ago. I saw my Download speed drop to 8 mbps on Broadband 100. So i hit up shaw live chat and they say i have a weak signal level. They book a tech and he comes. He checks out my wires and heads down to the fuse box. He does some trickery inside the fuse box and whips out his iPad and shows me that my signal level is now -8 dB, which is in the green zone for shaw. He also said that he will send a guy out to replace all the exterior cables because they are 20 years old.
The next day the guy comes to replace the 20 year old wires. I guess it was his better judgement but he did NOT change the wires but instead went into the fuse box, just like Tech #1 did. Unfortunately i was not home for this tech. On my way home the house keeper calls me saying the tech just left and I should be good to go, I go home and well... thats not the case. Instead of 8 mbps i am now pulling a 13.8 mbps!!! yay big difference. So i hit up Shaw again and ask why it hasnt improved, they say my signal level is too high. I ask what is and they say its -11 dB, which is -3 worst then what it previously was, and the tech that was supposed to make it even better, just left.
So I book ANOTHER service call, this time to replace all cables, splitters, everything in the suite that my set up is in. Well the guy comes, i am at school writing a provincial exam, and he runs a speed test and sees that i am hitting 95 mbps (its like 10 AM.) he doesnt see anything wrong, so he goes outside into the fuse box and does some magic again. (for christ sake this is the 3rd time a tech has gone into my fuse box in the past week. Do Shaw techs get paid per fuse box entry?.) He leaves and puts in a note for another Shaw tech to come and replace the Cable Drop. Finally it looks like we are seeing some progress.
Today the cable drop guy comes, replaces the drop and does more magic in my fuse box (this is the 4th time they have touched my fuse box.) So after 4 fuse box entries and a cable drop replacement you can assume that my signal level is perfect right? wrong. its now at -14 dB and im pulling 6 mbps on a speed test and cant even buffer a 480p youtube video.
Of coarse I had the typical Shaw employee say "well its because its prime time and all of Victoria decides to go on the internet and it causes you to drop to 10 mbps" but I highly doubt that is the case. I have plenty of friends in the same city as me that stay at a consistent 75+ mbps, through prime time, however my problem definitely seems time specific. Between 5:30 - 10 PM i will hit these incredible lows, only to bounce up to 90+ at around 11. Yes I know what node congestion is but I doubt this is the case. I look at my wireless broadcasts and I only see 3 SMC's broadcasting. Unless 3 Shaw BB users can knock a single BB 100 connection down to 10 mbps, i wont buy it. Then the tech says its for Victoria for a whole and they are looking to do extensive upgrades later this year. Again, refer to the 2nd part of this paragraph.
Any ways I have tech number 5 coming on Saturday but the chances of him finally fixing the problem are slim. To me it sounds more local and it definitely is a Shaw problem, perhaps a weak transmitter that cant properly handle prime time traffic (please note we have had 3 windstorms + a snow storm in the past 3 weeks)
Thanks for reading (if you survived) and any help is appreciated. Especially you Shaw_Sean  |
|
| In my opinion -8 is ok for 15 and less mbps, for 50+ service, signal should be closer to 0, -7 to +7, -5 to +5 is what I would aim for.
You say between 5:30 and 10 your speeds are very low, what happens outside these hours?
If you can, run these 3 tests every 2 hours, speedtest.shaw.ca/run speedtest.net and www.terago.ca/speed-test/Default.aspx
Your friends in different parts of Victoria, will have nothing to prove or disprove congestion, unless they are on the same node.
4 channels bonded will provide 152mbps to a node. 8 channels bonded will provide 304mbps.
I would like to know what your signal levels are now, both strength and SNR.
What are you using for hardware? Modem in bridge or gateway mode? What happens with your computer connected directly to your modem in bridge mode? Do your speeds change at all?
--
Yes, I am not employed and looking for IT work. Have passport, will travel. |
|
|
|
| Signal level right now is -14.3 dB thats all the info Shaw gave me
Here are my speed records for the past 24 hours (newest to oldest)
Today
9:45 PM »www.speedtest.net/result/1741406191.png
8:32 PM »speedtest.net/result/1741332502.png
8:08 PM »speedtest.net/result/1741306797.png
6:59 PM »speedtest.net/result/1741297990.png
6:11 PM »speedtest.net/result/1741244029.png
4:51 PM »speedtest.net/result/1741151806.png
(Before Cable Drop Replacement) Jan. 29th
Last night at 1:13 AM »speedtest.net/result/1739525676.png (yes that is on Broadband 100)
Last night at 10:03 PM »speedtest.net/result/1737332034.png
Yesterday at 4:13 PM »speedtest.net/result/1736998408.png
Yesterday at 6:52 AM »speedtest.net/result/1736010179.png |
|
| Sry for the double post: I cant get internet now when I direct connect to the modem? Im in bridged mode, SMC with D-link 655. |
|
| That's normal. You need to reboot the modem when you remove the router. The MAC address of one device has been learned.
Any time you change the device connected to a bridge mode combo modem, or a regular modem you need to reboot. |
|
| Just ran speed test with direct connect to modem
»www.speedtest.net/result/1741449829.png
same story |
|
| That does look like conjestion. Which would require a node-split.
Unless something in the neighorhood is causing signal problems on the cable line.
Are you able to book late evening service calls, so the tech can be there while this issue is happening (then he/she can use their own laptop connected to the modem to verify no speed issues.
Also, try and push for the Cisco modem, 8 channel bonding instead of 4. Will help a lot as well. Additionally IMO the Cisco modem is far better.
--
Yes, I am not employed and looking for IT work. Have passport, will travel. |
|
1 edit | I have a tech coming saturday between 12pm and 4pm. Hopefully he shows up around 4PM when it starts to slope down.
When I asked a CSR about possible node congestion they said it happens everywhere, but i should only be knocked down to around 50 mbps atleast, not 5-15 mbps. Also i started to experience these slow downs since December 15th
Also the tech is bringing me a Cisco |
|
 ShawSean
join:2010-07-16
Vernon, BC
kudos:12 | Hey Direct, mind pm'ing me the ph# on your account? I'd like to take a look at what's going on.
Cheers.
--
Sean
Twitter - @Shaw_Sean |
|
 alchav
join:2002-05-17
Palm Desert, CA | reply to Direct
A Good Tech should be able to take readings at The Drop, and then work his way back to the cause of the problem. If the reading are low at The Drop, he doesn't have to go any further you know the problem is in The Network. |
|
| reply to Direct
I think what needs to be looked at is how the signal level can drop so much in such a short time.
Any any of you guys experience or have you ever encountered a rapidly decaying signal even after 5 service calls to fix said problem?
It can also be factored in that whatever is causing my signal level to be crazy, is also causing sudden prime time drops.
So its either
1) Crappy transmitter from winter storms
2) Faulty modem
I dont see interior or exterior coaxials being a issue with prime time speeds + signal level. (+ every wire in my fuse box has been replaced)
Again even through this I experience micro-drops some times (say for instance i get kicked out of a XBox Live party + game, but remain connected to the service.) |
|
Reviews:
 ·Shaw
 ·TELUS
2 edits | Packet loss in Gordon Head is absolutely abhorent right now. Tempted to run smokeping for a couple of days.
--
Anon filter enabled. Register an account if you want to be taken seriously. |
|
| I had another tech come yesterday. He gave me a cisco and a power amplifier for a better signal. IDK if its just a Cisco thing but my ping is now 13ms to Lynnwood where as my SMC was 9ms. Also im still getting 20 mbps as I type this (10:08pm) and it holds at around 50-60 mbps during the early morning and day.
I also contacted Shaw again and they said they see a Service Alert for my area and that the operations team wont be able to fix it till April 6th 2012. They didnt give me any details on the service alert but I presume its congestion, and Shaw has to take 2 months to get to it.
 |
|
ShawSean
join:2010-07-16
Vernon, BC
kudos:12 | @Direct - Sorry to hear about the congestion, I have no problem reviewing your account when things have been repaired and discuss compensation for the degraded services.
--
Sean
Twitter - @Shaw_Sean |
|
