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jrw3
join:2014-07-29
Rock Tavern, NY

jrw3

Member

Modem Swap Woes

So here is my modem swap story. Let me know if anyone has any answers for how to get this done.

My story begins a week ago. I registered a MyTWC account so I could get help via chat. I've tried calling the 800 number in the past but it has always lead to long waits and incompetent support (not to mention that no matter what time or time of day I call, it is ALWAYS a "we are experience high volume" time.)

So I open up chat. I get somebody who only goes by their first name. After 20mins of very little actual chatting, besides numerous "thank you for your patience", I get nowhere and am forwarded to an internet technical support rep. This guy has a last name, which I take as slightly positive news (since based on the typing of the first lady she clearly had challenges with english.) This guy seems to have a clue but quickly determines my D3 cablemodem isn't on TWC approved list. After various warnings of potentially dire consequences associated with using my rogue modem, he agrees to put it on my account. I speed up to prevent boring you but some 45mins later, several reboots and additional discussions the new modem won't come online (but of course my old modem mysteriously continues to work without issue.) So this gentlemen concludes, as he seemed to know all along, that my rogue modem wouldn't work.

Fast forward a week. Now I have an SB6183, which not coincidentally is on the TWC approved list. I go back into chat last night around 6pm. I get the same useless level of support although it takes me close to 40mins this time to finally get bumped up to Internet Support, again an individual with a last name. This guy begins working and assures me he can help. After another 35mins or so he declares that the modem should work now. It isn't online but I'm assured that the issue is the fact that I'm still on the old modem (which is enabling me to chat with him.) He says I need to unplug the old modem, power cycle the new modem and wait 15mins (makes no sense to me why any of that is needed, let along the 15min part.) But to play my part I conclude the chat and do what he says. Of course I make sure I get a phone# to call since I'm fairly sure this won't work. After doing the requested swapping and waiting (almost 30mins in this case) it isn't working and I call in. Yep, it is the usual "high volume" time again, of course it appears it has been high volume at the call center since sometime in the late 90s I think. After waiting on hold for about 15mins (frankly shorter than I feared) I get a customer service rep. Fairly irritated now I'm able to talk my way up to technical support is about 5mins this time. Again we begin the long process of "Let me verify your account" and "Let me check the modem in my tools" and "can you verify the make and model again" and "can you verify the CMAC again." All the while the new modem is synced with the CMTS and has pulled an IP address. It has a non-service config so I'm not able to go anywhere but it is clearly talking to the CMTS just fine. Downstream RX level is a 1db. Upstream TX at 43db. Downstream SNR is 37db. But the internet support tech just can't figure out why it isn't work. I'm on the phone with this person for over an hour and probably rebooted the modem between 4-7 times by request (dutifully waiting the 30secs before plugging power back in each time.) So the internet support rep concludes that the problem must be at my home, which I point out makes no sense because the modem levels are fine and is synced up to the CMTS (not to mention that former modem was working just fine some, oh jeez, 3hrs earlier.) "We must schedule a service call." How soon can that be done? "The first available date in 8/11." What, 14 days from now? Are you freaking kidding? And the real rub is I know damn well if I wait 14 days for the service call the guy the send to my house will probably quickly and accurately deduce the problem isn't a signal issue. So I hang up after threatening to cancel. Figuring this morons can't operate their own provisioning system and decide to try the old modem again. Yep, comes right up and has internet access. And you want to know the ironic part, the old modem isn't on TWC approved list.