Cable Modem keeps dropping connection

Breakout · Post by **Breakout** » Sun Dec 07, 2003 10:39 am

I have 98SE and a Motorola SB4100 cable modem and I'm using
Roadrunner cable service.

I keep getting dropped from my connection, and I have to unplug the modem, wait a couple of minutes, plug it back in.

It's getting old fast...

Anyone have similiar problems and know a fix?

RAAF453_Shep · Post by **RAAF453_Shep** » Sun Dec 07, 2003 5:29 pm

You arent the only one !!! I have had this problem since midnight last night ! arrrrggg, called tech support twice, but I can do what they said to do... and it lasts between 10-20 mins per reset , then a full reboot and back operational... till the next session.

Breakout · Post by **Breakout** » Sun Dec 07, 2003 10:56 pm

If you find a solution, let me know. (I'll do the same)

RAAF453_Shep · Post by **RAAF453_Shep** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 12:27 am

ok.. I ended up trying the old "turn the cable over" ( the one from the modem to the ethernet card ) .... it worked about the same as trying to repair my connection. NOT.
So , I ended up using the onboard ethernet port , and a new cable . it works , but not especially happy with the latency in my games. I will try a new ethernet card later , and see if it works then.

blebs · Post by **blebs** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 4:30 am

Have any of you checked your signal levels on the diagnostics page? Sounds like a line signal issue to me.

Breakout · Post by **Breakout** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 6:03 pm

Have any of you checked your signal levels on the diagnostics page? Sounds like a line signal issue to me.

Yeah, mine look okay...

Downstream Value
Frequency 591000000 Hz Locked
Signal to Noise Ratio 35 dB
QAM 256
Network Access Control Object ON
Power Level -10 dBmV The Downstream Power Level reading is a snapshot taken at the time this page was requested. Please Reload/Refresh this Page for a new reading

HFC MAC Address 00:08:0E:7E:3D:50

Upstream Value
Channel ID 2
Frequency 34000000 Hz Ranged
Ranging Service ID 6694
Symbol Rate 2.560 Msym/s
Power Level 47 dBmV

Breakout · Post by **Breakout** » Mon Dec 08, 2003 6:05 pm

Last night I decided to permit aka my firewall an
intrusion that I wasn't to sure about, that had tried to enter several time over the last few days.

It had .rr (roadrunner) in the info, but I didn't like the Windows Kernel Core Component part.

Anyway, I let it in last night and haven't had a dropped connection since (knocking on wood)

Who's paranoid!?...

aereolis · Post by **aereolis** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 12:35 pm

where is this

diagnostics page

?

Breakout · Post by **Breakout** » Tue Dec 09, 2003 1:48 pm

where is this

I'm not sure where it is on Speedguide, but if you have a motorola modem, check it here.

Far-N-Wide · Post by **Far-N-Wide** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 7:44 am

A friends was acting up as you describe a while back. I unplugged it took a can of air and blew out a lot of dust bunnies.

Let is sit a bit to evaporate the caned air gasses off the sides . plugged it in and it ran like a champ

viperscope1977 · Post by **viperscope1977** » Fri Dec 12, 2003 7:20 pm

that sounds like signal
i had cable befor switched to dsl
faster and no cut offs
cable kept droping off cause it needs perfect conection all the time drop in connect 1 sec disconects
cable bad unless you have great conections...

Breakout · Post by **Breakout** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 8:13 pm

Okay, thanks for the tips guys. A techs coming out tomorrow to take a look. I'll post back and let you know what happens.

Breakout · Post by **Breakout** » Sun Dec 14, 2003 7:21 pm

Okay...for anyone that's following this thread. The cable tech came out today and discovered I was losing alot of my signal from the pole to the house, so he changed out the old cable wire with some new cable.

I think that got it. Before, my signal was around -10db to -13db. Now, it's steady at -7db to -8db, which is whatI've been told is best.

I'll post back if I lose connection again, or go 5 days without a drop.

Here's my new signal profile:

Frequency 591000000 Hz Locked
Signal to Noise Ratio 35 dB
QAM 256
Network Access Control Object ON
Power Level -7 dBmV The Downstream Power Level reading is a snapshot taken at the time this page was requested. Please Reload/Refresh this Page for a new reading

HFC MAC Address 00:08:0E:7E:3D:50

Upstream Value
Channel ID 2
Frequency 34000000 Hz Ranged
Ranging Service ID 6694
Symbol Rate 2.560 Msym/s
Power Level 44 dBmV

Breakout · Post by **Breakout** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 8:47 pm

Okay...

That's five days without a drop. Soooooooo, if you're having a similiar problem, I'd suggest checking the Downstream Power Level and make sure it's showing -7 to -8 db's. If it's not, have your cable company put in a new cable line from the pole to the house.

My old cable line was about 15 years old. Thanks for all the advice and help. It's been a learning experience!...

Kip Patterson · Post by **Kip Patterson** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 8:09 am

The power level itself is not a good indicator of cable (coax) problems.

Modems can work well with signals as low as -15.

I'd guess you had an intermittent bad connection that was giving you trouble.

Breakout · Post by **Breakout** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 10:39 am

The power level itself is not a good indicator of cable (coax) problems.

Modems can work well with signals as low as -15.

I'd guess you had an intermittent bad connection that was giving you trouble.

Thanks...then what is a good indicator of cable (coax) problems?

Anyway, replacing the old cable with a new line seems to have fixed my problem.

I'll post back if I start losing connection, again. Thanks

KevinF · Post by **KevinF** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 12:38 pm

I did the Motorola check. These were my results.

Frequency 693000000 Hz Locked
Signal to Noise Ratio 37 dB
Power Level -1 dB
Channel ID 4
Frequency 35600000 Hz Ranged
Power Level 33 dBmV

Are those good/bad?

tkookt · Post by **tkookt** » Fri Dec 26, 2003 11:23 pm

I have same problem start at November !!
I don't konw why!!
I did the Motorola check
These were my results:

Frequency 609000000 Hz Locked
Signal to Noise Ratio 35 dB
Power Level 6 dB
Channel ID 6
Frequency 33008000 Hz Ranged
Power Level 30 dBmV

Are those good/bad?