It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

This sodding ambit. :)

It's the NTL:200. Silver one. It's AWFUL.

It's disconnected me literally 3 times in the last hour. Once while Downloading. Once while browsing a forum. Once while MSN-ing. These were literally the only things i was doing at the time, so as you can see it's not down to maxing the connection out...

The connection is lost entirely. Can't even ping out.

It happens via USB or ethernet.

Every other piece of USB hardware works fine. It happens whether through a hub or the onboard ports.

My ethernet port works fine. The xbox, for example, never loses the connection.

Bearing all this in mind, and bearing in mind that i've read several people's posts saying they've had bother with this modem, i think we can safely say it's the modem at fault, not my hardware or software.

Now, it heats up like hell (whether upside down or not) so maybe that's the cause. Either way, i don't care. I want the problem sorted. I want rid of it if need be. I don't care whether i end up with another one, or a 250, i just want it fixed.

I checked the power levels the other day.

Downstream Receive Power Level : -4.7 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 32.8 dB
Upstream Transmit Power Level : 54.75 dBmV

I'll check it next time i have to reboot it, to check for fluctuations.

I've been with NTL (this time) since the first of march. There hasn't been a day gone by when i haven't had to manually reboot the modem. That's just not good enough. I really grudge paying £35 a month for an unreliable connection. It's unacceptable that it breaks several times a day.

Basically i want to know, is there anything i can do at my end, and if not, what's the best way to go about getting someone at NTL to sort this out?

Re: It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

Have you contacted tech support?

Re: It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

Have a look under device properties and make sure the option to turn the device off to save power is not enabled.

Re: It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

Eliminates that possibility sadly.

Re: It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

^^ What he said.

Re: It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

its a hard one to diagnose because a power fluctuation could also be causing this, although if a reboot of the modem always fixes it, then chances are its not that.

sadly it took me ages to sort out my problem with NTL which did turn out to be a problem with the upstream.

I made sure NTL were aware of the problem from day one and I asked for a full 3 month refund which they gave when it was all fixed.

ring tech support and they will send someone over, probably wont fix it, but will at least get them to check that off their list... then you can badger them to provide a different modem....

good luck, we need the sm47 caps up without any hitches ;)

Re: It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

I'm quite scared that you've had to reboot your modem every day since March and it's now 3 months down the line and only now you're reporting it. This is a long-standing fault, but we can't sort it if we don't know about it!

0800 052 2000, go through the IVR and it'll offer you the option to report broadband faults, even a free call.

Probably not a hard one to diagnose I could most likely do it in 5 minutes, chances are tech support will be able to sort it in a few minutes too, at a guess you'll need an engineer to come visit to sort out upstream / return path power issue, possibly replace the modem if the return path is ok.

Re: It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

had the same problem get a tech team out to test your connection strenght from that silly green box out side your house thats is most likly the problem i had to find that the hard way fiddling with some utils and now have a filter on my cable line too reducing signal noise even further after explaining in full the problem to some1 over the phone i got some out to fix only takes 5mins to sort out too sorted!

Re: It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

The reason i'm asking here instead of phoning tech support is to find out if there's anything i can check at my end. I'd rather try something myself than risk the stress of waiting on hold, being passed from department to department, and then ending up, *potentially* with someone who hasn't got a clue, and can't help.

Either way, i'll call 'em up tomorrow and see if they can sort me out.

I haven't got a clue what you're on about. :P

Re: It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

i'll look for the diagnostic utils i used to find out the problem if u give me a sec.
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here it is m8 lots of stuff on there but very hard core to understand

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d.h.walker/cmtips/

thank me later :P

Re: It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

I sympathise with you
I tried to get a problem resolved and didn't call, I emailed them and had no response, so I had to call
I ended up getting passed to 5 different departments, then back to the original one, where eventually, I got my problem sorted

Re: It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

make things simple see if this help its the direct link to the page i used http://homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d...ps/signal.html
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well one thing is for sure ntl phone support stinks
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btw if u have a set top box for your connection not a cable modem there is a combo on the remote to access the diagnostic screen i think its page up then down then press the blue button but not sure the tech guys know what its is here i'm sure :)

Re: It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

After the bother i had actually getting CONNECTED with NTL... :)

I'll post back tomorrow and tell y'all the outcome.

Re: It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

yeah thats the right sequence and there are some gals round here that know as well ;)

it's only the ex cable & wireless areas that have the stb connection, anything other is always cable modem :)

Re: It's really getting on my nerves now...
 

On the phone just now. 33 minutes and counting.

Putting me on hold, and asking me the same stuff over and over again.

"phone us back the next time it happens" - and if it's outside the hours the call centre's open? (didn't have an answer for that one)

"power levels look fine" - And? I don't want to know what the problem ISN'T. I don't even care what it IS, i want it fixed. Grrr...

After being told several times it happens whether via ethernet or USB, he puts me on hold for 5 minutes then comes back and asks whether it happens via usb and ethernet...

He keeps telling me that if he sends out an engineer and they don't find a problem with the modem they'll charge me £100. That'll be shining bright. It's intermittent, ffs.

I don't have trouble with any other USB or ethernet device, and never have. I didn't have trouble with my ethernet DSL modem. I have trouble with this ambit 200, via ethernet or USB, and so do many other people. What's so hard to understand about that?

37 minutes...
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FINALLY, a technician booked for tomorrow AM.

Will this solve my problem? I've heard of people needed several tech visits before the problem is rectified.

Either way, if they think they're stinging me for a ton...