Firmware downgraded to 0002 overnight and still the same problems, possible worse, but that might just be solar flares or something
Eventually got NTL to replace the modem. First thing the engineer said was "the incoming signal is too high and tripping the modem and to call if it happened again and he'd replace the modem"..he put an attenuator on the line...he'd only just driven away and it died. Then had to go through the hell of explaining the problem to CS again, and then had to wait on hold all in all for 45 minutes. Apparently they HAD to get the same engineer out, so it was more difficult than getting just any engineer to come back. 2 days later a different engineer came out anyway. And he concluded eventually that the modem needed replacing...but he didn't have one with him, so had to drive to go and get one...ffs, does no information get updated on any calls we log? Anyway the result: modem replaced with small blue modem (dunno model and cba to look). And not one single outage all day.
FINALLY!!! Only took 2 weeks, and several calls to NTL, and having to listen to them blaming my Linux firewall, even though I explained it did the same when I plugged the modem directly into PC. It must be the PC then they said.
Grrr....thank God that's over - and I'm an agnostic!