NTL Tech support, BRING BACK SWANSEA!!!

t12345 · 06-12-2005, 23:32

I just spoke to tech support in India as since the 10mbit upgrade I have been getting sluggish loading of sites and my speed has never hit anything above 5mbps with an Ambit 120 modem.
I just read the thing about signal levels and checked mine out....
Type : Ambit ETH/USB Combo Cable Modem
Cable modem : Ambit Cable Modem
MAC address :
IP address :
Downstream Receive Power Level : 13.30 dBmv
Downstream SNR : 30.14 dB
Upstream Transmit Power Level : 27.00 dBmv

My Downstream Receive Power Level used to be about 0 to 3dBmv not more than a month ago, I swear it.

The guy on the phone does a test in under a minute and says it shows him +2.5dBmv. So whose lieing? Him or my CM?

I need to get this sorted as its driving my loopy...
My 3mbit service was a lot nippier than this is and I been a customers for nearly 6 yrs.

Anyone got any advice or help please?

**Paul** · 06-12-2005, 23:35

afaik, Swansea is still there .....

carlingman · 06-12-2005, 23:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by t12345

I just spoke to tech support in India as since the 10mbit upgrade I have been getting sluggish loading of sites and my speed has never hit anything above 5mbps with an Ambit 120 modem.
I just read the thing about signal levels and checked mine out....
Type : Ambit ETH/USB Combo Cable Modem
Cable modem : Ambit Cable Modem
MAC address :
IP address :
Downstream Receive Power Level : 13.30 dBmv
Downstream SNR : 30.14 dB
Upstream Transmit Power Level : 27.00 dBmv

My Downstream Receive Power Level used to be about 0 to 3dBmv not more than a month ago, I swear it.

The guy on the phone does a test in under a minute and says it shows him +2.5dBmv. So whose lieing? Him or my CM?

I need to get this sorted as its driving my loopy...
My 3mbit service was a lot nippier than this is and I been a customers for nearly 6 yrs.

Anyone got any advice or help please?

Bear in mind the diagnostics are a snap shot at the time they are taken and can fluctuate.

But one thing you need to do is edit your IP Address and MAC Address out.

Not a good idea to post them on a public forum.

quadplay · 06-12-2005, 23:41

Swansea are still there - there are just far more techs in India these days.

Also, the power level you get at your end will be different to the power level the tech sees (whether he/she happens to be in Swansea or Delhi). Both readings are towards the top end of what they should be, however - you probably need some attenuation on that signal at your end.

Having said that, both your SNR and return path values are fine - it may just be local congestion which should be eased within a couple of weeks by the automatic rebalancing scripts.

t12345 · 06-12-2005, 23:42

Damn quick responses tonight.

So what changed? Its been installed for 2 and a half years... last week they upgrade me and it all goes to ****.

quadplay · 06-12-2005, 23:44

It's unlikely to be connected to the speed upgrade, more work in your local cabinet (or one of the bigger cabinets feeding it) if your power level has increased.

I'd ring TS again - and don't mention the power level!

Chicken · 06-12-2005, 23:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by t12345

..last week they upgrade me and it all goes to ****.

Along with the rest of NTL "service"

t12345 · 07-12-2005, 00:05

And then they did the whole "Linux? we dont support linux, (yes i can dump this call now) and i can no longer support you." But its not the OS thats the problem... grrrr first second and third line support should be in swansea/newport

---------- Post added at 23:47 ---------- Previous post was at 23:45 ----------

I only mentioned the power levels after they said there was no problems and it must be my PC... I am a network and systems tech for a living dealing with clusters and the like... and they were about to start telling me about virii and adware slowing my pc down....

---------- Post added at 00:05 ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 23:47 ----------

Its as though its pausing for a split second to verify...

grubbymitts · 07-12-2005, 07:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by t12345

Its as though its pausing for a split second to verify...

Yeah, I get that on my normal proxy (baguley one), change to a different proxy and it seems to fix it for a while. I haven't bothered to phone TS yet (still on 2mb anyway) as I know that last time I phoned the bloke (english fellow) said "Oh you're running too many apps" - erm, it's been fine for the last 12 months with all these apps running. I look outside and there's an NTL man eating a bacon butty in his van, so I ask him if he knows of any problems, and yes there are some in the area and they are fixing them.

So the pausing is probably a transparent proxy problem. But it is very annoying.

t12345 · 07-12-2005, 08:14

Got a list of ones in midlands? I use Lichfield UBR so probably the birmingham proxy...

And it seems to ahve gone up again...

Downstream Receive Power Level : 13.90 dBmv
Downstream SNR : 30.37 dB
Upstream Transmit Power Level : 27.00 dBmv

And yes it fluctuates but stays within 0.10dBmv of what I have listed every time.

grubbymitts · 07-12-2005, 08:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by t12345

Got a list of ones in midlands? I use Lichfield UBR so probably the birmingham proxy...

And it seems to ahve gone up again...

Downstream Receive Power Level : 13.90 dBmv
Downstream SNR : 30.37 dB
Upstream Transmit Power Level : 27.00 dBmv

And yes it fluctuates but stays within 0.10dBmv of what I have listed every time.

Proxy list:
http://cableforum.co.uk/forum/article.php?a=10

eek...I thought my power levels were high/low at -7

handyman · 07-12-2005, 09:27

as far as I know the levels are 0 to -15. 0 being what it should be as close as possible too.

And sabs/blue tools/orange tools whatever they use nowadays always gives different results to those measured at the modem but if you know what you are looking for it does not matter.

quadplay · 07-12-2005, 09:46

The modems are specified to work between -15dBmV and +15dBmV, however problems can start to occur outside the range -5 to +5. 0 is, as you say, the best figure.

BBKing · 07-12-2005, 10:27

Quote:

The guy on the phone does a test in under a minute and says it shows him +2.5dBmv. So whose lieing? Him or my CM?

Neither of you - he can't see your modem's figures and you can't see the UBR's figures. Neither of you can see the full picture, unfortunately. There are five readings that matter (plus some others that are rather useful). As far as power levels received go there's an upstream and downstream one. The CM reports the downstream one (which should be roughly -8 to +8 actually, but between the 15s is usually fine too) and the UBR reports the upstream one.

Quote:

if you know what you are looking for it does not matter.

It does actually, I've been trying to get something done about this for years.

Chrysalis · 07-12-2005, 16:16

my downstream power level is -11 and thats after the boost from the engineer so must have been bad before he came.