Power levels?

Got a little question to ask. My downstream power level has been slowly getting higher over the weeks, I used to hold around the lower end of -3 but I have been getting power levels of -4.2 and growing to date im getting -5.4 but it bounces between -4.8 & -5.4 everytime I click refresh.

I did for a couple of days get disconnects a couple of weeks ago but this has stopped so im not too worried about it I'll just keep checking every week to see how it goes. I think I read somewhere the norm is between +3 & -3 is this correct and do I need to be worried about anything?

Just don't really want to wake up one morning to find no BB and end up waiting a week for an engineer. I love my computer too much and could not live without it!

(I need to get out more)

[ailean]

Unless you've got an attenuator (sp) on the back of your modem there's little you can do about power levels, not sure if NTL will send an engineer out untill you start to have problems but take it from me xmas is not a good time to have an NTL service go west (they gave my phone line to someone else last year then tried to charge me for all the sudden international calls! )

If it does have issues and you do have a little extra plug or two on the coax cable connecting to it you can try taking one off, they are normally colour coded with a number (e.g. -2db, -3db). I've had to do this before when levels droped, it's the first thing an engineer does anyway, just check the levels afterwards to make sure they are okay and do it by the smallest amounts first.

If you have non then it'll need an engineer to boost the power either from the box outside or the one down the road.

There's a sticky topic in these forums with expected values, I need to check mine soon as it's been a while.

PS This is at your own risk cos I ain't no expert or nuffin or like from NTL or stuff.

I ain't too worried about it I just wanted to see if it was normal or not. It all seems to be working fine so I ain't going to bother calling CS.

and nope I have nothing on my cable it plugs simply into the back of the modem. My setup is as follows, 1M cable coming from main ntl socket located on my living room wall and that goes to a two way spliter which indicates a 3.5db loss. Two cables leaving the spliter one going into my samsung STB located in the livingroom about a foot away from the spliter and the second cable goes to my upstairs back bedroom via outdoors and is approx 10M in length. This 10M cable was ex sky cable that the engineer used as I guess it saved him a job of doing a re-run. Anyway that ends on a standard f-type socket and a 2M cable is plugged into that and the other end straight into the modem.

I am having a second STB installed on friday in the bedroom so they will prob split the cable in the back bedroom too. So I had better check my levels before I let the engineer leave.

Hmmm my power level is now at -6.8 still creeping up think I'm going to end up having problems!

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Originally Posted by acoolwelshbloke

I love my computer too much and could not live without it!

how would you survive without your whinge outlet

Good god your right, if things go T*TS up I will have to start talking to the wife again!

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Originally Posted by acoolwelshbloke

Good god your right, if things go T*TS up I will have to start talking to the wife again!

dont forget to take these off first

http://www.bose.co.uk/noise_reduction/qc2_headphones/

:lol:

[ailean]

Just make sure you get the engineer to check all the power levels after fitting the additional stb. They *should* do this anyway but it can depend on how much of a hurry they are in.

They can do this with a little test box but if you leave your PC on at the time you can double check it on the modem when it's reconnected.

And if you do all this before signing the paperwork then they can't leave till your happy!

Ok just had my second STB installed and two problems, 1 is my power level has risen to -10.2 that is according to my modem and my box has not been activated not to mention I had problems with err5 being displayed on the front screen of the pace box?

The engineer did not check the powerlevels at all he refused and he also refused to wait until the box had booted up cause if he had he would have seen the box had an error!

Sign paperwork???????

They don't get you to sign anything!

He also refused to call and register my second box while in the room as me so I guess im going to have to spend a week on the phone again to CS with the usual reply give it 48 hours!

Ohhhh I managed to get rid of the err5 after several reboots and a few kicks!

---------- Post added at 15:53 ---------- Previous post was at 15:37 ----------

just done several speed tests and it shows my speed at being around 1MB - 3Mb

Update:
Just called customer services and downgraded my BB back to the two meg service. Now getting around 2MB, Don't see the point in paying near £40 for a BB service when their speeds are hiting around 1MB even less at times..

[ailean]

That's pretty bad!
Either installs are a lot different in you're area or they've gone way down hill since my last one. It has always been a bit hit and miss depending on who turns up and how much of a rush they are in but adding an addition load onto a signal without even checking levels or waiting to see if it works is dire.