Problems with modem - Page 2

KevAmiga · 01-09-2005, 08:43

PM me the mac address.

Kev

Saneboy13 · 01-09-2005, 08:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by levig

Okay this has happened again to me now and am really getting peed off with it now.

if there are any NTL guys around later on could you help me out with this as my phone wasnt working either last night and had to resort to using my mobile to call NTL (for which I am going to bill them)

If you need any details I got everything with me IE mac address and stuff like that.

Thanks

Hi Levig,

As others have said, your levels are way off what they should be. You should be getting between -4 and +4 for the modem to work at optimum performance. Transmit levels are that that it will just keep dropping off line all the time.

It could be a poor connection along the line to your modem, or it could be a Network issue. I know the answer isn't one I would often offer people, but is there an attenuator on the back of the modem? if there is it should be square or round. If indeed there is one on it just remove it and see what happens. Also just make sure the connection to the back of the modem is nice and secure.

Give that a whirl and let me know how you get on. If you want more advice, either post on the forum or send me a pm. I am on the road today, so I will check back sometime during the day, okay?

DocDutch · 01-09-2005, 08:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saneboy13

Hi Levig,

As others have said, your levels are way off what they should be. You should be getting between -4 and +4 for the modem to work at optimum performance. Transmit levels are that that it will just keep dropping off line all the time.

It could be a poor connection along the line to your modem, or it could be a Network issue. I know the answer isn't one I would often offer people, but is there an attenuator on the back of the modem? if there is it should be square or round. If indeed there is one on it just remove it and see what happens. Also just make sure the connection to the back of the modem is nice and secure.

Give that a whirl and let me know how you get on. If you want more advice, either post on the forum or send me a pm. I am on the road today, so I will check back sometime during the day, okay?

Saneboy, last thursday I had an engineer around and he took that off, after that he went to the "green box" and change the signal strengh and after that the SNR was around 30 to 40 which was okay.

jaycee · 01-09-2005, 10:19

If your phone failed, ring faults and inform them you lost all your services. This is most likely a dying mux or line card, so they'll move you onto a new bank.

DocDutch · 01-09-2005, 10:59

Jaycee, my phone is okay again, came back after phoning NTL for 20 mins on my mobile (sods law you phone for that and it fixes itself)

if it would be a MUX or line card thats dead then my digital would've died as well if I'm correct as both of those come from the same card.

fudge · 01-09-2005, 11:03

I had the same problem where my BB conection kept dropping , then all of a sudden it dropped and would not come back .

An engineer came out and he went on to a screen on the tv where he checked out the signall strength and found it to low, he did something to the green box and everything (touch wood ) has been ok ever since.

jaycee · 01-09-2005, 11:03

It's possible for them to be intermittent. It also depends on your installation, you may have 2 pulls of co-ax for each service. Best report your telephony issue to faults and explain to the engineer that youre losing your cable signal also

Saneboy13 · 01-09-2005, 11:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaycee

If your phone failed, ring faults and inform them you lost all your services. This is most likely a dying mux or line card, so they'll move you onto a new bank.

That's a hell of a sweeping statement

. There are other possibilities of a phone problem, not just a MUX! There could be an intermittant earth or short on the line, it could be an extension dragging the line down, it could be faulty jelly crimps or a bad krone in the cabinets.

To just say "It's the MUX dying" is no help to man nor beast

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by levig

Jaycee, my phone is okay again, came back after phoning NTL for 20 mins on my mobile (sods law you phone for that and it fixes itself)

if it would be a MUX or line card thats dead then my digital would've died as well if I'm correct as both of those come from the same card.

Sorry Levig, not right there I am sorry!

CATV and Telco are a seperate entity. One uses COAX the other uses Twisted pair cable. Although they both come to the external box on your property, they are both individual in their own right

DocDutch · 01-09-2005, 11:56

Saneboy, do you have any idea in what I could do to try to get my bb working again at the moment, or might it be something in the cabinet?

Saneboy13 · 01-09-2005, 12:03

Not from what you have told me I am sorry. If you still had the attenuator I would have suggested whipping that off for short term fix. It's defo. a Return Path Network Issue, which needs a Network tech. to attend

DocDutch · 01-09-2005, 12:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saneboy13

Not from what you have told me I am sorry. If you still had the attenuator I would have suggested whipping that off for short term fix. It's defo. a Return Path Network Issue, which needs a Network tech. to attend

if I had that thing then I would plug it in..the last engineer took that off and with him as well.....so unfortunatly thats not possible...any other things I might try?

strange thing is sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt and thats been over the last couple of weeks now

Saneboy13 · 01-09-2005, 14:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by levig

if I had that thing then I would plug it in..the last engineer took that off and with him as well.....so unfortunatly thats not possible...any other things I might try?

strange thing is sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt and thats been over the last couple of weeks now

That's the problem with return path. When it's transmitting on the threshold it could work for weeks, then all it takes is a slight shift somewhere along the line and *poof* the thing falls over.

I am afraid to say you will need an engineer back out to see what's happening on the return path

DocDutch · 02-09-2005, 05:19

well online again for a change.....

Type : Ambit ETH/USB Combo Cable Modem
Cable modem : Ambit Cable Modem
MAC address :
IP address :
Downstream Receive Power Level : -2.24 dBmv
Downstream SNR : 31.00 dB
Upstream Transmit Power Level : 57.50 dBmv

02-09-2005, 12:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by levig

well online again for a change.....

Type : Ambit ETH/USB Combo Cable Modem
Cable modem : Ambit Cable Modem
MAC address :
IP address :
Downstream Receive Power Level : -2.24 dBmv
Downstream SNR : 31.00 dB
Upstream Transmit Power Level : 57.50 dBmv

Upstream power looks a bit high though, I had loads of drop outs when mine was that high.

jaycee · 02-09-2005, 12:58

Does only the RDY light go out when you lose connection?

My own upstream level is 52dBmV, but much past 55dBmV is asking for trouble I think. Temperature change quite often affects the amount of upstream power needed, so you find on cold days it'll work and then on hot days it'll fall over, or vice versa.
__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saneboy13

That's a hell of a sweeping statement

. There are other possibilities of a phone problem, not just a MUX! There could be an intermittant earth or short on the line, it could be an extension dragging the line down, it could be faulty jelly crimps or a bad krone in the cabinets.

To just say "It's the MUX dying" is no help to man nor beast

I guess so, I had an intermittent telephony fault on Telewest when I lived with my parents, it was murder and only happened after 9pm. It took me 4 engineer callouts and an argument with Faults to get a senior engineer to come out, who decided the MUX was farked and changed me over.

Line shorts normally trip the safety circuits on the mux though, which means you get no dialtone at all until an engineer comes out (or perhaps they can do it remotely?)

POTS is rubbish anyway... roll on VoIP