having issues with slow internet

[loki993]

ok I found this site by searching the internet for info about my cable modem. anyway hi everybody.

so now heres my problem. Ill start from the top I guess. about 2 weeks ago my internet got noticibly slow. page loading is normally basically instant and when it slowed down it was basically unusable, other times it would just completly drop the connection, finally it culminated when the internet finally died completly and didnt come back. I had the cable tech come out and he said the problem was the box where the cable originated from. more tech came out and they fixed it, sort of. the cable was faster, but was still noticably slower than it had been. I dealt for about a week, it would be especially bad at night, the finally I came home, the internet was down again and now the cable was not working either, the non digital channels still came through, but they had a lot of static and the audio was almost not there. I had a tech come out again and finally he said that maybe it was the line that was bad, made sense, he ran a new line. everything was fine. cable was back, internet was fast. that was 2 days ago. I left the house, yesterday, I was on the internet before I left it was fast. when I got home 3 hours later it was slow. called the company again, got a tech out today, he checked the cable modem and sayd the powerlevel was too high. now were getting somewhere. he went to the main splitter and moved some wires. I think he changed the cable from a 7db plug to a 3db one??? not sure does that make sense, he said it should be better and it was, the internet was fast again. fast foward to a couple of hours agi when we get home from being out. the GF gets on to check a few things, sloow again. the tech told me that the power level on the cable modem should not go above 55 or the inter net will be slow. when he left it was at 53. I checked after she got off its at 56.4. I was messing arould trying to find info and the internet got really fast again, I checked the modem, sure enough 53 and change, 30 secs later its slow again, check 56.4. so it seems the power level on my modem is fluctuating. if its 53 its fine, if its 56 its slow. there is no rhyme or reason to it I can see. this was not a problem until about 2 weeks ago, everything was fine and fast before then, we had no problems. does anybody have any Ideas is there anything I can do. Ill post the levels im showing right now the modem is an RCA model DCM425C, I have comcast cable in florida. dont know which ones are important so Ill post all:

foward path:
signal aquired at 645.000MHz
SNR: 38.0dB, this one fluctuates a tad
Recieved Signal Strength: -5.1 dBmV, this also fluctuates a tad
Bit Error Rate: 0.000%
modulation: 256 QAM

I suspect the minor fluctuations are normal for the SNR and the signal strength

Return Path:
Connection: Aquired
Frequency: 32.0 MHz
Power Level:56.3 dBmV
channel id: 4
modulation: 16 QAM

Like I said the tech Told my the power level was the problem. he this modem is very funny about it and it needs to be under 55 or it will be slow. any help would be appriciated. thanks.

 

[loki993]

just an update went to bed, I am checking the internet now and here are the numbers (the ones that have changed):

SNR: 37.2 , last night it fluctuated between about 37.7 and 38.2
recieved signal strength: -7.6dBmV fluctuateing up or down .1
Pwoer Level: 51.8 dBmV

and we seem fast. I know it will go back above 55 eventually and be slow again, just dont know when.

 

[f61]

I know this is an older thread, but my first time in this section. There are a few things to try:

1) The problem might stem from being oversubscribed in your local loop of cable access. Noise is the obvious sign of heavy traffic. Since the Service guys have actually been running around, and offering tidbits of info, ask them about subscription rates in your area, and inquire as to WHEN (not if) they will subdivide the loop. NOTE: DSL does not have this problem, but then again, you might get either 3 or 6 MB for the same $$$.

2.) The cable modem is a POS el-cheapo. This is what happens when Mr. Cable wants profits.

3.) You live in a high heat, high humidity environment... the bane of all telecom wiring including CATV. How's your CATV working? Bright sharp clear picture on ALL channels (esp. the high-numbers)?

4.) The NIC chip on your computer's motherboard might be connected to the PCI data pipeline. Bad bandwith and generally poorer results. Ideally, you want the NIC chip to be on the PCI-e data pipeline.

5.) Have you considered an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) device. Many of the newer ones also clean up the telephone and cable connexions, in addition to your 117V power lines (you want the computer, monitor, telephone, and cable inputs all connected to this). BUT, that will NOT cure any Cable Co. problems outside of your system. Living in FLA, this UPS is a MUST.

so theres five off the top of my head, anyone else ?

f61