Internet connection problems and: how do you connect to the internet?

[Dis]

I'm having a lot of trouble with my cable modem. I think it may be trouble with the lines running in my neighborhood which are old, and I've had problems with regular tv viewing sometimes.

My connection will slow down and/or stop. Then later the cable light on my cable modem will start flashing indicating it's out. Then it will flash quickly and come back. it's been doing this every 5 minutes or so. At least in the afternoons when I've been posting. Is there any kind of diagnostic I can run to see what the problem is?

how can I efficiently spam when my internet connection is down every 5 minutes? It took me almost 5 minutes to submit my last post. I'm trying to type this one quickly before it goes down again.

I should call and complain. I can't believe I'm paying $30 a month for this crap. I'm thinking about getting DSL though. Yeah I made a thread last year asking about this. But I really don't know anything about DSL. Do they have to run any special lines, or can they use telephone lines? I'm a bit confused about this.

I even tried going to dial up last year. But it had been so long, I couldn't figure out how to get it running. At least I wouldn't be paying a high price for an internet connection, but be paying minimal price for an internet connection.

But I do want something reasonably fast so I can download music still.

edit: in the time it took to type this message my internet went down again.

I'm so pissed off right now. I may not be posting a while until I get this sorted out. But this time I won't make the mistake of cancelling my internet connection until I get another one lined up first.

[Thorn]

Could it be DIS because somebody here might be doing denial of service attacks on your IP address.... hehe.........

[Jonny]

Re: Internet connection problems and: how do you connect to the internet?

Originally posted by Dis
My connection will slow down and/or stop. Then later the cable light on my cable modem will start flashing indicating it's out. Then it will flash quickly and come back. it's been doing this every 5 minutes or so. At least in the afternoons when I've been posting. Is there any kind of diagnostic I can run to see what the problem is?

I've experienced the same problem recently with such "inconsistent" connections -- it's here one minute, gone the next. Usually in the afternoons, too, but it's not happening as much as it once did.

Your ISP wouldn't happen to be Comcast, would it?

[Koyaanisqatsi]

It happens to me, too. Or I'll randomly lose my IP and have a new one assigned, interrupting anything I have running that requires a constant connection. The only way I've solved it is cycling the cable modem.

(ISP is Adelphia, a pox on their collective houses.)

[Imran Siddiqui]

Call and complain. Sometimes it may be a problem with the line, or just disconnecting the modem and connecting it again can help. The person on the phone line can help.

Your ISP wouldn't happen to be Comcast, would it?

Mine is

I can't remember the last time my connection was 'dropped'.

[Kuciwalker]

Re: Internet connection problems and: how do you connect to the internet?

IPoAC

[Urban Ranger]

The thing about cable modem is you share the trunk with a bunch of people. So even though you get a higher connection speed on paper, your actual speed could be very low.

DSL doesn't have this problem, and it uses regular phone lines (at least when it goes into a flat). Though some broadband is actually a strange form of LAN, so you need a cat4 or cat5 cable for that.

[Thorn]

UR did you get my PM?

[Gatekeeper]

Call and complain. Sometimes it may be a problem with the line, or just disconnecting the modem and connecting it again can help. The person on the phone line can help.

That's a good one, Imran.

Most of the time, when I call my provider's customer service department, they run a few remote checks, then sign me up for a technician's visit. Invariably, as I live in an apartment complex, the problem is somewhere within the complex or within a block or two of it.

That fact doesn't stop the CS folks from usually saying, "It must be something with your computer or in your apartment." HA! You'd think they'd keep records in CS showing that, no, the problem is outside of my apartment.

It pops up every three months or so, which means I'm lucky, according to the experiences on this thread.

I like the technicians, though. They're professional and friendly. The CS reps are OK, too, but they don't know squat compared to the field techs.

Gatekeeper

P.S. And why, whenever I type, does the text box in the "quick reply" flash? It only does this at 'Poly, and only since OTBOT's demise.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It's taking a picture of your post... for future reference.

[Gatekeeper]

Uh-oh. Orwell's "2006", I presume?

[Dis]

Originally posted by Koyaanisqatsi
It happens to me, too. Or I'll randomly lose my IP and have a new one assigned, interrupting anything I have running that requires a constant connection. The only way I've solved it is cycling the cable modem.

(ISP is Adelphia, a pox on their collective houses.)

interesting. This has seemed to work for me. Knocks on wood.

I unplugged it and plugged it back in.

One possible cause is I don't leave my modem on all the time anymore, which I used to do. It's connected to my power strip which I turn off when I turn my computer off. And my computer starts up real fast now, even before my cable modem is done initializing.

But my light hasn't went out since I did this. *keeps fingers crossed*

[Dis]

now I can commence massive spamming.

[Dis]

now it went out again.

maybe I need a new cable modem. Or a new ISP.

[Jon Miller]

Can you play turns? Go to the Vox forum!

JM