Cable Modem Issue

[Guest]

I have a friend who has a cable modem for inernet access. He loses the
connection once every 1-2 weeks. He has to power cycle his modem every time
this happens. The cable company (COMCAST) has told him that is his router,
so last week I changed routers for him and, six days later, he loses his
connection again. The cable company seems to be leading him around. I
thought maybe somebody out on this board might be familiar with the problem.
It has become a real sore spot with this guy. Any ideas?

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

I have a friend who has a cable modem for inernet access. He loses
the connection once every 1-2 weeks. He has to power cycle his modem
every time this happens. The cable company (COMCAST) has told him
that is his router, so last week I changed routers for him and, six
days later, he loses his connection again. The cable company seems
to be leading him around. I thought maybe somebody out on this board
might be familiar with the problem. It has become a real sore spot
with this guy. Any ideas?

Does power-cycling the modem itself (and not the router) fix this? When this
happens (Internet outage) can he still ping the router's LAN IP/work
normally on his own network?
If this is happening with two routers, it really sounds like they're just
passing the buck. See if you can escalate the call. .... your friend should
buy you a nice bottle of wine for this, btw. ;-)

 

[Kenneth]

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:14:50 -0500, "Lanwench [MVP -
Exchange]"

In

Does power-cycling the modem itself (and not the router) fix this? When this
happens (Internet outage) can he still ping the router's LAN IP/work
normally on his own network?
If this is happening with two routers, it really sounds like they're just
passing the buck. See if you can escalate the call. .... your friend should
buy you a nice bottle of wine for this, btw. ;-)

Howdy,

I had similar problems with my Comcast supplied cable modem.

I called, insisted that it was a modem problem, and they
sent a gentleman out with a new modem within a day.

All the best,

 

[Phillip Windell]

Yes,..they are leading him around.

--
Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com
-----------------------------------------------------
Understanding the ISA 2004 Access Rule Processing
http://www.isaserver.org/articles/ISA2004_AccessRules.html

Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server: Guidance
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/techinfo/Guidance/2004.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/techinfo/Guidance/2000.asp

Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server: Partners
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/partners/default.asp

Deployment Guidelines for ISA Server 2004 Enterprise Edition
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/isa/2004/deploy/dgisaserver.mspx

 

[Guest]

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:14:50 -0500, "Lanwench [MVP -
Exchange]"

In

Does power-cycling the modem itself (and not the router) fix this? When this
happens (Internet outage) can he still ping the router's LAN IP/work
normally on his own network?
If this is happening with two routers, it really sounds like they're just
passing the buck. See if you can escalate the call. .... your friend should
buy you a nice bottle of wine for this, btw. ;-)

Howdy,

I had similar problems with my Comcast supplied cable modem.

I called, insisted that it was a modem problem, and they
sent a gentleman out with a new modem within a day.

All the best,

I am pretty sure has said that he had the LAN still. Every time that he
called them the process included turning everything off modem and router.
Then booting modem and then router. I have been assuring him that the modem
was probably the problem.

He had a Comcast tech to his house and the guy replaced the modem, but for
some reason he indicated that the modem was not the problem and switched them
back. I was not there so I cannot vouch for anything that actually happened.


They called him yesterday and told him that for $150 plus a $10 a month
increase they would supply him with a modem/router.

I have one more nugget of info that does seem strange. He lost his
connection again tonight. He started up the PC and immediately got onto the
internet and went to his e-mail. After a couple of minutes, no internet. He
repaired his connection on the desktop no problem. Tried to get on, no
internet. Rebooted his PC, the internet works. I do not know where this
could possibly fit into the existing situation, but I wantd to get it out
there in case it has any bearing on the issue.

Thanks!

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:14:50 -0500, "Lanwench [MVP -
Exchange]"

In David Langschied <[email protected]> typed:
I have a friend who has a cable modem for inernet access. He loses
the connection once every 1-2 weeks. He has to power cycle his
modem every time this happens. The cable company (COMCAST) has
told him that is his router, so last week I changed routers for
him and, six days later, he loses his connection again. The cable
company seems to be leading him around. I thought maybe somebody
out on this board might be familiar with the problem. It has
become a real sore spot with this guy. Any ideas?

Does power-cycling the modem itself (and not the router) fix this?
When this happens (Internet outage) can he still ping the router's
LAN IP/work normally on his own network?
If this is happening with two routers, it really sounds like
they're just passing the buck. See if you can escalate the call.
.... your friend should buy you a nice bottle of wine for this,
btw. ;-)

Howdy,

I had similar problems with my Comcast supplied cable modem.

I called, insisted that it was a modem problem, and they
sent a gentleman out with a new modem within a day.

All the best,

I am pretty sure has said that he had the LAN still. Every time that
he called them the process included turning everything off modem and
router. Then booting modem and then router. I have been assuring him
that the modem was probably the problem.

He had a Comcast tech to his house and the guy replaced the modem,
but for some reason he indicated that the modem was not the problem
and switched them back. I was not there so I cannot vouch for
anything that actually happened.


They called him yesterday and told him that for $150 plus a $10 a
month increase they would supply him with a modem/router.

I have one more nugget of info that does seem strange. He lost his
connection again tonight. He started up the PC and immediately got
onto the internet and went to his e-mail. After a couple of minutes,
no internet. He repaired his connection on the desktop no problem.
Tried to get on, no internet. Rebooted his PC, the internet works.
I do not know where this could possibly fit into the existing
situation, but I wantd to get it out there in case it has any bearing
on the issue.

Thanks!

Without knowing exactly what happened, it's really hard to help here.
Your friend needs to learn how to use the ping command to test
connectivity....

First, ipconfig /all

Then, ping the default gateway.

Then, ping his DNS server IP.

Then, ping www.google.com or similar.

Need to find out where it fails - and of course, none of this will be useful
until he has problems again.

 

[Jay Somerset]

As a former Comcast customer, the symptoms sound very much like a problem I
had with a marginal signal from Comcast. The cable modem night be at fault,
but the symptoms point to the modem "losing" the signal intermittently.

When the tech came out, did he do a complete signal strength check? Outside
at the box, and inside at the modem?

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:14:50 -0500, "Lanwench [MVP -
Exchange]"

In David Langschied <[email protected]> typed:
I have a friend who has a cable modem for inernet access. He loses
the connection once every 1-2 weeks. He has to power cycle his modem
every time this happens. The cable company (COMCAST) has told him
that is his router, so last week I changed routers for him and, six
days later, he loses his connection again. The cable company seems
to be leading him around. I thought maybe somebody out on this board
might be familiar with the problem. It has become a real sore spot
with this guy. Any ideas?

Does power-cycling the modem itself (and not the router) fix this? When this
happens (Internet outage) can he still ping the router's LAN IP/work
normally on his own network?
If this is happening with two routers, it really sounds like they're just
passing the buck. See if you can escalate the call. .... your friend should
buy you a nice bottle of wine for this, btw. ;-)

Howdy,

I had similar problems with my Comcast supplied cable modem.

I called, insisted that it was a modem problem, and they
sent a gentleman out with a new modem within a day.

All the best,

I am pretty sure has said that he had the LAN still. Every time that he
called them the process included turning everything off modem and router.
Then booting modem and then router. I have been assuring him that the modem
was probably the problem.

He had a Comcast tech to his house and the guy replaced the modem, but for
some reason he indicated that the modem was not the problem and switched them
back. I was not there so I cannot vouch for anything that actually happened.


They called him yesterday and told him that for $150 plus a $10 a month
increase they would supply him with a modem/router.

I have one more nugget of info that does seem strange. He lost his
connection again tonight. He started up the PC and immediately got onto the
internet and went to his e-mail. After a couple of minutes, no internet. He
repaired his connection on the desktop no problem. Tried to get on, no
internet. Rebooted his PC, the internet works. I do not know where this
could possibly fit into the existing situation, but I wantd to get it out
there in case it has any bearing on the issue.

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

I have not had him use the ping command. He is not a well versed user. I
have told him to call me the next time and do nothing until I get there.
Using ping is good idea. It will certainly give me info that I don't
currently have.

In

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:14:50 -0500, "Lanwench [MVP -
Exchange]"
<[email protected]>
wrote:



In David Langschied <[email protected]> typed:
I have a friend who has a cable modem for inernet access. He loses
the connection once every 1-2 weeks. He has to power cycle his
modem every time this happens. The cable company (COMCAST) has
told him that is his router, so last week I changed routers for
him and, six days later, he loses his connection again. The cable
company seems to be leading him around. I thought maybe somebody
out on this board might be familiar with the problem. It has
become a real sore spot with this guy. Any ideas?

Does power-cycling the modem itself (and not the router) fix this?
When this happens (Internet outage) can he still ping the router's
LAN IP/work normally on his own network?
If this is happening with two routers, it really sounds like
they're just passing the buck. See if you can escalate the call.
.... your friend should buy you a nice bottle of wine for this,
btw. ;-)


Howdy,

I had similar problems with my Comcast supplied cable modem.

I called, insisted that it was a modem problem, and they
sent a gentleman out with a new modem within a day.

All the best,

I am pretty sure has said that he had the LAN still. Every time that
he called them the process included turning everything off modem and
router. Then booting modem and then router. I have been assuring him
that the modem was probably the problem.

He had a Comcast tech to his house and the guy replaced the modem,
but for some reason he indicated that the modem was not the problem
and switched them back. I was not there so I cannot vouch for
anything that actually happened.


They called him yesterday and told him that for $150 plus a $10 a
month increase they would supply him with a modem/router.

I have one more nugget of info that does seem strange. He lost his
connection again tonight. He started up the PC and immediately got
onto the internet and went to his e-mail. After a couple of minutes,
no internet. He repaired his connection on the desktop no problem.
Tried to get on, no internet. Rebooted his PC, the internet works.
I do not know where this could possibly fit into the existing
situation, but I wantd to get it out there in case it has any bearing
on the issue.

Thanks!

Without knowing exactly what happened, it's really hard to help here.
Your friend needs to learn how to use the ping command to test
connectivity....

First, ipconfig /all

Then, ping the default gateway.

Then, ping his DNS server IP.

Then, ping www.google.com or similar.

Need to find out where it fails - and of course, none of this will be useful
until he has problems again.

 

[Guest]

It is my understanding that both of these tests have been done. Can the
signal strength be fine at one time and reduce significantly later on? I
have DSL and I do occassional lose my internet, but is not very often, maybe
4-5 times a year. And, even then, usuallly due to weather conditions. I
know three people with Comcast and all have had connection issues at one time
or another.

As a former Comcast customer, the symptoms sound very much like a problem I
had with a marginal signal from Comcast. The cable modem night be at fault,
but the symptoms point to the modem "losing" the signal intermittently.

When the tech came out, did he do a complete signal strength check? Outside
at the box, and inside at the modem?

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:14:50 -0500, "Lanwench [MVP -
Exchange]"
<[email protected]>
wrote:



In David Langschied <[email protected]> typed:
I have a friend who has a cable modem for inernet access. He loses
the connection once every 1-2 weeks. He has to power cycle his modem
every time this happens. The cable company (COMCAST) has told him
that is his router, so last week I changed routers for him and, six
days later, he loses his connection again. The cable company seems
to be leading him around. I thought maybe somebody out on this board
might be familiar with the problem. It has become a real sore spot
with this guy. Any ideas?

Does power-cycling the modem itself (and not the router) fix this? When this
happens (Internet outage) can he still ping the router's LAN IP/work
normally on his own network?
If this is happening with two routers, it really sounds like they're just
passing the buck. See if you can escalate the call. .... your friend should
buy you a nice bottle of wine for this, btw. ;-)


Howdy,

I had similar problems with my Comcast supplied cable modem.

I called, insisted that it was a modem problem, and they
sent a gentleman out with a new modem within a day.

All the best,

I am pretty sure has said that he had the LAN still. Every time that he
called them the process included turning everything off modem and router.
Then booting modem and then router. I have been assuring him that the modem
was probably the problem.

He had a Comcast tech to his house and the guy replaced the modem, but for
some reason he indicated that the modem was not the problem and switched them
back. I was not there so I cannot vouch for anything that actually happened.


They called him yesterday and told him that for $150 plus a $10 a month
increase they would supply him with a modem/router.

I have one more nugget of info that does seem strange. He lost his
connection again tonight. He started up the PC and immediately got onto the
internet and went to his e-mail. After a couple of minutes, no internet. He
repaired his connection on the desktop no problem. Tried to get on, no
internet. Rebooted his PC, the internet works. I do not know where this
could possibly fit into the existing situation, but I wantd to get it out
there in case it has any bearing on the issue.

Thanks!

 

[Phillip Windell]

They called him yesterday and told him that for $150 plus a $10 a month
increase they would supply him with a modem/router.

Yea...I bet they would,...I would too at that price,...considering that such
a device can be bought for less than $100.

I have one more nugget of info that does seem strange. He lost his
connection again tonight. He started up the PC and immediately got onto the
internet and went to his e-mail. After a couple of minutes, no internet. He
repaired his connection on the desktop no problem. Tried to get on, no
internet. Rebooted his PC, the internet works.

I see big issues here or maybe just big confusion. The ISP never "sees" his
machine if it is behind a "router",...all they ever "see" is the
router,..nothing else.

The PC may lose it's address for some reason and "repairing the connection"
or rebooting the machine causes it to "refresh" the address. This has
nothing to do with the Internet,..the Internet is still *up* the whole
time,...the problem is the PC is not seeing the "router". Temporarily
disable the DHCP on the"router" and staticallty assign it to the PC and it
will probably not have any more difficulty.

The root of the problem is either:
1. the PC's Nic or Nic drive is causing a drop-out and loosing the IP# and
not gaining it back.
or
2. the "router's" DHCP service is "screwy" and undependable. Maybe flashing
an update to the Firmware may help, or just replace the thing.

You should be able to narrow it down by having two PC's on the LAN with
"automatic addressing". If the both "quit", then it is the "router",...if
only the one PC "quits" then it is the PC (nic, driver, whatever)

--
Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com
-----------------------------------------------------
Understanding the ISA 2004 Access Rule Processing
http://www.isaserver.org/articles/ISA2004_AccessRules.html

Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server: Guidance
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/techinfo/Guidance/2004.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/techinfo/Guidance/2000.asp

Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server: Partners
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/partners/default.asp

Deployment Guidelines for ISA Server 2004 Enterprise Edition
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/isa/2004/deploy/dgisaserver.mspx
-----------------------------------------------------

 

[Phillip Windell]

I don't think the connection ever went down,...I think what went down is the
connection between the PC and the router,...the Internet was still up the
whole time. See my other post...

--
Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com
-----------------------------------------------------
Understanding the ISA 2004 Access Rule Processing
http://www.isaserver.org/articles/ISA2004_AccessRules.html

Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server: Guidance
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/techinfo/Guidance/2004.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/techinfo/Guidance/2000.asp

Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server: Partners
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/partners/default.asp

Deployment Guidelines for ISA Server 2004 Enterprise Edition
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/isa/2004/deploy/dgisaserver.mspx
-----------------------------------------------------

It is my understanding that both of these tests have been done. Can the
signal strength be fine at one time and reduce significantly later on? I
have DSL and I do occassional lose my internet, but is not very often, maybe
4-5 times a year. And, even then, usuallly due to weather conditions. I
know three people with Comcast and all have had connection issues at one time
or another.

As a former Comcast customer, the symptoms sound very much like a problem I
had with a marginal signal from Comcast. The cable modem night be at fault,
but the symptoms point to the modem "losing" the signal intermittently.

When the tech came out, did he do a complete signal strength check? Outside
at the box, and inside at the modem?

:

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:14:50 -0500, "Lanwench [MVP -
Exchange]"
<[email protected]>
wrote:



In David Langschied <[email protected]> typed:
I have a friend who has a cable modem for inernet access. He loses
the connection once every 1-2 weeks. He has to power cycle his modem
every time this happens. The cable company (COMCAST) has told him
that is his router, so last week I changed routers for him and, six
days later, he loses his connection again. The cable company seems
to be leading him around. I thought maybe somebody out on this board
might be familiar with the problem. It has become a real sore spot
with this guy. Any ideas?

Does power-cycling the modem itself (and not the router) fix this? When this
happens (Internet outage) can he still ping the router's LAN IP/work
normally on his own network?
If this is happening with two routers, it really sounds like they're just
passing the buck. See if you can escalate the call. .... your friend should
buy you a nice bottle of wine for this, btw. ;-)


Howdy,

I had similar problems with my Comcast supplied cable modem.

I called, insisted that it was a modem problem, and they
sent a gentleman out with a new modem within a day.

All the best,
--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

I am pretty sure has said that he had the LAN still. Every time that he
called them the process included turning everything off modem and router.
Then booting modem and then router. I have been assuring him that the modem
was probably the problem.

He had a Comcast tech to his house and the guy replaced the modem, but for
some reason he indicated that the modem was not the problem and switched them
back. I was not there so I cannot vouch for anything that actually happened.


They called him yesterday and told him that for $150 plus a $10 a month
increase they would supply him with a modem/router.

I have one more nugget of info that does seem strange. He lost his
connection again tonight. He started up the PC and immediately got onto the
internet and went to his e-mail. After a couple of minutes, no internet. He
repaired his connection on the desktop no problem. Tried to get on, no
internet. Rebooted his PC, the internet works. I do not know where this
could possibly fit into the existing situation, but I wantd to get it out
there in case it has any bearing on the issue.

Thanks!

 

[Charlie Tame]

David, here's a suggestion.

If he's assuming that the connection is down because IE stops working tell
him to download and install FireFox so that he can confirm easily that it's
connection trouble rather than something weird with the browser.

There are so many potential problems out there with spyware and other junk
that patches have been arriving thick and fast and from a few posts in other
groups it seems as if some of them are "Breaking" IE's connectivity - not so
much because IE is being broken but because IE has been interfered with by
other things.

In any case this avoids one delaying tactic the ISP may use, namely "Are you
sure it's not the browser".

The problem with cable tech support is they will always have you power
"Everything" off so there is no diagnostic info related to any specific
device, they simply hope that if it starts working again you will go away

The reason I suggest FF is simply that it seems to coexist well enough with
everything else and most reports I've seen indicate that it's a fairly
simple and foolproof test that anyone can install and use. Just because
there's a bit of rivalry between browsers doesn't mean you can't have two.

I didn't see any mention of the lights on the modem. I'm kinda assuming the
lights confirm a dropped connection but are you sure about that or is it
just apparent connectivity?

Charlie

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:14:50 -0500, "Lanwench [MVP -
Exchange]"

In David Langschied <[email protected]> typed:
I have a friend who has a cable modem for inernet access. He loses
the connection once every 1-2 weeks. He has to power cycle his modem
every time this happens. The cable company (COMCAST) has told him
that is his router, so last week I changed routers for him and, six
days later, he loses his connection again. The cable company seems
to be leading him around. I thought maybe somebody out on this board
might be familiar with the problem. It has become a real sore spot
with this guy. Any ideas?

Does power-cycling the modem itself (and not the router) fix this? When
this
happens (Internet outage) can he still ping the router's LAN IP/work
normally on his own network?
If this is happening with two routers, it really sounds like they're
just
passing the buck. See if you can escalate the call. .... your friend
should
buy you a nice bottle of wine for this, btw. ;-)

Howdy,

I had similar problems with my Comcast supplied cable modem.

I called, insisted that it was a modem problem, and they
sent a gentleman out with a new modem within a day.

All the best,

I am pretty sure has said that he had the LAN still. Every time that he
called them the process included turning everything off modem and router.
Then booting modem and then router. I have been assuring him that the
modem
was probably the problem.

He had a Comcast tech to his house and the guy replaced the modem, but for
some reason he indicated that the modem was not the problem and switched
them
back. I was not there so I cannot vouch for anything that actually
happened.


They called him yesterday and told him that for $150 plus a $10 a month
increase they would supply him with a modem/router.

I have one more nugget of info that does seem strange. He lost his
connection again tonight. He started up the PC and immediately got onto
the
internet and went to his e-mail. After a couple of minutes, no internet.
He
repaired his connection on the desktop no problem. Tried to get on, no
internet. Rebooted his PC, the internet works. I do not know where this
could possibly fit into the existing situation, but I wantd to get it out
there in case it has any bearing on the issue.

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

I see your point on the refresh/reboot issue. This is just what happened the
last time around. In previous instances, there were two computers effected
by this issue and the router was replaced in an effort to eliminate it as a
possiblity. I do like the idea of removing the DHCP out of the loop, but
will this really help if the router is not the problem?

It cannot be said enough how helpful it is to chew these issues out in the
MS community. Thanks again!

They called him yesterday and told him that for $150 plus a $10 a month
increase they would supply him with a modem/router.

Yea...I bet they would,...I would too at that price,...considering that such
a device can be bought for less than $100.

I have one more nugget of info that does seem strange. He lost his
connection again tonight. He started up the PC and immediately got onto the
internet and went to his e-mail. After a couple of minutes, no internet. He
repaired his connection on the desktop no problem. Tried to get on, no
internet. Rebooted his PC, the internet works.

I see big issues here or maybe just big confusion. The ISP never "sees" his
machine if it is behind a "router",...all they ever "see" is the
router,..nothing else.

The PC may lose it's address for some reason and "repairing the connection"
or rebooting the machine causes it to "refresh" the address. This has
nothing to do with the Internet,..the Internet is still *up* the whole
time,...the problem is the PC is not seeing the "router". Temporarily
disable the DHCP on the"router" and staticallty assign it to the PC and it
will probably not have any more difficulty.

The root of the problem is either:
1. the PC's Nic or Nic drive is causing a drop-out and loosing the IP# and
not gaining it back.
or
2. the "router's" DHCP service is "screwy" and undependable. Maybe flashing
an update to the Firmware may help, or just replace the thing.

You should be able to narrow it down by having two PC's on the LAN with
"automatic addressing". If the both "quit", then it is the "router",...if
only the one PC "quits" then it is the PC (nic, driver, whatever)

--
Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com
-----------------------------------------------------
Understanding the ISA 2004 Access Rule Processing
http://www.isaserver.org/articles/ISA2004_AccessRules.html

Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server: Guidance
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/techinfo/Guidance/2004.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/techinfo/Guidance/2000.asp

Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server: Partners
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/partners/default.asp

Deployment Guidelines for ISA Server 2004 Enterprise Edition
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/isa/2004/deploy/dgisaserver.mspx

 

[Phillip Windell]

possiblity. I do like the idea of removing the DHCP out of the loop, but
will this really help if the router is not the problem?

The point is to find out if the Router's DHCP functionality is the problem.
Turn off DHCP,... everythings works for days or weeks without
problem,...then the router's DHCP funtionality is the problem.

If the Internet connection had gone down due to loosing an address with the
ISP,... rebooting the PC or doing a "connection repair" on the PC would do
nothing since it is only dealing between the PC and the router. You would
have to reboot the router to regain the address, not the PC.


--
Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com
-----------------------------------------------------
Understanding the ISA 2004 Access Rule Processing
http://www.isaserver.org/articles/ISA2004_AccessRules.html

Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server: Guidance
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/techinfo/Guidance/2004.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/techinfo/Guidance/2000.asp

Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server: Partners
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/partners/default.asp

Deployment Guidelines for ISA Server 2004 Enterprise Edition
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/isa/2004/deploy/dgisaserver.mspx
-----------------------------------------------------

 

[Guest]

The loss of the signal seems to be temporary. As far as I can tell from
talking to him. He keeps rebooting the modem and router and the problem goes
away. Comcast replaced the moded today, so we'll see.

David, here's a suggestion.

If he's assuming that the connection is down because IE stops working tell
him to download and install FireFox so that he can confirm easily that it's
connection trouble rather than something weird with the browser.

There are so many potential problems out there with spyware and other junk
that patches have been arriving thick and fast and from a few posts in other
groups it seems as if some of them are "Breaking" IE's connectivity - not so
much because IE is being broken but because IE has been interfered with by
other things.

In any case this avoids one delaying tactic the ISP may use, namely "Are you
sure it's not the browser".

The problem with cable tech support is they will always have you power
"Everything" off so there is no diagnostic info related to any specific
device, they simply hope that if it starts working again you will go away

The reason I suggest FF is simply that it seems to coexist well enough with
everything else and most reports I've seen indicate that it's a fairly
simple and foolproof test that anyone can install and use. Just because
there's a bit of rivalry between browsers doesn't mean you can't have two.

I didn't see any mention of the lights on the modem. I'm kinda assuming the
lights confirm a dropped connection but are you sure about that or is it
just apparent connectivity?

Charlie

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:14:50 -0500, "Lanwench [MVP -
Exchange]"
<[email protected]>
wrote:



In David Langschied <[email protected]> typed:
I have a friend who has a cable modem for inernet access. He loses
the connection once every 1-2 weeks. He has to power cycle his modem
every time this happens. The cable company (COMCAST) has told him
that is his router, so last week I changed routers for him and, six
days later, he loses his connection again. The cable company seems
to be leading him around. I thought maybe somebody out on this board
might be familiar with the problem. It has become a real sore spot
with this guy. Any ideas?

Does power-cycling the modem itself (and not the router) fix this? When
this
happens (Internet outage) can he still ping the router's LAN IP/work
normally on his own network?
If this is happening with two routers, it really sounds like they're
just
passing the buck. See if you can escalate the call. .... your friend
should
buy you a nice bottle of wine for this, btw. ;-)


Howdy,

I had similar problems with my Comcast supplied cable modem.

I called, insisted that it was a modem problem, and they
sent a gentleman out with a new modem within a day.

All the best,

I am pretty sure has said that he had the LAN still. Every time that he
called them the process included turning everything off modem and router.
Then booting modem and then router. I have been assuring him that the
modem
was probably the problem.

He had a Comcast tech to his house and the guy replaced the modem, but for
some reason he indicated that the modem was not the problem and switched
them
back. I was not there so I cannot vouch for anything that actually
happened.


They called him yesterday and told him that for $150 plus a $10 a month
increase they would supply him with a modem/router.

I have one more nugget of info that does seem strange. He lost his
connection again tonight. He started up the PC and immediately got onto
the
internet and went to his e-mail. After a couple of minutes, no internet.
He
repaired his connection on the desktop no problem. Tried to get on, no
internet. Rebooted his PC, the internet works. I do not know where this
could possibly fit into the existing situation, but I wantd to get it out
there in case it has any bearing on the issue.

Thanks!

 

[Bob I]

I had an odd issue like that. After it would rain I would have odd
disconnects. I finally had to point out to the technician the bad splice

The loss of the signal seems to be temporary. As far as I can tell from
talking to him. He keeps rebooting the modem and router and the problem goes
away. Comcast replaced the moded today, so we'll see.


:

David, here's a suggestion.

If he's assuming that the connection is down because IE stops working tell
him to download and install FireFox so that he can confirm easily that it's
connection trouble rather than something weird with the browser.

There are so many potential problems out there with spyware and other junk
that patches have been arriving thick and fast and from a few posts in other
groups it seems as if some of them are "Breaking" IE's connectivity - not so
much because IE is being broken but because IE has been interfered with by
other things.

In any case this avoids one delaying tactic the ISP may use, namely "Are you
sure it's not the browser".

The problem with cable tech support is they will always have you power
"Everything" off so there is no diagnostic info related to any specific
device, they simply hope that if it starts working again you will go away

The reason I suggest FF is simply that it seems to coexist well enough with
everything else and most reports I've seen indicate that it's a fairly
simple and foolproof test that anyone can install and use. Just because
there's a bit of rivalry between browsers doesn't mean you can't have two.

I didn't see any mention of the lights on the modem. I'm kinda assuming the
lights confirm a dropped connection but are you sure about that or is it
just apparent connectivity?

Charlie

:


On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:14:50 -0500, "Lanwench [MVP -
Exchange]"
<[email protected]>
wrote:



In David Langschied <[email protected]> typed:

I have a friend who has a cable modem for inernet access. He loses
the connection once every 1-2 weeks. He has to power cycle his modem
every time this happens. The cable company (COMCAST) has told him
that is his router, so last week I changed routers for him and, six
days later, he loses his connection again. The cable company seems
to be leading him around. I thought maybe somebody out on this board
might be familiar with the problem. It has become a real sore spot
with this guy. Any ideas?

Does power-cycling the modem itself (and not the router) fix this? When
this
happens (Internet outage) can he still ping the router's LAN IP/work
normally on his own network?
If this is happening with two routers, it really sounds like they're
just
passing the buck. See if you can escalate the call. .... your friend
should
buy you a nice bottle of wine for this, btw. ;-)


Howdy,

I had similar problems with my Comcast supplied cable modem.

I called, insisted that it was a modem problem, and they
sent a gentleman out with a new modem within a day.

All the best,
--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."


I am pretty sure has said that he had the LAN still. Every time that he
called them the process included turning everything off modem and router.
Then booting modem and then router. I have been assuring him that the
modem
was probably the problem.

He had a Comcast tech to his house and the guy replaced the modem, but for
some reason he indicated that the modem was not the problem and switched
them
back. I was not there so I cannot vouch for anything that actually
happened.


They called him yesterday and told him that for $150 plus a $10 a month
increase they would supply him with a modem/router.

I have one more nugget of info that does seem strange. He lost his
connection again tonight. He started up the PC and immediately got onto
the
internet and went to his e-mail. After a couple of minutes, no internet.
He
repaired his connection on the desktop no problem. Tried to get on, no
internet. Rebooted his PC, the internet works. I do not know where this
could possibly fit into the existing situation, but I wantd to get it out
there in case it has any bearing on the issue.

Thanks!

 

[Charlie Tame]

Actually I had one lady who had squirrels nesting in the phone equipment
somewhere... but yes you have a good point about phone wires which are often
treated with disdain and neglected... if telephones required 10,000 volts
the situation might change (and the installers would quit stapling through
wires

Charlie

I had an odd issue like that. After it would rain I would have odd
disconnects. I finally had to point out to the technician the bad splice on
the telephone pole at the cable drop. Once it was replaced (sealed the
water out), no more disconnects.

The loss of the signal seems to be temporary. As far as I can tell from
talking to him. He keeps rebooting the modem and router and the problem
goes away. Comcast replaced the moded today, so we'll see.


:

David, here's a suggestion.

If he's assuming that the connection is down because IE stops working
tell him to download and install FireFox so that he can confirm easily
that it's connection trouble rather than something weird with the
browser.

There are so many potential problems out there with spyware and other
junk that patches have been arriving thick and fast and from a few posts
in other groups it seems as if some of them are "Breaking" IE's
connectivity - not so much because IE is being broken but because IE has
been interfered with by other things.

In any case this avoids one delaying tactic the ISP may use, namely "Are
you sure it's not the browser".

The problem with cable tech support is they will always have you power
"Everything" off so there is no diagnostic info related to any specific
device, they simply hope that if it starts working again you will go away


The reason I suggest FF is simply that it seems to coexist well enough
with everything else and most reports I've seen indicate that it's a
fairly simple and foolproof test that anyone can install and use. Just
because there's a bit of rivalry between browsers doesn't mean you can't
have two.

I didn't see any mention of the lights on the modem. I'm kinda assuming
the lights confirm a dropped connection but are you sure about that or is
it just apparent connectivity?

Charlie



message

:


On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 22:14:50 -0500, "Lanwench [MVP -
Exchange]"
<[email protected]>
wrote:



In David Langschied <[email protected]> typed:

I have a friend who has a cable modem for inernet access. He loses
the connection once every 1-2 weeks. He has to power cycle his modem
every time this happens. The cable company (COMCAST) has told him
that is his router, so last week I changed routers for him and, six
days later, he loses his connection again. The cable company seems
to be leading him around. I thought maybe somebody out on this board
might be familiar with the problem. It has become a real sore spot
with this guy. Any ideas?

Does power-cycling the modem itself (and not the router) fix this?
When this
happens (Internet outage) can he still ping the router's LAN IP/work
normally on his own network?
If this is happening with two routers, it really sounds like they're
just
passing the buck. See if you can escalate the call. .... your friend
should
buy you a nice bottle of wine for this, btw. ;-)


Howdy,

I had similar problems with my Comcast supplied cable modem.

I called, insisted that it was a modem problem, and they
sent a gentleman out with a new modem within a day.

All the best,
--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."


I am pretty sure has said that he had the LAN still. Every time that he
called them the process included turning everything off modem and
router.
Then booting modem and then router. I have been assuring him that the
modem
was probably the problem.

He had a Comcast tech to his house and the guy replaced the modem, but
for
some reason he indicated that the modem was not the problem and switched
them
back. I was not there so I cannot vouch for anything that actually
happened.


They called him yesterday and told him that for $150 plus a $10 a month
increase they would supply him with a modem/router.

I have one more nugget of info that does seem strange. He lost his
connection again tonight. He started up the PC and immediately got onto
the
internet and went to his e-mail. After a couple of minutes, no
internet. He
repaired his connection on the desktop no problem. Tried to get on, no
internet. Rebooted his PC, the internet works. I do not know where
this
could possibly fit into the existing situation, but I wantd to get it
out
there in case it has any bearing on the issue.

Thanks!