Modem problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bill Ridgeway
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Bill Ridgeway

My broadband connection is 'lost' a number of times every evening (it
doesn't happen in the day time) starting at about 18:00. Sometimes it
're-dials' (usually connecting at a slightly lower speed) but sometimes I
have to reconnect manually and sometimes it will 'complain' that there is no
dial tone. This started only when Wanadoo (now Orange) upgraded the
connection from 2.2Mb to a now (at least) reported 6.6Mb. I should have a
continuous connection - or at least a seamless re-dial as and when that is
necessary.

It is very difficult to get Orange to take this problem seriously. In the
true tradition of call centres each 'agent' spoken to has a different view
of the cause and there is no 'joined-up' thinking. Each time I speak to
someone we have to go through the ritual of unplugging, plugging the modem,
closing down, booting up as they just will not believe that it was done
before. I have downloaded and installed the driver update for the
SpeedTouch330 modem.

I suspected that the fault is with BT not coping well with increasing
traffic. However, surely, traffic in the day time is also heavy and I
shouldn't see this problem past midnight?

Has anyone any views on what may be causing this problem and, more
importantly, how to get rid of it?

Regards.

Bill Ridgeway
 
Bill said:
My broadband connection is 'lost' a number of times every evening (it
doesn't happen in the day time) starting at about 18:00. Sometimes it
're-dials' (usually connecting at a slightly lower speed) but
sometimes I have to reconnect manually and sometimes it will
'complain' that there is no
dial tone. This started only when Wanadoo (now Orange) upgraded the
connection from 2.2Mb to a now (at least) reported 6.6Mb. I should
have a continuous connection - or at least a seamless re-dial as and
when that is necessary.

It is very difficult to get Orange to take this problem seriously. In
the true tradition of call centres each 'agent' spoken to has a
different view
of the cause and there is no 'joined-up' thinking. Each time I speak
to someone we have to go through the ritual of unplugging, plugging
the modem, closing down, booting up as they just will not believe that
it was done
before. I have downloaded and installed the driver update for the
SpeedTouch330 modem.

I suspected that the fault is with BT not coping well with increasing
traffic. However, surely, traffic in the day time is also heavy and I
shouldn't see this problem past midnight?
Click to expand...

This sounds like a hardware problem either with the cable modem or with
the cable company's network. You will need to escalate this and get
them to replace the modem and check their equipment. I'm leaning
towards the problem being with their external equipment; perhaps the
cooler temperatures at night are making the hardware fault.

Malke
 
Thanks Malke.

You wrote <<I'm leaning towards the problem being with their external
equipment; perhaps the cooler temperatures at night are making the hardware
fault.>> Interesting theory. This problem has been going on since May
during which we've seen a wide temperature range,.

You also wrote <<You will need to escalate this and get them to replace the
modem and check their equipment.>> Would that it should be that straight
forward I would have done it by now. Every time you phone Orange you speak
to a different person each with their own take on what should be done. I
did get as far as being promised a replacement modem but, even after several
reminders and denial that it had ever been promised in the first place, it
has not arrived. A big problem with call centres is the call centre
mentality of I can deal with everything - even if it's beyond them to do so.
Breaking into that unvirtuous circle to speak to someone who knows what
they're doing AND get to do it seems to be impossible - it's designed to be
and that they can get right!

Regards.

Bill Ridgeway
Computer Solutions
 
Bill said:
Thanks Malke.

You wrote <<I'm leaning towards the problem being with their external
equipment; perhaps the cooler temperatures at night are making the
hardware
fault.>> Interesting theory. This problem has been going on since
May during which we've seen a wide temperature range,.
Click to expand...

Well, if you had specified how long the problem had been going on, I
probably wouldn't have suggested that. Missing that information, I took
a WAG.
You also wrote <<You will need to escalate this and get them to
replace the
modem and check their equipment.>> Would that it should be that
straight
forward I would have done it by now. Every time you phone Orange you
speak
to a different person each with their own take on what should be done.
I did get as far as being promised a replacement modem but, even
after several reminders and denial that it had ever been promised in
the first place, it
has not arrived. A big problem with call centres is the call centre
mentality of I can deal with everything - even if it's beyond them to
do so. Breaking into that unvirtuous circle to speak to someone who
knows what they're doing AND get to do it seems to be impossible -
it's designed to be and that they can get right!
Click to expand...

Sorry. I don't know what else to suggest to you then. It doesn't sound
like a Windows issue. If you want to be sure it isn't Windows (and
maybe you have some task running in the evening hours that is causing
the problem), boot with Knoppix (a Linux distro that runs from cd) and
run the machine in the evening at the same time you have the problems.
If everything is fine, then you do need to look at something running in
Windows as the culprit. Since only you can see your machine, only you
(or a local professional) can do the detective work. If you have
identical symptoms under a different operating system, then you know it
is hardware.

Malke
 
Bill said:
Thanks Malke.

You wrote <<I'm leaning towards the problem being with their external
equipment; perhaps the cooler temperatures at night are making the hardware
fault.>> Interesting theory. This problem has been going on since May
during which we've seen a wide temperature range,.

You also wrote <<You will need to escalate this and get them to replace the
modem and check their equipment.>> Would that it should be that straight
forward I would have done it by now. Every time you phone Orange you speak
to a different person each with their own take on what should be done. I
did get as far as being promised a replacement modem but, even after several
reminders and denial that it had ever been promised in the first place, it
has not arrived. A big problem with call centres is the call centre
mentality of I can deal with everything - even if it's beyond them to do so.
Breaking into that unvirtuous circle to speak to someone who knows what
they're doing AND get to do it seems to be impossible - it's designed to be
and that they can get right!

Regards.

Bill Ridgeway
Computer Solutions
Click to expand...
I was going to suggest that you post at
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/ukbb but I see you already thought of
that (I assume you are harrow2). It may be a noise problem on your
telephone line, although I have no idea why that would manifest at a
particular time. See for example, this thread on the UKBB forum:
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17048355~mode=flat
I don't know who is responsible for the basic telephone service for your
connection -- BT? -- but you might want to raise the issue as a
telephone problem rather than a broadband problem and see if that
produces any better resolution.
 
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