Cable modem and Gas Fireplace help!

[Firus]

Well, I'm not too sure, but almost positive that the gas fireplace is interfering with my cable modem connection. Whenever the fireplace comes on VIA thermostat, the cable modem drops and has to re-cycle its connection. The most annoying thing is that the landlords (basement suite) never use the furnace and insist that we/they only use the gas fireplace for heat. So basically, I either get heat or cable internet. Any suggestions as to what to do? I'm so stumped and soooo annoyed, the cable company is coming out tomorrow to take a look at it, but who knows if they can even do anything. The reason I think this is that when the fire kicks in the cable TV even goes a little fuzzy etc.

Are there any fixes to a problem such as this? Any devices/amplifiers/signal boosters?
Any help would be awesome, thanks!

 

[Garion]

That's really, really wierd. If that's actually what's happening (I don't doubt your word, it just seems really wierd), there are two possible things happening:

1: The fireplace is causing some kind of interference with the coax cable coming from the company. If that's the case, try to find the place where it's closest and get some better shielding around it. I'm no guru, but it seems like a sheet of thin lead wrapped around it might help.

2: There's a power fluctuation that the igniter is causing. If so, try to use a long extension cord on your cable modem and plug into another outlet in the house that's on a different circuit. Or, pick up a cheap UPS to plug it into. If you're savvy and know EXACTLY (!!!) what you're doing, you could also test the outlet the modem is plugged into with a voltage meter and see if there's a fluctuation when the furnace comes on.

Although, you do say that the TV gets fuzzy - That leads to #1, or that there's a signal booster somewhere in the house that's getting power fluctuations. Probably your best bet is to try to follow the cable back as closely as you can and see if you can figure out if there's a loose connection somewhere that needs to be tightened or re-crimped. Might just do it.

- G

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

I'm guessing you have the electronic ignition on the gas fireplace. When it kicks on, it uses a spark to ignite the gas, and there's a serious EMI pulse that's generated. I'd start by applying line filters next to the fireplace, better grounding for the cable coming to the modem, and perhaps an emi filter on the incoming power to the modem.

 

[cmetz]

Firus, if your cable TV is also affected, the cable company's technicians should have tools to help you figure the problem out (should and does might not be the same thing - the generic techs might not, it might require the more senior guys). Unfortunately, even though the problem might be the same either way, as soon as you start talking about cable modem the cable guys might not want to touch the problem - most of the techs are really cable TV guys, and not so much cable modem guys.

 

[bigalt]

i don't know about the cable modem, but I've noticed that when our TV got fuzzy, we wrapped everything we could in aluminum foil and that seemed to help...

 

[acemcmac]

lol thats weird....

You have entered :music:the Twilight Zone:music:

 

[Firus]

Ya, I had a tech in today and he replaced some of the connections on the ends of the coax cables as they looked pretty ugly, the signal was boosted by over 5db's from doing just that. It worked for a while but is still dropping out now. I mentioned the fireplace thing to him and he just sort of laughed at me. But still, I can't think of why else it would be doing this crap. It soooo very annoying, the signal is very good, but it still drops. I'm thinking the next step will be to take the modem and get a new one from Shaw, see if that does anything. Then if that doesn't do anything, maybe get a filter. Speaking of which, where and what kind of filter do you guys recommend, where can you get them etc??

Thanks

 

[Kadarin]

LOL! I have the exact same problem with my spiffy new Comcast connection, save for the fact that the dishwasher is the source of the interference. I think I'll just live with the problem here..

 

[Firus]

Man I wish I could live with the problem, it's just too annoying, being in the middle of posting on AT or sending an email and then getting disconnected in the process...ahhh! Tomorrow I am going to exchange the modem just to see if that helps at all...I sure hope so.

 

[Firus]

Man I wish I could live with the problem, it's just too annoying, being in the middle of posting on AT or sending an email and then getting disconnected in the process...ahhh! Tomorrow I am going to exchange the modem just to see if that helps at all...I sure hope so.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

I truly doubt the modem is broken, and I think you're wasting your time. You need to address the EMI issue you have.

My broadband stuff is all on a UPS, during the regular power drops we get around here, I can gracefully shutdown, and I also get much better isolation from any powerline glitches.

 

[Firus]

hmm I do agree that I'm wasting my time, but I can't go out and spend money on a UPS if that is not guaranteed to fix it. I haven't really noticed any power drops and I have been monitoring the fireplace, turned it all the way off and the modem still drops out every 10 minutes or so, I'm going to go trade it in for a new one just to make sure that it is not the hardware itself that is causing this.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Now you're describing a totally different problem!

Before, you said the failures were keyed to the gas fireplace, now it's obvious that they're not. Forget everything I was saying, since I was working with bad information.

 

[Firus]

Yes I know, I led you down the wrong road, but it was only because I too was led down the same road by another website, they were saying that the EMI from the fireplace could interfere and seeing as mine is within 6 feet of the modem I was assuming it must have been what was happening. However, after getting fed up with trying to get a tech out here to do some tests and readings, I just took the cable modem back and all is well...after all the tech support guys insisting that it is not the modem.