Comcast

[boomerang]

I'm having some issues here that I feel are modem related but Comcast disagrees. I honestly do not know who's right at this point.

They're pushing their Service Protection Program to cover inside wiring. It's $2.95 a month. What I'm wondering is whether there's a commitment with that or if it can be canceled at any time.

If nobody knows I can just call. It's just that I'm sick of talking to Comcast today. I neglected to ask when on the phone with them this morning.

I know it's human nature to complain, but I have to say that my service has been rock solid until this.

 

[venkman]

wait what? comcast sells warranties on wires inside your house now?

 

[Phoenix86]

First, who's telling you the problem is inside the house, a phone tech or wiring tech who is at your house? One cannot even begin to troubleshoot that problem, the other can SHOW you the readings from the cable testing equipment.

Second, what's the problem? Is it one you could hook up the modem to the main line to your house (before it connects to "your" lines)? Then you could demonstrate the problem bypassing your lines.

ISP customer service, in general, is the absolute worst in the industry. "Have you reset your modem?"

If you really think it's a bad modem, go buy one off the shelf and return it after you prove it's not the modem. I realize that's kinda bad to the retailer but whatever.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: venkman
wait what? comcast sells warranties on wires inside your house now?

Evidently they do. Dishnetwork has an insurance program that you can institute and cancel at will. They have no problem with it. I was wondering if the Comcast one worked the same.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: Phoenix86
First, who's telling you the problem is inside the house, a phone tech or wiring tech who is at your house? One cannot even begin to troubleshoot that problem, the other can SHOW you the readings from the cable testing equipment.

Second, what's the problem? Is it one you could hook up the modem to the main line to your house (before it connects to "your" lines)? Then you could demonstrate the problem bypassing your lines.

ISP customer service, in general, is the absolute worst in the industry. "Have you reset your modem?"

If you really think it's a bad modem, go buy one off the shelf and return it after you prove it's not the modem. I realize that's kinda bad to the retailer but whatever.

First off, I have Digital Voice and Internet through Comcast. The one and only choice is their modem. Prior to getting Digital Voice, I had my own modem for many years. No more - can't be done.

It's an intermittent problem. I will be brief and leave out some details. I woke up this morning to no Internet and no dial tone. Only two out of eight lights lit on the modem.

Resetting didn't work. You can't power cycle these modems because they have a backup battery. I called and got an appt. for tomorrow between 12 and 3.

Later, I decided to take the one and only splitter out of the loop. I bypassed it and service was restored. I canceled the appointment. I then put a different splitter in its place and all was good.

Later, it went out again. I bypassed the splitter and it was still out. While on my cell phone waiting for them to come on the line, service was restored. The phone tech thinks it's inside wiring and there will be a $50 charge if that's the case. If I pay $2.95 a month, it will be free.

All of this has been with phone techs.

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: boomerang
Later, I decided to take the one and only splitter out of the loop. I bypassed it and service was restored. I canceled the appointment. I then put a different splitter in its place and all was good.

Later, it went out again. I bypassed the splitter and it was still out. While on my cell phone waiting for them to come on the line, service was restored. The phone tech thinks it's inside wiring and there will be a $50 charge if that's the case. If I pay $2.95 a month, it will be free.

All of this has been with phone techs.

Is the splitter outside the house where the main line comes in? If so the problem is certainly on their end. This type of connection problem often is, though of course it could be your wiring.

If the splitter is not at the main line, you want to see if the connection fails at that point. Bypassing all your lines and still having the problem=their issue.

The $50 charge is to scare you into the $2.95 "service plan".

 

[Squisher]

You can power cycle, you just have to pull the battery first.

I had a problem that repaired itself only after I reset the modem (cycling didn't work) with the button on the back that you have to access with a ballpoint pen.