possible bad cable modem or bad isp?

[tony4704]

Hey all, over the past two days my cable modem keeps disconnecting and reconnecting. Some time I stay connected for only a matter of seconds and some times its upwards of an hour. I have done nothing with the physical connection of it and its been fine for the last year. I went a head and double checked all of the connection for the cable all the way out to the telephone post. Everything is solid. im not in front of it right now but when i get home I will get you the SN ratio and power level as well as the modem logs. All I know is that the connect light stays off, send and recieve go blinking because they are trying to establish connection and PC activity is solid as well as power. I have power cycled the thing many times already and still it only connects occasionally and for undeterminded amounts of time.

I of course called comcast and they said that they were not seeing any outages in my area. I have a technician coming tomorrow but I just wanted to make sure before he comes that its not a bad modem.

any way to tell? thanks!

 

[ch33zw1z]

unless you have an extra known working modem, there's no way for you to tell. chances are it's your modem, or the line to your building.

 

[tony4704]

well I was thinking of borrowing a friend's modem, but i dont think it will let me connect with it since I would have to register its MAC with comcast first. But maybe I can atleast verify different leds on it.

 

[RebateMonger]

In many cases, the only way to know for sure that it's not a Cable Modem problem is to replace the Modem.

There are log files that you can access on many Cable Modems. But the cause of error messages like: "Failed to receive DHCP response" doesn't really tell you if the problem is the ISP not sending a response or if the Cable Modem simply isn't reading the response correctly.

 

[tony4704]

well i remember the logs saying something to the fact of critical error something about not being able to translate the symbol codes and some kind of critical HEC error.

 

[tony4704]

Time Priority Code Message
2006-10-17 20:20:29 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 20:20:25 3-Critical R004.0 Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 timeout
1970-01-01 00:00:05 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 20:10:13 3-Critical R004.0 Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 timeout
2006-10-17 20:02:11 3-Critical R005.0 Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 16:09:38 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 16:09:20 3-Critical R004.0 Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 timeout
2006-10-17 16:08:06 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 16:08:03 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:08:01 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:08:01 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:07:56 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:07:56 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:07:55 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:07:53 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:07:52 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:07:51 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:07:50 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:07:49 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:07:47 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:07:42 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:07:42 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:07:41 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:06:41 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 16:06:38 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:06:18 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 16:05:59 3-Critical R004.0 Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 timeout
2006-10-17 16:05:55 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:04:05 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 16:03:54 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:03:44 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:03:38 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:03:38 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:03:37 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:03:37 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:03:35 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:03:35 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:03:35 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:03:34 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:03:32 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:03:32 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:03:31 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:03:31 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:03:31 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:03:31 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:03:29 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:03:29 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:03:28 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:03:28 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:03:26 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:03:25 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:03:24 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:03:24 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:03:21 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:03:21 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:03:20 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:03:14 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:03:14 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 16:02:59 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 16:02:58 3-Critical R004.0 Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 timeout
2006-10-17 16:02:58 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 15:59:53 3-Critical R005.0 Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 11:35:57 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 11:35:48 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 11:35:37 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 11:35:37 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 11:35:36 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 11:35:36 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 11:35:33 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 11:35:33 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 11:35:29 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 11:35:06 3-Critical R004.0 Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 timeout
2006-10-17 11:33:54 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 11:33:49 3-Critical R004.0 Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 timeout
2006-10-17 11:29:57 3-Critical R005.0 Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 11:29:46 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 11:29:41 3-Critical R004.0 Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 timeout
2006-10-17 11:00:12 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 11:00:01 3-Critical R004.0 Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 timeout
2006-10-17 10:56:41 3-Critical R005.0 Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 10:45:44 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 10:45:33 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 10:45:24 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 10:45:24 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 10:45:24 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 10:45:21 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 10:45:20 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 10:45:19 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 10:45:15 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 10:44:49 3-Critical R004.0 Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 timeout
2006-10-17 10:43:39 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 10:43:32 3-Critical R004.0 Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 timeout
2006-10-17 10:42:19 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 10:42:15 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 10:42:15 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 10:42:14 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 10:42:13 3-Critical T002.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire FEC framing
2006-10-17 10:42:12 3-Critical T001.0 SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
2006-10-17 10:42:08 3-Critical R002.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
2006-10-17 10:41:58 3-Critical R004.0 Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 timeout

and it was on for 4 hours when i got home then went into intermittend connect disconnect. seems that the problem is with the Upstream portion of the signal.


popped on my friends modem and now it works......I wanna leave this on for a bit and see if i get disconnected.

 

[vanvock]

Im on Comcast & just replaced my Toshiba PCX1100 with a D-Link & it solved my similar issues, also packet loss.

 

[tony4704]

yup, definetly was the modem. used my friends and it connected and stayed connected no problem at all. Bought a new Motorola SB5120