Dsl Adventure!


Recommended Posts

So yesterday I start everything up ... oh ... wait a minute. Because I had a problem with my DSL modem connecting I have been leaving it on all the time to maintain that connection. Now? It's not connected (the PPPoE Active light's off).

Open IE, go to the modem's address, run the diagnostics ... yeah, it tells me it's not connected (that's always useful, when you're told what you already know). Click "Fix This," re-run the diagnostics, and there's no improvement.

Turn the modem off, wait, then on. No improvement.

Re-run the diagnostic. No improvement.

Hit the RESET button on the modem, open the diagnostic page (and sign back onto the service since the reset "forgets" who I am). No improvement.

OK, I tried everything listed, it's time to call India ... err ... Tech Support. I didn't time the "hold" but it was quite lengthy. Then I got hold of "David" (surely, not his real name). He stepped me through the stuff I'd already done (quite politely and forgiving, better than several previous experiences -- this is the second time I had a pleasant experience, maybe they're getting much better at this).

Next he's got me changing network settings and dozens of other settings I'd never had to look at before, and using a Command line to Ping several things and going back and forth and rebooting and changing more settings. No improvement.

He has me dig up my ISP installation disk and install a program off of it (WinPoET) to force a connection (I'm guessin', as I'm lost by now). No improvement.

OK he says, we're going to "escalate" this to the next level, he gives me a trouble ticket number and an express phone number, and says they may simply fix the problem from their end once they receive the ticket but if not, call them up. I must have been on the phone with him for at least an hour, with no improvement.

Today, no improvement. I have a ton of things to do so fuggetaboutit. I try a couple of times throughout the day. No improvement.

By now I really want online, I turn on the modem and it signs on fine. Hooray? It's not acting EXACTLY normal, the DSL Traffic light is constantly blinking. I open the diagnostic page and everything checks out OK. Hooray? I pick BT from my favorites and ... Nope, nothing (whatever that error page is when there's no connection). Open the diagnostics page: Everything checks out OK.

So I'm sure David had me change a setting that's just not going to work now that the modem's connecting on its own. I go to several different tabs on the diagnostics page and when I get to the "Main" tab, it gives me my connection information (type, what node I'm connected to, and other stuff) but says, "UHP Connection is in Bridge Mode, click here to (forgot the rest, but it was apparent it would undo this mode I'd never seen before)."

I'm ALMOST there now! The Traffic light's no longer flashing constantly, but I can't access the Internet (though all the diagnostics check out). I recall David had me type in specific addresses in the Network applet, and I remember it was originally set at "Detect Automatically," so I switch it back to that, have to reboot, and here I am.

------

One of the reasons I went with this ISP over others is once I had their stuff installed, it worked perfectly, every time (a long, long time ago, I used to use AOL, so ANY improvement is enough to blow my mind and gain my undying loyalty!). Now it's gone down at least twice, likely both times within the past year, and by down I don't mean the occasional "burp" or hiccup, I mean "call India" down. <_<

Link to post
Share on other sites

My cable co. is no better. For 2 straight weeks my download speed was slower than dial-up from 7:00 to noon. Support said nothing's wrong. They had me use their speedtest. Would'nt you know it, connection speed's perfect. Of course, 2 independent speedtest sites said otherwise. Out of the blue, things are back to normal

Go figure

Mark

Link to post
Share on other sites

I have cable through the power/water company out here (www.cpws.com) and well since I moved my modem, router, and ENTIRE PC SETUP up stairs (to my room ;) ) I haven't had any problems. At one point when it was downstairs my speed was so pathetic 28.8K seemed to beat it (not really but it was still crawling along). I couldn't stand it. I even called their folks and they didn't do a dern thing. They said they send someone out to check it out and never did. Luckily I had the genius idea of moving the modem from the "good" line (we had a line installed specifically for internet cause supposedly it was better grade cable) and hook it up to a spare cable in my room. I hooked it up to my Compaq and Viola! Speeds are all normal. I thought "maybe my router?" I took the router up there too and hooked it up. Speeds A OK. SO I lug my gaming rig up to my room and move the Compaq downstairs. I check the speeds both hard wired on the gaming rig and wireless on the Compaq and all is green. OK what the heck? Oh well no more headphones for gaming :thumbsup: Now my parents have their own little computer use while I have 2 now for my exclusive use. My gaming rig and my lappy. Used to everyone shared the gaming rig and I had the Compaq for basic crap like music internet and light gaming. Now the beast in my room is for EVERYTHING,................except note taking. That's where lappy comes into play.

It still makes no sense that one cables speeds just deteriorated out of no where. It went on for about 3 weeks before I decided to test it out upstairs so I know something is definitely was wrong with the downstairs cable. Now I don't care cause I get to have the gaming computer with 240GB of storage in my room. That space is good for all my anime since the other computer has only a 80GB drive and I have 64GB of video right now. I still need a new drive though (external). I have games too and they take up a lot of space.

Link to post
Share on other sites

It sounds like they had the problem at their end (switch) in the first place. I have had that occur twice in 5 years. I went through the same deal with tech support changing this setting and that only to find it was their problem. I always reverted the network settings back to default once they fixed their issues. I also flashed my modem (Speedstream 5200) with firmware I read about and discussed with tech support to change the modem into a router and no longer use their software.

Link to post
Share on other sites
It sounds like they had the problem at their end (switch) in the first place. ...

I suspected as much when "David" said to wait and see if tech support could fix the problem without further contact. What else COULD that mean except that they would fix something on their end? I've had the connection go out for an hour or so once in a great while, but this time it was an all day thing. And, coincidentally, during a cold snap that could have broken something on their end (just a gut feeling).

Back in the dial-up days I had a six month feud going on with Ma Bell over the noise on my line. Doesn't have anything to do with anything, it just popped into my head. :lol:

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...