Topic: Comcast Modem insanity

[NJAntman]

For at least the past five years I've had Internet through a Comcast modem (Atlanta Scientific) out to a Linksys Router (WRT54GS) and then ethernet line to my desktop, another ethernet run out to PS3/XBox on a hub, ethernet line to multifunction printer, and wireless connections to a laptop, a Tivo, and assorted Ipods etc...

On Monday (of course while I was out of state) the internet dropped off to bare minimum. Wife and kids go into withdrawl & schedule for a tech, coming this Sunday. I get back Thursday but can't fix it; ran SpeedOf.me and get whopping 50kb connection speed on desktop and laptop. Took like ten minutes to run test.

Today I go to Comcast for a replacement modem (Cisco DPC3008). Now the fun starts.....

Switch out modem. Get four green lights (Power, DS, US, Online). But Link light yellow (blinking). Sure enough no internet connection on any device. Disconnect router and plug modem directly to desktop. Get five green lights (Power, DS, US, Online, Link(blinking)).  Damn, router was the problem? Just for the heck of it plug router back into modem and get four green lights (Power, DS, US, Online) and Link light back to yellow (blinking) BUT... have internet connection on at least desktop, laptop, PS3/XBox. WTF?? Even ran SpeedoOf.me and get 2Mb on desktop and 9 Mb on laptop!!?

Ten minutes later... no internet connection on any device. Call Comcast for a modem reset signal, no change in lights and no internet. Call New Delhi Comcast and they run me through reset and diagnostic and even switch to modem directly wired to the laptop. They can't see modem on their end, suggest switching out modem again and sending out a Wireless Gateway as last resort.

Get off phone and change things back around to modem direct to desktop but still have four green lights (Power, DS, US, Online) and Link light back to yellow (blinking), no internet. Call New Delhi Comcast again and ask for a modem reset, nothing changes. Advisor suggests going back to modem direct to desktop. WHAM!! Five green lights (Power, DS, US, Online, Link(blinking)  WHAT.. THE... FUC*!!!!! So Advisor concludes Router (now out of the loop) is the problem, good night from New Delhi. I sit here and stew because I ain't gonna have a network until the new Gateway comes in.

BUT,.... Just for laughs... I hook router back in... and ...... STILL HAVE INTERNET!!!!! With the link light blinking yellow. WTF?!!???!!!!
 As I write this the internet has been running hard connected to the desktop and XBox, and wireless to the laptop and Tivo for over 30 minutes. And ran  SpeedoOf.me and gets4Mb on hard connection desktop and 10Gb wireless to laptop.

I would really like this to keep working but what the hell is happening here?

[Panzergranate]

We've been happily running two wireless networks side by side here at home using the Virgin supplied router for downstairs and an old Netgear high powered router (with external antenna) for upstairs.

However recently a couple of houses in the local vicinity have just come online and my son complains of weak signal which means that the Netgear router has to sit on the mantlepiece in the living room in order to give him a good signal.

Some of the lack of speed on wireless routers can be simply down to what is termed in radio parlance as "bleed over"  and AGC "desensing" (if you're not a radio ham or engineer this bit is technospeak) signals on parallel channels from other routers in range. Dongles seem to be more suceptable to this than more expensive card based PC wireless TRX.

We had problems a couple of years ago when a neighbour came online and just happened to have his router on the same channel as one of ours. I simply moved the channel from 2 to 12 and the problems with lag, etc. were lost.

Check out the various wireless networks within range of your computer or router and maybe move the channel of your network(s) away from them.

[Javora]

I bought my own
cable modem a few months back.  Since then my connection speed has been rock solid.  You might have better luck going this route, the only down side is if the modem dies you have to replace it yourself.  Hope this helps.