Downgrade ISP Service

[Alex49H]

I just downgraded my service going from 300 down 30 up to 50 down 5 up.

 

A tech put an Attenuator between my modem and coax cable to stabilize my signal because he said it was too good (when I had the higher tier service). So I just noticed running speed test on DSLreports.com my upload which used to be more stable with the higher download and upload, now the upload has a lot more peaks and valleys, and starts high and ends low.

 

Any thoughts or ideas? I did remove the Attenuator and it seemed to stabilize but I didn't have time to do more testing. I am still having trouble on my line and hopefully the Tech coming out on Friday will move me closer to fixing my service.

#DumaArmy

[Dillinger]

An attenuator is a passive device that is changing the levels of the signal level going through it at what most hope is a static and consistent rate.  This is a cheap shit band-aid that I rarely if ever used because it masks larger problems.  An attenuator or inline pad will get you out of a problem house and buy you a couple of days to look into the real problem, nothing more.  

 

I don't know about modern anything when it comes to routers and modems, but here is what USED to happen from my days putting in fresh @Home gear.

 

The return path, the upload, would start out VERY HIGH and then was frequency agile and self attenuating once the full loop (download, then upload) was completed.  It could come out of the gate hot at +20dB or +30dB, but once it made contact with the receiver on the Cable TV side, it would self regulate down to within a threshold as controlled by the receiving end.  Now if the equipment was unplugged, or didn't have that constant re-affirming connection, it would revert to coming out hot until it was told to lower it's strength (self attenuating) to get within the operating threshold.

 

Thoughts or ideas:

• 24-Hour Status Monitoring Results for your area.  I don't know what they call it these days, but I could literally go to a terminal, select the Node (this is a fiber fed device that distributes signal to your neighborhood) and pull up the last few weeks of return path traffic and trackable issues like Carrier to Noise and some other metrics.  If your node had a lot of issues, I would concentrate on that much larger problem first if I could.  Rewiring your house and adding inline pads isn't going to fix this type of problem.  It's pacifying you and letting me get out of your house and on with the rest of my route.
• Dedicated line from the street connection to the device for testing.  This will eliminate any problems with your house wire or the feed from the street.  This was my go to shotgun approach for tough calls.  Run a new line, if anything positive changed in the customer's technical eye, that was were I started.  Rewire the house, hang a new OH line if I could and/or schedule to get a new line put in the ground.  Always step one for really problem calls.  Eliminate any of the shit AT the house that was done by people other than me.
• Time, Date and "What".  If you can give them a log of what is happening (bad ping graphs, massive spikes, something to point at) and when it is happening, this will go a LONG ways towards giving them some parameters to test/find/sole.  I worked a lot of early mornings and late news time evenings to figure out tough neighborhood problems.  The thing is, it was a relief to be there when the problem was happening.  I actually preferred to show up when it was happening and spend two hours fixing it, then stopping by for 15 minutes when nothing was happening.  

Good luck man.  Intermittent problems that are neighborhood wide, with no one else reporting because they don't want to sit through the constant hold times, are THE WORST.  The only plus side was when I was working on, the lights on the truck always brought someone out who could add a little more information that eventually led to the offending piece of plant.  Almost ALWAYS an active device.... which is why FTTH is so awesome....

 

JD

[Alex49H]

An attenuator is a passive device that is changing the levels of the signal level going through it at what most hope is a static and consistent rate. This is a cheap shit band-aid that I rarely if ever used because it masks larger problems. An attenuator or inline pad will get you out of a problem house and buy you a couple of days to look into the real problem, nothing more.

 

I don't know about modern anything when it comes to routers and modems, but here is what USED to happen from my days putting in fresh @Home gear.

 

The return path, the upload, would start out VERY HIGH and then was frequency agile and self attenuating once the full loop (download, then upload) was completed. It could come out of the gate hot at +20dB or +30dB, but once it made contact with the receiver on the Cable TV side, it would self regulate down to within a threshold as controlled by the receiving end. Now if the equipment was unplugged, or didn't have that constant re-affirming connection, it would revert to coming out hot until it was told to lower it's strength (self attenuating) to get within the operating threshold.

 

Thoughts or ideas:

• 24-Hour Status Monitoring Results for your area. I don't know what they call it these days, but I could literally go to a terminal, select the Node (this is a fiber fed device that distributes signal to your neighborhood) and pull up the last few weeks of return path traffic and trackable issues like Carrier to Noise and some other metrics. If your node had a lot of issues, I would concentrate on that much larger problem first if I could. Rewiring your house and adding inline pads isn't going to fix this type of problem. It's pacifying you and letting me get out of your house and on with the rest of my route.
• Dedicated line from the street connection to the device for testing. This will eliminate any problems with your house wire or the feed from the street. This was my go to shotgun approach for tough calls. Run a new line, if anything positive changed in the customer's technical eye, that was were I started. Rewire the house, hang a new OH line if I could and/or schedule to get a new line put in the ground. Always step one for really problem calls. Eliminate any of the shit AT the house that was done by people other than me.
• Time, Date and "What". If you can give them a log of what is happening (bad ping graphs, massive spikes, something to point at) and when it is happening, this will go a LONG ways towards giving them some parameters to test/find/sole. I worked a lot of early mornings and late news time evenings to figure out tough neighborhood problems. The thing is, it was a relief to be there when the problem was happening. I actually preferred to show up when it was happening and spend two hours fixing it, then stopping by for 15 minutes when nothing was happening.

Good luck man. Intermittent problems that are neighborhood wide, with no one else reporting because they don't want to sit through the constant hold times, are THE WORST. The only plus side was when I was working on, the lights on the truck always brought someone out who could add a little more information that eventually led to the offending piece of plant. Almost ALWAYS an active device.... which is why FTTH is so awesome....

 

JD

Thank you brother! Always good to talk to you and I appreciate the advice. No wonder the Tech just put the Attenuator on and left.

[Dillinger]

Thank you brother! Always good to talk to you and I appreciate the advice. No wonder the Tech just put the Attenuator on and left.

 

It may not have been the tech, that may be all they have taught him/her at this point.  Cable work was(still is?) very much OJT when I was in and a lot of times guys get a service route with barely a dry nose and the ability to drive.

 

The Attenuator wasn't out of line, but it wasn't the solution.  If the levels are too high, there is a reason why.  

 

Was the street under provisioned, so they raised the levels to help stretch the line?  Been there, done that.  Had to redo it.

Weather plays havoc on cable levels if they haven't been set properly to deal with rapid temperature changes.  Seen a thousand calls like this that were tied directly to bad maintenance.

 

There are just too many variables and I am about to be late to a meeting.

 

Good luck brother.  Hit me up if you have questions.