Intermittent Network Connectivity Interrupted. Please Help

[mygamertagsucks]

Sorry for the blurry nature of the photo, but my usb-C to USB disk isn't on me at the moment. This was just troubleshooting the SB6183 straight to the computer. So, would this, then, indicate a Comcast issue? Everytime I call them about an issue like this, they ALWAYS, and that is not an exaggeration, use the following phrase that burns me to my core because A. I know it's total BS, and B. It is one of the few phrases that I can actually understand, as there is clearly a language barrier.

One last thing about Comcast; they never seem to be able to provide a paper trail as to when support has had to be called, and the eventual outcome of said issue. And even tho I write all of this stuff out on paper, they don't want to hear it. I can start the call by telling them, "I'm only calling you because I've power cycled the network, checked all connections and wiring, so I need to know what shows up on your end." Maybe I'm just a jerk, but that seems like the type of stuff you wouldn't then turn around and say, "see that connector on the back of your modem? Have you made sure it is plugged in?" Dang it. I hate dealing with these ppl but here goes. *Edited to Add the Following Question: would this explain the subnet masks showing up improperly on dumaos, as well we ipconfig /all, yet, when the Internet was working, it always showed up properly on the devices on the network? 

[Netduma Fraser]

24 minutes ago, mygamertagsucks said:

Thank You, @Netduma Fraser. Unfortunately, for right now at least, this appears to be the case. To stay within the forum decorum, I will abstain from ranting about why this issue bothers me so much. I have pics that I took, using my phone, because screenshots are hard, right? Anyhow, everything says that the device is functioning properly, however, there is no response from DNS or a misconfigured DNS issue."

General errors like that I don't always trust because all it's really telling you is it wasn't able to connect and there could be another reason for it BUT If you're getting a DNS issue then that is a problem, basically DNS is what turns a URL for example netduma.com into the IP address that you use to connect to that website. So if that's not working properly then it means that entering google.com into your web browser for example it wouldn't know what IP to connect to/access to then display the correct information back to you. If that is the case the ISP should be able to sort it quite easily, either from a new modem (if this is the issue then wiring is less likely and now more likely the modem) or something they can sort remotely. 

I understand your frustration on that, they have their script they have to go through and they will go through it regardless of what you say. Your best bet is to go through the motions, tell them the issue, do/feign doing if you've done their suggestions before (make sure to leave enough time in between so they can be certain you've done it) and let them go through all the steps they're required to ask you. If they can't fix it with those basic suggestions which is likely then they will either want to send a tech out which as you've mentioned isn't viable, hopefully explaining that they will (or ask to be) escalate(d) to a tier 2 or 3 tech. They will have more knowledge and should hopefully provide more targeted support/be able to identify the cause and solution. Also absolutely do not mention another router - it's vital you're clear that this issue is experienced when directly connected via ethernet from your PC to their modem - not saying they will but some may use that as the excuse to get you off the call if they don't know what the problem is. 

Good luck, I hope you can get it sorted and would be interested to hear an update on how you get on!

[mygamertagsucks]

Thanks again, all of you who helped me so far with this issue. This forum has actually been a wealth of knowledge for people like myself, who, at one point would have been considered tech savvy, but have obviously not stayed up to date on the tech front as much as I should have. You're all a valuable asset for everybody who really wants to understand networking in general, with an emphasis on DumaOS. I cannot thank you all enough. 

For the time being, I'm not going to mark this as solved until I hear more from Comcast tonight. Oh, and thank you for mentioning the part about the router not being involved. I'm generally good at not volunteering information, but here on the forums, it's a different issue when you know that there's some information that you guys need to know in order to help me. So, I will make sure they know this is an issue going from Modem to computer. Heck, the routers not even plugged in right now. 

Time to go bang my head against the wall!

[mygamertagsucks]

Well, here's where things currently stand as of 10 after midnight here in Indiana: I can connect directly to the internet on my laptop, from the modem. However, that is the only way I can connect. When I plug the router back in, and connect the modem to the router, the router is broadcasting a signal, but i cannot get online. I just keep getting the "failure to obtain IP address" issue. Comcast, was Comcast. Tried to upsell me on an XB8 wifi system as soon as she pulled diagnostics, so I had to be kind of a jerk and let her know that I was 100% not interested in using their equipment. The lady did try to tell me, "Mr John (not my first name), I see here that the problem on our end has been identified, and I have great news for you!" (By the way, I'm using quotes, even though I'm giving more of a paraphrased version of what she was telling me, so, sorry if that offends anyone) "Your modem has been more than 15 years now, and that's a long time for a modem. This is the reason you cannot receive all of the speeds from your internet." First, bulls**t. I told her my PS5 routinely connected at 501mbps down by 40mbps up. Just a very poor attempt on her end to insist on upselling me. 

When I plugged in our DOCSIS 3.1 compliant " Hitron CODA" (that's the real company name and router name. That was ordered by my dad, for whatever reason. It connected me, and I no longer receive the DNS error message on my laptop. Yet, when I run a cord to my router from the modem, I cannot connect to the internet, despite a factory reset. I'm getting frustrated. I'm thinking of just getting back into guitar at this point, lol.

[DARKNESS]

@mygamertagsucks

• So did you actually get a technician to come to your home and check equipment, or not?

If you’re getting looped around technicians, what you can do is keep records of the tickets and then file an FCC complaint, and I can promise you’ll receive a call pretty quickly from a regional agent. They don’t like it when consumers know their rights. But just so you know, if you’re wasting their time, you will be fined. This is for situations where you’re literally being played, and if it gets extreme, I recollect you can pay 200 bucks for like a civil report, etc. They’re not untouchable but a pain to deal with. I had to do that once in my lifetime.

You will need to provide proof using networking tools, such as PingPlotter or a similar application, so basic understanding is required.

As for you connecting directly to your modem, pretty certain it might be related to you not renewing your DHCP or the renewal getting stuck; therefore, manual renewal windows flush, etc.

ISPs are not untouchable. - https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/115002206106-Internet-Form-Descriptions-of-Complaint-Issues

[mygamertagsucks]

@DARKNESSThank you for the heads up regarding my rights as a consumer, but I think the most extreme I will go is to report them to the better business bureau. Everything about Comcast (from 0ur family perspective) has been one thing after another, and their magical fix is always, and I mean ALWAYS, try to offer up more bandwidth, for free, for 3 months. And right at 3 months, if you do not tell them, "I do not want this. I do not need this. This is a waste of my money", they will charge you, and lock you in for the price of that extra bandwidth. 

I have no clue why, but when I got on my Xfinity app (oddly, Comcasts app isn't supported anymore.. see dumb poopy on top of dumb poopy), I registered my modem, and that got me to the internet on one device. Now I am stuck in a GD endless loop of network admin sign on page after page. The few times I can even search for something, everything I click on is not trusted by netduma. Honestly, im proud of myself for maintaining an adult composure this far, but I feel the snap coming, fast. It gets ugly and I start using big words I don't know the meaning of, you know, typical douchebaggery type of stuff. 

I love that this community is so supportive. Ask the same question on Reddit, the first response is usually, "if you wanted netdumas OS, you should have just gotten a netduma. Sucks to be you", and I can't even say that they're wrong anymore. I'm just thankful for what I do have, while I have it. Which is why it bothers me that this bothers me so much. 

[mygamertagsucks]

So, just a quick update. I am now online. I had to register my new modem with Comcast, and, for some reason, they required me to register my router with them, as well. Turns out, they still show my connection running through our old XR500. 

If I'm being completely honest, I can't say I know why this worked. The customer service agent has me give them my CF MAC address of the modem, but said nothing of the router. And, @Netduma FraserI didn't forget what you told me. I did not volunteer any information to her. She asked me, "oh, you are not using our equipment. You have your own?" And I simply told her "correct", so she f'd around some more, and told me a technician would be out today, and we would be in contact with them (today), and that's not happened, so, it's time for me to just go in to their physical location and try to keep calm. The problem is, the people you need to speak to, the people like All of you, are never there. I'm simply talking to a salesman, so, I really think we are going to change over to Metronet. 

But, after registering the router with Comcast, via their mobile app no less, I have had a connection, but it's not optimized yet. Also, I did all of the ipconfig crap, and it said successfully flushed DNS, successfully released then successfully renewed. But, logging into the router always takes me to the admin 

Create password
Confirm password

What is your oldest sisters name?

What is your father's middle name? 

And that gets frustrating as hell. At one point, I renamed my network, the damn password I was going to use, and don't know how the hell that happened. I think I was just running on empty at the time.

 

[Netduma Fraser]

So just to be clear, all they needed to do was to register the modem & the router and you're all good now? If you can't access the interface on the router then hold the reset button in the back for 30 seconds, release, wait 4 minutes then access again so you can go through the Setup Wizard - this should not effect their registration so you should be online once the wizard is completed. Why you need to register the router you're using to get internet is weird, surely that's more headache for them too.

[mygamertagsucks]

6 hours ago, Netduma Fraser said:

So just to be clear, all they needed to do was to register the modem & the router and you're all good now? If you can't access the interface on the router then hold the reset button in the back for 30 seconds, release, wait 4 minutes then access again so you can go through the Setup Wizard - this should not effect their registration so you should be online once the wizard is completed. Why you need to register the router you're using to get internet is weird, surely that's more headache for them too.

Edited to add: After registering the router a second time, bc it wasn't showing up under "My Products" or "Rental Products", I was able to get up and running, but I had to use a LAN port as I would for gaming, to establish a connection long enough to set the router up. I am pretty sure, given what you've told me, i believe I should go back in and do a proper factory reset, bc I only held the button in until the router turned from a solid white bar, to a solid orange bar, then power cycled everything again. I'm just now realizing I did change the network name, but I didn't change the PW, which, a proper factory reset would have forced me into doing. I may be wrong, but, can somebody confirm or dispute that for me? I do have internet right now, but gaming on it, hardwired, is horrible, like when ppl used lag switches on the xbox360 and ps3. I tried to play last night, just to test, and my goodness, it was terrible and frustrating and skipping all over the place. 

 

Absolutely everything is weird when it comes to Comcast, and how they handle/mishandle certain things. Hell, at one point, they still had my address listed incorrectly. But, it would appear that registering the modem was the #1 issue, but, I can tell now that something is waaaayyy off after getting back online. The #2 issue was noise interference, which they said they'd send a tech out to check on. If they have, it's not been noticed. After I registered the modem, and connected to my computer, with the router still unplugged and out of the equation, I decided to run a speed test. After downloading the app for Windows, and getting past all of the advertising on a single test, I was showing 860mbps down, then 890, and topped out around 912mbps down. Upstream stayed steady, with every test being either 40, or 41mbps up. There was a lot of jitter on the line though, during all of the testing. However, once I hooked the router up, and registered the router, my first test showed "speeds" so low, they wouldn't even register upstream. Downstream was reminiscent of the 28.8kbps days of dialup (only slightly exaggerated) at 30, then 31, and topping out at 40mbps down. However, I took the patch cable that I always use to hardwire into my PS5, ran a speed test on the ps5's network connection test, and was getting speeds of 496mbps down, but only 9up, then 14up, eventually, reaching 40mbps up, but that was only after reregestering the router, and each LAN port gave me different readings. Right now, I'm using port #2, and that is where I get the 490 * 40 readings. All other ports top out at 200-220 down and anywhere from 3 to 12 up. So, no clue what's going on at the moment.

***Using this as a place card to remember to come back and post pics. Luckily, I have some in my ps gallery from before this bs started. 

[Netduma Fraser]

If you did a proper factory reset there is a whole Setup Wizard that it would force you to go through before you can access the interface - you setup WiFi there yes. How much is a lot of jitter direct to the modem? 

[mygamertagsucks]

@Netduma FraserSorry for always being here and then not. But yes, I did do a complete reset, and the jitter was 19ms I believe. Im going to post the pictures here because, quite honestly, I've got a lot going on, and would be dead in the water without all of your guys' help. I'm not kissing ass, I'm just letting you know I'm thankful. 

This first picture is the speed test run from Modem to computer, no router involvement whatsoever. 

On the bottom, is the picture of the speed test run from my cellphone, after being able to get online via Ethernet port, but not via WiFi. Damn it, I have more pictures that I can't find bc I didn't put them into folders on my phone, so it's just one big ass list of pics and I don't want to post the wrong thing. 

[mygamertagsucks]

BTW, I apologize for doing this this way, but it helps me create a log that is visible to all of you poor souls stuck trying to help me out. So, I'm going to use mobile data to post, and timestamp everything. @Netduma FraserIf I had performed the factory reset properly, wouldnt I have needed to update my firmware? At the very least, I would have expected a prompt to create a new password, instead of the wifi password that comes assigned to the device? 

So, where I am at, it is 9:20pm. I am getting ready to initiate a full, proper, factory reset now. 

[Netduma Fraser]

No worries, that's exactly what this kind of support is for so you can answer when it is convenient for you, we'll keep answering if you do. What do you mean by "picture of the speed test run from my cellphone, after being able to get online via Ethernet port, but not via WiFi" are you saying you have an ethernet adapter for your phone that you were using?

The firmware doesn't go back if you factory reset, it will stay on the one you're on but you won't be able to miss that you've factory reset correctly if you see the setup wizard instead of the normal interface. Okay keep us posted!