cable power levels too high?

[Toy]

hi i have comcast business class internet in atlanta georgia my speeds are 100 down and 20 up im getting the speeds and the ping is usually around 11 or 12ms but certain sites wont load like amazon or ebay etc... also when i play xbox i'll watch the ping graph and usually be under 50ms (the line is a little up and down but im guessing thats normal) the reason i bought the netduma is becuase often times when i get killed and watch the killcam it seems like they see me wayyyyy before i see them for some reason... like i'll pop out for what seems to be a second but on the killcam it seems they were staring at me like (HEY DUMMY SHOOT BACK) and bam i'm dead or i strafe a wall and am fully behind cover and die but in the killcam im out in the open... i mostly play black ops 2 but this happens on multiple games... so i started to look into the issue and called my modem company and they said my downstream powers are too high (8db for the lows and 12 for the highs) so i had my apartment electrician come over cause i wanted to do a test on the direct comcast line and the powers were way higher. the highest being 18db and lows at 15db so i went and got a splitter and got my modems downstream power levels down to the 1-4 range but it still does the whole (i see you before you see me) deal on cods etc so i was wondering would it be caused by the hot power level im getting from the direct line outside? and would it be best if i called comcast and asked for them to lower the power levels? (im not sure if they can do that) also i'm accepting any advice... as im a noob at networking and all this stuff 

 

thanks in advance

 

-toy

[Trolling_Farm]

If you could log into your modem and post the screen shot of your signal levels that would be great. Depending on that modem you have it is probably. http://192.168.1.100if not just google it.

 

Thanks.

[iAmMoDBoX]

 

He ^^^ might be able to help you out... Although you should not being seeing +18db at the modem. What you could do is complain to Comcast that you modem keeps rebooting. They will send a tech out and the tech should want to lower it for you.

 

+1 to +4db is perfect, but you'll want to get a terminator cap to use on the open end of the splitter. As for people seeing around corners... Well that's just COD.

[Dillinger]

Thanks Mod Box! *respect*

 

Hi Toy - Mod Box actually nailed it.  I don't know of a system that would spec +18dB at the back of the set or modem.  Those are just LOONY TUNES SILLY levels that would quickly compound with a litany of issues with FCC testing, but I won't go into here.

 

Couple of quick questions.  Is this a multiple dwelling unit, like an apartment building?  One standing structure with several "units"?  or is this a single residence like a house or half of a duplex?

 

This will help with a couple of quick thoughts and then we can work on getting Comcast out there, because you will need them to fix what is wrong, but we can work on it.

 

Everything Mod Box said about the terminator cap is correct.  Any open ports will only compound your issues, of which is sounds like you have a couple of them going.  

 

But, I happen to be a HUGE Black Ops 2 guy, I play all the time, and I have a host of settings for you to try once we get you up and running correctly.

[kevo]

ima screen shot mines and tell me what you guys think

[kevo]

https://gyazo.com/efad9c0fc31d7f8cf16c0fc1f9dda70e

[Toy]

Thanks Mod Box! *respect*

 

Hi Toy - Mod Box actually nailed it.  I don't know of a system that would spec +18dB at the back of the set or modem.  Those are just LOONY TUNES SILLY levels that would quickly compound with a litany of issues with FCC testing, but I won't go into here.

 

Couple of quick questions.  Is this a multiple dwelling unit, like an apartment building?  One standing structure with several "units"?  or is this a single residence like a house or half of a duplex?

 

This will help with a couple of quick thoughts and then we can work on getting Comcast out there, because you will need them to fix what is wrong, but we can work on it.

 

Everything Mod Box said about the terminator cap is correct.  Any open ports will only compound your issues, of which is sounds like you have a couple of them going.  

 

But, I happen to be a HUGE Black Ops 2 guy, I play all the time, and I have a host of settings for you to try once we get you up and running correctly.

i appreciate such fast responses!! i used a 9db splitter and got my modem down from (low 8.2db n high 12.3db) to -0.2 and at the high 2.3db for the downstream power but where it was high was outside at the direct comcast line outside of the apartment complex. did another test at that line and it was 18.5db for downstream power level at highest... i was wondering if the signals on the modem are all that matter now? or do i need to call them out to get the numbers down at the outside line to make it work better now? if i can even do that... =/

 

thanks in advance

[Trolling_Farm]

https://gyazo.com/efad9c0fc31d7f8cf16c0fc1f9dda70e

you should really aim to be between -7 and positive 7 "they keep changing"

 

http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/Basic-Internet-Connectivity-And/Connection-Troubleshooting-Tips/td-p/1253575

 

i appreciate such fast responses!! i used a 9db splitter and got my modem down from (low 8.2db n high 12.3db) to -0.2 and at the high 2.3db for the downstream power but where it was high was outside at the direct comcast line outside of the apartment complex. did another test at that line and it was 18.5db for downstream power level at highest... i was wondering if the signals on the modem are all that matter now? or do i need to call them out to get the numbers down at the outside line to make it work better now? if i can even do that... =/

 

thanks in advance

I am surprised when you called they didn't suggest someone to come out and correct the tap since the signal was way off. You shouldn't have to use a splitter to downgrade your signal to fit Comcast's incorrect power levels from the tap. Have Comcast fix the Tap, but you also live in an Apartment Complex so they might have to send out more signal to compensate for all the other users pulling form the tap. IDK just my 2 cent!

[Toy]

you should really aim to be between -7 and positive 7 "they keep changing"

 

http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/Basic-Internet-Connectivity-And/Connection-Troubleshooting-Tips/td-p/1253575

 

I am surprised when you called they didn't suggest someone to come out and correct the tap since the signal was way off. You shouldn't have to use a splitter to downgrade your signal to fit Comcast's incorrect power levels from the tap. Have Comcast fix the Tap, but you also live in an Apartment Complex so they might have to send out more signal to compensate for all the other users pulling form the tap. IDK just my 2 cent!

yeah i called and asked and they said if they come out and find out its not their fault then they're going to bill me 99$ for the visit and i just don't have that kind of money to throw around currently :/ (so i was just trying everything i could look up and the splitter one was one of the only options i could try without involving them) even though i hooked my modem up directly to the box outside where the wire would connect to coming into my apartment and saw that the highest power level was 18.4db in the downstream channel and the lowest was 15db i feel they'd say it isn't and just charge me cause i've already caught them tacking on stuff to my bill that shouldn't have been there in the first place

[iAmMoDBoX]

I've been having problems since May and I happen to be in contact with someone on their Twitter support page who may be able to help you out if you don't mind PMing me your info to forward to him such as name on the account, address, etc.. That's up to you. He's helped me a ton.

 

From what you said above it's entirely possible that your (I assume apartment building) is using an amplifier which is turned up wayyyy to high. If the building installed it then it's not Comcast's problem honestly.

[A7Legit]

I had issues because my technician was an ass.

 

I purchased a TV attenuator works excellently, allows -11 - +11db.

 

I try to keep mine as close to 0db as possible.

[Dillinger]

i appreciate such fast responses!! i used a 9db splitter and got my modem down from (low 8.2db n high 12.3db) to -0.2 and at the high 2.3db for the downstream power but where it was high was outside at the direct comcast line outside of the apartment complex. did another test at that line and it was 18.5db for downstream power level at highest... i was wondering if the signals on the modem are all that matter now? or do i need to call them out to get the numbers down at the outside line to make it work better now? if i can even do that... =/

 

thanks in advance

 

Even though you have artificially padded the input levels down to the correct threshold, that doesn't address the larger issue and WILL most likely cause other problems.

 

I would think if you got a competent representative from the company on the phone and told them you had 19dB at the back of your set, that should be enough, but let me give you a couple of pointers.  

 

First do your homework.  Know what your signal levels are, know what your account is and how long you have been a customer.  Have your note pad with the dates and times that the problems have occurred and have the names of anyone you have dealt with personally.

 

1. The first person you talk to is going to be a low level line worker.  They can assist you, but they have a script and the whole goal of that script is to get you off the phone WITHOUT having to roll a truck to your residence.  Truck rolls are a savage expense for cable companies, so they ACTIVELY work to eliminate them by measures just as this one.
2. Ask for a Senior Technical Representative or Field Supervisor.  Most centers have a couple of people who have had outside plant experience, or are the more "senior" people, so they can help you work the system.  They may offer to help you and encourage you to tell them your problem.  Again, they follow a script.
3. Once they offer any resistance to getting you to a more experienced person, maybe they are the more exp person, hit them with the facts.

• I pay $XXX.XX dollars a month for your service
• I currently have (E.g. 18db at the back of my TV set).  Your own recommendations say I should have between "this level and this level" of signal, which this obviously doesn't meet.
• Lay out the dates you have been dealing with the issue.  If a customer has been "dealing with an issue" for months, don't expect a real quick response.  If it's been a couple of days and you are good and pissed, that is a good way to get a response, but REMAIN PROFESSIONAL.
• Explain, in no uncertain terms, that by your standards this is completely unacceptable for a service you are paying to receive and would like it to be addressed with "more than your customer retention script".  <=== This is a sure fire way to help cut through the BS, because the people on the phone don't like the script any more than we do!
• Ask them, don't tell them or threaten them, ask them to send someone who is a Senior technician or an Area Technician for the land mass you call home.

When the tech arrives:

 

• Know what you are talking about and have your facts ready.  If you kept a journal of names and dates and levels and anything else, have it ready for them.  If the problem has been happening "since you moved in", explain the time frame that is in question, what times of day you normally see the problem, etc.  
• GIVE THEM ALL THE FACTS - Telling them that your neighbor thinks they have it to won't help.  I would immediately discount any statement like that short of a complete outage (no signal at all).  You have to tell them stuff that can help them, help you.  If the problem is constant, that is easy to fix.  If it comes and goes, you need to give them something to work with, because they can't just sit there all day with you and wait for it to happen.  They need something to go on to be able to diagnose and repair.

In this case, once you talk to someone who understands how the plant works, and tell them the levels you are experiencing, I would be shocked if they didn't roll a truck to the area to run some mandatory tests ANYWAYS, so there is very little (almost less than 0) that they can or would charge you for a problem that is being generated outside of your house.*

 

*obvious caveat is if your dog dug up the cable and chewed the shit out of it in your yard, or your gardening hit the incoming line damaging it, but hopefully you get the point.

 

Toy - it sounds like an area problem and you should not be charged unless there is more information you haven't shared with us here.

[Toy]

sorry if i forgot to mention in previous post that i use a arris motorola sb6183 (it has 16 downstream channels) and (3 upstream channels) anyways i just got off the phone with comcast and have a tech coming out tomorrow at 1-5pm eastern time zone... and noticed a few weird things while calling in again that i forgot to mention... i ran into a weird error where it wouldn't recognize either my phone number or my business account number linked to my account... it's done this for the last three days and they can't figure it out (weird) so i had to just say i didn't have either... and when i got a tech on the line they asked me for the same info and supposedly it registered it then... i also noticed that when i do a speedtest at (speedtest.net) on the bottom left corner it says my provider is comcast cable and gives me a residential ip that starts off with 73.xxx.xx.xxx i've worked at companies prior with business comcast and been to hotels with business comcast and every time i speed tested them there... it would always say the provider was comcast business communications and start off with a 50.xx.xx.xxx ip above it...(not sure if that helps but i feel that might be a little weird) im getting a ping around 10-15 when connecting in the bedroom and over the speeds i pay for... usually around 115-123mbps download and 22-23upload... i pay for 100mbps down and 20mbps upload.. when i connect to the jack in the living room (where i want to be connected) i get various pings from 10-32ms and usually around the same overclocked speeds at like 110-123mbps download and 22-23 upload... so i figured maybe there was a splitter in the wall out in the living room so i had the apartment electrician come over and open the coax jack or outlet so we could have a look and inside of it was this

now at first i thought this was the culprit screwing up the internet cause when it was split off to the other room the power levels for the downstream channels were (-0.2db at the lows) and (+3.0db at the highs) which is from what i read really good signals but i was still suffering from a constant overclock feel like everything was going fast forward on every game i was playing emails weren't loading sites wouldn't load then randomly load after a minute etc...so i took it back to the jack you see above... and bypassed the 9db tap (i thought it was a splitter but apparently it isn't?) and found that the main line was going into the in so i unscrewed that and screwed it into the jack screw then screwed my coax from the modem into the jack screw... now with this set up i was getting +13.5db for the highs on the downstream channel sometimes in the 14's but it seems to fluctuate from day to day never really going lower then +12db for the highs... it was at +8.5dbs for the lows but now the lows are at +9.8dbs

 

now just to clear any confusion i was never getting +18dbs directly at my modem inside the house... i went outside to the direct comcast tap that comes from the outside with the apartment electrician... theres multiple coax's connected to this with apartment numbers on it we found mine and made sure it was mine but unscrewing it at the box and trying to power my modem inside the apartment at the jack it just wouldn't cycle through... just stayed flashing green at the power icon... so i went out there and directly connected my coax to where our line was coming in and powered up the modem to a outlet he had and let it cycle the lows directly at the tap were in the +15db and highs were at +18.5db now from what i read that was  a bit high... but then again im not sure what the power levels have to be at the tap because if thats the main line i tested in the house (which was the only one that would even let my modem power up and work) then how can it drop from +18dbs high to +13.5dbs high on the inside of the house all along the same line? without any splitters in between or in the wall to my knowledge... is that normal? so the electrician closed it all put it back to normal outside we went back in the apartment so i started trying to think what it could be... i knew it wasn't the netduma cause this was happening before i got it... i knew it wasn't the modem giving faulty power level signals cause i tested in two different rooms and was closer to 0 in the bedroom that was being split by the 9db tap splitter... so that rules out the tap splitter.. also rules out the master coax coming into the house i guess cause we tested even higher numbers directly outside at the comcast tap with a different shorter coax that they gave us when they hooked our modem up initially... so now im just stumped im gonna tell the tech when he comes out tomorrow all the things i've done and hopefully he'll have some answers... im also hoping that anyone of you can maybe give me some 2cents and i can ask him to try some of the things you say cause if it doesn't get fixed after this visit i think i'm going to be switching services to AT&T uverse (its my only other option) so i want to make this visit count....

 

sorry for the long post just wanted to give as much info as possible i hope this helps you help me lol

 

thanks in advance

 

toy

 

p.s. i forgot to mention when we talked the tech said that they don't do IPV6 only IPV4 when i connected my xbox directly into the modem the ip i was getting was a ipv6 address in the network settings for the dns i thought that was weird as well as when i typed in whats my ip on google search it came back as an ipv6 address again... im really confused and new to all this... im not very technically inclined so sorry if i wrote this really weird

[Toy]

Even though you have artificially padded the input levels down to the correct threshold, that doesn't address the larger issue and WILL most likely cause other problems.

 

I would think if you got a competent representative from the company on the phone and told them you had 19dB at the back of your set, that should be enough, but let me give you a couple of pointers.  

 

First do your homework.  Know what your signal levels are, know what your account is and how long you have been a customer.  Have your note pad with the dates and times that the problems have occurred and have the names of anyone you have dealt with personally.

 

1. The first person you talk to is going to be a low level line worker.  They can assist you, but they have a script and the whole goal of that script is to get you off the phone WITHOUT having to roll a truck to your residence.  Truck rolls are a savage expense for cable companies, so they ACTIVELY work to eliminate them by measures just as this one.
2. Ask for a Senior Technical Representative or Field Supervisor.  Most centers have a couple of people who have had outside plant experience, or are the more "senior" people, so they can help you work the system.  They may offer to help you and encourage you to tell them your problem.  Again, they follow a script.
3. Once they offer any resistance to getting you to a more experienced person, maybe they are the more exp person, hit them with the facts.

• I pay $XXX.XX dollars a month for your service
• I currently have (E.g. 18db at the back of my TV set).  Your own recommendations say I should have between "this level and this level" of signal, which this obviously doesn't meet.
• Lay out the dates you have been dealing with the issue.  If a customer has been "dealing with an issue" for months, don't expect a real quick response.  If it's been a couple of days and you are good and pissed, that is a good way to get a response, but REMAIN PROFESSIONAL.
• Explain, in no uncertain terms, that by your standards this is completely unacceptable for a service you are paying to receive and would like it to be addressed with "more than your customer retention script".  <=== This is a sure fire way to help cut through the BS, because the people on the phone don't like the script any more than we do!
• Ask them, don't tell them or threaten them, ask them to send someone who is a Senior technician or an Area Technician for the land mass you call home.

When the tech arrives:

 

• Know what you are talking about and have your facts ready.  If you kept a journal of names and dates and levels and anything else, have it ready for them.  If the problem has been happening "since you moved in", explain the time frame that is in question, what times of day you normally see the problem, etc.  
• GIVE THEM ALL THE FACTS - Telling them that your neighbor thinks they have it to won't help.  I would immediately discount any statement like that short of a complete outage (no signal at all).  You have to tell them stuff that can help them, help you.  If the problem is constant, that is easy to fix.  If it comes and goes, you need to give them something to work with, because they can't just sit there all day with you and wait for it to happen.  They need something to go on to be able to diagnose and repair.

In this case, once you talk to someone who understands how the plant works, and tell them the levels you are experiencing, I would be shocked if they didn't roll a truck to the area to run some mandatory tests ANYWAYS, so there is very little (almost less than 0) that they can or would charge you for a problem that is being generated outside of your house.*

 

*obvious caveat is if your dog dug up the cable and chewed the shit out of it in your yard, or your gardening hit the incoming line damaging it, but hopefully you get the point.

 

Toy - it sounds like an area problem and you should not be charged unless there is more information you haven't shared with us here.

the tech comes anywhere within an hour and 4 hours was wondering if you had a chance to read my latest post

 

thanks in advance

 

toy

[Toy]

I had issues because my technician was an ass.

 

I purchased a TV attenuator works excellently, allows -11 - +11db.

 

I try to keep mine as close to 0db as possible.

yeah i already have tried through the original setup which was being split by 9dbs into a different room and still am running into the same problems so im having a tech come out today to see what we can do... cause im currently running the master coax through the wall jack and then connecting my modem directly to that basically but what strikes me odd is that... when we went outside to test directly at the tap outside the apartment complex the downstream signals were +18db and supposedly on the same line coming into the house at the modem the highs are +13.5db which to me doesn't make sense for it to drop so much if its all along the same line and doesn't have any splitters besides the tap im bypassing now... so im kinda stumped for now as to what could be causing all of this :/

[Dillinger]

Short on time as I have a large demo to finish prep and give in about 30 minutes.

 

You need to show the tech everything you have found when he gets there, don't leave anything out.

 

This sounds like the first problem you have is called "overdrive" and essentially your levels are too hot for the gear to work correctly.  That may be a smaller condition of a much larger problem however, so the tech won't know until he does some verifying and testing against the companies' plant levels and norms.  

 

Just lay out the problem, what you have done in your own testing and show the guy all the data.  Then make sure you explain exactly what you WANT the service to do so that s/he has an end result in mind when s/he is working on the issue.

[Dillinger]

Any update on this Toy?  Were they able to get you fixed up and how are your games?

[Alex49H]

Any update on this Toy? Were they able to get you fixed up and how are your games?

Yeah Toy. Please let us know. I have the same modem and probably the same problem. @Dillinger is a big help here!

[Toy]

Any update on this Toy?  Were they able to get you fixed up and how are your games?

the tech came out and checked my noise power levels said my jitter and ping are great and put me back through that 9db tap splitter and took out one coax going to the other room... went outside and said the amps levels are suppose to be that high (so it wasn't actually a tap this whole time it was a amp) he said it's a 20db amp so if it was over 20 then we'd have problems... other then the tap obviously bringing my levels down to +4db on the downstream channel being the highest now.. the problem is still persisting... i've never had this fast forwarding sensation on any of my other connections... i thought maybe it could be lag comp but i tested every cod destiny and gta and it happens on every game... i've been playing games for about 8 years now and this is a really weird new feeling... makes gaming really hard to enjoy now... i've tried a different xbox different tv uninstalling and reinstalling games the only thing i haven't tried is opening specific ports and im not sure that would do any good? since my nat already says it's open.... welp im stumped guys any ideas or suggestions would be highly appreciated!

 

thanks in advance

 

toy

[Zennon]

On your Ipv6 question.

 

Xbox one uses Ipv6 for P2P games using terredo.

 

https://www.nanog.org/sites/default/files/wed.general.palmer.xbox_.47.pdf

 

I have had the rewind feeling where the other players speed up and move forward in time quick and you stay in your time like normal, it happens in burst's I have not had this to often but it happens.

 

Are you moving quicker or the other players if it is them you are being rewound in time by the game if this is happening all the time then that sucks.

 

An open NAT is an open NAT like you say but I would try the ports just incase.

 

Give your One a static ip and forward the ports in the Netduma and point the ports to the IP you gave the One, It is very easy to do that on the Netduma.

[A7Legit]

This is going to sound dumb as **** but try changing your MTU to 1480 for the Xbox One (Settings > LAN & WAN)

​

​Just try it, I cannot explain and let me know if it helps your Xbox One games.

 

If you're rocking on the PS4, try MTU of 1473 but set that on the PS4 itself in Network settings.

[Toy]

On your Ipv6 question.

 

Xbox one uses Ipv6 for P2P games using terredo.

 

https://www.nanog.org/sites/default/files/wed.general.palmer.xbox_.47.pdf

 

I have had the rewind feeling where the other players speed up and move forward in time quick and you stay in your time like normal, it happens in burst's I have not had this to often but it happens.

 

Are you moving quicker or the other players if it is them you are being rewound in time by the game if this is happening all the time then that sucks.

 

An open NAT is an open NAT like you say but I would try the ports just incase.

 

Give your One a static ip and forward the ports in the Netduma and point the ports to the IP you gave the One, It is very easy to do that on the Netduma.

no it's like the other players are always moving so fast every time they take a corner or i take a corner im dead in like 1 bullet and in the killcam it shows them seeing me for such a long time and shooting more bullets then originally i thought they shot to kill me... are their any settings i can change to help with this problem im having?

[Toy]

This is going to sound dumb as **** but try changing your MTU to 1480 for the Xbox One (Settings > LAN & WAN)

​

​Just try it, I cannot explain and let me know if it helps your Xbox One games.

 

If you're rocking on the PS4, try MTU of 1473 but set that on the PS4 itself in Network settings.

currently i only play the 360 i do have the xbox one but im a cod player and really don't like ghosts or advanced warfare

[Alex49H]

On your Ipv6 question.

 

Xbox one uses Ipv6 for P2P games using terredo.

 

https://www.nanog.org/sites/default/files/wed.general.palmer.xbox_.47.pdf

 

I have had the rewind feeling where the other players speed up and move forward in time quick and you stay in your time like normal, it happens in burst's I have not had this to often but it happens.

 

Are you moving quicker or the other players if it is them you are being rewound in time by the game if this is happening all the time then that sucks.

 

An open NAT is an open NAT like you say but I would try the ports just incase.

 

Give your One a static ip and forward the ports in the Netduma and point the ports to the IP you gave the One, It is very easy to do that on the Netduma.

How Ze? I sometimes see those fast moving players.

[Netduma Fraser]

no it's like the other players are always moving so fast every time they take a corner or i take a corner im dead in like 1 bullet and in the killcam it shows them seeing me for such a long time and shooting more bullets then originally i thought they shot to kill me... are their any settings i can change to help with this problem im having?

 

If you can post the information from here http://wiki.netduma.com/doku.php?id=lag_support_instructionswe can help optimise your settings for you