[NMLUG] Re: Comcast

[neall at haughtmail.com (Neall)]

> Are any of you comcast cable subscribers experiencing intermittent drops
> in your connection? I'm not alone according to the comcast customer
> forums who also have been getting frequent interuptions that last up to 10
> seconds.
> Depending on your usage, you may or may not have noticed this problem.
> I've been using comcast for 2 years, since about April I've noticed the
> problem. After troubleshooting with winxp, linux, network monitoring and
> different netcard and firewire setups, I'm positive its not on my end.

This has happened to me on two different occasions.  The first time, I
called Comcast and they were able to confirm it (they keep a log of DHCP
leases and noticed the frequent re-negotiation).  The signal levels in the
neighborhood had changed slightly, and they came out and made some kind of
adjustment (outside the home) and it worked fine.  They said things got
out of balance due to the addition of VOD (video on demand) in the
neighborhood.  Worked fine after that, for about 9 months.

The second time, they found low signal in the house.  THey installed an
amplifier (at my cost) since I had four splitters/outlets in the house. 
Fine since.  The tech even called me the following Sunday to verify things
were still working.  Excellent response and service in both cases.

In both cases, I noticed frantic lease negotiation/failures between my
modem and the outside world.  (My router keeps a log). I knew right away
not to bother with any of my software config items.  It wasn't that. 
Maybe my modem, but no further into my system.  They should also be able
to run a signal/check down your line remotely, to detect various forms of
signal loss/weirdness.  Neall

PS: I've had several IP changes over the years.  Using my own domain name,
along with dynamic dns, trivializes the issue.  It's all perl scripted.