My Internet Provider Tech Guy Needs Your Help

[BigGotter]

For months now I have been having internet issues. Constant rubber banding while playing CoH, delayed response when clicking on videos on YouTube. First thing I did back in August when the problem started was run a speed test to see if the problem is on my end or with Mediacom. I am signed up with Mediacoms wired internet residential service cable broad band network, Xtream service plan 1 gig internet. When everything is working right, I usually get around 749mbps download and 45mbps upload speeds. However, when it's not working right, my download speeds are normal (749mbps) but the upload speeds are only .03-1.7mbps. I have more than one computer and have the same problem no matter which one I'm on. I called up Meidacom tech line and reported the problem back in august and they came out and verified the problem was on their end, and he put in a ticket to have the next higher up tech look into it. Weeks go by and still having the same problem, so I report it again. Tech guy comes out, says yup, it's still not fixed. He sends a ticket to the next guy up. Weeks turn into months and we're still having the same issue. No upload speed!  Last week, I called and report it again. This time a new tech guy comes out and verified the same problem. He informs me that there several homes in the little town I live in that have reported the same issue, and that the next higher up tech guy that knew how to fix it had passed away a few weeks ago and nobody else knows how to fix it.  So, I'm asking for help or suggestions as to what is broken or what button needs to be pushed, so I can inform the tech how to fix their internet. I am frustrated and grasping at straws now.   Thanks 

[shortguy on indom]

• SORRY TO HEAR.  NO IDEA ON THIER END..
• I READ SOMEWHERE THAT THE INCOMING SIGNAL HAS TO BE BETWEEN A CERTAIN LOWER AND UPPER LIMIT RANGE.
• I KNOW THEY SAID GOOD ON YOUR END... BUT ARE ALL THE COAX CABLE ENDS TIGHT?... MAYBE CHANGE OUT AN OLD/BAD COAX CABLE?

[lemming]

Have they done a trace to see where the problem happens?

[WanderingAries]

Such a good tech and he didn't leave notes?!?

 

If it's multiple people / homes, then they need to troubleshoot the first node between them and their nearest main hub. If they can't figure THAT out, then they all need refunds on their schooling. 

[BlackSpectre]

Something else to consider… Cable Internet is SHARED among the people in your community. That means the limited bandwidth gats smaller and smaller with each person transferring data through it. It might be that several people in your neighborhood are uploading a lot of large files at the same time you’re accessing it. It might be they’re doing it all the time. maybe. 
 

However, if your tech knows there is a technical solution, then maybe he’s right? Maybe. 
 

But yeah, if multiple people are experiencing it , the problem is on the company’s end. They probably should upgrade their hub/node. 
 

 

[BigGotter]

To answer a few questions, yes, I have checked all connections that I have access to. The problem exists before it even comes into the house.  All of the cable lines in town and the surrounding counties were replaced a year after hurricane Michael came thru back in October of 2018. Originally, this same problem with no upload speed happened in August of 2023 and was reported. The tech came out and did his checks on the line, and did say he traced it back to a place just outside of town but couldn't determine the source of what was causing it. Many weeks later, the problem mysteriously vanished with no explanation.  Then a new problem arose months later with zero internet for days. It might work for an hour or 2 then go completely down for another 10-12 hours. This problem finally resolved itself after months of "Maintenace on the lines".  Here we are back to August 20024 and the no upload speed problem returned as my original post talks about.  The "shared Internet" I can see happening if it was just a gradual drop in speed as people start streaming one by one, however the speed is going from 49mbps upload to suddenly nothing. And there's no certain time of day or night it may be working as intended or not. Totally random.  The "node" sounds like the most likely culprit. Leaking seal allowing water to get in, bad connection in the box. If they would get me a bucket truck, I'd replace it myself, lol, free of charge, lol. Anyways, I got another ticket put in as I'm writing this to have the tech guy come back out. I'll let ya know how our conversation goes this time 🙂

[WanderingAries]

While the shared connection nature of cable IS an aspect that could easily be a component, the bigger contributors (aka business) should be isolated from (consumer) your lines. There is of course the local streamer who could be clogging things up, but even they are only likely exacerbating, not causing the issue.

 

For frame of reference, when we had DSL (until I pushed for cable), anytime it rained, their little shack of a local node here would drop (probably because it wasn't likely sealed properly), so yeah, that'll do it too. When I was up north, we had squirrels get into the close-to-the-house junction box and cause us to be down all weekend (bad for college kids).

 

If this continues much longer (and/or it looks like you're being pushed aside), then I'd push to have an outside (call the news?) source look into it as being an act of ineptness or bureaucracy (who really owns the lines / node causing the issue?!?). What it Feels like is that said point of failure is being managed by the next tier up the chain (of ownership) and They're dropping the ball.

[Marine X]

This kind of problem is becoming more and more common. Back in the day the ISPs were all phone companies, Public Utilities, governed by the Public Utilities Commission. If you had an ongoing issue, you could report it to the PUC and the ISP would be forced to resolve the issue or be fined till they did. Now we have all the Cable and Fiber based ISPs as the majority of the market share and they are considered Entertainment Providers, not Public Utilities and are not answerable to the PUC or anyone in particular. This will probably be addressed eventually but has not, at least where I am, so they don't tend to take service issues as seriously as they should.

[WanderingAries]

10 hours ago, Marine X said:

they are considered Entertainment Providers, not Public Utilities

 

Which in the modern world is BS because they're now essential services (for internet / phone)

[BigGotter]

I'm back in action. They replaced the node today. Speed test is showing 896mbps download and 60mbps upload. No more rubberbanding.  Thanks for everyone who commented on this topic. My tech guy thanks you, and he gets to keep his job. 

[BigGotter]

It's broken again. No upload speed and back to constant rubberbanding. Worked great for 3 hours before it went straight to nothing. I have been back on the phone with tech support tonight, and we went thru the checklist of unplugging the router/modem and disconnecting the coaxial cable for 10 minutes. They also tried "reprograming" the router. I suppose that's something like reverifying files.  After an hour of futile attempts, they had to give up and put in a ticket for a tech to come back out. 🤬

[biostem]

Dumb question - was a direct wired connection to the modem/gateway attempted?

[BigGotter]

Yes, my computers are hard wired to the modem. The problem with no upload speed is present on all my devices wired or wireless. The Maintenace Tech has already determined that the problem is on their line. There have been several other homes that have reported the same problem in the little town I live in.  I'm doing as much research as I can and have found a video that discusses "Competitor Back feed" going into the node from the home where the faulty equipment is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajFWM0RGEEA   I would expect the Mediacom tech that's trying to fix it to have training and access to the tools to troubleshoot and track something like this down.  Stay tuned for updates in a day or 6. Things move at the speed of snail around here.

 

[BigGotter]

I have working internet as of 30 min ago. Mediacom tech was working on the line early this morning. Don't know what they did, but it's working now. Let's see how long this lasts.