TV and Internet

[monkey44]

We just had Fiber Optic cable installed in out community 1500 homes. Since then, a lot of the homes get freeze picture, and pixelation frequently. We also get WIFI on same cable ... and drop the connection for ten or fifteen minutes at a time before it re-connects. The set-up it WIFI TV as well as internet. So we lose everything.

Not one or two, but probably all or most homes. Comcast says it's US, our house cable or our TV or our equipment (Their equipment) and mostly will do very little. Occasionaly, will dend out a tech and tell us everything is working properly. IT's NOT ...

We are a senior community, and lots of folks online or on TV and much of the day. This install is recently complete - several months.

I suspect Comcast installed a lower grade or small size Fiber Optic cable, and it's over-loaded. Any comment from you tech experts?? thx

BTW: All boxes in our homes are new, and installed at the same time.

[monkey44]

We new we would get fiber from the street and to each residence. We have that, and new equipment installed via Comcast. 111 DL, 9 UP. BUT, we have oringinal coax cable in our homes and equipment is coax connectable, not Fiber Optic.

The "Sales Brag" from Comcast, of course, 'we give you perfect service and perfect TV and Internet.' Agreed, and the price is right, and again, we get what we pay for - which is OK as long as we get it. Loss of signal and pixelation community wide is NOT what we paid for, nor continue to pay for monthly.

[thomasmnile]

Cable providers are regulated by the FCC, not locally. OP: Are you 100% fiber from the street, into your community and to your home? The blinding download speeds advertised by providers are at the ethernet ports on the modem (if so equipped). The WiFi speeds are maybe half or so the 'wired' speed on a good day, and are dependent on how many devices are active within your home. What speeds comes through the wire to the modem are also traffic volume dependent.

By way of example, we have Spectrum, who now touts download speeds "up to" 300 mbps. Haven't seen it yet, we've had 200 mbps service before the upgrade to 300, never saw better than 180-ish at an ethernet port on the router (checked once by a Spectrum tech). Our WiFi speeds (equipment is a Spectrum owned Modem/Router combo) are typically 112-150 mbps down, 8-12 mbps up. WiFi can indeed be glitchy, ours is frequently. However, Spectrum's marketing and disclaimers cover their butts quite thoroughly and the CSR's in their call centers are quick to recite them when you have an Internet problem and they remotely peer into your home setup and pronounce all is well. With Spectrum, their service (in many but not areas) is fiber to the street, coax into our apartment complex, and RG-59 coax (so last century, the complex is nearly 40 years old) into the individual apartments. Better than dialup, but the technology within the buildings will never allow for the full benefit of fiber technology.

[Lwiddis]

Raise cane. Get this fixed for yourself and others.

[wa8yxm]

2oldman wrote:
Hard to say, but fiber was the best, fastest internet I've ever had. Sure sounds like a faulty installation.

I agree with 2Old. sounds to me like comcast screwed up (Again I might add) .. IF you have a friend who knows how to properly test it. (Alas I do but he's in Flint, MI). that would be someone to invite to dinner so he can write a note to Comcast.

Also. Utilities (Comcast qualifies) are Regulated by one or another state, county or city agency.. Find out which and pitch a .. Complaint (NO I'm not typing the rhyme, even it is the season for it).

Good luck... And consider this... They are not supposed to charge you for down time.. They will. but they should not so request half off on your bill due to half service once it's confirmed it's not your fault.

[NamMedevac_70]

They have so many ways to skin us suckers. Call it yankee pride

[monkey44]

My main Q? This is probably a Comcast issue, not an individual unit or internal home cable issue.

Not trying to get 'long range' trouble shooting from ya-all, that's not possible. Just a few idea to pursue, but mainly the above Q? ... individual unit or main Comcast problem. IT happens to too many people in this community to be a personal unit problem, and even then, the individual units belong to and were installed by Comcast.

[bgum]

Does it happen at say 2 or 3 in the morning? That will tell you if it a overload situation. Could be a bad CAU or LAM if they are still used. Insufficient transmitting power, dirty/poor connections trying to do too much with too little.

[Lwiddis]

“ Comcast says it's US,…”

Just you or you and many of your neighbors? If it is a bunch of you…get after them. Does Massachusetts regulate them? Start with your local elected officials.

[monkey44]

I just ran a speed test now ... 111 mbps DL --- 9 mbps UL

So, not the cable, but I don't know how many people are on it now at 4PM ...
Our community has the contract ... but our BoD does pretty much nothing, most are worthless - as usual - some try, but are in a minority until next election.

Comcast does the same thing each time it comes out ... and says nothing wrong. But something is wrong because we keep getting signal loss and pixelation, and we lose the internet. All is intermittent - no set schedule for it to fail. One minute we're watching a baseball game, next minute, nothing but a Rainbow screen. Five minutes later, it re-connects. Pixelation is random - minute or so at a time.

I'm ready to confront the BoD, but need at least some tech info besides "it fails". BoD signed a community contract, so we have it in our HOA fees ... pay no matter if it works or not. Comcast knows that, keep deferring when one person calls ... it needs representation of our community.

I Know, I know - HOA, as usual, mostly worthless - but it is what it is and we live here when not on the road.

[Ed_Gee]

Has anyone made frequent speed tests with a reputable tool such as Ookla in order to determine if slow or overloaded Internet is the problem or something else ....

[Tyler0215]

If it's every home, it's bad installation. Keep calling Comcast. Every time it happens.
Also call the city or county or whoever has the contract with Comcast.
If that is the only option you have for TV and internet the problem won't fix itself.

[2oldman]

Hard to say, but fiber was the best, fastest internet I've ever had. Sure sounds like a faulty installation.