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A monopoly ISP refuses to fix upstream infrastructure

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Re: A monopoly ISP refuses to fix upstream infrastructure

#351

Post by sidewndr46 »

nativeit wrote: post #12
sidewndr46 wrote: post #3

This has to be the weirdest post I've seen in a while? Cable infrastructure in the US is awful. I can't imagine a scenario where it would be reliable.

There’s not much to break, honestly, and cable TV is still fairly popular outside of techy circles, but mostly it’s still the only option for broadband in a large portion of the US. I’ve been on Spectrum for several years, and it’s been largely trouble-free. I’m in a rural area of North Carolina, but near enough to Charlotte that they don’t have the entire region locked down. That said, Windstream/Kinetic is just now…

The poor state of the infrastructure is usually a result of the monopoly. Maintenance is just a cost. It's not going to bring you any new customers or any new revenue.

I've been through the same thing the post author has. By some random chance I once called tech support and got someone on the phone who was authorized to investigate it and do something about it. Service improved a little bit after that.

Re: A monopoly ISP refuses to fix upstream infrastructure

#354

Post by hamdingers »

Nextgrid wrote: post #338
hamdingers wrote: post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a fantasy. They will disconnect your service and send your unpaid bills to collections. They hold all the cards.

> They will disconnect your service and send your unpaid bills to collections I've done it; both are true and yet not the end of the world: Disconnect the service: this is obvious, but if you're doing this because the service is not usable and you are switching to another provider anyway, so good riddance? Best case scenario they magically fix the problem, worst-case no change. Collections: yes, they called, I provid…

So you're actually proposing that folks cancel their service and switch to an alternative, just with extra steps that risk harassment and credit impact. Cool.

Of course this only works if you have an alternative to switch to, which OP and most people in the US do not. I can't burn my relationship with my ISP because then I will not be able to do my job.

Re: A monopoly ISP refuses to fix upstream infrastructure

#355

Post by ghjnut »

netruk44 wrote: post #181
tfvlrue wrote: post #17

I had a similar problem with a different ISP, Optimum, in Northern NJ. It wasn't as regular as the author's problem -- my cable modem would desync intermittently throughout the day despite the signal strength numbers being in spec. I replaced everything downstream of the drop from the street, all new wiring inside, a new modem/router/etc. All signs pointed to the problem being outside the house. I went so far as to c…

Years ago I lived in an apartment with intermittent connection issues. I phoned xfinity support who said they’d send a tech out at no cost to me. The tech comes, finds bad connections in the shared external apartment box, fixes them, leaves without entering my apartment. Xfinity sends me a support bill for the tech. I call xfinity support to complain saying they said the tech would be free. The support agent says the…

I had issues too that they sent a tech support out for while warning me "If they find it's your fault, you will be assessed a charge". The tech came out, climbed my local pole and then went down the street and climbed another one. He said it was a busted port and he moved me to a new one, and put in a service request to upgrade as it was out of ports.

CenturyLink sends me a bill for maintenance. After tons of back and forth I got to the point where I said "So can you state for the record since I'm recording this phone call, that I the customer should have climbed the telephone pole to remedy the issue".

After that he finally decides to get in touch with the fiber contractor they use who emphasized it was no fault of my own and they cleared the charge.

Re: A monopoly ISP refuses to fix upstream infrastructure

#356

Post by runjake »

hylaride wrote: post #254
runjake wrote: post #246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What caveats? It sounds like Starlink would be a perfect backup and likely save you a lot of money.

Satellite signals are low power and rely on line of sight. If he's properly in the woods, especially surrounded by hills, the trees could become a hinderance.

Yeah, I guess I'm just extrapolating my own experience deploying Starlink in austere environments and always managing to get somewhere with a 90 meter cable run of getting good reception -- even in the woods.

Re: A monopoly ISP refuses to fix upstream infrastructure

#357

Post by jlivingood »

For folks following this here - node and neighborhood look clean. The issue appears to be a failing cable modem (MB8611 - they seem to suffer frequent disconnects when they fail). We have suggested the customer replace the modem ASAP and we will re-run all the DOCSIS diagnostics. Suitable alternative COAM modems are listed at https://old.reddit.com/r/Comcast/comments/1kg99v3/buying_you...

- Jason (I work at Comcast)

Re: A monopoly ISP refuses to fix upstream infrastructure

#359

Post by zeruch »

ksec wrote: post #173

I am reading this and thinking why does it sound familiar. And then only learned Xfinity means Cable / DOCSIS. Edit: I wish the title could be edited as Cable ISP. It is a common problem with DOCSIS! And has been the case since 1.0 era. DO NOT use Cable if you can. It happens when it is over subscribed, as well as other radio interference. Although common cause is over subscription. You may actually try downgrading y…

"I wonder why we cant mandate Optical Fibre as standard as well"

Lobbying by big ISPs.

Re: A monopoly ISP refuses to fix upstream infrastructure

#360

Post by razingeden »

altairprime wrote: post #77
razingeden wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i touched on this in a longer comment in this thread because i think that docsis 3.0 goes up to 900-1002mhz if downgrading to docsis 3.0 (or downgrading to 500/700mb) “fixed” your issue, you probably have a 5-1000mhz splitter thats not just a rf splitter but also, a filter and its JUST leaky enough to allow 1002mhz through. or maybe the modems happy negotiating down to 900mhz. but maybe not quite enough for 1008-1100…

In my case, one of the main loops had a cable break under a roadway, in a place on the loop that was wholly Comcast infra rather than subscriber. You’re not wrong about the general case! But for that reason, they basically stopped acknowledging the issue to me at all, never followed up on support calls ever again, and it took them maybe three years to close that roadway overnight and fix their cable. (I was able to m…

for sure. youd definitely be a case of “hey wait, this is still screwed up at my NID/drop at the curb its NOT me!”

on friday theyd just settled on tacking new drops and outlets to the crown molding as a solution. i was the second one they were about to do it for. its a building that had maintained its 90-100 year old character and kept all the infrastructure concealed and elegant for all these years .

i would have dug a LOT deeper as a tech before i ever did that to your property.

and then even if it is you. half these guys would just as soon drill a hole through your wall and run cables along your siding or brick and be on to the next ticket. they dont run wall fishes or do a mission impossible in the dead space of an MDU or crawl up into a hot attic full of bees like we used to. maybe its contracting culture where you get $40, if that, for the connection and dont get anything extra for effort or aesthetics.

thats a lost art for cable techs and you gotta hire an electrician A/V or phone tech for that now.

and thats … exactly what im going to have to do to get at&t fiber up here from the facilities in our basement whenever ive finally had it with spectrum because apparently this is a lost art over at at&t as well! and “im not allowed to do it” /rant

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