Having Techincal problems with my internet connection.. any computer guru's around???

Make this short as possible, as I have already smoked my morning wake-n-bake.. and at times, when I smoke in the morning times, it tends to make me very chatty.. not sure why, but it does.

Anyhow, on with my question..

For about the past 6 months or so my cable modem has been acting funny. For example, just before I came on here.. I wasn't connected to the internet. The lights on the front of my Motorola Cable modem would flash (just a few of the top ones) and it would start doing a sequence of flashes kinda. Like just like if you were to unplug the power cable to the modem and then plug it back in.. the lights at the top will start blinking, starting with 'RECEIVE'.. once it connects, its corresponding light will stay lit.. then the light for 'SEND' will start blinking.. once it 'connects', its corresponding light will stay lit.. then the light for 'ONLINE' will start blinking.. once it connects, its corresponding light will stay lit.. - after the 'ONLINE' light stops blinking.. and stays lit.. I should be good.

However.. not so fast, because fairly often, my modem lights show I'm connected... but fairly often when I check my connection, my IP # changes... however, it doesn't change all the time. Just when it wants to it seems.. and whenever its connected to a different IP #.. I have a fiar chance of not having any internet connectivity. I have no idea what the problem is..

My ISP.. freaking assholes btw.. told me it was probably my cable splitter. So, I had to go to my ISP because they said only they had ones strong enough to handle the power from the modem. So I get my new splitter from them.. while I'm there.. I told them what was going on again, re-explained everything to them, for about the 3rd time now. They keep telling me its my splitter.. but I'm thinking that its probably my modem. I mean shit, its 4 or 5 years old now. Maybe even a little older than that..

Could that be the problem? Maybe my modem is going out? Because see also, it didn't all the sudden start happening at once. It all started about 6 months ago.. I noticed that my mode would kick me off the internet.. rehash its-self.. and then it would connect.. but only stay connected for about 3 seconds.. then it would do it again. It would do this for like maybe 2 or 3 times in a row.. then it would either reconnect and stay connected.. or it wouldn't reconnect and I would have to unplug the modem power cable, wait 2 minutes, plug the power cord back into the back of the modem and let it rehash/power-up/reconnect. This is also when the modem would often connect to different IP #'s each time it connected..

But now, its gotten to where 60 to 70% of the time.. my modems 'ONLINE' light (green color light) is flashing telling me that I'm not connected to my ISP.. therefore not connected to the internet. Starting to get really old... really, really, old.

I figure my options are fairly limited. I figure I could either go ahead any pay the freaking money for a new modem from my ISP and see if that fixes the damn probem. If it doesn't, then I know its not a problem on my end of the connection.. its def. on my ISP's end.

I dunno.. anyone have any idea of what could be causing this? Thanks in advance for any technical help.


Thanks..-
peace&love - It's what the world needs in today's society.

Flashing lights mean it is looking for a signal if you are wifi? Is Clear your provider? The explanation is in Faqs on provider site. If your ISP is renting the Modem to you take it in and swap it out. As the BS that only their router or switch can handel the Power most are MB/GB second now, I want Terabyte service who is your ISP?

Sounds like either a weak signal getting into the house or your modem is going bad. Your i.p is going to be a dynamic i.p. address rather than a static one. This is to prevent servers from being used on residential cable services. Your i.p. is going to change in other words. The way your modem is cycling tells me that your connection is being dropped. That is either the splitter (like they said) or it could be a weak signal coming from the street. Call your cable provider. Have them send a tech out to check the signal levels. Are you noticing any problems with your cable t.v. service? Like snowy reception or digital tiling or freezing? Have you noticed if the connection drop is an all day thing or just during certain times of the day? Heat can play a role your connection issues. If there is a crack in the cable line somewhere it will be affected by temperature fluctuations.

Are you experiencing slower download speeds than normal? Does the connection drop while you're online? How long has this been going on?

I know everyone likes to rag on the cable technicians but to be honest, they are only as good as the information you provide. The more you tell them helps them diagnose the issue. Don't give up. Keep on their butts.

grizlbr said:

Flashing lights mean it is looking for a signal if you are wifi? Is Clear your provider? The explanation is in Faqs on provider site. If your ISP is renting the Modem to you take it in and swap it out. As the BS that only their router or switch can handel the Power most are MB/GB second now, I want Terabyte service who is your ISP?

Click to expand...

Nope.. not on a WiFi connection.

Cable Modem.. mentioned that in the post. But yeah, no.. not a WiFi connection.

Secondly, I know what the lights mean.. and what their for. That wasn't an issue.. wasn't even a question. LOL.. wow.

Anyhow, thanks..

Splitters can cause internet issues. Try connecting your modem without the splitter just as a test, if it keeps doing that, then you know the splitter is not the issue. If it is the splitter, swap cables...switch the one going to the other device (cable box) with the one going to the modem, sometimes one side puts out more signal than the other.

And if you lease the modem from your provider, what was said above is correct, just swap it out. My ISP has customer service centers, if I thought my modem was going bad I can just walk it in, tell them it's dying, and they'll take it and give me a new one. Doesn't cost anything. If you do that and STILL have an issue, then the issue likely is the signal coming into the house, and a tech visit would be in order.

Carne Seca said:

Sounds like either a weak signal getting into the house or your modem is going bad. Your i.p is going to be a dynamic i.p. address rather than a static one. This is to prevent servers from being used on residential cable services. Your i.p. is going to change in other words. The way your modem is cycling tells me that your connection is being dropped. That is either the splitter (like they said) or it could be a weak signal coming from the street. Call your cable provider. Have them send a tech out to check the signal levels. Are you noticing any problems with your cable t.v. service? Like snowy reception or digital tiling or freezing? Have you noticed if the connection drop is an all day thing or just during certain times of the day? Heat can play a role your connection issues. If there is a crack in the cable line somewhere it will be affected by temperature fluctuations.

Are you experiencing slower download speeds than normal? Does the connection drop while you're online? How long has this been going on?

I know everyone likes to rag on the cable technicians but to be honest, they are only as good as the information you provide. The more you tell them helps them diagnose the issue. Don't give up. Keep on their butts.

Click to expand...

Yeah, like I said though... I'm on a cable modem, not a WiFi (wireless) connection. I'm connected via cable.. through a cable modem.

And yeah, forgot to mention that it use to do it on every single Sunday morning.. but I always thought it was my ISP having to update their servers/software or whatever the fuck they had to do. I need to try and connect the modem cable to the wall.. straight to the wall, instead of using the splitter. If it works correctly with no problems without using the splitter.. then I guess I was unlucky enough to get a 'DUD'.. a new 'DUD' at that. If it still gives me problems, then I'll move onto the modem probably being the culprit/cause of the problem. At that time, I'll pay the $60 +tax/fees/bullshit for a new modem.. install the new modem.. and if I have any problems at any time after installing the new modem.. I will know for a fact, that its on their end.. not my end. If they don't get my shit going like it should, I'll cancel my service.. WITHOUT paying any of their bullshit 'EARLY SERVICE TERMINATION FEES'.. they can shove those up their ass's for all I care. Let's just hope its not on their end.. and that its my modem causing all this chaos. - for their sake.. *aheeemm*

peace. - and thanks for the help btw..

obijohn said:

Splitters can cause internet issues. Try connecting your modem without the splitter just as a test, if it keeps doing that, then you know the splitter is not the issue. If it is the splitter, swap cables...switch the one going to the other device (cable box) with the one going to the modem, sometimes one side puts out more signal than the other.

And if you lease the modem from your provider, what was said above is correct, just swap it out. My ISP has customer service centers, if I thought my modem was going bad I can just walk it in, tell them it's dying, and they'll take it and give me a new one. Doesn't cost anything. If you do that and STILL have an issue, then the issue likely is the signal coming into the house, and a tech visit would be in order.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I hate having to use the damn things (the splitters) but I have to have my t.v. on while I'm on the internet, otherwise my house is too quiet.. and I don't like silence. I mean, I don't like loud noise either.. but yeah, I don't like dead silence either.

As for swapping sides with the cables coming from the mode/tv going into the rear of the splitter.. I actually tried that once and it in fact did help because the modem immediately rehashed and connected, however.. it didn't stay connected very long. I've noticed that 80% of the time when I AM connected to the internet, I've noticed that the connection will die/freeze-up after a certain amount of time/usage.. and then I have to start all over again.. with either unplugging the modems power cable and waiting two minutes before plugging it back in.. yadda yadda yadda.. uggh. - It's a damn good thing I got a qrtr of some Black Label bud. I got some 'Black Kush' this past Saturday.. absolute fucking DANK.. and the taste is fucking phenominal! It's like a fucking phenominon! (spell check?).

Ah, your ISP just gives you a new modem? I think when I signed up with my ISP (also my cable TV provider) they gave me the option of leasing/buying the cable modem and I opted to just buy the damn thing. So, because of that.. because I bought instead of leased.. I have to pay another $60+tax/fees for a new one. I don't mind paying the money for the new modem, I just want the issue fucking fixed.. that's all. I'm not going to keep paying the monthly fees for service if I'm not going to be able to use it whenever I want/need it. I mean, I understand things go wrong.. servers occassionally crash or freeze up or whatever, things happen and I understand that.. but at the same time I'm not going to pay for a service, where I'm only able to use it 40% to 60% of the time.. I want the shit to work where I can use it 100% of the time.

But yeah.. thanks for the help buddy.

peace.

Yeah, if the modem is leased from them (same with any of their equipment) I can exchange at any time. I swapped out an HD cable box because it had component outputs for one that had HDMI out . Nothing wrong with the first box, just wanted a newer one with HDMI

what you need is a 'filter'..

it's a lil box that plugs into the wall then goes into your modem.

they sell them at radio shack... or you could wait for the tec to put it in... i dont' know if it's called a filter, it's what i call it... lol....

time warner gave me a new modem for free but i have this problem every so often still anad i usually have to unplug the modem for a minute and plug it back in. real technical lol

obijohn said:

Yeah, if the modem is leased from them (same with any of their equipment) I can exchange at any time. I swapped out an HD cable box because it had component outputs for one that had HDMI out . Nothing wrong with the first box, just wanted a newer one with HDMI

Click to expand...

they gave me one with component too and the one with HDMi costs more per month so i didn't upgrade. plus they accidently gave me a DVR box and i dont pay for it so i don't want to swap for one with hdmi and no record feature.