ADSL connection drops with ISP's new equipment
adarryl
No Man Stands So Tall As When He Stoops To Help a Child. Icrontian
This is a weird one, but I am looking for any ideas that might troubleshoot the problem. I have had no connectivity problems with my ISP (Gallatin River Communications) until recently when they were bought out by CenturyTel out of Monroe, LA. I have 6 desktops and one notebook on a home network consisting of a Starbridge ADSL modem, Lynx model 210, feeding a Linksys BEFSR41 router and a 16 port Zonet switch. Century Tel has apparently *upgraded* central office hardware and moved my copper pair from the old terminal to the new. That's when my dsl connection started dropping out randomly. I have had 3 techs make troubleshooting housecalls and replaced the dsl modem 3 times with no improvement. We have bypassed the router and switch connecting only to the modem but drop outs continue so they do not seem to be the problem. If my connection sits idle, like overnight, the next morning the connection will be down. However, it also conks out right in the middle of surfing, gaming etc. No pattern to it hardly at all. The techs have run a new copper pair for me with no change. The central office tech admin says there's nothing wrong with the new equipment and ignores the reports of the techs who have come and found nothing wrong on my end of things. He sees that my connection is dropping out but insists it is not the central office equipment. However, others are having drop outs too since the new ISP and equipment took over. I have called the HELP line at Century Tel but they just send a repair order to my local office who then dispatches one of the 3 techs who have already been here and found nothing wrong. They go round-n-round with the CO Admin who denies the problem is with the new CO equipment or config and wants to put it back on my end of things either my line or my internal setup. This sucks! Once my connection drops out, the only way to get it back is to hard reset my modem or modem and router combo (which ever way it was hooked up in troubleshooting at the moment) as much as three times in a row before I get an active connection once more. This is happening 6-7 times a day. I am back to the modem>router>switch setup which worked flawlessly until Century Tel bought out my ISP and installed new CO equipment. Any ideas on troubleshooting would be appreciated. I may not be around to respond to Q's but will check back when I can. BTW, the modem and router settings are consistent with the recommendations of the CO.
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Comments
Might want to seperate posts like that because that's a TL;DR post if I've ever seen it.
If the problem started when your ISP was bought then it's their problem. Nothing you can do.
Anyone with *USEFUL* ideas or input?
If you're sure that the problem is on their end, then there ain't a damned thing you can do about it.
Oh and you're welcome.
But to the OP, I mean he's kinda right. If you have narrowed down your hardware and the problem only started up when the ISP switched their equipment there may be little you can do. They've replaced the modem, you've tried direct connection to a computer and through a router and the problem still pops up.
You have only a few options left. 1st you could be a couple new cat cables and a phone cable on the chance there is something wrong. If you have the means swap your router with a friends and see if the issue changes. Lastly if you have any friends with laptops or ones that would be willing to lend you a computer to see if the problem happens. There's nothing else you can do.
The next step would be to not get the ISP's techs but instead get a 3rd party installer to check your lines for both voice and data integrity and see if they can find anything. But that's something you'd have to pay out of pocket, you may though be able to remit the bill back to your ISP if they do infact find something wrong that isn't any wiring you put in place.
Other then that you can always make your money talk and switch ISP's.
By keeping a running record of your problems, they'll be able to better identify your problem.