Is it Router or Comcast?

Status
Not open for further replies.

RW1

Joined
Mar 19, 2010
Messages
249
Location
JBLM, WA
Not that computer savy so looking for your thoughts on internet dropoffs.

I live south of Tacoma and have Comcast internet and TV. It seems lately I have been having internet outages that have been lasting from 10 minutes to an hour. Perhaps once every two or three days for the last 3 months. But TV signal continues. I have been told that it doesn't mean much because they are two separate signals.

I have a Netgear 6300 modem/router that is about two years old. I bought it because it eliminated the need for me to rent a modem from Comcast.

So the question is whether it's Comcast screwing around or my Netgear 6300 starting to crap out? I have called Comcast and their telephone help have told me to check online if the system is operational. How do I check online if the internet is down? That confused them.

The neighbors are on Centurylink and are hardly home. So no help from them.

So is it time to get a new router/modem or just live with the Comcast outages?
 
Are you in a larger complex or high density neighborhood? Reason I ask is because I learned ~1 year ago that the signals running TV and internet are so powerful roaming around your house they can leak into the system and into other households which causes havoc. I have Xfinity (Comcast) in a high density condo complex where only Xfinity is available so most 183 of my neighbors have Xfinity, was having major DVR issues and internet dropouts until I installed a MoCA filter that the installer just overlooked. There really should be a MoCA filter on every cable household but guessing most installers are lazy or don't care.

Its a ~$7 filter that you plop on the line where it enters your house/condo/townhome before it splits to the different rooms. It prevents your signals from escaping your lines and prevents other peoples signal from filtering into your lines. I fortunately found the demarc point in my condo where everything came in, plopped in the $7 filter I bought online and all my issues were corrected and I have not had a single issue in 1 year with DVR or internet dropouts.

Easy $7 attempt before you replace an expensive modem.

Moca filter article
 
When your modem works, it has an internal webpage that shows signal strength. Visit it and do a screen grab of what "good" looks like. There'll be a signal/noise ratio.

IP address is something like http://192.168.0.0 but if you look up the manual you'll find yours.

Then if it fails, try to get to this internal website. Some cable modems don't show it when "down".

Comcast customer service can tell you if they "see" your modem from their end of things.

It is not unheard of for cable modems, even new-ish quality ones, to flake out. I rented one from TWC for 3 days and it fixed my issues-- and I promptly used it to order a proper replacement. Returned it and got charged 1/10 months rent.
lol.gif
If you rent your cable modem the customer support is on them, good idea for short term diagnosis.
 
update the firmware on the router, and reboot the modem.

Agree to log into the web interface on the modem and see what its doing.

Modems are cheap to buy, if you are getting it provided by the cable company tell them you want to swap it out. Its worth it to throw parts at this situation probably cheaper then them sending a tech out.
 
Thanks for the reply. I'm in a suburban residential area. Our cable line is above ground and runs to our house from a wooden pole on the street.
 
Thanks. I went in and found the signal strength. Did a screen shot and now waiting for the next failure.
 
JustinH, thanks, that was the first thing I thought of. But on the Netgear 6300, I cannot update on my own. The update has to be pushed by Comcast. Netgear said they give the updates to Comcast, they tweak it to their system and then push it out.
 
Not sure why Netgear would tell you that they give firmware updates to Comcast for a modem you own. But, I googled "Netgear 6300 firmware" and come up with this page:

https://www.netgear.com/support/product/D6300.aspx#Firmware%20Version%201.0.0.102%20(All%20Regions%20Except%20NA%20and%20Germany)

where you can download the current firmware along with other utilities. I would go ahead and download and install the firmware update and see if that helps resolve your problem.

Good Luck!
 
Originally Posted by chemman
Not sure why Netgear would tell you that they give firmware updates to Comcast for a modem you own. But, I googled "Netgear 6300 firmware" and come up with this page:

https://www.netgear.com/support/product/D6300.aspx#Firmware%20Version%201.0.0.102%20(All%20Regions%20Except%20NA%20and%20Germany)

where you can download the current firmware along with other utilities. I would go ahead and download and install the firmware update and see if that helps resolve your problem.

Good Luck!



Thanks man. But if you follow the link, it will take you to a site to download the install program and owners manual. If you read the documentation, it states the ISP sends the updates. There is no way to manually update the router.

In retrospect, it seems pretty dumb to buy this equipment. But the salesman touted it as a good thing because the ISP is sending you the approved update and no danger of downloading /installing the wrong one.
 
Originally Posted by RW1
Thanks. I went in and found the signal strength. Did a screen shot and now waiting for the next failure.


When I was having issues, my uncorrectable code words were through the roof, downstream power levels were sky high (11-14dBmV), and upstream was sky high (48-55dBmV). Turns out a squirrel had chewed the drop near the pole. It would work fine for like 30 minutes, but then just drop, modem would have a t3 or t4 timeout, then reboot and repeat.
 
Sorry about that. I did not notice it said for all regions except NA & Germany.

I too have Comcast for internet and I purchased an Ariss router at Best Buy last fall and it has given me zero problems. To be honest, I have not checked to see if there are any firmware upgrades since I installed it. Guess I should for the sake of security.

Just as an aside, I initially purchased my first cable modem in 2014. In October 2018, I started getting email notices from Comcast that the modem was no longer "current" and that I should either purchase a new one from their approved list, or rent a new one from them. I decided at $5 - $10 a month for rental, I would be money ahead in the long run to purchase my own again even if it becomes obsolete in 4 to 5 years. I was all set to purchase a new Ariss from Amazon and then noticed that Best Buy sold the same modem for the same price so I went to Best Buy that day and purchased the new one. Installation was a breeze compared to the one I bought in 2014. I connected it and within a minute or two it was recognized by Comcast and registered in their database and I was back in business at a faster speed (went from 25 megabits/sec to 50 megabits/sec) so I was a happy camper.

Again, good luck!
 
Did a little digging for you.

As you now realize, you should never buy a combo modem and wireless together because when one piece goes down, the whole device need to be replaced. Best practice is to buy a separate wired modem and wireless router. smallnetbuilder is the best place for current recos.

With your 6300, it is a 8 x 4 modem which is pretty old at this point (meaning 8 downstream channels and 4 upstream). Recommended is to have at 16 downstream. If you really want to futureproof, you can get a DOCSIS 3.1 Modem which is what is needed for Gigabit download. A good 16 channel modem is a Arris/Surboard 6183. You would need to buy a new wireless router for WiFi coverage.

You are correct that Comcast pushes out modem updates. Netgear and other manufacturers release their updates to ISPs and the ISPs test, validate and then release.

Another resource to check your modem levels is:
http://www.dslreports.com/faq/16085

They also have an active Comcast ISP forum here, that you can post your problem to as well as your signal levels: https://www.dslreports.com/forum/comcast

When you internet goes down, you should test both the wireless connection and a wired/ethernet connection.

Lastly, if Comcast is blaming your equipment, you can always rent a Comcast modem/wireless gateway for a month and if you still have issues, make them look upstream. That can buy you time to buy a new modem and wireless router.

If you run into issues with the Customer Support, PM me.
 
Originally Posted by RW1
Not that computer savy so looking for your thoughts on internet dropoffs.

I live south of Tacoma and have Comcast internet and TV. It seems lately I have been having internet outages that have been lasting from 10 minutes to an hour. Perhaps once every two or three days for the last 3 months. But TV signal continues. I have been told that it doesn't mean much because they are two separate signals.

I have a Netgear 6300 modem/router that is about two years old. I bought it because it eliminated the need for me to rent a modems for COX from Comcast.

So the question is whether it's Comcast screwing around or my Netgear 6300 starting to crap out? I have called Comcast and their telephone help have told me to check online if the system is operational. How do I check online if the internet is down? That confused them.

The neighbors are on Centurylink and are hardly home. So no help from them.

So is it time to get a new router/modem or just live with the Comcast outages?

why would you even look elsewhere for online streaming?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top