Quote:
Originally Posted by Merrymeeting
Some of you complaining about lost signals and downtime may want to check with your nearby neighbors to see if they are having the same problems. Some of the symptoms being described are often due to signal problems or noise on your own home cable network.
Today's digital signals are much more robust on cable that is shielded and has proper connections. You would be surprised to learn how much noise can be on the line if you have a bad connector or there is signal interference coming into the cable.
Many older homes are wired with older cable (RG59) that will struggle to handle the bandwidth and signal clarity required of today's cable streams.
In summary, what you perceive as a provider problem may in fact be your problem.
Unfortunately, testing for all of this requires expensive equipment. Some cable companies will do minimal testing when you report a problem. But technially, their responsibility ends once the signal enters your house. They will come out and do more extensive testing if you are willing to pay for the service, and even then, your success will be very dependent on the skill and expertise of the technician they send. In my experience, the latter can be a crap shoot.
|
When I decided to upgrade to 'high speed' internet on 2008, the technician told me the cable is too old and need to be replace. (1978 condo with cable hookup in every room except bathroom. He is not contracted to replace wires so I had to hire an electrician. One electrician told me there is nothing wrong with the wires.) Since this is a new service, he ran a new cable from the box next door outside the unit to the office. (Condo association was FURIOUS!). After connecting the router the tech said the signal is marginal and 'field service' would have to look at it. I have no idea if field service actually come. Internet and cable TV will go off whenever the weather gets damp or the snow melts. Others in the association also complained.
Fast forward to spring of 2013 during the snow melts, cable tv and internet will be down for days! Several calls to Metrocast and they tell me to turn the TV and or router off and on. They determine it is the wireless router which I own. After a few more phone calls they finally send a technician to the house who test the connection and yeap no signal. He went outside, check the box attached to the house than proceed to a box down the road. Came back and tells me the underground cables are all wet and old and the association is responsible. He also said 'field service' needs to replace the 'junction box' as it is corroded. He did replace the router with a new router stating that technology had change.
I never saw 'field service'. The association claims no responsibility for the underground wires, and that it is the responsibility of Metrocast or the Metrocast customers. Called Metrocast and said they will investigate and get back to me. They never did.
Since then I cancelled my cable. Funny you can get to account service a heck of a lot faster than support. They were giving me all kinds of temporary discounts to keep my business. I don't want discounts, I just want the damn thing fix!
I kept my internet and use my Verizon hotspot for back up. When I notice Fairpoint put in a fibreoptic trunk on the main street next to the association I called Fairpoint and they have no intention to provide fibreoptics to residential customers. It is available for business.
I had excellent internet service with Comcast in Hooksett. Metrocast is something else.