Cable Modem Signal & Repair Checklist

Insert Complaint About ISP Cable Modem Internet Issues

In the past year we’ve had a number of challenges with relying internet connectivity not just for doom-scrolling or YouTube meandering – but actually get work down. Actually get the children learning from actual teachers remotely.

If you are unfortunate enough to ONLY have one choice for internet and that internet is via a Cable Modem supplied by a single monopolistic company that your local town only allowed to provide internet and tv and essentially blocking all other ISP engagement – you’re stuck. You have only one option.

While most of the time complaining to them brings you a run around because sending service techs out costs money and businesses are not in business to lost money.

Key Check Points That Require Attention

Starting with the cable line itself, there are some points that require attention and most likely are your responsibility as home owner or renter where your name is on the bill

Cable Line and where it enters the house

This check point may be outside or inside a utility closet – here are the steps needed to check it out

The COAX Cable Line 99% of the time has a coupler grounding block
- This is normally located just outside the spot of the home where it enters or in a utility closet
- The grounding block/coupler should have a ground wire connected to it and it will go to a grounding a rod in the ground where your electric meter is or it will go to a ground clamp that is on the water main to the house
- These connections should be clean, they should free of dirt or moisture and they can be unscrewed and checked
- The grounding wire is usually a stiff solid core copper wire and it can be cleaned with steel wool or a metal brush
- This should not be loose, it should not be brittle or flake and if it is you may need to replace it
- Locate the cable wire entrance to the house and check for any wiring issues that may look like a kinked or pinched wire or a bad staple into the wire or even just sliced or wrecked – ant of that can impact signal quality.
The Cable wire splitters inside the home
- The Cable Modem might be on a 2 way splitter or a 3 way splitter however it is important the port its connected to
  - the 3 way splitter should have 3 different signal markings and the cable modem should be on the least negative number
  - Cable Splitters do go bad, they deteriorate internally and can slowly create resistance and reduce signal
- Specifically make note where these lines are because depending on where the wire enters the house and how many splitters are involved – some troubleshooting is going to require relocating temporarily the modem to one of these others spots close to the main entrance of the wire to the house as opposed to somewhere else with too much wire in between
Signal Levels
- On the Cablevision, Optimum ARRIS modems you can view the signal levels of that the modem perceives from the line
- Depending on the modem type and plan of service, you might have up to 32 channels to check signals on
- If your modem enables this – there is a website to view this signal chart at http://192.68.100.1
  (your modem, ISP or other determining factors may block you from this site – it is mostly available)
  - If your modem asks for a password – you can check to see if the user ID = admin and the password would be last 8 digits fo the modem serial number
- More on good or bad signals —- but just make sure you print this signal page or save it so you can see if the signals change when we move the Cable Modem around
Cable Modem Dance
- After taking note of the Cable Modem Signals in its original place it should be disconnected and tested in a location on the cable wire that is closer to the entrance of the house as determined before.
- You can connect the modem directly and then either connect laptop directly to the modem via ethernet wire OR you can also bring the Router to the new location temporarily
- After waiting 5-15 mins you will check the signal levels to compare to the previous signal levels obtained
- The hope is that they are so glaringly off that you can identify the cable splitter, block or the cable to the other connection where it was is the culprit and you should replace in that order
  - Cable Ground Block and connectors if they appear green or corroded
  - Splitters, same as previous, being certain to check the signal details on the different coax splitting points
  - The coax wire that is on the cable modems original location – this could be the most difficult depending on whats in the way to relocate that wire.
With the cable modem moved – lets talk about signal comparisons
- Down Stream and Up Stream signals are exactly for what they sound like as in Download and Upload
- Most Cable Systems have more and higher downloads speeds than uploads and that is represented in the number of Down Stream signals
- Signals will be system and modem dependent and aren’t universal however if you move the modem and see signal difference more than +/- 5 digits you may have an issue that is inside the house and possibly your responsibility.

Talking To Tech Support

When speaking with Tech Support it is best to present the steps you performed, if you are forced to “do them again” I would recommend working with the tech and telling them you’ve already done some of these steps. Press the tech support rep to review your signals while you’re also looking at the signals to see if they are really looking actually looking at the signals. Talk to them about other areas near by – are there any issues or are there any outages.

Finally, if you lease or pay monthly rental for your modem – you can replace it – it may take further effort with support but you could just tell them its not working like it used to and you would like to replace it – this might require shipping or something like traveling to a store to replace it – but then you at least know its a newer modem that should be working and you can try all over with the tech support rep as you’ve eliminated hardware and the line inside the house.