Low Signal Solution for Cable Internet Access

[bdxyz]

My Road Runner cable internet is suffering from low signal strength from what I can get from RR tech. I am very frustrated and hope someone can give some insights into how this occurs and solutions so I can get RR to fix it!

When I first got the service installed I was having problems with the modem staying online--the send and receive lights on my surfboard modem would go from solid(online) to blinking (offline). The RR tech at that point told me I had a low signal problem and they may need to get me a signal booster. Well, they fiddled with something and for a couple of months things were great.

Then, somehow my cable tv service was interrupted and after that service call my RR went back to its old on-off ways. The RR tech guys have done some simple things but have not solved the problem. For example, the last tech switched the cables on my splitter(the cable goes to the tv, vcr and modem). He said the modem line was on the 8db line and he switched to the 4db line. Of course, it worked while he was there but I have since but a connection utility on my
computer that shows my connection drops. For 12 hours today I have had 23 failures for a total of 2 hours and 10 minutes.

So, how can I get the RR techs in gear to solve this problem? I am wondering if the signal booster is an expensive solution to this problem. Thanks for the help!

 

[InnoTech]

well, the way cable works, a signal booster may be what you need, however I wouldn't think so by what you have said. useing common sense, wouldn't they have known this would have been needed the very first time they came?

i have worked as a senior tech for cable internet before and once needed a cable tech to come to my house. i learned much more while they were at my house than i had before. the first tech that arrived obviously didn't know much about what he was doing. he kept saying a signal booster would fix it and that what i would probably need. after testing a couple of cables and saying everything looks "fine" i had told him that i worked for the same company but in the support office. he then realized he couldn't pull crap with me so he called his super. the boss arrived and before even coming into my house climbed on top a pole on the street and tested signal there. then back tracked all the way down untill he came back to the house and asked me to recycle power to the modem. it was fixed. it was never signal strength or SRN, it was a return "trap" of sorts that needed replacing which was about 6 poles down the street that got some water in it. cable never ran better.

my point, you ask? there are way too many things involved that can, in fact, cause this and with what you're going through (up and down time) it sounds, in my experience, like low SNR (signal to noice ratio) in which a booster will only amplify. ask your "RR tech" what diagnostice he is useing and what the signal and SNR is, meaning you will get numbers with db loss and the such. then post them here.

one more question: is your service crappy even when it is online? is it slow?

"Jack of all trades. Master of none."