# [SOLVED] Surfboard modem, random connection drops...help



## kelfa

Hey guys, I have a motorola surfboard sb5101. Provider is comcast.

I have never had any problem with my equipment until now. Here is whats going on. I bought a used sb5101 a week ago so that I would not have to pay the rental fee anymore. Comcast activated it, and it worked fine for a week or two. The other night I got disconnected from XBOX live randomly in the middle of a game. Thought maybe just a hickup, no biggie. Well it happened 3 more times in a few hours, then again the next day.

So thinking maybe this used modem is bad, I plugged back in the rental from comcast which I still had. Worked fine for a while, then the same thing, random dissconnects after 10 min, 30 min, 2 hrs into a game...etc

On both modems, the 1st and 4th green light are solid, the 2nd and 3rd green light are flashing when the connection from LIVE drops.

So I'm starting to think know that neither of the modems are bad. 

I then try going directly to the modem instead of the router, never had any problems with the router but figured I try.

I even went into the attic and got rid of the 4 way splitter that feeds cable into all the bedrooms and put in a 2 way instead hooking up only the cable line im using for xbox. Thought maybe the signal is getting degraded to bad, eventhough never had a problem before.

So now I'm practically hooked up right to the line coming off the street, ethernet cord plugged directly into the modem, no router. Still dropping connections randomly with same 2nd and 3rd light flashing.

Very annoying because on XBOX if there is even a tiny glitch or line drop it ruins the whole game were playing and drops everyone out if I'm hosting.

The connection needs to be completely stable for multiple hours.

Also, I called comcast when I had to reactivate the rental modem, so they did refreshed that modem and reactivate it, but still had the disconnects the next day.


Any suggestions??


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## JMPC

*Re: Surfboard modem, random connection drops...help*

You can check things like signal strength and errors by logging into the modem admin panel. For the Surfboard modems it should be http://192.168.100.1/

You can post the info you see on the Comcast forums and someone will usually reply back.


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## kelfa

*Re: Surfboard modem, random connection drops...help*

Thanks for info...In your opinion does it sound like a signal issue? Never had any issues proir, been working fine for a year now. Can you main line just go bad?


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## JMPC

*Re: Surfboard modem, random connection drops...help*

I don't really know enough about what values are normal or what you should be looking for. I'll leave that to the cable experts.


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## Fred Garvin

*Re: Surfboard modem, random connection drops...help*

Comcast should be able to log into your modem and check your logs for errors, as well as the power level of the cable signal going into it. You can look for errors yourself at the address JMPC posted. If using splitters for tv/modem, make sure any open ports are capped. Don't use any signal amplfiers on the modem side. If connecting directly to the modem and still having problems, have you tried updating your network card drivers?


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## alpenadiver

*Re: Surfboard modem, random connection drops...help*

Call Comcast support and see if your connection is compatible with a DOCSIS 1.1 / 2.0 cable modem, Charter recently upgraded their customers, and my Linksys DOCSIS 1.1 / 2.0 was not. Now I run a Motorola SB6120.


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## Fred Garvin

*Re: Surfboard modem, random connection drops...help*

The SB 5101 is a DOCSIS 2.0 modem


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## kelfa

*Re: Surfboard modem, random connection drops...help*

Comcast came out, everythings fixed. Guess the problem was my motorola 5101 trying to recieve update for the new dossis 3.0 upgrade. Kept tripping up with errors updating and would timeout.

Switched to a Arris 3.0 modem all is fine now.


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