# Need help with COMCAST CABLE MODEM



## Arkin (Jun 16, 2005)

Okay, so here's what happened(this might be a coincidence i dont know). Two guys from comcast came into my house to do a routine check on my cable and stuff and after 30 min they say everything was done here and running fine. After that i was online the whole night good and running perfectly with no problem as usual. But this morning when i woke up my cable modem lights stopped flashing. I thought it was just a slight disconnect or whatever but i tried power-cycling my modem countless number of times, i tryed reseting it, i tryed un-plugging and plugging everything back in my modem and my cable wire splitter. After that it was just doing the same thing. I have a comcast modem and this is what it the actions are currently: PC: SOLID GREEN
CABLE: FLASHING GREEN
DATA SEND: BLANK(NOTHING)
DATA RECEIVE: BLANK(NOTHING)
POWER: SOLID GREEN.
Can anyone help me with this problem i greatly appreciated.

PS: DO YOU THINK ITS BECAUSE I DIDNT INSTALL THE PROGRAM ON THE CD WHEN I SUBSCRIBED TO COMCAST?

-Arkin


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## Volt-Schwibe (Jan 12, 2003)

the one thing i can say right now is that i am sure it has nothing to do with the cd.

for years i have been on comcast, as have many other people here, i don't use the cd, and most other people don't.

unless you have the cable modem connected through the USB, you have 0 need for the cd.

i do wonder why the cable company tries to force you to install it though.


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## Arkin (Jun 16, 2005)

Bleh, i always thought installing the cd would work. Apparently, not. Anyone else have any other suggestions of what i should do. Im running now on 56k and its really now pleasing.

-Thanks Arkin


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## JamesO (Mar 30, 2005)

I assume your cable light on the modem should be solid rather than flashing?

Sounds like the cable modem is not able to sync to the cable signal. Either the cable modem died or something happened to your cable signal level and it dropped below the cable modem threshold.

Time to call the cable company back.

Why did the cable guys show up?? Did you call them or was it a new install???

Cable guys just do not show up for a "routine" checks. They have plenty of service calls on their hands, it takes 2 days for a response in my area from the cable company, 5-7 days for the telco to respond!! 

The cable guys may have been working other problems in the area and now created a problem for you??

JamesO


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## Terrister (Apr 18, 2005)

I am on Charter and there are guys that work for the Audit team that will show up like this. They did not like the way I had my tv hooked up. It was blocking signals from the cable box. 

What did they do for 30 minutes? This seems like a long time if it was an audit. I agree with the others. Call Comcast and say fix it. Also ask them the purpose of the visit.


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## JamesO (Mar 30, 2005)

I have yet to find any properly trained cable guys. Rent the movie Cable Guy, this will give you a good idea!!

I have had to get into the local cable distribution box just to tighten up the connectors the professionals left 2-3 turns from hand tight!!! Have had situations where the Cable Guy told me I would blow my picture tube because my cable amp was too big!!!

Gee-whiz this isn’t rocket science folks. A signal level meter and the cable modem can both tell you what your signal quality is. A spectrum analyzer is better, but not many cable companies can afford them and most Cable Guys could not even start to understand how to use one.

I am really not knocking the Cable Guys, the problem is the Cable companies fail to properly train their employees and sub contractors. 4-8 hours in the class room would eliminate over half of the service calls!!! But the cable companies just do not get the big picture.

If the cable company has an audit team that is visiting houses, they are probably attempting to train some noobies. The audit team should be looking at the overall cable distribution plant levels and quality of the work that is made on the drops outside the house. They can then deal with the individual problems within your house on an as needed basis.

I would really like to understand why the cable company showed up to your house for a "routine" check. They must not have enough service calls in the que!!

JamesO


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## Arkin (Jun 16, 2005)

Let me read you what the paper or whatever they left me. It says,
Dear Comcast Customer or REsident, We have launched a grounding project in the Bay Area market, which means that we are going to every house with a cable line attacked to it and making sure that it is properly grounded. Gounding reduces the electrical shock caused by induced voltages from overhead power lines. It also reduces static electricity problems caused by dust particles in the air or by thunderstorms. We value the opportunity to serve you and your neighbor. Please be ASsured that we only want to proect you from any potential hazard. If you are not a customer, but have a cable line connected to your residence, please allow us to ground the cable, otherwise we will be required to remove it.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Comcast.


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## JamesO (Mar 30, 2005)

Ahh!!!

It appears that Comcast and its sub-contractors must have been violating artical 830 of the NEC code!!!!

Anyway, if they came to ground your service they should not have changed anything. It is possible they put a ground block in your drop to the house if it did not already have one installed. It is also possible they changed something at the pole??

My guess is they may have done something to cause the signal level to drop below the level the cable modem requires. 

Sounds like a call to Comcast is in your future.

JamesO


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## Arkin (Jun 16, 2005)

Okay thanks, i ll call them. Err what exactly do i say?


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## JamesO (Mar 30, 2005)

My stuff worked until the grounding upgrade. Not sure it is related??

Can you verify my account and can you run remote diagnostics on my cable modem?

JamesO


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