Thanks for the help!!

When I lost my internet connection, I quickly eliminated the router
and connected the PC directly to the cable modem.

Internet connection remained unavailable for 2 minutes, when it came
back without my doing anything.

I then put the router back in the loop and connection remained stable
as it still remains, 3 hours later.

I have an old Motorola SB4200 Surfboard modem and don't seem to be
able to find anything about how to check signal strength or
diagnostics, at least on their website!!??

You said:

>You can can get signal level statistics from your modem status page.

Not sure about that at all......

My setup has been rock-stable for years......both TV and internet, but
has had these intermittent problems for the last month or so. No
splitters or amplifiers.

I don't think it's on my end, but that's hard to prove.

(The last problem I had was intermittent log-in timeouts with my email
accounts. RoadRunner suggested that I do everything under the sun,
include reformatting my HD and calling in experts. Long story short,
our town had a power failure, once it was restored, I had even more
email problems that night, but the next day it was back to perfect.
NOTHING at all was changed on my end and somehow it was fixed!!!)

thnx


On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:31:55 -0700, Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>
wrote:

>phil6666 <phil6666@adelphia.net> hath wroth:
>
>>The router is a Belkin F5D7230-4
>>Not sure if it's a good model, but it was free....
>
>Free is good. I'm not thrilled with that model, but it's been known
>to work. It's also hackable. See:
><http://www.efn.org/~rick/work/f5d7230/>
>
>>Took your advice and first time I lost my internet connection, I
>>connected directly from the cable modem to my PC. NO IMPROVEMENT, so
>>I'll assume the router isn't the problem. (After 2 minutes,
>>everything was back to normal.)
>
>Sounds like you're losing your cable connection. After 2 minutes,
>did it come back when you were connected directly to the modem, or to
>the router? If the modem, then it's certainly a problem between the
>cable ISP and your cable modem. However, it you move the CAT5 cable
>back to the router, it's indeterminate.
>
>>I'll have to check into the diagnostics for my cable modem, plus I'll
>>run Ping Plotter on an on-going basis to chart my down times.
>
>Good idea. MRTG works well for this.
>
>>PS: Any other suggestions????
>
>1. Collect enough simple information that you can convince RR
>outsourced support (Stream International) that it's their problem. If
>they try to pass the buck, get the trouble ticket number and mumble
>something about posting the problem to one of the public RR forums,
>which should get the attention of RR management.
>
>2. Verify your cable signal level at the modem. If you're going
>through a maze of splitters, couplers, and amplifiers, you may have
>created the problem at your end. Also verify the signal level at the
>point of entry to insure that the mice haven't chewed up the cable.
>It's all too common.
>
>3. Verify if the outages coincide with operating a TV or radio that
>are plugged into the cable. Some of these belch local oscillator
>radiation back into the cable which may be acting as ingres.
>
>4. Verify that any and all splitters and couplers are 5-1000MHz. It's
>the low end that's important. Anything higher than 5MHz will
>attenuate the reverse channel and cause problems.
>
>5. You can can get signal level statistics from your modem status
>page. You didn't specify the maker or model number so I can't lookup
>what's normal. Different models have somewhat different target
>ranges.