- Troubleshooting Cable signal------HELP!
- Posted by Dunny Rummy on August 1st, 2003
For the past 10 days my signal has been dropping. I lose signal more
than a few times. I run a 2-way splitter (had a 4-way prior). I never
had this problem in the 3 years I've had cable connection (that's WITH
the splitting of the cable to my modem and to my TV). My ISP's tech
help says my signal looks good from where they are but it craps out on
me numerous times. I use an onboard 3Com 3C920B-EMB Integrated Fast
Ethernet Controller (onboard a Asus 7N8X Deluxe mobo) and use a
Toshiba PCX-2000 cable modem. I'm running Win XP PRO. Is there a
software that can measure cable signal strength and help me
troubleshoot it?
Is there a standard benchmark of cable signal?
TIA!
- Posted by John Navas on August 1st, 2003
[POSTED TO comp.dcom.modems.cable - REPLY ON USENET PLEASE]
In <7jflivgi09s6itimnom0apoogohq97jhol@4ax.com> on Fri, 01 Aug 2003 18:21:35
GMT, Dunny Rummy <fdsss@dfdsf.com> wrote:
Call you cable company. Seriously.
--
Best regards,
John Navas <http://navasgrp.home.att.net/>
CABLE MODEM/DSL GUIDE: <http://Cable-DSL.home.att.net/>
- Posted by David H. Lipman on August 1st, 2003
The device you are requesting is called a Field Strength Meter (FSM). The avg. technician
does not have one but your cable company has them. Call them and ask them to check your
cable and the signal strength.
Dave
"Dunny Rummy" <fdsss@dfdsf.com> wrote in message
news:7jflivgi09s6itimnom0apoogohq97jhol@4ax.com...
| For the past 10 days my signal has been dropping. I lose signal more
| than a few times. I run a 2-way splitter (had a 4-way prior). I never
| had this problem in the 3 years I've had cable connection (that's WITH
| the splitting of the cable to my modem and to my TV). My ISP's tech
| help says my signal looks good from where they are but it craps out on
| me numerous times. I use an onboard 3Com 3C920B-EMB Integrated Fast
| Ethernet Controller (onboard a Asus 7N8X Deluxe mobo) and use a
| Toshiba PCX-2000 cable modem. I'm running Win XP PRO. Is there a
| software that can measure cable signal strength and help me
| troubleshoot it?
| Is there a standard benchmark of cable signal?
| TIA!
- Posted by David H. Lipman on August 2nd, 2003
Question are in-line...
"Mike Pockrus" <mpockrus75@aol.comnospam> wrote in message
news:20030801205653.08458.00001184@mb-m20.aol.com...
| >Is there a standard benchmark of cable signal?
|
| You want the downstream signal to hit your modem anywhere between -15 and +15.
-15 to +15 what value ? -- Volts ? Decibels ? Watts ?
| You can find this out by typing 192.168.100.1 into your browser bar. This will
| tell you your upstream and downstream signal levels.
What do you purport is at URL http://192.168.100.1/ to provide the above information ?
| upstream <in general> should not exceed 55.
~~~~~~~~~
Dave
- Posted by Bit Twister on August 2nd, 2003
On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 01:06:49 GMT, David H. Lipman wrote:
Depending on modem, under signal
Downstream Value
Frequency 639000000 Hz Locked
Signal to Noise Ratio 34 dB
QAM 64
Network Access Control Object ON
Power Level -5 dBmV
The Downstream Power Level reading is a snapshot taken at the time
this page was requested. Please Reload/Refresh this Page for a new
reading
Upstream Value
Channel ID 1
Frequency 19504000 Hz Ranged
Ranging Service ID 383
Symbol Rate 3.200 Msym/s
Power Level 43 dBmV
- Posted by David H. Lipman on August 2nd, 2003
Thanx...
Now what cable Modem produced this ?
Dave
- Posted by Bit Twister on August 2nd, 2003
On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 01:15:39 GMT, David H. Lipman wrote:
Does it matter if your's doesn't do it. 
Motorola SURFboard sb4220
- Posted by Mike Pockrus on August 2nd, 2003
.... mine is a motorola 4200. I believe that address should work for all modems
however. If you have problems with it please let me know. I would be
interested to know if it works for all or not
- Posted by David H. Lipman on August 2nd, 2003
Yes it matters !
Not all modems do this and it should not be assumed that all will. Thus, when stating
something such as what was stated in the above parts of the thread, the vendor and model
matters.
Dave
"Bit Twister" <BitTwister@localhost.localdomain> wrote in message
news:slrnbim46u.63v.BitTwister@wb.home...
| On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 01:15:39 GMT, David H. Lipman wrote:
| > Thanx...
| >
| > Now what cable Modem produced this ?
|
| Does it matter if your's doesn't do it.
| Motorola SURFboard sb4220
- Posted by David H. Lipman on August 2nd, 2003
No.
If the address is 192.168.x.y is a non-routable, private, address.
Dave
"Mike Pockrus" <mpockrus75@aol.comnospam> wrote in message
news:20030801213656.08458.00001187@mb-m20.aol.com...
| Well, then a call to the cable company should be able to query to modem and
| find out the same info...
|
| >Not all modems do this and it should not be assumed that all will. Thus,
| >when stating
| >something such as what was stated in the above parts of the thread, the
| >vendor and model
| >matters.
| >
|
|
- Posted by James Knott on August 2nd, 2003
David H. Lipman wrote:
Field strength meters are generally used to measure signal levels from a
transmitter, not cable signal levels. Back in the days when I was a tech
for a communications company, we used a "level meter", to check signals in
cables or equipment. Field strength meters tend to be more sensitive than
level meters and may include a built in antenna. A field tech is likely to
have a level meter in his truck. I certainly did. If they don't the
engineering department would have them.
--
Fundamentalism is fundamentally wrong.
To reply to this message, replace everything to the left of "@" with
james.knott.
- Posted by Jeremy S. Nichols, PE on August 2nd, 2003
"Mike Pockrus" <mpockrus75@aol.comnospam> wrote in message
news:20030801212449.08458.00001186@mb-m20.aol.com...
Not.
Not the Toshiba 1100U.
- Posted by WV Cable Guy on August 3rd, 2003
The cable company doesn't need the IP address to query the modem. They
go by the MAC address. It doesn't change and it's on your account.
Done it many times.
David H. Lipman wrote:
- Posted by Warren on August 3rd, 2003
WV Cable Guy wrote:
Also a DOCSIS cablemodem also has an IP address facing the HFC side,
usually a Class-A private range IP (10.*.*.*), that can be used to check
connections at level 3 of the OSI networking model.
--
Warren H.
==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.
Blatant Plug:
Support me at: http://www.holzemville.com/mall/
- Posted by $Bill on August 3rd, 2003
Warren wrote:
But wouldn't that be picked up dynamically after first
establishing communication at the lower level using MAC
address ? I'm just guessing since it doesn't seem likely
that each modem would have an assigned IP address.
- Posted by Warren on August 3rd, 2003
$Bill wrote:
The address would be assigned by DHCP as there is no way to configure
the modem to have a static IP on the HFC interface unless you did it in
the firmware. But that would be a silly thing to do unless you want to
go out and swap modems every time you reconfigure the network. (However
the LAN interface has a static IP set by the firmware. This IP address
would exist even if there were not a built-in webserver that you could
view the status page.)
--
Warren H.
==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.
Blatant Plug:
Support me at: http://www.holzemville.com/mall/
