Metrocast Question

KennyOfTheLake · 05-26-2007, 11:38 AM

FWIW I've been using a Netgear WGT624 router with a Netgear WG511T card for quite a while with no problems. It clocks up to 108mb in extended range mode.

jetskier · 05-26-2007, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KennyOfTheLake

FWIW I've been using a Netgear WGT624 router with a Netgear WG511T card for quite a while with no problems. It clocks up to 108mb in extended range mode.

I picked up a WGT624 router today and installed it. Guess what? Same issue! Hmmmmmmmm.

I tried connecting my laptop directly to the cable modem and saw downstream performance on the order of about 25kbps. Hmmmmmmmmm

I called the technical support line for Metrocast and they had me pat my head, rub my belly, reseat the coax and repower the modem. They pronounced it fixed! I restarted my computer and 25 kbps downstream speed.

I call technical support back and they said that the line was fine. I told them that I was still getting 25 kpbs performance. They said that indeed there was packet loss and they would have to schedule a tech.

Please, just shoot me now!

Jetskier

Knot Droolin' · 05-28-2007, 04:57 PM

Jetskier,

Did you also replace the ethernet cable between the modem and the router?

jetskier · 05-29-2007, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knot Droolin'

Jetskier,

Did you also replace the ethernet cable between the modem and the router?

Actually, no. Metrocast acknowledged that they were getting frame loss on pings to the modem. That would tend to indicate that it is their infrastructure.

Thanx for the suggestion.

Jetskier

Knot Droolin' · 05-29-2007, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetskier

Actually, no. Metrocast acknowledged that they were getting frame loss on pings to the modem. That would tend to indicate that it is their infrastructure.

Thanx for the suggestion.

Jetskier

Jetskier,

You probably got a new ethernet cable with your new router. I would replace the cable anyway. A bad cable can always cause tons of chatter, duplex mismatches, and/or TCP resend requests which could saturate the upstream side of the modem. This could also cause drops to occur to the modem from Metrocast's head end (due to the saturation of the link).

This may not be the fix, but it is an easy thing to test and I can not tell you how many times a bad cable has halted traffic on gig links. Always start with the physical layer and move up the stack..

jetskier · 05-29-2007, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knot Droolin'

Jetskier,

You probably got a new ethernet cable with your new router. I would replace the cable anyway. A bad cable can always cause tons of chatter, duplex mismatches, and/or TCP resend requests which could saturate the upstream side of the modem. This could also cause drops to occur to the modem from Metrocast's head end (due to the saturation of the link).

This may not be the fix, but it is an easy thing to test and I can not tell you how many times a bad cable has halted traffic on gig links. Always start with the physical layer and move up the stack..

Hi Knot Droolin'

I doubt that this is the issue, but for you, I will give it a try.

Thanx!

Jetskier

Knot Droolin' · 05-29-2007, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetskier

Hi Knot Droolin'

I doubt that this is the issue, but for you, I will give it a try.

Thanx!

Jetskier

LOL, thanks!

If I could get on my soap box and give one other piece of advice to others out there while we are on the topic of bandwidth:

One thing that probably isn't the issue here, but that millions of PCs nationwide are plauged with is unpatched, zombie PCs. Many, many times network providers hear complaints from users about "how slow my connection is" when in fact their PC is an "owned zombie". Meaning it is owned by a criminal who has compromised it. Once the "Bot Master" owns enough PCs around the world he then sells time on these zombie PCs to other shady people such as email spammers.

If your PC is a zombie you may not know it unless you notice a decrease in speed. That decrease in speed is due to your PC sending out millions of spam emails in conjuntion with the rest of the zombied "bot herd". This decreases both your PC's available bandwith and impacts the PCs CPU. There are tens of millions of zombie PCs on the 'net and everyone is vulnerable. Here is a quick article in layman's terms: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...021601388.html

The best way to prevent your PC from falling victim is to patch it. So everyone with a PC please patch monthly!! Microsoft releases patches the second Tuesday of every month. Everyone should visit http://www.microsoft.com/security every second Tuesday to patch their system.

Ever wonder where spam comes from? It could be coming from your system....

.....Steps down from soap box......

Sorry, I hate spam and over 80% of all email traffic on the 'net is spam.

Weirs guy · 05-29-2007, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knot Droolin'

Jetskier,

Did you also replace the ethernet cable between the modem and the router?

You'd be better off replacing metrocast.

jetskier · 05-29-2007, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weirs guy

You'd be better off replacing metrocast.

Agreed. Do you have suggestions for an alternative provider? I seem to be too far from the CO for decent Verizon DSL performance and I have not found another Cable/MSO.

Appreciated in advance.

Jetskier

Weirs guy · 05-30-2007, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetskier

Agreed. Do you have suggestions for an alternative provider? I seem to be too far from the CO for decent Verizon DSL performance and I have not found another Cable/MSO.

Appreciated in advance.

Jetskier

No, but you'll be glad to know that karma got me for being a smart butt and I noticed last night my b a n d w i d t h i s g e t t i n g s l o o o o o o w e r. So now I'm in the same boat you are. I would LOVE to see metrocast get some competition in the Weirs Beach area though. Hopefully we can both find something to help us.

jetskier · 05-30-2007, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weirs guy

No, but you'll be glad to know that karma got me for being a smart butt and I noticed last night my b a n d w i d t h i s g e t t i n g s l o o o o o o w e r. So now I'm in the same boat you are. I would LOVE to see metrocast get some competition in the Weirs Beach area though. Hopefully we can both find something to help us.

I just called them up and asked them to rate limit you. KIDDING!

FYI, they have a speedtest that you can run to determine your effective data rate:

http://speedtest.metrocast.net

Jetskier

EllyPoinster · 06-01-2007, 07:01 AM

A couple years back I had a severe drop in performance with Metrocast. They remotely diagnosed the problem as "packet loss" and sent a tech out to find the source. Starting from my computer, he worked backwards checking the connections. After several hours, he finally found a loose connection at the end of the cable line just past my home. With that fixed, everything returned to normal.

05-26-2007, 11:38 AM	#1
KennyOfTheLake Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Wickford, RI Posts: 24 Thanks: 11 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Netgear FWIW I've been using a Netgear WGT624 router with a Netgear WG511T card for quite a while with no problems. It clocks up to 108mb in extended range mode.

05-28-2007, 04:57 PM	#3
Knot Droolin' Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 31 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Ethernet cable Jetskier, Did you also replace the ethernet cable between the modem and the router?

06-01-2007, 07:01 AM	#12
EllyPoinster Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 160 Thanks: 13 Thanked 25 Times in 20 Posts	A couple years back I had a severe drop in performance with Metrocast. They remotely diagnosed the problem as "packet loss" and sent a tech out to find the source. Starting from my computer, he worked backwards checking the connections. After several hours, he finally found a loose connection at the end of the cable line just past my home. With that fixed, everything returned to normal.