Cable Modem reset failure.

[David Cressey]

Well, I got my cable modem up and running.  

Then I got into a problem where,  about half the time,  my cable modem would not initialize properly when I reboot my computer.

Some careful reading of the docs told me what I had to do.  Every time I power off my computer,  I have to power off my modem.  Other wise it won't reset.

Excuse me,  but this is lame!  I can't believe the modem can't reset itself when it gets the appropriate signal from the computer.  And I can't believe the SW provided by the cable company doesn't provide the appropriate signal on start up.

[TRexx]

Quote: Excuse me, but this is lame! I can't believe the modem can't reset itself when it gets the appropriate signal from the computer.

No argument here.  I dont have cable (I have DSL) but Ive heard about this problem before. I think its a function of the particular modem.

 You might want to install a router between your PC and the modem. It will let you share the cable connection with other PCs and most have a feature to keep the connection active at all times.

[A Murricun]

You should write the same thing to the CEO and directors of the cable company.  You could also offer to help them write robust and user-friendly software for a fair price.

You should also write the same thing to the regulators.  With the same offer.  

And of course let your elected representatives know that you don't feel you are getting your money's worth from the regulators.

One of my bosses early on in the time-sharing industry was a former Motorola engineer who never tired of telling the computer manufacturers, the phone company and the Edison that he had been involved in the design and manufacture of reliable electronic devices for many years so he knew it was possible and therefore he expected it.  And he offered to help them for a fee, in case they felt incapable.

[DarkHumour]

Hmmm.. That problem sounds vaguely familiar to one I had. Kept losing connectivity at certain times of the day.  Turned out that the signal was weakened by a cheap cable splitter.  If you ask them the Cable company of course will insist upon running (and billing for) two lines. One for your TV and the other for your cable modem.   A pro level splitter (>1000MHZ) and putting your modem on the lower signal loss segment (-3.5dB) should do the trick.

DarkHumour

PS.  Course you could get a signal booster too but that's another $40 or so...then there is the problem of TOO MUCH signal...

PPS. (I use DSL now...just because its $20 cheaper)

[jsicuran]

Okay, David there is something serious wrong there. You should never have to reset your cable modem unless instructed to do so by your provider. The only reason you may need to do this is because that when the modem is reset a new dhcp address is sent, meaning that the leases are short from your provider but that makes not sense also. The modem is basically a bridge with obtains an IP address from the headend ubr and sends it to your modem as its outside registered address your computer uses a standared private IP address that the cable modem provides to your pc's ip config.
The cable modem is managed by snmp/IP or mac address. They usually don't want people to turn off the cable modem when the pc is off just for the sake of all the arp, management and dhcp traffic everytime a pc  and cable modem is turned on. Who is your provider? Either they are new and have a screwed up cable service requirig you to do this or there is a problem with your modem, connection or  config.

PS I have my cable modem connected to a pix firewall and the cable modem has been up for over a year between resets or blackouts but I have it on a ups also. All my lab customers go through it.

[David Cressey]

As far as the technical opportunity to write robust software at a reasonable price,  I'm going to pass.  There are plenty of people, right here in this forum, who are better equipped to fix this problem than I am.  Networking was never my bag.

As I've said in another discussion, I'm starting another career.  I'm not turning around for this.

As far as writing to CEO's, congressmen,  etc.  I'll leave that to other people, too.  I'll write to those people about things that are more important to me.

I forgot to tell you people that this hookup is for my home.  
I manage the PC,  and I don't know enough about Windows to tune or repair the e.d.  thing.   I'm paying $1 for the first month of internet service,  and $3 rent for the modem.  I can go out and buy my own cable modem whenever I want.  If the cable company wants me to fix the problem,  so I'm not constantly powering up my modem and causing them extra overhead,  then they can make it their business to help me.

In the meantime, I'm going to live with what I got.

The entire first month bill,  including $14 for running a wire from the feed point to a room that needed it,  cost the same as what my dialup ISP was charging per month.  Too cheap to pass up.  But you get what you pay for.

[Jeremy Singer]

Cycling power on the modem seems like a pretty easy and cheap solution to this problem.
As long is it isn't necessary very frequently, who cares?