Recommended Tests

My Comcast internet speeds have been terrible for as long as I can remember.  Years perhaps, I dunno.  The techs tell me that the problem is impossible or too expensive to fix.  Being as they need more complaints to fix my signals.  Since the problem is somewhere out past my house.  They tell me this every time they visit my house.  But I live in a major suburb in a major city, so how can that be?

Every few months, I give it another college try.   Although I usually fail.  And they are coming out this week.  Is there anything I can say to them to get things fixed this time around? 

Usually, I get about a 50 to 70 KB download speed.  Mine is supposed to be 6MB.  But it will in a rare test jump up to 2MB or so.  There is no question, it is their signal to blame.  And also perhaps the way they have one cable line split to go to the TV and Modem.  And also the 15db amplifier they put on too. 

My husband swears that the amplifier they put on our house in June fried our fairly new TV's convergence board.  I told him no, why would it.  But now I am not so sure.  I tried to look up some of our TV symptoms on the internet.  And we have 120 MHz hum bars.  Which I read could actually shock a person.  And some snow, and distortion.  Anyways, I am now worried about the amplifier frying all our AV equipment in our house.  Please tell me it isn't true.  Without the amplifier, we lose our digital cable entirely.

Just so you can see, here are my test results.  I would call this a very good moment.

::::::::::.. Download Stats ..::::::::::
Download Connection is:: 1155 Kbps about 1.16 Mbps (tested with 1013 kB)
Download Speed is:: 141 kB/s
Tested From:: http://testmy.net/ (Server 1)
Test Time:: 2006/08/27 - 10:33pm
Bottom Line:: 20X faster than 56K 1MB Download in 7.26 sec
Tested from a 1013 kB file and took 7.188 seconds to complete
Download Diagnosis:: May need help : running at only 21.07 % of your hosts average (Comcast.net)
D-Validation Link:: http://testmy.net/stats/id-1UNY9V8HE
User Agent:: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)

You are not the first person to complain about Comcast.  Placing an amplifier on your line will not help things, like swimmer said, 99.9 % of the time..it will only cause problems.  If they are not getting enough complaints to make the problem a priority, then the problem is most likely something close to you, if not in your home, simply because with speeds like that at that price, almost everyone in your neighborhood/node would be complaining.  Just don't give up...many places will gfive you an "I don't know" answer....just ask to talk to someone who would know.  Of course, be polite, that goes a long way these days. 

Thanx for the welcome.   This seems like a really nice forum. 

Right now, my main concern is for my equipment more than anything.  I am not certain if those hum bars indicate a problem that could damage it.  But my TV's one board got fried in multiple places.  And the repair person could not figure out what caused it.  It is a very expensive TV.  Anyways, bars running down your screen are annoying.

That cable nut program is awesome.  And some amazing things happened to my speeds immediately afterwards.  Even with my signal problems.  But this testing was done at 3AM after the weekend was over vs peak weekend measurements.   I need to do more testing at different times other than after work in the early AM to see.   But my feelings are that cable nut made a bif difference no matter what!    I will report back once I am certain.

Also, something happened to my service on Sunday.  All of a sudden, my TV reception got better.  And my internet got faster.  But the weather has been MUCH (big temp difference) cooler the last 2 days.  Or did they finally do something?

Glad I found that program here!  Thank You!!!

Cable guy was here today, and I found out that yes they did do something a few days ago!  It was a problem with an amplifier at a node. 

But there are also 2 other problems.  One is the water in my line (yet again).  So they replaced the line today and I gained 5db.  And the other?  Well, my signals are still too bad at the pole (although not as bad as before they fixed the amplifier at the node), and I have to keep the amplifier hooked up.  They said it will be 2 weeks at the most before that is finally fixed.  And I should be able to get rid of my amplifier.

But here is the real kicker...   The cable guy told me that the whole neighborhood is having problems.  And has one or more calls for my street on a regular basis.  (They finally admitted a problem?  After all these years?) 

Also, the darn sporadic hum bars were not present during his visit.  (They were yesterday.)  He did replace our line and adjusted something that has to do with the phone.  So we have to wait and see now.  This could very well be a 4th problem.

Here is my theory.  My neighborhood at one time was mostly all folks between 60 and 80 years old.  The neighborhood is turning over, so they now have more customers.  Before that?  My problems weren't worth their time or expense.  So instead, they let us accumulate 3 to 4 problems!!!!

Fios is really close to my neighborhood, and in the same zip code.  If they don't fix it to the point that I don't need an amplifier, I will be first to go in my neighborhood.

Anyways, I will update you all with the final outcome.