Spectrum T-3/4 errors

[dfranco]

TL;DR
Continue to get T-3/4 errors causing modem to reset multiple times per day, the 3rd Spectrum tech is coming on Thursday, would appreciate some non-bias advice given the logs from my SB6190 to solve the issue.

I've read a lot regarding T-3/4 errors but thought I'd post on here with my logs to see if there is any advice to what the issue is. I just don't trust the Spectrum technicians anymore so I'd like some non-bias opinions. My issue is that the connection is unreliable and the modem (SB6190) resets multiple time per day. My neighbor had his lines from the curb to his house replaced and he said this resolved his issue but the first Spectrum tech visit said the SNR is acceptable and replacing lines would not solve the issue. The 2nd Spectrum tech said replacing the line from the side of my house, into the house, to my modem could help, but they don't fish wires anymore so the best they could do is drill a hole in the floor to the crawl space. Wasn't happy with that considering I just replaced all my flooring with LVP. I have a tech coming out on Thursday to investigate again so I am coming here for some non-bias advice so I can equip myself with knowledge to come to a solution when the tech arrives. If Spectrum can't come to a solution I'm just going to switch providers as the service is unusable and the price continues to rise, $75 for 200/10.

If any further info can help to narrow down the issue please let me know and I will gladly provide it.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Continue to get T-3/4 errors causing modem to reset multiple times per day, the 3rd Spectrum tech is coming on Thursday, would appreciate some non-bias advice given the logs from my SB6190 to solve the issue.

This forum is for wireless networking, not cable Internet service.

You may get better advice here: Charter Spectrum forum | DSLReports, ISP Information

My neighbor had his lines from the curb to his house replaced and he said this resolved his issue

Same issue? At least you know Spectrum service is ok nearby... that's hopeful.

but the first Spectrum tech visit said the SNR is acceptable and replacing lines would not solve the issue. The 2nd Spectrum tech said replacing the line from the side of my house, into the house, to my modem could help, but they don't fish wires anymore so the best they could do is drill a hole in the floor to the crawl space.

So have them layout some temp coax from the curb connection (or at least from the outside of the house) and swap in one of their latest and free modems like the Technicolor Spectrum D3.1 2.5G eMTA Cable Modem ET2251 to see if the issue stops and to decide the next step.

If Spectrum can't come to a solution I'm just going to switch providers as the service is unusable and the price continues to rise, $75 for 200/10.

What's your other Internet service option? Healthy cable service is reliable and flexible.

Spectrum's current pricing: Spectrum - Modem Policy
You should or will be getting 300/10 service for $75, which measure about 345/11 here.

I have a tech coming out on Thursday to investigate again so I am coming here for some non-bias advice so I can equip myself with knowledge to come to a solution when the tech arrives.

My advice is to partner/work with the tech to help solve the problem. Tell him you love Spectrum and need him to fix their rebooting cable modem issue.

OE

 

[Tech Junky]

It's most likely a plant issue or the hardline on the pole is breached introducing interference. Your stats on the modem are ideal besides the errors.

Look into TMobile or VZW for 5G wireless internet. I usually get 200/70 for $50/mo with TM. If I take the modem outside and fifty ft from the bldg it jumps to 500/100.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Look into TMobile or VZW for 5G wireless internet. I usually get 200/70 for $50/mo with TM.

Any disadvantages to such 5G wireless Internet?

OE

 

[sfx2000]

Any disadvantages to such 5G wireless Internet?

Not sure these are disadvantages or not...

IPv4 is similar to CGNAT (it's actually 464XLAT with T-Moblie at least)
No port forwarding
Third Party Routers will have to double NAT

Consistency of connectivity rates/latency compared to Cable - It's 5G wireless, so it's a shared medium with mobile phones on the same tower.

I've got both CoxHSI (Cable) and TMoble Home Internet - TMHI for $50/month is a decent deal - mileage will vary, but I get usually around 300 down, 25 up...

 

[OzarkEdge]

Not sure these are disadvantages or not...

IPv4 is similar to CGNAT (it's actually 464XLAT with T-Moblie at least)
No port forwarding
Third Party Routers will have to double NAT

Consistency of connectivity rates/latency compared to Cable - It's 5G wireless, so it's a shared medium with mobile phones on the same tower.

I've got both CoxHSI (Cable) and TMoble Home Internet - TMHI for $50/month is a decent deal - mileage will vary, but I get usually around 300 down, 25 up...

Thanks! Could be a useful option.

OE

 

[Tech Junky]

Any disadvantages to such 5G wireless Internet?

Depends on your use.

It's a variable speed connection obviously. As noted by @sfx2000 it's got some quirks compared to traditional services but, I've been using it for a few months now and don't have any complaints i couldn't find a solution to myself. I find rebooting the modem every 8 hours keeps the monitoring API alive to get the stats from the gateway so I made a PowerShell script tasks to run every 8 hours automatically. I stripped the casing off to play with antennas in the off chance it would boost the performance but, it turns out being the Cell site antennas being too close is the limiting factor for me. I also swapped the WIFI antennas for something a bit better and removed the 2.4ghz connections. I swapped the 5G antennas to boost the floor signal to avoid getting kicked down to the 700mhz band which is quite slow in comparison to the 2.4ghz cell signal.

My setup is heavily modified at this point compared to what ships from the company. Out of the box though it worked fine but, being a tinkerer I couldn't resist taking it apart to see how it works and see if I could improve things a bit more than the shipped version. There's actually 3 different gateways now for TM and the latest is for a more limited audience w/ the new plan option for 100gig cap for saturated areas where there's not enough backhaul BW available for unlimited data.

I also setup the box to be powered off a power bank instead of the wall adapter which provides me with at least 12 hours of power if there's a power issue. The key was to find a PB that had a 15V output to power up the device even though it actually uses less than 5W of power while running.

All in all I don't miss the Comcast gig service or the $100/mo bill. I kept CC hooked up and active though for a few weeks longer than I needed to just to make sure TMHI fit into my setup and was reliable enough to completely cut the cord. The only draw backs are the limited configuration you can do with the gateway via the phone app and the primary method of controlling the GW now is the phone app since they've gradually gimped the WWW API to more limited functionality. It's basically now a signal meter and not much else.

There's a lot of flexibility compared to other options with the portability of the GW.

 

[dfranco]

This forum is for wireless networking, not cable Internet service.

You may get better advice here: Charter Spectrum forum | DSLReports, ISP Information

My bad, thanks, I'll check it out.

Same issue? At least you know Spectrum service is ok nearby... that's hopeful.

Same issue as far as intermittent connectivity but didn't get confirmation that it was specifically a T-3/4 error.

So have them layout some temp coax from the curb connection (or at least from the outside of the house) and swap in one of their latest and free modems like the Technicolor Spectrum D3.1 2.5G eMTA Cable Modem ET2251 to see if the issue stops and to decide the next step.

Great idea! Thanks for the suggestion.

What's your other Internet service option? Healthy cable service is reliable and flexible.

Other options are Windstream DSL (Kinetic fiber not available on my street), HughesNet, ViaSat, T-Mobile 5G

Spectrum's current pricing: Spectrum - Modem Policy
You should or will be getting 300/10 service for $75, which measure about 345/11 here.

I believe that is the new member pricing. We have had them for 2 years. It was $49.99 for the first 12 months, then raised to $64.99 for the next 12 months, now they say it's the "last" increase to $74.99.

My advice is to partner/work with the tech to help solve the problem. Tell him you love Spectrum and need him to fix their rebooting cable modem issue.

OE

I will certainly try, although they usually find something to blame like the modem since it's my own and not DOCSIS 3.1. I'll work with them but if ultimately they cannot help and I would need to hire someone to fish new lines or upgrade my modem I think it's just better to move on. Spectrum has a monopoly here because of the less than desirable alternative choices.

 

[dfranco]

It's most likely a plant issue or the hardline on the pole is breached introducing interference. Your stats on the modem are ideal besides the errors.

Look into TMobile or VZW for 5G wireless internet. I usually get 200/70 for $50/mo with TM. If I take the modem outside and fifty ft from the bldg it jumps to 500/100.

Thanks for the suggestion I'm going to look into this option as it is available at my address. I'm not a power user by any means so I really just need consistent connectivity at this point.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Depends on your use.

It's a variable speed connection obviously. As noted by @sfx2000 it's got some quirks compared to traditional services but, I've been using it for a few months now and don't have any complaints i couldn't find a solution to myself. I find rebooting the modem every 8 hours keeps the monitoring API alive to get the stats from the gateway so I made a PowerShell script tasks to run every 8 hours automatically. I stripped the casing off to play with antennas in the off chance it would boost the performance but, it turns out being the Cell site antennas being too close is the limiting factor for me. I also swapped the WIFI antennas for something a bit better and removed the 2.4ghz connections. I swapped the 5G antennas to boost the floor signal to avoid getting kicked down to the 700mhz band which is quite slow in comparison to the 2.4ghz cell signal.

My setup is heavily modified at this point compared to what ships from the company. Out of the box though it worked fine but, being a tinkerer I couldn't resist taking it apart to see how it works and see if I could improve things a bit more than the shipped version. There's actually 3 different gateways now for TM and the latest is for a more limited audience w/ the new plan option for 100gig cap for saturated areas where there's not enough backhaul BW available for unlimited data.

I also setup the box to be powered off a power bank instead of the wall adapter which provides me with at least 12 hours of power if there's a power issue. The key was to find a PB that had a 15V output to power up the device even though it actually uses less than 5W of power while running.

All in all I don't miss the Comcast gig service or the $100/mo bill. I kept CC hooked up and active though for a few weeks longer than I needed to just to make sure TMHI fit into my setup and was reliable enough to completely cut the cord. The only draw backs are the limited configuration you can do with the gateway via the phone app and the primary method of controlling the GW now is the phone app since they've gradually gimped the WWW API to more limited functionality. It's basically now a signal meter and not much else.

There's a lot of flexibility compared to other options with the portability of the GW.

Thanks for review! That service could have its uses. I would be concerned under what conditions the service would go down, like when too many people try to use their mobile service in a crisis situation. I use an ITSP for phone/911 service so always concerned about keeping my Internet service robust.

OE

 

[Tech Junky]

Considering most cell sites have backup power and redundant back hauls it would take something significant to completely take out the connection. Also you're not confined to a single site either. If my main site went down the surrounding sites would be used instead.

 

[Tech Junky]

Thanks for the suggestion I'm going to look into this option as it is available at my address. I'm not a power user by any means so I really just need consistent connectivity at this point.

It's consistently online but there have been a couple of needed reboots to get better speeds occasionally. This kind of led into the scheduled reboots besides the monitoring app needing the gateway rebooted. Typically there's no issue though but like any RF connection there's always a possibility of slower speeds if there's too many users connecting to the site at the same time. The nice thing is that you can influence the connection by moving it to different locations and you can use different antennas if you're interested in locking out one band or another based on the sites you're connecting to.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Other options are Windstream DSL (Kinetic fiber not available on my street), HughesNet, ViaSat, T-Mobile 5G

Cable Internet is probably your best option... I'd get it fixed.

I believe that is the new member pricing. We have had them for 2 years. It was $49.99 for the first 12 months, then raised to $64.99 for the next 12 months, now they say it's the "last" increase to $74.99.

That pricing page is for all subscribers. They bumped to $75. And now they are rolling out 300/10 speeds at that price.

I will certainly try, although they usually find something to blame like the modem since it's my own and not DOCSIS 3.1.

I just picked up a free modem (the model noted above) and cable kit at my local Spectrum office. Let them install a new and free DOCSIS3.1 modem (although your SB6190 should still handle 300/10, if healthy).

Spectrum has a monopoly here because of the less than desirable alternative choices.

Perhaps, but... I think you're lucky to have cable Internet and I would not be too quick to walk away from it.

Good luck!

OE

 

[sfx2000]

Considering most cell sites have backup power and redundant back hauls it would take something significant to completely take out the connection. Also you're not confined to a single site either. If my main site went down the surrounding sites would be used instead.

CoxHSI provides dial tone for POTS - so in California, they have to have battery backup for 911 purposes - having the cable modem and router on a battery backed power supply is a good thing, and I've been through a number of power outages and still had internet access.

As a telecom veteran on the wireless carrier side - most cell sites have battery backup for at least 8 hours - the CO/switches generally have generators for longer periods.

Oddly enough - the Nokia gateway provided by T-Mobile - it has a battery, but if mains are lost, it turns off the wifi radios - go figure...

 

[Tech Junky]

I would not be too quick to walk away from it.

But, if it doesn't work consistently it's worth a look into other options. Cable Co's don't auto credit when it goes down and you end up paying for crap server unless you call every time it goes down. I would rather have consistent service than spotty outages all of the time. If they can fix it this time when they come out fine, if not then call TM for a box to be shipped w/ next day shipping for $10 or whatever the shipping cost is and you'll have it probably Tues. It will at least give you something to play with while they figure out if they can manage to fix the line issue or not. I've seen issues like this take months to get resolved for whatever reason. It also depends on what part of the country you're in. For example if you're in FL you're prone to heat + salt being issues with the lines. If you're in the upper part of the country you have snow / salt to deal with. Anything corrosive is a PITA with cable lines. Buried cable is always preferable to above ground as it's less of an issue with weather changes and environmental variables. If it comes up into a pedestal in a yard check the condition of the box itself and the tap inside to see if the connections are lose. Sometimes you can even swap the port you're connected to and resolve the issue.

 

[Tech Junky]

@sfx2000 Any time they sell voice service the CPU has a battery in it. It's part of the FCC rules for voice service as POTS carries voltage on the line itself which is why it works 99.999% of the time.

Yeah, the Nokia is odd and the Arcadyan is no battery at all. The workaround I mentioned works regardless and uses 5W of power for all systems enabled. It's a simple setup as long as you have 15V / 5W and USB-PD cable to plug between the two.

The battery thing though on the Nokia is to keep the signal meter lit for placement in the best location.

 

[sfx2000]

Continue to get T-3/4 errors causing modem to reset multiple times per day, the 3rd Spectrum tech is coming on Thursday, would appreciate some non-bias advice given the logs from my SB6190 to solve the issue.

This is usually due bad cable inside the house...

Spectrum's responsibility ends at the demarc where the cable enters the home - after that, it's up to the homeowner.

With Spectrum - get a good tech, and have him check the actual drops inside the house...

I ended up doing a complete redo on my TV cable a few years back, the old coax from 1978 wasn't up to snuff with switched digital video post analog shutdown - RG59 to several drops for TV, and a splitter at the demarc and a dedicated drop for DOCSIS - so things there are good now - the time/energy/cost was worth it...

 

[sfx2000]

@sfx2000 Any time they sell voice service the CPU has a battery in it. It's part of the FCC rules for voice service as POTS carries voltage on the line itself which is why it works 99.999% of the time.

The Cox POTS terminal is at the demarc, and no battery is involved - it gets power across the coax... old-school analog - no VOIP involved...

 

[sfx2000]

Perhaps, but... I think you're lucky to have cable Internet and I would not be too quick to walk away from it.

I agree - if there is the option...

For decent broadband, I have Cable, and recently, 5G fixed wireless access via T-Mobile.

Nice to have a backup connection with 5G... primary is still cable

 

[OzarkEdge]

But, if it doesn't work consistently it's worth a look into other options.

In my experience, cable Internet is very reliable and steady service. When it's not, it needs to be fixed. The OP's neighbor has working service... the OP just needs to fix/replace what's broke... maybe his modem and probably his coax. And make sure the coax is properly bonded to a common safety Earth Ground at the demarcation point.

At this point in time, I consider DSL, satellite, and cellular to be secondary and lesser options.

OE