50M : Can humidity cause problems with Broadband connection?

[mintygit]

Hi

Here we are again another summer is upon us, it's around 77 already today and guess what our broadband connection has gone down again!

Every summer it's the same old thing, when a day is hot and over around 74 our connection goes off! Normally starts around 1pm until 5pm everyday when it's hot/humid in the summer, never happens in the Autumn/Winter.

Over the years we have had several engineers come out to take a look, last year they changed the cable coming into our house to see if it worked but nothing ever has.

Just totally fed up with it now, paying £37.50 month just for the connection to be down during the day for the next 3 months because of the weather!

Does anyone have any idea of anything that can be done to help/stop this happening?

If it wasn't for the fact that we lived in a poor landline area that hasn't been upgraded so we can only get 2mb through the phone I would have gone to BT ages ago, it is so frustrating that no-one seems to know what to do!

Help!

Thanks

[Kabaal]

I'm curious about this also, mine does the same thing. Every summer the connection is intermittent during the afternoon to evening, just started up again for the first time since last summer when the weather changed this week.

[essjay]

Yes could be a factor. If the launch cabinet or any of the other cabinets in the cascade are south facing they can get quite toastie ! Then the levels sky rocket.

It sounds like your cable modem is just on the borderline , I would give faults a call sounds like you need your levels adjusting

[rmwebs]

Never thought about this but it makes sense I guess!

Some clever idiot sat a massive BT green box, next to a massive Virgin green box around the corner, right in the open so the sun sits on them from around 10am till 6 pm during summer, as it is they are warm to the touch even on a cold day, and sound VERY loud, with fans on all four sides. Bet we're going to have some crappy internet over the summer, its already been a bit slow over the last 3 days :/

[Pog66]

the temperatire around your modem / router might also be a factor - is that in a nice & airy location?

[boroboi]

On a warm day like this my power levels drop about -.4 to -.6 dBmV

[Sephiroth]

.. So you should post your power levels, please.

Also, Essjay has made an important point - in which case others in your street could have the same problem.

[Eeeps]

Originally Posted by boroboi

On a warm day like this my power levels drop about -.4 to -.6 dBmV

I've lost about 1dB on the D/S signal levels and the S/N ratio has dropped by 1 dB also.

If either is marginal normally (-8dbmV signal or -34dB S/N) then this could push you over the edge.

OP - post your modem stats to check.

[boroboi]

They are still within the -3 to +7 range, but only just, one channel is right on -2.9

[Rob]

I would suggest temperature rather than humidity are the greatest factors. Street cabinets overheating has always been a problem since unlike the old BT type telecom cabinets that were just junction boxes, these do have some powered components. Indeed one wonders if BT infinity runs a risk of heat degradation, or if they've been designed to be more resilient than VM's cabinets.

Regarding kit within the home, it was always the TV Set Top Boxes that had biggest issues with heat, rather than the modems. But putting any othese things in unventilated small cupboards is going to be a risk.

I'm going to be pleasantly surprised if my broadband is working properly when I get home this evening.