View Full Version : Poor Signal Level?
Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve been on NTL BB for a year now and the service was great up until the last 8 weeks or so. Over this period my modem has been constantly dropping off the network (London, E7) sometimes for days at a time before it comes back to life.
Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve called NTL support on many occasions and quite frankly I donââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t have the patience to deal with the Muppets they employ. Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢m a techie but am powerless to get the incompetents at NTL to do anything to help me. So I decided to try and fix the problem myself.
I did a bit of research and found that the root of my problems could be a poor signal to the modem. There appear to be 3 different levels which help the modem operate properly. It looks like there a problem with this signal:
Upstream Transmit Power Level : 61.00 dBmv
According to my research the ideal levels for the upstream power level should be between +8 and +58dBmv.
Unfortunately there doesnââ‚ƚ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t appear to be much I can do to fix this myself as Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ll need an NTL engineer to work their magic somewhere (the green box outside my house?).
Has anyone had this problem before and what did you do to convince NTL to send an engineer to help! Any suggestions gratefully received!
Cheers
homealone
14-08-2004, 22:51
'muppets', 'incompetents' :( welcome to the site, but if you genuinely want help, I would be wary of using terms like that for the staffers..
just wondering, if even me at 5'4" should be worried about banging my head on the way out.......
MovedGoalPosts
14-08-2004, 22:52
:welcome: zorab to cable forum
Firstly a tip, When dealing with ntl, indeed any call centre, patience is a virtue. If the attidude of your post towards the "incompetent" "muppets" is repeated in any of your phone dealings with anyone ntl, who are after all human, I'm not surprised you get nowhere. You have to work with the system, not fight it.
Certainly for me, accepting that the pressing loads of different numbers on the phone menu, to then get hold, is frustrating. But the CS staff I've spoken to, have always been civil, and by being civil back you do get a positive response. The process the CS staff go through to get the answer may be a painful one, but its the system imposed on them. Live with it.
As for your problem, you appear to have done much of the diagnosis already. If the signal level is wrong it will need an ntl engineer to adjust something. That might simply be by fitting a different attenuator or other wotsit to your cable by the modem, or the box outside, or by fiddling with some power settings.
All you should need to do to get that engineer is speak to broadband faults explaining you have an intermittent connection, you frequently reboot the modem, which often don't work, and from the diagnostics screen you've seen such and such a reading suggesting a signal issue.
paulyoung666
14-08-2004, 23:11
Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve been on NTL BB for a year now and the service was great up until the last 8 weeks or so. Over this period my modem has been constantly dropping off the network (London, E7) sometimes for days at a time before it comes back to life.
Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve called NTL support on many occasions and quite frankly I donââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t have the patience to deal with the Muppets they employ. Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢m a techie but am powerless to get the incompetents at NTL to do anything to help me. So I decided to try and fix the problem myself.
I did a bit of research and found that the root of my problems could be a poor signal to the modem. There appear to be 3 different levels which help the modem operate properly. It looks like there a problem with this signal:
Upstream Transmit Power Level : 61.00 dBmv
According to my research the ideal levels for the upstream power level should be between +8 and +58dBmv.
Unfortunately there doesnââ‚ƚ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t appear to be much I can do to fix this myself as Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ll need an NTL engineer to work their magic somewhere (the green box outside my house?).
Has anyone had this problem before and what did you do to convince NTL to send an engineer to help! Any suggestions gratefully received!
Cheers
hi and :welcome: to the site , as stated previously you aint going to get nowhere fast calling ppl names , there are some very helpful ntl peeps on this site who i am sure would be more than willing to help you ......... if you are nice about it ;) , enjoy your stay here , you never know it might prove useful :D :D :D :D
Hello and :welcome: to Cable Forum, I hope that you may get the help you require and hopefully be at peace with yourself and NTL :)
First, those "muppets" that you speak of, there are quite a few NTL techs that lerk here, and none of them are "muppets" Believe me, if it wasnt for them, there would be a lot of people without a connection, myself included (TY again MB for sorting meh Xbox Live :D).
Anyway, call NTL T/S, state what problems you are having (Its best to write down problems, so you can directly tell them exactly the problems you have), and you might get an explanation / solution, btw if you have been disconnected for days at a time, POLITELY ask for a means of compensation, usually they are more than willing to grant you it. (I got a month free, and my calls rebated when I first joined NTL, as the Engineer , admittedly a contractor, messed up my install, took 2 days to realise he failed to check the power levels, which was fixed, and I got online, yey)
Hopefully one of the NTL techs here might be able to help you further, although Id recommend you take back your comments about them first :-)
Thank you all for the welcome and replies.
I'm sure that those folks who are good at their job at NTL CS know they are in the minority and the 'Muppets' I refer to are giving them a bad name. Having said that I've probably called NTL support over a dozen times and only once have I spoke to somebody who didnâ₠¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t appear to be reading from an idiot sheet (power down modem, wait for 2 mins, power on modem....yawn...yawn) when I spoke to them.
To those rare technicians at NTL who are technically adept and know how to talk to irate customers (thats me) keep up the good work. To the 'Muppets'... well... I cant print what I'd like to say about them here.
Once again, thanks to everyone who has replied thus far.
Thank you all for the welcome and replies.
I'm sure that those folks who are good at their job at NTL CS know they are in the minority and the 'Muppets' I refer to are giving them a bad name. Having said that I've probably called NTL support over a dozen times and only once have I spoke to somebody who didnâ₠¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t appear to be reading from an idiot sheet (power down modem, wait for 2 mins, power on modem....yawn...yawn) when I spoke to them.
To those rare technicians at NTL who are technically adept and know how to talk to irate customers (thats me) keep up the good work. To the 'Muppets'... well... I cant print what I'd like to say about them here.
Once again, thanks to everyone who has replied thus far.
Theres a reason that the read from the "idiot sheet" as you so politely call it, Its called procedure, in any IT/Tech support job (I know Ive worked for ICL contracted to serve the Swindon Borough Council with PC's and tech support, Very nice :) ) You HAVE to go through all the obvious stuff, before you progress to more serious/rare occurances.
Yes, its very flustrating, (I went through the same with my problem, as above, hence it took 2 days to sort), but its also understandable, as I said, the best way to get past it, is to mention what you have done, (And what other NTL techs have said) and state that it hasnt worked, and thus you think the problem warrants an engineer call or whatever, it usually works.
But anyway, dont knock procedure, I've seen multiple instances where so called "Techies" or "IT experts" Miss the most blatant things when they have problems with their PC's, NTL techs (Like any other) Are not psychic, and thats why procedure exists.
:rant: Off :)
Theres a reason that the read from the "idiot sheet" as you so politely call it, Its called procedure, in any IT/Tech support job (I know Ive worked for ICL contracted to serve the Swindon Borough Council with PC's and tech support, Very nice :) ) You HAVE to go through all the obvious stuff, before you progress to more serious/rare occurances.
Yes, its very flustrating, (I went through the same with my problem, as above, hence it took 2 days to sort), but its also understandable, as I said, the best way to get past it, is to mention what you have done, (And what other NTL techs have said) and state that it hasnt worked, and thus you think the problem warrants an engineer call or whatever, it usually works.
But anyway, dont knock procedure, I've seen multiple instances where so called "Techies" or "IT experts" Miss the most blatant things when they have problems with their PC's, NTL techs (Like any other) Are not psychic, and thats why procedure exists.
:rant: Off :)Iââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢m with you when it comes to using procedures to diagnose customer problems. But I donââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t expect to call tech support, tell them Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve called before to resolve my problem (on a number of occasions) and then have the tech support person wheel out the procedures again (have you tried rebooting the modem sir? Arrrgghhhhhh!!!) . That indicates that thereââ‚ƚ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s a problem with the procedures doesnââ‚ƚ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t it?
Listen, Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢m entitled to my opinion, as we all are, on what I think of NTLââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s technical support. Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve made my opinion clear and stick by it. The opinion is generalised, its not personal. I am not attacking any specific individuals †“ Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve already stated that Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢m sure there are plenty of excellent tech support people who work for NTL and if I ever get to speak to one I would tell them so. I regularly speak to tech support staff from many organisations and when I come across a person who has done a great job I make a point of asking them for their managers email address so I can tell them how much I appreciated their help. Credit where credit is due †“ needless to say I donââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t get the opportunity to dish out praise often.
I run an IT dept (with a dedicated support team) myself and know all about the procedures you mention. I know how to get the best out of people but theres a limit to the amount of incompetence I can take. In this case, I think Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve been more than patient with NTL and have every right to vent.
If you do indeed work in an IT support environment as you claim you do, your two replies on this post have displayed a lack of understanding of one of the golden rules that all IT support staff should stick to †“ NEVER ASSUME. You have made far too many assumptions about me. I appreciate the advice but donââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t appreciate the condescending tone.
So have you spoken to NTL since your findings with Docsdiag and the power levels? Have you brought these to their attention?
If so, what was their reply, what is being done now?
If you do indeed work in an IT support environment as you claim you do, your two replies on this post have displayed a lack of understanding of one of the golden rules that all IT support staff should stick to †“ NEVER ASSUME. You have made far too many assumptions about me. I appreciate the advice but donââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t appreciate the condescending tone.
And Im sure the NTL techs here wont appreciate your attitude, and comments about them and their colleagues, Im not here to bitch fight, and to be fair, this isnt a place to vent your flustrations, there has been far too many problems caused in the past by people blowing thier top here, and offending people without thinking, this is a place to ask for help, not critisize people.
I no longer a paid IT technician (Long story), but I still help people out as a hobby, and the first thing I do is assume im working with someone who doesnt have a clue, until I get shown otherwise, as I said, its far easier to claim you know about PC's, than to prove it.
Anyway, if you are unhappy about the way you are treated, call Customer support, ask to talk to a manager, and state your case, you may get a resolution. If not, you can always move ISP
Stuartbe
15-08-2004, 16:35
Belive me Zorab I can FULLY understand your frustration as I have had more than my fair share of idiots when calling NTL tech support !
I must say however that all of the NTL tech staff that give there time to the site are very competent and highly skilled. I have a finely tuned BS detector and it never goes off when they are around :D
Give them the chance to help ! I know that you are not having a go at them but they can and do take it personaly just as you would if someone was sla**ng of your support team.
You have made your feelings very clear but the problems you have had are not down to the NTL guys on this forum so PLEASE give them a break. They are great guys and girls that will bend over backwards to help you.
It would be a shame if I have have to close this thread but if it continues the way that it is I will have no choice... Peace out m8 and let these guys help you :)
Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢m with you when it comes to using procedures to diagnose customer problems. But I donââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t expect to call tech support, tell them Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve called before to resolve my problem (on a number of occasions) and then have the tech support person wheel out the procedures again (have you tried rebooting the modem sir? Arrrgghhhhhh!!!) . That indicates that thereââ‚ƚ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s a problem with the procedures doesnââ‚ƚ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t it?
Agreed. I have actually had the same problem before with NTL tech support. I would be surprised if they didn't have the facility to make notes on customer's accounts. If they have this facility, why not use it to make a note of what procedures the customer has followed?
Listen, Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢m entitled to my opinion, as we all are, on what I think of NTLââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s technical support. Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve made my opinion clear and stick by it. The opinion is generalised, its not personal. I am not attacking any specific individuals †“ Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve already stated that Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢m sure there are plenty of excellent tech support people who work for NTL and if I ever get to speak to one I would tell them so. I regularly speak to tech support staff from many organisations and when I come across a person who has done a great job I make a point of asking them for their managers email address so I can tell them how much I appreciated their help. Credit where credit is due †“ needless to say I donââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t get the opportunity to dish out praise often.
I don't think NTL tech support is that bad. I have certainly dealt with worse tech support in companies that are supposed to be world leaders (Real Networks, Apple etc, Matrox & Sonic Solutions to name a few) but I have also dealt with better (Microsoft, Adobe).
I run an IT dept (with a dedicated support team) myself and know all about the procedures you mention. I know how to get the best out of people but theres a limit to the amount of incompetence I can take. In this case, I think Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve been more than patient with NTL and have every right to vent.
Calling people Muppets isn't a good way to get the best out of them.
If you do indeed work in an IT support environment as you claim you do, your two replies on this post have displayed a lack of understanding of one of the golden rules that all IT support staff should stick to †“ NEVER ASSUME. You have made far too many assumptions about me. I appreciate the advice but donââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t appreciate the condescending tone.Unfortunately, I have found that when dealing with users, it is best to explain everything they need. This means, almost by definition, you are assuming they know very little. If you don't do this, not only are you assuming they do know something (therefore breaking the rule anyway), but you may miss something that causes problems. So, either way, it could be argued you are assuming something.
Please note, however, I have found that you can explain everything without sounding patronising, but you do have to phrase things carefully.
And remember, NTL staff on here come here because they want to, and help a lot of people. None of them are Muppets, but they are not going to come here if they think they are going to be insulted.
And remember, NTL staff on here come here because they want to, and help a lot of people. None of them are Muppets, but they are not going to come here if they think they are going to be insulted.
One persons opinion certainly won't stop me coming here, but it's definitely not appreciated.
There are a lot of highly skilled people who work for ntl, and you would not believe some of the trivial stuff that we come across every day from customers that is fixed with little to no effort.
More serious problems regarding escalation are not commonplace, it does happen, but not as often as when the simple fix works.
The old "reboot your modem" rule has to be adhered to simply because it works, honest to god.
One persons opinion certainly won't stop me coming here, but it's definitely not appreciated.
There are a lot of highly skilled people who work for ntl, and you would not believe some of the trivial stuff that we come across every day from customers that is fixed with little to no effort.
More serious problems regarding escalation are not commonplace, it does happen, but not as often as when the simple fix works.
The old "reboot your modem" rule has to be adhered to simply because it works, honest to god.
Funny how no one has jumped in and helped on this one. I wonder why :rolleyes:
I would...but don't support CM's anymore, am at the dialup callcentre.
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