PDA

View Full Version : Orginal 3com Cable Modem vs What I can get from NTL


Minus
07-05-2005, 12:36
Hi,

A question:
I have a 3com cable modem (owned, when you had to buy them back in the old days) attached to my 3mb line. I was wondering wether or not I should ask NTL to supply me with a newer cable modem (whatever make they are), since I pay for one in my subscription fee (Being having a few disconnects lately). Would I get any performance increases by getting a newer cable modem over my current 3com?

Thanks in Advance
(Really looking forward to ringing up customer services, NOT :rolleyes: )

Raistlin
07-05-2005, 13:56
Hi Minus :welcome: to CF :)

Not sure about the answer to your question but.....

There are a few CS reps that frequent the forum who might be able to give you the official line, they may be more willing to do so once they realise that your statement above wasn't supposed to be a blanket condemnation of all the NTL CS people - just an indication that you have had some bad experiences in the past ;)

Minus
07-05-2005, 14:06
I have nothing against NTL's CS people, used to work in a CS role for an IT company. So I know whats is like. I only had one problem with NTL, took three months to resolve and a lot of hardwork getting pass the "there must be something wrong with your PC sir" part :) and that is the only problem I had in many years of service with NTL and Diamond cable before that. My "Really looking forward to ringing up customer services, NOT" comment was merely more of a "do I really want to ring NTL" after reading a lot of the posts here (majority of them very negative towards NTL CS), not a dig at NTL CS people, no offence meant. I'm sorry if I have upset anybody.

Raistlin
07-05-2005, 14:09
I'm sure you didn't upset anybody, my post was meant to be fairly tongue in cheek (hence the smileys). I'm sure someone will be along soon who can offer some up to date advice for you.

:)

Chris W
07-05-2005, 14:31
if it is 3com CMX, then don't change it if you can help it! they are extremely stable modems! you certainly wouldn't get any performance increase from getting an ambit (ntl badged) modem.

Minus
07-05-2005, 14:33
Yep, it is a 3com CMX

Pian
07-05-2005, 19:44
Funnily enough, I still have my own CMX on a 3mb service and I am getting regular drop-outs too. I have one of the silver ntl badged modem in a cupboard (which I requested and got when I had to start paying for it anyway). I have never been able to steel myself suficiently to phone up the helpline and register the MAC.

Are others still experiencing drop-outs, or is it just us CMX'ers? I have seen less posts about this recently, and was beginnig to wonder if it was just me.

Chris W
07-05-2005, 19:49
There are very few CMX users now, compared to the other modems (i have only spoken to 3 in 2 years for ntl) but if you are having drop outs then i would suggest it is more to do with the signal coming to the modem than the modem itself....

Pian
07-05-2005, 21:49
Hmmm. Is there any way of testing this (other than braving the help line to get an engineer out)? I seem to remember connecting a serial cable to the modem and looking at the logs a few years ago, and that the Robin Walker pages had some description. I can't remember whether there were any signal diags, though.

(Oh look - you've got one!!)

I never had drop outs before the speed upgrade, by the way.

carlingman
08-05-2005, 04:09
Hmmm. Is there any way of testing this (other than braving the help line to get an engineer out)? I seem to remember connecting a serial cable to the modem and looking at the logs a few years ago, and that the Robin Walker pages had some description. I can't remember whether there were any signal diags, though.

(Oh look - you've got one!!)

I never had drop outs before the speed upgrade, by the way.

Have a look back at the Robin Walkers pages found here (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d.h.walker/cmtips/signal.html#cmxdiag)

Maybe doscdiag will work.

:D

Croker
08-05-2005, 09:04
Hi,

A question:
I have a 3com cable modem (owned, when you had to buy them back in the old days) :rolleyes: )

As a matter of interest do you get a discounted fee for that? I seem to recall that 'owned' cable modem useres had a £5/month cheaper charge than regular users

Minus
08-05-2005, 09:14
If I remember the discount stopped when NTL took over Diamond Cable, since then pay the same rate.

BBKing
08-05-2005, 12:01
Maybe doscdiag will work.

Alternatively, BBKing's special medicine will definitely work, if I know the modem's MAC address.

Pian
08-05-2005, 12:16
Just PM'ing it. Thanks.

aweaton
08-05-2005, 17:17
As a matter of interest do you get a discounted fee for that? I seem to recall that 'owned' cable modem useres had a £5/month cheaper charge than regular users

If you haven't gone up or down a broadband tier then yes it is cheaper. I was on 512Kb, 600Kb, 750Kb and now 2Mb for £19.99 :) . The £150 investment in my CMX has definetly been worthwhile - but when I signed up there wasn't a choice of renting and 512Kb was £40pm.

Pian
08-05-2005, 18:15
I was an early adopter too.

Remind me - when did they roll out to us in Herts? I was trying to work out how old my modem is. It must be the longest serving modem I've ever had .....

aweaton
09-05-2005, 11:03
Remind me - when did they roll out to us in Herts? I was trying to work out how old my modem is. It must be the longest serving modem I've ever had .....

I'm not exactly sure when they launched it. I think it was not long before I took it up (April 2000) - as soon as I heard it was available I was on the phone ordering it :) .

I know the Herts & Beds franchise (ex-CableTel) was the second area to go live after Guildford. It was painful waiting for the 'coming soon' to become reality but then what else do we expect from NTL?

Jamesy_UK
01-06-2005, 11:11
Ressurecting an old thread But I was an Early Adopter in Luton and the original Trials for cable modems where in Barton Leclay area.
My cablemodem went live a little over 6 years ago now if i remember correctly, I am still using the same CMX cable modem no problems at all.
Not saying you use bit-torrents to download but assuming you did, if you have more than 3 bit-torrents going at a time it starts to cause the cable modem to trip out for about 30seconds or so then recover.
So keep it to 3 active at a time and your fine 99% of the time.

Pian
01-06-2005, 12:15
No, I'm not a torrent user. I get hangs when downloading from news.ntlworld.com

They've now given me a new cable, but the problem still seems to be there. In addition, my TV set top box has started freezing for 1/2 a sec now and then. Sadly, I can't seem to get the attention of anyone here to check whether my signal is ok at my modem following the upgrade, so I'm a bit stuck ...

jaycee
01-06-2005, 12:59
Keep the 3Com CMX. With all due respect, the ambit's are *censored*.

If your TV picture is freezing, then the issue you're seeing with your cablemodem is a signal level/SNR fault, not your cablemodem.

Pian
01-06-2005, 13:06
I suspected as much, but given that they have just replaced the cable from my house to the green box, I am keen to find out from one of the techies interrogating my modem if there has been a change ...

It seems a bit strange that I did not have picture freezes before they replaced the cable.

jaycee
01-06-2005, 13:15
It is possible they have connected you to a different tap inside the cabinet and this is an issue. What are your cable modem's signal levels and SNR readings?

Pian
01-06-2005, 13:31
I don't think one can tell with a CMX modem.

Chris W
01-06-2005, 13:46
I don't think one can tell with a CMX modem.

Nope the CMX has no internal web interface...

It can be connect to using the serial port, but as far as i know this only gives the logs from the modem...

Pian
01-06-2005, 13:57
Any suggestions, monkeybreath??

Chris W
01-06-2005, 18:59
Any suggestions, monkeybreath??

urg....

I am off work for a couple of weeks so can't check anything, but it sounds like a power / snr problem...

can get a few stats off the tv which might help:

press page up, then page down, then blue while you are watching normal tv.

let us know what the SNR and signal level are, and whether you have any pre/ post RS errors.

Also, is it just the one stb and one cable modem from the same cable?

Pian
01-06-2005, 22:12
SNR 33.7

Signal level 56

No errors

Just 1 CMX cm and a pace stb.

Scrolling through - seem to be quite a fe "Lost IB lock" messages on the event log.

Cheers.

Chris W
02-06-2005, 01:41
hum

lost IB lock isn't anything to worry about and the signal to the box sounds fine....

I'm off work for a while now so can't do much to check this from the ntl side.... maybe someone else can help in the mean time...........

Pian
03-06-2005, 17:09
Anyone????

Pian
04-06-2005, 08:09
Anyone at all. Please.

Is it worth starting a new thread?

bontrager
04-06-2005, 11:17
I was an early adopter too.

Remind me - when did they roll out to us in Herts? I was trying to work out how old my modem is. It must be the longest serving modem I've ever had .....

its been years now thats for sure....

my surfboard modem is still going strong and i like how i can chose my return path... doesnt make much difference these days, but in the old days, it was the only way to make sure i got a decent service.

Pian
07-06-2005, 13:15
Can anybody hear me?

Have I done something to offend the powers that be? If so, please let me know so I can apologise.

Anyone at all. Please.

Is it worth starting a new thread?