So after I finally got that nice new computer, things had run great for a month. However, over the past two weeks, I've been fighting 10-50% packet loss on my internet connection where my upload speed will just go to crap for 5-10 seconds every other minute. I've probably called Cox about 10 times in that timeframe, had a tech come out every weekend, tried two new 24x8 cable modems, and still the problem persists.
It's really frustrating having crappy internet and I hope the problem gets resolved soon. I really want to switch to fiber, but the only service provider in my area is Century Link and they only have a very small 20/1 MBPS plan, which is not enough for my needs.
A fourth Cox technician is coming on Monday to run a new line in my house. Let's hope it helps.
P.S. I had really nothing else to blog about this month, heh.
NEW UPDATE - 7/10/18
Last Monday, Cox sent a third-party technician to my house to run a new line from the cable box outside my house to the wall on my bedroom where I connect the cable modem. The very first technician they sent had only run a new line from the cable box to the main unit across the street. After this tech ran the line for my house, I was guaranteed a brand new line. Immediately after he ran the new line, the issues I was having seemed to go away and I was completely ecstatic. I was able to stream to Twitch.tv for 8 hours without a single packet being dropped.
While I've had pretty consistent packetloss-free service over the past week, I still notice a drop in upload performance from time to time. However, if I'm not streaming, I almost never drop anymore packets on Fortnite while I'm playing, which leads me to believe that the line was indeed a problem. I do believe that when I see downgraded upload performance I'm experiencing either poor QoS from Twitch or Cox. Either way, the internet has been much more stable since the brand new line, so I'm satisfied from that standpoint.
For any random visitors seeking problem resolutions for similar issues with their cable internet, I suggest the following:
- Latest Firmware - Some wireless routers need to be manually updated, so check if you've got the latest firmware. You can't manually update the firmware on most cable modems, as this is done automatically via your ISP whenever you reboot the modem.
- Cable Modem / Wireless Router isolation - If you're using a wireless router, remove it from the equation and plug your computer directly into the cable modem using an ethernet cable. This will determine if you have an issue with the router.
- Replace the Cable Modem - If you're running more than 5 years on a modem, chances are it could be going bad. Sometimes the lifespan of modems is even less than that.
- Have your ISP run a new line - Make sure they run a brand new line all the way from your neighborhood's hub to your house. For me it took two visits because they only replaced the line across the street the first time and a second tech had to replace the one from the box outside my house to the jack in my bedroom's wall.
- The issue is almost never software related (excluding spyware/malware attacks), so if your internet was working fine beforehand and then randomly went bad, don't bother messing with registry settings or adapter tuning. Chances are you'll mess things up worse than they were before.
- If all the above fails, it's likely just bad QoS from your ISP or the streaming services you utilize.
