[SOLVED] My internet stinks.

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Oct 24, 2021
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Comcast have territory control over my area so no one else can provide internet to our region. United States.

But Comcast uses wires and they go bad every time the seasons change. Esp in the autumn when it starts to get cold. Maintenance comes out and replaces the wires but it takes them forever to narrow down which ones have degraded. By the time it's all fixed and ready for winter I have lost out on Halloween gaming events.

Kinda want internet to go to satellite only no more ground wires. Or do something where maintenance is no longer required and we get true uninterrupted internet.

Will this every be possible that we can have totally free of wires internet server that never fails?

Will internet companies ever relinquish territories to other companies so there will be competition like the market is suppose to have?

Xfinity Comcast also clocks back our internet speeds so they can charge us more. Will this ever change?
 
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Will this every be possible that we can have totally free of wires internet server that never fails?
Not in our lifetimes. As far as eliminating wires altogether, maybe not ever. Even satellite service has wires somewhere, including from the dish to your modem or router, and on the backend as well.

I don't think the problem is your "wires", especially if by "wires" you mean coaxial cable. I live in the US, in an area that sees a WAY broader range of severe cold to severe heat than almost any other part of the US, and have Comcast/Xfinity, and aside from squirrels occasionally chewing the coax cable I've never seen this issue on my service or the service lines of any of the many people I do service for. I'm thinking maybe they...
Will this every be possible that we can have totally free of wires internet server that never fails?
Not in our lifetimes. As far as eliminating wires altogether, maybe not ever. Even satellite service has wires somewhere, including from the dish to your modem or router, and on the backend as well.

I don't think the problem is your "wires", especially if by "wires" you mean coaxial cable. I live in the US, in an area that sees a WAY broader range of severe cold to severe heat than almost any other part of the US, and have Comcast/Xfinity, and aside from squirrels occasionally chewing the coax cable I've never seen this issue on my service or the service lines of any of the many people I do service for. I'm thinking maybe they are simply not actually fixing the problem and you might need to request an entirely new line, demand it in fact, from the pole to the cable modem.

And as far as "clocking back" the cable speeds, by which you probably mean "throttling", they generally only do that if you are exceeding your monthly bandwidth allocation. In all Xfinity areas that I know of, over the last five years, bandwidth allowances AND throughput speeds have both increased, not decreased.

As far as competition goes, this really depends on EXACTLY where you are and how far out from town you are. Legally, there must, by law, be permission for other companies to come in and offer competition but if it's an area that doesn't have enough potential for enough customers, other companies are simply not going to invest in the infrastructure needed to offer you service and that's all there really is to that.
 
Solution

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
Seconding @Darkbreeze

I am also a Comcast/Xfinity customer but my area has the advantage of being able to choose from other providers.

There are some things you can do:

First follow/trace all of the wiring. Outside and inside Do so safely (no climbing on roofs, poles, etc.) to learn what wires are in place and where they all lead to. Sketch out the wire paths just for the record and for your own future reference. Show all connections and connected devices.

Look for signs of damage: cable kinks, pinches, hard bends, nails/staples through the cable, squirrel chews. Water in or on connectors and cables. Rust, corrosion, and crud in general anywhere along the wire run.

Check for splitters: small little box with one wire in and two, three, or fours wires leading out. Splitters are cheaply made and do go bad very easily. I usually have a couple of spares on hand so when problems occur I can swap in a replacement. Next time the techs visit ask for a couple of splitters. Come in handy when re-arranging rooms and devices.

Also watch for cables that are "un-terminated". Meaning just hanging, laying, or stuffed somewhere without being actually being connected to something. Technically those connections should have a terminator cap on the end. You might find a cap in some places but likely just a dust cap to keep out dirt, water, etc..

FYI:

https://blog.solidsignal.com/tutorials/tip-terminate-unused-ports/

Sometimes I can fix a problem by simply disconnecting the coax cable, blow out dust and dirt, and re-connect. Or simply replace a section of cable in some cases. Only a small wrench is needed and not always that if the cable nuts have wings making it much easier to connect and disconnect.

For the most part it simply narrows down to having to take a more pro-active approach. Should not be that way especially with all that we are paying for services. And not everyone (through no fault of their own) can do those sort of things. However, every little bit helps....

After you have made a couple of fixes on your own it is very likely that you will be able to deal with future problems and perhaps not miss out on Holloween (or other) gaming events.
 
Also, the splitters that the techs carry are FAR higher quality than the ones you can buy at Walmart, Best Buy or similar stores. If you have a dedicated electronics supply house like those used by professional IT people and electricians, you might be able to get higher quality ones there. Often the techs won't replace these unless you ask them to, or unless they are completely not seeing anything even in the realm of acceptability when they shoot signal.
 
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