Ignite Internet Self-install Issue with XB7

[EtaCarinae]

Hello,

I have the newest ignite modem, I think it’s XB7 or whatever. By technicolor.

After significant troubleshooting the past few days I was able to connect. The modem Rogers Network status page shows that there is a connection and has an IPv4 and IPv6 address. The initialisation steps all say complete and the proper day and time show, etc. The status shows a green check mark for internet.

But when I try and use internet it doesn’t work. In the troubleshooting section When I try and ping Rogers.com it fails and says Inactive: Error_CannotResolveHostname.

For the locked downstream channels, the power level is -25 to -27ish dBmV. My understanding is that this should be as close to 0.0 as possible... so how does it get an IP?

The SNR on those same locked channels is range from 26-28dB for each channel.

There are fifteen bonded channels for downstream. Four for upstream.

The upstream channels have power of 48-50dBmV.

Edit: Trying a new outlet that goes through a Rogers installed amplifier, there are now 33 bonded downstream channels all with a power level of approx -12dBmV and SNR of 35dB (ish) for each. Upstream remains unchanged. Still no internet despite IP addresses and the modem showing connected and physically with a white light on. All network status pages indicate normal connection.

What’s going on? How can the modem even get an IP if there is too much noise/not enough power to connect? As far as the modem is concerned it thinks it’s connected and everything looks proper both in settings and the white light is even on on the physical device itself.

Any help is appreciated I’ve spent the last three days since signing my folks up for this trying to get it running.

Cheers

Edit: I should note that any splitters and amplifiers in the home and behind the walls were installed by a Rogers technician many years ago when my parents had Rogers DTV in their house. I’m not sure if that is the issue but no splitters were put in other than Rogers installed ones. Maybe internet requires a more stable connection than the old-style digital cable and the splitters and amps are causing too much interference?

 
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[EtaCarinae]

FWIW I wanted to provide an update.

In my initial post I put in a few edits after changing cable jacks and running the live coax cable from outside through a powered coax amplifier. I put those updated bonded channel values in an edit above and had said they weren’t working - but after resetting both the modem and the powered amp, everything seems to be in order and now internet is working properly.

I guess the coax infrastructure in this house is so bad that it needed the powered amp to boost the signal. A support rep that I spoke with prior to routing it through the amp said that he was barely getting a readable signal and that his system was telling him the line coming to the house from the street side green box was extremely degraded, but with the amp it seems to boost it enough to work.

Cheers

[Datalink]

@EtaCarinae can you post the signal levels, just to see where they are with the amp installed.  Note, you shouldn't need an amplifier to get the signal levels to an acceptable level.  That's really a Band-Aid solution.  The real solution is to fix the external equipment that is causing the signal drop.  The amp will hide poor signal conditions until the root cause of the problem eventually breaks for good.  That does make it easier to determine what the problem is, but, in the mean time, you will typically experience poor performance.  

You indicated that the cable system was installed several years ago.  The external cable, either overhead or underground will only last a number of years.  That could be anywhere from a couple of years to maybe, ten to fifteen years, at which point the cable requires replacing due to cable degradation.  That is typical with cable systems, so, don't hesitate to call tech support (without the amp installed) to run a signal check on the modem and dispatch a tech to inspect the cable and its connectors.  For an underground cable, the field tech should run a Time-domain reflectometer (TDR) test, looking for breaks in the cable.  That's a quick check that can determine if there is a cable fault brought about by water ingress into the cable, or physical breaks in the cable.  If either has occurred, the tech can run a temporary cable which will be buried later on by a burial crew.  An overhead cable would require a qualified tech to climb the utility pole, so, the contractor tech would have to raise a ticket to replace the overhead cable.  

TDR wikipedia link:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-domain_reflectometer

[EtaCarinae]

Hi @Datalink 

Thanks for your reply. Yes, the Rogers tech support team I was dealing with said that the line coming to my folks’ home from the “green Rogers Cable box” on their front lawn is severely degraded and requires replacing. However, as you say, the ancient powered amplifier in the basement gives a band-aid solution so that at least their internet is up.

On the Rogers Network page of the modem settings there are now 33 bonded downstream channels and 4 upstream bonded channels.

The frequency of the locked downstream channels ranges from as low as 250MHz to as high as 850MHz, with most of them seeming to be somewhere in the middle between 500-600MHz. The SNR for all of these channels is between 35-38dB. The power level for nearly all of them is -11dBmV to -12dBmV. Modulation is 256QAM for every downstream channel except 33, which says OFDM.

Upstream there are four locked channels. Frequencies are 21, 25, 32, 38MHz. Symbol rate 2560, 5120, 5120, 5120. Power level 48.3, 50.0, 50.0, 51.3dBmV. Modulation is QAM for all four. Channel type is TDMA_AND_ATDMA, ATDMA, ATDMA, ATDMA.

I hope this is helpful. Is it indicative of a serious coaxial infrastructure problem in the home? These values are with the amplifier in use in the basement, and working internet.

I also know with 100% certainty that there is a powered amplifier in use in the grey Rogers Cable panel on the side of the house, which splits out four ways (and all four of those cables enter the house at different points and have different termination points - the tech many years ago seemingly decided to bypass any existing coax cable infrastructure). The fact that there are two Rogers supplied powered amplifiers in use (one in the grey panel and one in the basement) that were needed to just get regular digital cable working ten years ago tells me that if it was that bad back then it’s no wonder I’m having problems today.

Anyway at least there is a temporary solution but later on I’ll arrange for a technician to come and clean up the cabling.

Also - FWIW - whatever the readings I provided above indicate, the internet is performing very well, and has consistently been above 800Mbps down and between 20-30Mbps up, which is what I expect so that is good to see.

Cheers

[-G- · Accepted solution]

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@EtaCarinae wrote:

The frequency of the locked downstream channels ranges from as low as 250MHz to as high as 850MHz, with most of them seeming to be somewhere in the middle between 500-600MHz. The SNR for all of these channels is between 35-38dB. The power level for nearly all of them is -11dBmV to -12dBmV. Modulation is 256QAM for every downstream channel except 33, which says OFDM.

Upstream there are four locked channels. Frequencies are 21, 25, 32, 38MHz. Symbol rate 2560, 5120, 5120, 5120. Power level 48.3, 50.0, 50.0, 51.3dBmV. Modulation is QAM for all four. Channel type is TDMA_AND_ATDMA, ATDMA, ATDMA, ATDMA.

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The downstream power levels are very weak and the upstream power levels are on the verge of failure.

I also know with 100% certainty that there is a powered amplifier in use in the grey Rogers Cable panel on the side of the house, which splits out four ways (and all four of those cables enter the house at different points and have different termination points - the tech many years ago seemingly decided to bypass any existing coax cable infrastructure). The fact that there are two Rogers supplied powered amplifiers in use (one in the grey panel and one in the basement) that were needed to just get regular digital cable working ten years ago tells me that if it was that bad back then it’s no wonder I’m having problems today.

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I have never seen a powered splitter/amplifier in the grey box outside the home.  How is it even powered?

Anyway at least there is a temporary solution but later on I’ll arrange for a technician to come and clean up the cabling.

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This really needs to be done as soon as possible.  When the warmer weather comes, the signal levels will almost certainly drop to a failure point.  I would not depend on this service at all in its current condition.

[EtaCarinae]

Thanks for your response. I’ll try and get a tech to come and sort it out as soon as possible.

And I can’t explain the how of the powered amp in the grey panel on the side of the house, but without “opening” it I pulled back on the side and could see with my own eyes an amp in there with four outputs that has a green light so I presumed it was powered in some way, as the powered amp in the basement also has a green indicator and looks the same (but the one inside the house only has two outputs versus four on the outside one).

Honestly it seems to me like a lot of makeshift work has been done as band-aid after band-aid over the years so you’re probably right, it’s about time to just get it redone entirely. I just hope my parents’ driveway and sidewalk don’t need to be destroyed or cut in some way as the green box is on the far side so any underground cable would have to cross in some fashion, and my folks just had both re-paved last year. Anyway we’ll see what the tech says when he comes to check it out I guess.

Appreciate the support and very helpful feedback.

Cheers

[-G-]

@EtaCarinae  Best of luck with getting this resolved as soon as possible.

FYI, here's a post with tips on troubleshooting slow/intermittent connections.  It contains signal levels that Rogers considers acceptable:  https://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/Internet-Knowledge-Base/Troubleshooting-a-Slow-or-Intermittent...

Ideally, you want your power levels to be in the middle of the acceptable range, with a healthy SNR.  I would not want to be on the edge.

[Datalink]

The outside amplifier would probably be powered thru one of the coax cables.  That's pretty common, using a coax cable to connect a power source to an amplifier.  So that leaves three other cables to sort out.  Are you're parents only running internet service, or do they have a home phone running, which has its own modem, and/or tv services which use the Nextboxes.  The Nextboxes are connected to the cable system as well.  

If the answer is, the only service is the internet service, then both amps should be removed, and the external cable should be connected to the one cable that runs up to the modem.  Normally, there is enough signal excess at the demarcation point at the side of the house that an amplifier isn't necessary.  The only typical exception is if the house is at the end of the cable run from the neighbourhood node.  By the time the cable gets to the last house, sometimes an amplifier is required due to the signal drop from the neighbourhood node to the pedestal.  Each case is unique due to the signal levels at the pedestal. 

The outside cable and its connectors should be replaced, and if there are no other services, other than the internet service, the extra cables should be disconnected.  

The tech would have to run a temporary cable from the pedestal to the demarcation point at the side of the house.  Weeks/months later, with the pedestal on the wrong side of the house, the burial crew would cut across the bottom of the driveway, between the driveway and the sloped curb, bury the cable and backfill the cut with an asphalt sealer of some type.  Sorry about the driveway and sidewalk.  If the driveway is an asphalt driveway, you probably wouldn't notice the cut as its only big enough, normally, to sink the cable below the driveway.  Same for the sidewalk, but, the cut might be more noticeable in this case. 

If you're parent's house has two amps running, then their cable system is in bad shape, probably long overdue for an overhaul and update.  

[-G-]

@EtaCarinae  I would also send a Private Message to @CommunityHelps  and ask them to check the construction schedule for your parents' postal code.  If underground cables in the area are at (or past) their end-of-life, Rogers may already have infrastructure upgrades planned, where they bring in new cables and fibre using directional boring machinery to avoid damaging driveways.

It's also possible that the tech may be able to get the signal to a "good enough" state just by cleaning up the previous installation, removing splitters, replacing connectors, etc.  They may not even need to run a new temp line.

However, if a new temp line is required, here is some more information on Rogers' burial process: https://www.rogers.com/customer/support/article/rogers-burial-process

The "good" news is that burials can be costly... so hopefully Rogers will be able to get your parents' signal to acceptable levels in the least disruptive and least destructive way possible.