Download speed dropping to 0.05 Mbps

[Liam2]

Since about Thursday my internet speeds have been periodically dropping to 0.05 Mbps (ping and upload are unaffected) at random intervals and remains low until I reboot. Rebooting the router usually fixes the issue but it inevitably happens again.

I did contact tech support and worked through some troubleshooting. They suspected it was a bad coaxial cable but due to covid a tech would be unable to rewire until measures are relaxed.

After the call I tested each coaxial in my house same issue after several hours it would drop. I changed the splitter same issue, I removed the splitter and connected directly to the cable coming into my house. I thought attaching the modem to the line directly had fixed the issue since it was stable for about 8 hours but then the speeds dropped again.

Just not really sure what else to do, as far as I can tell it's either a bad modem or the line coming into my house.

Has anyone experienced similar issues? What was your fix?

[SP3CTRYS]

Hey Liam2,

A lot of people in these forums have posted similar experiences. However, it sounds like you have tested all the in-home equipment. Being that when the splitter was removed from the equation your internet worked for 8 hours, sounds like the signal from the pole to your home could be low, and the splitter drops the signal another 3.5db, which could result in undesirable internet.

I would recommend a tech visit and check the outside connections of your home, you will need to request this through customer care or technical support.

Let us (the community) know how it goes 🙂

[mdk]

> They suspected it was a bad coaxial cable but due to covid a tech would be unable to rewire until measures are relaxed.

Yes, during the current pandemic, Shaw does not allow their technicians to enter your home. Do you have a "demarcation box" on the outside of your house? If so, the technician *IS* allowed to unlock that box, and test the run of coaxial-cable entering that box. But, if you are in an apartment or condominium, the technician probably is not allowed to enter the building's "wiring-closest", nor enter your residence.

Note that Shaw is prioritizing the dispatch of its technicians; "no service" cases are getting the highest priority.

Over the telephone, ask Shaw to remotely connect to your modem, to look at the internal "status", e.g., "low-signal", or "power-brown-out".

[Liam2]

There is a small grey box where the wiring enters my house. My current internet status is bordering on no service, knowing when it's going to go down is impossible and my wife is currently working from home.

I will get back in contact with support and have them check the modem. At this point it can only be two things so shouldn't be difficult to narrow down to the source.

I imagine the likely culprit is the modem since it has the most parts that can actually fail.

Is Shaw doing modem replacements at this time? I know the last time I replaced my modem I had to go into a local outlet to make the switch.

[SP3CTRYS]

Shaw does have the ability to mail out modems. But the rep will be able to help you through the process if it is your modem failing.

[mdk]

> There is a small grey box where the wiring enters my house.

There must be one coaxial-cable from the telephone-pole, going "into" the box.

If there is a coaxial-splitter inside the box, you will see multiple coaxial-cables coming out of the box -- how many "outbound" cables do you see, and to which rooms in your home do they go?

Can you move your computer, and the cable-modem, to connect to a different wall-outlet inside your home? If things improve, you have a problem with the now-inactive run of coaxial-cable (inside your walls).

If there is NOT a coaxial-splitter inside the box, then there will be exactly ONE "outbound" cable, and then exactly one cable-outlet in the wall, probably with a splitter (half to the TV, half to the cable-modem) at that location inside your home. Can you temporarily connect the cable-modem to the wall-outlet, thus bypassing the splitter?  If things improve, then the splitter is failing.

Contact Shaw, and get them to remotely-connect to your TV-box, and/or your cable-modem, for them to remotely view the "status" of their devices, e.g., "low signal strength".

Also, Shaw can dispatch a technician to unlock that "demarcation" box, and measure the signal-strength from the telephone-pole into that box -- they can do this, without entering your home.

[chisledstar]

We need to reboot our modem at least five times a week. It's getting very frustrating. 

[mdk]

@chisledstar -- what symptoms do you have before you reboot your modem?

I think that you should telephone Shaw, to get a technician to remotely-connect to your modem, to view its "status", e.g., "low signal-strength" or "brown-out of electrical-power". Which modem do you have? SB5101? Hitron? BlueCurve Total?

Are the symptoms associated with a "wired" computer on your local network, or with "wireless" devices, or both?

[chisledstar]

Sometimes the wifi slows down, but it usually just kicks out on my son's phone, then within a minute it kicks out entirely. We then just unplug everything from the wall and wait 5-10 mins and plug it all back in. Its then fine for a day or two, occasionally three, but then need to go through the process again.

[Liam2]

There is just a single cable exiting the box and a single cable coming into my house. It did have a splitter on it but I removed the splitter as part of my trouble shooting and now have the cable that enters my house going directly into the modem.I only have Shaw internet, I haven't bothered with cable for years now so the splitter is unnecessary, the location of the modem when connected directly to the source coaxial is less than ideal however.

I should mention that since connecting directly to the modem the stability of the internet has vastly improved. On Sunday while having the modem directly connected to the source coaxial I went about 8 hours before having to reboot and since that reboot on Sunday I have yet to have to reboot the modem again.