Arg - Comcast internet help needed: Off-topic discussion forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

Subscribe get a full year for only $23.95 Sample Free Test Drive—no strings attached

July 20, 2011 11:16 p.m. Kendall_Jones Reader
Just set up a comcast account with my new Motorola All in One cable modem / router / "N" wifi deal.

Wifi works fine on 2 XP laptops with slower wifi cards.

On my work laptop (win 7 with wifi "n") I get intermittent "Page not found" errors. I can load the GRM page fine, then I click on a link & get a "page not found" error. Wait a minute & it loads fine.

Here's what I know: - comcast tech support is un helpful. The signals / modem values all check out fine. They tell me its my Laptop.
- when the internet drops out, all cable lights stay lit (and xp systems keep chugging along). So maybe its my laptop....
- makes no difference if I shut off the wifi "n" speed on the router (or if I use a RJ45)
- My laptop has all the latest drivers & works fine with "n" wifi @ work (and every other wifi hotspot) in the world. Cmon, it only happens @ home with comcast...
- google tells me that this has been a comcast problem in the past & I should point my laptop @ opendns servers. However it makes no difference.
- virus stuff makes no difference if its on or not. I lose a page load & the comcast desktop app pops up & asks me if it should fix the internet (which takes minutes to troublehsoot & fix - I'm better off waiting 30 seconds)
- When it works, its f'n fast - 22mb/sec.
I just need this reliable. I can do a lot of work from home & this would keep the family happy. Had WOW cable in the past, no issues with this laptop. DSL / wifi @ work, no problem. Comcast is the only time I've had this issue.

One thing I notice is that I cant choose the DNS server on the router (it must be picked for me) - but again, its not an issue with the other Xp systems on the network.

GRM braintrust, got any ideas?

Kendall
July 21, 2011 6:27 a.m. Grtechguy SuperDork

change your dns server to:

8.8.8.8 (googles)

4.2.2.2 (verizon)

Comcast DNS is like lucas electronics...sometimes works

If you can change the DNS in the router/modem even better (there has to be a way)
July 21, 2011 8:26 a.m. ppddppdd Reader

One thing you can do is punch in an actual IP address when you're having the problem. If it connects you're looking at a DNS issue. So, for example, 74.125.225.51 should take you to google's page.

Good luck. I had the same problem for, oh, a year or so until it resolved itself mysteriously.
July 21, 2011 8:41 a.m. triumph5 SuperDork

You are not alone. I had a buddy with comcast and the same problem. A really good tech came out, and in 20 minutes had diagnosed the problem being at the pole/wire connection to his house. Service kept dropping in and out as you describe. Call them back and have them check their equipment up the pole.

As a whole, Comcast internet service seems to be having problems that started in the northeast and seem to have spread around the country. That sounds just like a , shhhh, Interestingly, they haven't been pushing their internet service as much as they used to.
July 21, 2011 1:08 p.m. GameboyRMH SuperDork

You could try with the laptop running from a Linux boot CD to see if it's a software problem.
July 21, 2011 1:32 p.m. SyntheticBlinkerFluid HalfDork

In reply to Kendall_Jones:

I would try to help you, but we don't have the Motorola All In One Units here in the Midwest. We use SMC All In Ones (with phone) or we use stand alone modems and routers.
July 21, 2011 2:41 p.m. Javelin SuperDork

I had all sorts of crappy issues with Comcrap's internet (and cable TV) until I finally got the lazy butts to replace the connections outside the house and the modem. Low and behold, perfect service ever since.
July 21, 2011 3:20 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

the problem is you have comcast.

When I moved here 5 years ago, my internet would die in spring and fall whenever the weather changes rapidly. Everyone in my neighborhood would lose internet, VOI, and all the other "non-cable" aspects of Comcrap.

They had the contractors out here everyday to everyone on my street trying to fix the problem... I finally called them up and mentioned that EVERYONE on my street was having problems.. wouldn't that mean it was an area wide problem?

I was basically told that if there was a problem, their computer would tell them.

A month later a nasty accident down the street took out a couple of poles.. internet and everything else has been stable every since
July 21, 2011 3:50 p.m. szeis4cookie New Reader

Okay, so let me make sure I'm straight here: * 2 older non-N laptops - everything is hunky-dory * New laptop - intermittent dropouts whether wired or wireless

What happens to the older laptops' connection when the new laptop drops out? Do the older laptops get all jacked up or are they still hunky-dory?

I think the next thing to try is to borrow a router and turn off the all-in-one modem's router functionality - and see what happens then. The Linux LiveCD is also something that may be worth exploring...although if the work laptop is company issued, I am not certain what you could do about a software issue on your work laptop.
July 22, 2011 1:04 a.m. Kendall_Jones Reader

Yep, cliff notes is that the win 7 laptop drops out with page load error. The xp laptops have some looong latency & partial page loads (just the text pops up) - but they dont go "page not loaded". I just happened to catch it tonight.

Whatever, its now back to comcasts problem. When I entered google's IP address directly it loaded while the page load errors continued. Thanks for the tip.

This motorola SBG6580 will not let me point to another DNS, its not selectable for some reason. If I point to another DNS on my laptop, does that over ride / bypass the DNS on the router?

I may just ditch comcast all together & try direct TV with DSL....

thanks Kendall
July 22, 2011 6:44 a.m. Grtechguy SuperDork

Kendall_Jones wrote:

This motorola SBG6580 will not let me point to another DNS, its not selectable for some reason. If I point to another DNS on my laptop, does that over ride / bypass the DNS on the router?

I may just ditch comcast all together & try direct TV with DSL....

thanks Kendall

Yes, DNS on the laptop will override.

Yes, go to AT&T Uverse if it's availabl.e