Online services remain unreliable for three months now.
Online services remain unreliable for three months now.
Hello, this is my first post so apologies if it is not the right place. So I am asking because my ISP has not found the solution yet. In my house we have been experiencing with internet micro cuts since 3 months every single day. Last month we decided to contact the ISP to ask for help, since it is very frustrating that every day at certain hours we have internet disconnecting for all devices connected to the network. Here are the "fixes" that the ISP gave us (with no impact, because this is still happening): - Disconnect, wait, and re connect the gateway. - Changed the gateway. - Changed the gateway's charger. - Changed Removed two coaxial cable splitter (one inside the house, the other placed at terrace), image below only illustrative (because we had tv decoders installed on some room's house, but we then remove them). - All the fiber optic cables were replaced with new ones in the house. - The network name changed after the gateway was changed, so all the devices must be re connected to the new network. - One of the technician added the 5G network (2.4 and 5 GHz), then other technician removed it. Here is a list with the specifications: - We live in a house with small houses inside. We are the only house that has this problem. - The micro cuts occur 90% between 9 am to 5 pm, every day since ~3 months. - Almost every 5 minutes the signal goes out in all devices connected to the same network (the one that the ISP provide us). This means: sometimes the network dissapears from wifi list, and sometimes the network appears without providing internet. This includes smartphones, laptops and the telephone connected via cable to the gateway. - We don't have ethernet cables connected. However, as mentioned, we have RJ11 cable connected to the gateway. - The gateway is always at the same place of the house. Never changed its position. - The ISP is Telecentro (Argentina). - The gateway model is Sagemcom Fast 3896 TLC v2 (found here: https://drinia.tech/product/sagemcom-fst-3896/ and the specs here: https://www.manual.ar/sagemcom/fst-3896-sum/manual). - In the attached videos you can see the dance of lights that the gateway has (I don't remember if they were all of them, but I recorded some): 1) lights-1.mp4 2) lights-2.mp4 3) lights-3.mp4 4) RJ11 input lights flashing seconds before internet is provided again: tel-lights-before-ok.mp4 5) Gateway working ok. However, sometimes for a while after the gateway works the phone does not ring, and it has also happened that it rings but the buttons do not work (that is, if I want to call someone the numbers do not make noise) : 6) Several photos of the tangle of cables on the terrace (the technicians do not replace them, they simply leave the old ones and install new ones). Note that the last technician made the connection by removing a splitter and joining the new cable with the one coming from the street and patched it with tape (although before patching it the internet also kept disconnecting) : https://imgur.com/a/As4zbIZ 7) Network and RF Parameters (taken when internet was working) : What is the real problem? The ISP refuses to inspect the cables outside the house i.e. on the street. We have called like 5 times and 3 technicians have been on the house, they did the "fixes" but the problem persists. From the center information, they "see" the micro cuts, but they say they can't send a crew to check the outside cables, which seems absurd to me, if they've already tried everything inside the house. Apart from that, I think the most likely thing is that some bad neighbors hung up on our internet, and during the hours of highest use they caused the signal to generate micro cuts. The weird thing is that it almost never happens at night. What can be the real problem? Please let me know if you need further information. Added to provide more context
This modem uses DOCSIS technology, which can perform similarly to fiber in quality. However, many telecom providers do not maintain their DOCSIS networks properly, leading to negative perceptions. The blinking Up Arrow Circle light suggests the device may struggle to connect to your ISP’s upstream frequency. Possible causes include interference on coaxial lines or weak signal strength. Try to spot any recurring patterns, such as when a cable box is turned on (if you have cable TV over coax). From experience working with cable ISPs, I’ve encountered unusual issues—like entire trailer parks experiencing intermittent slowdowns or service drops whenever street lights switch on at night. Their support teams should be able to track these events and monitor DOCSIS performance metrics like Rx & Tx levels. If they can’t provide this data, consider switching providers. If changing ISPs isn’t feasible, explore alternatives such as Starlink.
Thanks for your reply! It really brightens my weekend. I’m already getting excited—I recall the first time I spoke to the ISP they mentioned something about these modems having two functions, but since I was using my own phone (because the line was in its limited capacity), the call drained all my credit and I didn’t follow up. Do you think what they said relates to what I’m discussing? We faced a similar issue with our previous modem too. I didn’t share the exact model, but here’s an image I found online: it could be a Sagemcom fast3890 lado, though I’m not certain. Is it also a DOCSIS device? As you mentioned, we don’t have any TV decoders. We’ve connected the same devices to the modem—including the one that was replaced. About 7 or 8 months ago we bought a new refrigerator in front of the desk with the modem (the splitter is behind it, but it’s been changed too). The problem has gotten worse over the past 2-3 months, so I don’t think it’s affecting the connection much. We’ve signed a contract for 1000 megabytes at a fair price. There’s another provider called Fibertel, but my family isn’t interested because they had issues in the past. My country is considered developing, and Starlink isn’t an option right now. What other solutions would you suggest I explore?
How many devices are positioned to divide the signal from the modem to the primary line provided by the ISP?
I noticed you mentioned it, but I’m uncertain if one of the two splitters is needed since it was installed but not used for the modem. I captured a video demonstrating the main line that was replaced and the incoming ISP connection inside the house: Cables.mp4. The cable proceeds up to the terrace where another splitter was replaced, extending outside the building.
Cable modems need precise signals. A two-way splitter splits the signal in half. More splitters between the main line and your home result in a weaker connection. When the signal doesn’t meet expectations, you’ll experience slower speeds and frequent drops.
Temperature affects performance. Warm conditions cause the coax to stretch and weaken the signal, while cold temperatures make it shorter and boost the signal strength. This can lead to a weak connection. Interference from nearby devices like cellular phones, TV broadcasts, or radio might also impact the coaxial cable, which shares the same frequency bands as these services. The shielding in the cable helps maintain clarity as long as the cable, connector, or connected device remains intact. Are you sure the technician checked the signal?