[clue-tech] DSL modem issue?

[Nate Duehr]

On Oct 13, 2008, at 7:38 PM, Todd A. Gibson wrote:

>> Do DSL modems typically have issues?  I've moved residences in the
>> mean time, so I think it's the modem, and not necessarily the
>> service.
>
> First the conclusions, then some additional details:
> 1) My Cisco 678 worked well for a couple years, then started having
> problems ultimately attributed to hardware failure.  Conclusion: never
> rule out hardware as the cause of DSL modem problems.

My Cisco 678 was a workhorse here.  And allowed for multiple public  
subnets from my upstream provider back then.  Was quite a little  
machine.

> 2) I know of two Zoom X5 DSL modems which have had problems similar to
> yours, even when firmware updated.  Conclusion: I don't trust Zoom
> DSL modem products.

I had a Zoom ISDN "router" waaaaay back in the day.  It was a flakey  
piece of...   :-)

> 3) On a service call to resolve problem, the Qwest tech gave me one of
> their 2-Wire DSL modems for free.  Problems gone, all works well.
> Conclusion: Try to get Qwest to give you a 2-wire modem.

Family in SBC territory (Texas) had 2-Wire gear for years.  It also  
seemed to just chug along most of the time, with an occasional (say  
once a year) need to boot it to get it back to life.

> The issue you describe is exactly the same as my brother's.  Before
> finally selling his soul to Comcast, he had a script which
> automatically rebooted the modem whenever it lost connectivity.  It
> was a Zoom X5.  Off and on, my own X5 would behave as if the line were
> noisy.  It would suffer from poor speed, and sometimes disconnect.
> The problem was present before and after a firmware update.
> Based on our experiences I would be leary of Zoom DSL products.

I also "sold my soul" to Comcast over a year ago... a special offer on  
the business class service with multiple real IP's.  We'll see if I  
stay with them (or if their prices go sky high) after the contract is  
up.

--
Nate Duehr, WY0X
nate at natetech.com