Forum Discussion

singingfalls's avatar
singingfalls
Sophomore
6 years ago

Modem Reboots

Liz, Gabe,  gaines_wright and others who responded to my need. Thank you. The problem is finally solved. I'm posting this so others may resolve issues similar to mine. 

I live in a remote area.

From November until yesterday my internet connection kept breaking as a result of the hughesnet modem rebooting.

It got progressively worse over time. There were 4 tech visits. The modem was replaced 4 time. One of the modems was shipped directly to me from the east coast and I installed it. The radio receiver on the antenna was replaced. Each of these changes gave temporary help but then would immediately return to consistent rebooting. I purchased a larger antenna. I purchased a good UPS and replaced my receptacle strip. I went through my entire breaker box systems and tightened connections. Mind you this has been a five month ordeal.

Yesterday I called the power company out. They tested the transformer with a load and found no anomalies. Just before leaving the technician tightened some bolts and left. My hughesnet system has been running smoothly without a hitch ever since. It hasn't rebooted once since the power company tightened down the terminals. Please keep in mind that main breaker box terminals are very hot. I was advised by the power company not to change out the main breaker without calling the power company so they can shut down the power to avoid electrocution and or any unnecessary light shows.

Once again, thanks for the help here from the above named folks and others.

 

 

internet disconnect
modem keeps recycling
modem reboot
Performance
  • Liz's avatar
    Liz
    6 years ago

    Hi singingfalls,

     

    Thanks so much for coming back to share how you resolved your reboot issue. This is definitely something to keep in mind for any similar cases, we appreciate you sharing what happened! If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to drop by the community again.

  • gaines_wright's avatar
    gaines_wright
    Tutor
    6 years ago

      Thanks for the update!   So many times around here, people just fade away, and you never really find out what happened.

     

    "Please keep in mind that main breaker box terminals are very hot. I was advised by the power company not to change out the main breaker without calling the power company so they can shut down the power to avoid electrocution and or any unnecessary light shows."

     

      Some of us here suspected that you had some sort of electrical problem.  Heat is not a good sign!   Back when I was an industrial electrician, we had a company come in twice a year and take infrared photos of all of our electical equipment, looking for hot spots.   Saved the company a ton of money to fix the hot spots on down day, rather than suffer an unplanned outage later.

     

      If the terminals in your panel continue to "run hot" after tighening the connections, you may still have electrical problems.  

     

     

     

     

    • singingfalls's avatar
      singingfalls
      Sophomore
      6 years ago

      Thanks

    • BirdDog's avatar
      BirdDog
      Assistant Professor
      6 years ago
      gaines_wright wrote:

       

        If the terminals in your panel continue to "run hot" after tighening the connections, you may still have electrical problems.  

       

       

       

       

       

      Pretty much an indication of an overload problem, something is drawing too much current. Not something I would ignore. What is your main service amp rating?

       

      The arcing problem GabeU described is a definite fire hazard, never mind the electrical noise issue it creates.

      • gaines_wright's avatar
        gaines_wright
        Tutor
        6 years ago
        BirdDog wrote:
        gaines_wright wrote:

         

          If the terminals in your panel continue to "run hot" after tighening the connections, you may still have electrical problems.  

         

         

         

         

         

        Pretty much an indication of an overload problem, something is drawing too much current. Not something I would ignore. What is your main service amp rating?

         

          Could be, but since he had a utility out to look things over, I was assuming that everything was sized correctly, and they had also checked the current loads on everything.  Just a few minutes work with a clamp on ammeter.  Still the way he descibed the heat inside the panel would bother any electrician.   If everything is sized correctly, heat usually indicates bad connections.

         

         

         

         

  • GabeU's avatar
    GabeU
    Distinguished Professor IV
    6 years ago

    singingfalls 

     

    Great to hear!  So, in a round about way, it probably was a power issue, just not in the way we would think.  With everything having been replaced it was the only thing I could think of that could still be causing it.  Well, that and Gremlins.  You've got to watch out for those critters!  :p   

     

    Many years ago, when I was living in Virginia, I came back to Western NY to visit my folks.  On my return trip to Virginia my car's electrical system started having major issues, including with the windshield wipers, and it was absolutely pouring at the time.  I managed to make it back to my folks, as I had only driven about 20 miles when it happened, and we called a local auto shop.  

     

    When they checked the car, they figured out that it was the control module, so they ordered a new one, which a local Ford dealer actually had (it was an '82 Mercury Lynx).  Well, I was fiddling around while they were waiting for the module to be delivered and I found that the negative wire going from the battery to the car body was loose at the body's connection.  I asked for a small wrench and tightened the little bolt.  Problem solved.  It wasn't the control module after all, and I was glad, as it was going to cost a pretty penny.  A loose wire connection was messing so much up. 

     

    I also found an outlet a couple of years ago that was having fluctuating power.  I found that a connection in a light fixture in the basement, which was inline on that particular leg of power, was loose.  Somebody had used electrical tape instead of a wire nut, and the wires were just loose enough from each other that it would cause the power to fluctuate just a little.  It was enough to cause issues with my DirecTV Genie, though.  It was an easy fix, luckily, with just putting wire nut on the connection.  

     

    Again, I'm glad the problem is solved.  :)  Still, watch out for these guys, cuz you never know....

     

     

    • singingfalls's avatar
      singingfalls
      Sophomore
      6 years ago

      Thanks GabeU, Blew my mind to see him just tighten things up (as good pro dose) and walk away, only to see my problem gone.

  • Liz's avatar
    Liz
    Moderator
    6 years ago

    Hi singingfalls,

     

    Thanks so much for coming back to share how you resolved your reboot issue. This is definitely something to keep in mind for any similar cases, we appreciate you sharing what happened! If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to drop by the community again.