NTL 100 cable modem problem

[Satriani57]

Hi. Completely new here. I have the above, now old, modem that's worked well for years. Just recently when downloading my PC started saying "network cable unplugged" when it clearly wasn't. So it keeps stopping and restarting. I have changed the cable, the network card in the PC and numerous other tweaks off the internet but still the same. Virgin were due to come out the other day but cancelled due to the weather. Sods law, but it seemed to have corrected of its own accord so I didn't rebook. Now it's doing it again, but as I fileshare and download via utorrent I am reticent to get them in tinkering in case I get my knuckles rapped - or cut off! Anyone have any ideas? Could it be the cable modem, so might a quick fix be to buy another privately? Would it then just plug in and go or would I encounter problems?

[TDF]

Just phone them up mate, they might well send you a new modem in the post, if someone comes round to fit it they wont give a damn what you download, half the dodgy feckers will try to sell you a dodgy box.

[blobbins]

I concur with the above poster. Since you pay for the subbed modem you should get your ISP to check/replace it. It may be a capacitor on the way out or many other things. Your post implies the fault only happens when downloading torrents, etc. If this is the case then don't say so to the engineer.

If you really don't want the engineer to call and you don't want your downloading activity to be linked with your modem, you can buy a pre-modded modem for roughly £25 and use that to download from torrents/usenet. Setup is fairly simple.

[toolzkit]

Originally Posted by blobbins

If you really don't want the engineer to call and you don't want your downloading activity to be linked with your modem, you can buy a pre-modded modem for roughly £25

as its his subbed modem wont his downloading activitys be logged anyway? sorry for jumping in but it was just something I wanted to know....

[Satriani57]

Thanks to you both. You are right blobbins that the problem seems prevalent when downloading torrents. Sometimes ALL lights on the modem go out except power then it sort of reboots and away we go again. If as you guys say engineers don't really care then I might ring them again. When you say pre-modded modem what do you mean? Sorry to be so "thick". I will happily take PCs apart but as my modem has never caused me probs for many years this is somewhat new to me.

[blobbins]

It will indeed. That was why I suggested the modded modem. In the short term, he should still get his ancient subbed modem fixed, or more likely, replaced.

[blobbins]

Originally Posted by Satriani57

Thanks to you both. You are right blobbins that the problem seems prevalent when downloading torrents. Sometimes ALL lights on the modem go out except power then it sort of reboots and away we go again. If as you guys say engineers don't really care then I might ring them again. When you say pre-modded modem what do you mean? Sorry to be so "thick". I will happily take PCs apart but as my modem has never caused me probs for many years this is somewhat new to me.

A modem with modified firmware which requires you to fill in a few fields before allowing you internet access. Your ISP cannot link this modem to your address.

[Satriani57]

The thing is, I am happy in general with Virgin. I am not looking to get faster downloads or anything. I was just thinking that I could try a newer modem (ambit 250, 255?) and that might "fix" the problem. But then do I need to somehow make the new modem look like my old one, if you see what I mean?

[blobbins]

If you're content with the fact that V*rg*n know that you are downloading torrents etc. then just phone them and complain about your old modem rebooting or whatever.
You will get a nice shiny new one. I can't see the reason why you think you would have to make it like your old one though?

[Satriani57]

Sorry. When I said "look like my old one" I meant did the new one have to use the same mac address.