Proving Spectrum isn't truthful about post-TWC changes

Marc V · May 25, 2017

(Moderator: As this message got long and is likely in the wrong place, please forgive -- I did read FAQs and rules, but dealing with my network is like a full time job now. If you wish to move, please do -- but the big thing is I now have a parallel Spectrum setup in my home for the next month = chance to prove the issues. I have an open BBB file, BBB agents visiting (they're also curious why my bill jumped 52% with worse service) to verify and report on issues. And I'm using tools from this site very prominently in my case; thus any superuser help would be invaluable. I'm probably attaching too many files, but I want to be helpful to someone who may see a SPECIFIC problem beyond sucks. Thank you.)

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SPECTRUM IS RUINING BOTH MY INTERNET AND TV, BUT THE BLAME ALL FALLS ON ME AND MY EQUIPMENT. At the same time, this (long, apologies) message has nuggets from techs that reveal their own issues and skepticism about the TWC to Spectrum transition.

My problems:

1) TERRIBLE, INCONSISTENT DOWNLOAD SPEEDS,

2) DECLINE (provable compression) of TV signal

3) Now in month 3, persistent, always regresses following tech visits, which now always include managers 'overseeing' the real techs

4) Relate directly to Spectrum taking over TWC,

5) are enhanced by the fact I now possess a Spectrum parallel test kit (modem, box,and tv), and
6) all past and future info collected (by me) will go straight to the BBB in my open case file. If a superuser wants to communicate directly -- or even take over my machine as necessary -- please do. The BBB has yet to rate Spectrum due to the volume of complaints. They need proof.

WHY AM I RESPONDING HERE

I had perfectly fine service, but the same TWC (now Spectrum techs, followed on visits by 'supervisors') that helped me before are helpless to correct a problem that seems driven by offsite engineers. I had (remarkably) had steady, stable service for 18 months, but things quickly changed the week Spectrum took over from TWC. According to techs, Spectrum engineers have taken over the back end, and now, suddenly my previously stable equipment is the 'obvious' issue -- according to the supervisors who now tag along with the techs. One interesting thing I've learned in the process: EVERY tech/manager has his/her own setup with personal modem and router, not a TWC/Spectrum one. And they all have problems, too.

SYNTHESIS

my service coincidentally went haywire the week Sprectum engineers took over from TWC
3 engineer teams have visited, and if everything is rebooted, things improve for about 24 hrs, then degrade to a predictable baseline
Please pile on with suggestions. Tests to run. Definitive ways to catch compression, packet loss, trace issues, conflict issues, throttling, etc.
What are the 3 or 4 irrefutable things I can do now that I have parallel (Spectrum test) kit in the house to suggest the issue isn't mine; I have 1 month to prove, and the BBB (which has yet to issue Spectrum a rating due to the volume of complaints) is watching (literally, a rep came yesterday to see the test kit setup and run her own tests)
I want to nail them, and NOW is the time

THE GOOD

I currently have a Spectrum test setup alongside my system, installed 3 days ago to monitor issues. They are supposed to be monitoring, too. In the last 3 2-hr visits, everyone checked my router and modem software, switched router settings, pegged the 2 5G bands to 44 and 152 but let the 2.4 float (btw, I've assigned several internal devices to the 2.4 band to reduce competition/conflicts), checked connections, created all new coax ends, ran interference tests, ran HDMI end-of-run strength tests, etc. Curiously, 2 of the 3 teams had similar answers -- when the big boss came out with his 24 years of industry experience, that team was the one that deviated and made things worse. In fact, each time, a big boss now accompanies, and every time slips up and says TWC, only to be reminded by one of the other techs (techs I've had out for years, who solved issues).

THE CURIOUS

Each group also always makes mention of Sprectum's impending attempt to go 'full digital', either directly stating or implying the 'off-site, unreachable engineers are searching for bandwidth. One tech said he has to reboot his modem 2-3x/week, which they've been told is acceptable going forward -- as in, "you should tell customers this is acceptable."

ISSUES

There are plenty, but the one that gets the most head-shaking acknowledgement by techs, relates to video compression. I pointed out early (beyond things like service drops, new and sudden IP address conflicts, devices kicked off my network, packet loss achingly slow speeds) is that I have programming recorded on their box from 9 months ago. If I watch it and pause, frame-by-frame gives a clear picture. Anything I record now, if I play back and pause, the fxf is a jumbled mess. I don't have visibility into the paltry Cisco 8640HDC box, but if I delete an old 1hr recording, I 'gain' 10x space on the HD. Clearly, programming has been compressed.

More irritating, my 'highest speed you offer' service NEVER exceeds a 50MBps cap, my latency is through the roof, my speed variance on multiple 24 hr tests in >90%. The speed is 'steadier' 8am-4pm (very relatively so), but my wife and I work from home -- always beyond this 8-4 time frame. All other times the graph looks like LeBron's perfomance in Games 3 and 4 -- either missing or completely unreliable. Even Spectrum's own info texted to me of a 7-day grab shows an average speed that is 35% less than what I used to get and now pay 52% more to have the privilege of receiving.

Cable issues include pixelation, video on and off (with sound), and a drop in overall picture quality (I use an LG 2016 B-series OLED). The difference is almost analog-like at times.

WHAT CAN WE (SPECTRUM) DO (so says an exasperated Spectrum, since they claim all my neighbors have no issues -- none reported and none seen when they look at service levels)

The techs admit there's only so much they can do as 'engineers in the background' are playing with things. But then a manager (who now comes on every service call -- 4 in 6 weeks after I finally filed a BBB complaint -- quickly turns the conversation to my previously unproblematic setup, or congestion, fairies, bad wires, or, whatever.

MY PROBLEMATIC SETUP (i.e.,someone always mentions one of the above issues is caused by one of the components, all of which worked fine until 3 months ago)

Netgear CM500 modem (with a TWC Antfonix VRA900B 8-port amplifier first in line)
Netgear Nighthawk X6 AC3200 TriBand router
2 Netgear switches (5-port and 8-port, with 3 POE)
A stone age TWC/Sprectum Cisco Explorer 8640HDC box
Redmere unidirectional HDMI cables (Monoprice), 1 x 15ft, 1 x 75 ft)
Whole house Cat 6 wiring
Modem and router sitting happily on top of rack with fans
Modem, router, box plugged into APC BGE70

Browsing, testing,streaming with a brand new Lenovo ThinkpadT460, running Windows 10 Pro with NO extra software, Firewalls off, most Windows processes (Edge but not Cortana) decapitated -- in other words, a 'clean' Windows environment
Also simultaneously testing on an HD cleaned Lenovo E420 running Windows Home and Student.
Not to mention 2 Samsung tablets (one a new S model), 2 Samsung phones, and 1 Apple 6s

SUMMARY

Have done a 24 wireless test that yielded the attached files (keep in mind, I'm also suddenly paying 52% more $ than 3 months ago for the 'all you can eat buffet"). Synthesis, speed never went above 24Mpbs and often dropped to single digits (wireless). Even using Sprectum's test site, I can't get above 20MBps. Right now.

Plan is to repeat straight off the test modem next 24hrs.

This is a lot of info, and, even as a newbie to the site who's read the posting guidelines, I may be in totally the wrong place and breaking protocols. If so, move me,but I was responding to the previous poster's battles with his provider. Apologies for any mistakes, and advice on how to catch these execs is welcome, since I can test straight off the TWC/Spectrum test kit currently wired in parallel to my system (their pipe, bypassing my 'crappy kit.)'

SUGGESTIONS, superuser intervention (even takeover), tests to run, all hands on deck if possible. Definitive ways to catch compression, packet loss, trace issues, conflict issues, throttling -- ALL THE THINGS SPECTRUM (CHARTER) SAYS IT DOESN'T DO. I WANT TO FIND IT!

THANK YOU!

Marc

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SAMPLE INFO -- TRACEROUTES (other things attached)

Traceroute direct from 'new' Spectrum/TWC modem (the test kit) yield

Tracing route to testmy.net [64.111.22.10]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1     5 ms     2 ms     7 ms 192.168.1.1
2    12 ms    12 ms    10 ms 142.254.150.145
3    34 ms    53 ms    17 ms 24.164.102.225
4    13 ms    10 ms    11 ms be22.sgvlohaj01r.midwest.rr.com [24.33.103.100]
5    21 ms    14 ms    17 ms be11.clevohek02r.midwest.rr.com [65.29.1.97]
6    75 ms    16 ms    22 ms be25.clevohek01r.midwest.rr.com [65.29.1.32]
7    23 ms    24 ms    21 ms bu-ether17.vinnva0510w-bcr00.tbone.rr.com [66.109.6.70]
8    21 ms    18 ms    20 ms 0.ae3.pr0.dca20.tbone.rr.com [107.14.19.160]
9     *     1280 ms 1224 ms ge-7-1-6.pr0.chi10.tbone.rr.com [66.109.9.74]
10     *        *        *     Request timed out.
11   292 ms   410 ms    77 ms 4.34.32.38
12    75 ms    72 ms    72 ms g7-42-edge5.core1.cos1.vis.data102.com [64.111.16.72]
13    71 ms    68 ms    76 ms po1-core01.dist07.cos01.vis.data102.com [64.111.16.195]
14    74 ms    72 ms    71 ms testmy.net [64.111.22.10]

Trace complete.

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Over my wireless, traceroute is

Tracing route to testmy.net [64.111.22.10]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1     5 ms     2 ms     7 ms 192.168.1.1
2    12 ms    12 ms    10 ms 142.254.150.145
3    34 ms    53 ms    17 ms 24.164.102.225
4    13 ms    10 ms    11 ms be22.sgvlohaj01r.midwest.rr.com [24.33.103.100]
5    21 ms    14 ms    17 ms be11.clevohek02r.midwest.rr.com [65.29.1.97]
6    75 ms    16 ms    22 ms be25.clevohek01r.midwest.rr.com [65.29.1.32]
7    23 ms    24 ms    21 ms bu-ether17.vinnva0510w-bcr00.tbone.rr.com [66.109.6.70]
8    21 ms    18 ms    20 ms 0.ae3.pr0.dca20.tbone.rr.com [107.14.19.160]
9     *     1280 ms 1224 ms ge-7-1-6.pr0.chi10.tbone.rr.com [66.109.9.74]
10     *        *        *     Request timed out.
11   292 ms   410 ms    77 ms 4.34.32.38
12    75 ms    72 ms    72 ms g7-42-edge5.core1.cos1.vis.data102.com [64.111.16.72]
13    71 ms    68 ms    76 ms po1-core01.dist07.cos01.vis.data102.com [64.111.16.195]
14    74 ms    72 ms    71 ms testmy.net [64.111.22.10]

Trace complete.

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and this -- more problematic in the outset.

Tracing route to testmy.net [64.111.22.10]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1    34 ms     3 ms     2 ms 192.168.1.1
2    21 ms    15 ms    12 ms 142.254.150.145
3    34 ms    26 ms    32 ms 24.164.102.225
4    12 ms    10 ms    10 ms be22.sgvlohaj01r.midwest.rr.com [24.33.103.100]
5    16 ms    22 ms    15 ms be11.clevohek02r.midwest.rr.com [65.29.1.97]
6    23 ms    14 ms    18 ms be25.clevohek01r.midwest.rr.com [65.29.1.32]
7    26 ms    19 ms    24 ms bu-ether17.vinnva0510w-bcr00.tbone.rr.com [66.109.6.70]
8    49 ms    36 ms   156 ms 0.ae3.pr0.dca20.tbone.rr.com [107.14.19.160]
9     *        *        *     Request timed out.
10     *        *        *     Request timed out.
11   137 ms    77 ms   226 ms 4.34.32.38
12   169 ms    88 ms    73 ms g7-42-edge5.core1.cos1.vis.data102.com [64.111.16.72]
13    71 ms    70 ms    82 ms 195-16-111-64.auto.vis.data102.com [64.111.16.195]
14    75 ms    76 ms    72 ms testmy.net [64.111.22.10]

Trace complete.

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