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Howdy folks, I have an SB 8200 that has been working great for 4 years, but over the past 6 months or so it has been dropping connection semi-regularly. After Googling that the unit should last 2 - 4 years I figured mine must be at the end of its lifecycle. If that is true, what should I replace it with? It still seems to be rated highly. I'm not very IT sophisticated although my whole house is smart tech equipped. I use Cox Coaxial gig speed for my internet. Any suggestions for replacement make and model would be appreciated. Thx

The warranty period for new modems is 2 years, while refurbished ones come with a 1-year warranty. If you're experiencing intermittent internet connectivity, I recommend checking the cable signal levels using the following link: http://arris.force.com/consumers/articles/General_FAQs/SB8200-Cable-Signal-Levels

For product model recommendations, please visit www.shop.surfboard.com.

 

 


Modems don’t tend to slowly go bad. They either work, or they don’t because they aren’t manageming much. AKA they aren’t a router. 

When things like this start dropping, I start checking the lines. Got a screensnip of the cable connections age and event logs? 


Ok, I performed the event log search as suggested. 34 channels appeared in the Downstream Bonded Channel section. 32 of the 34 channels were locked, the 2 that were unlocked had 0db SNR/MER, and only 3 of the 34 were under 30db SNR/MER, the other 31 were all over 30db. The Power levels on all 34 were within the range of -15 dBmV to +15 dBmV.  On the Upstream Bonded Channel section only 1 channel came up and it was had a Power level of 50.8 dBmV.  I followed the instructions to the T from the Arris FAQs Consumer Care page on SB 8200 Cable Signal Levels. To be honest, I have no idea what all these numbers mean, and I don’t need to, I pulled them up and provided them for the experts on this community forum so hopefully one of you will be able to guide me to my next step. My modem has been going in and out of connectivity again all evening, I’m actually sending this reply via my phone’s hotspot because my modem will not stay operational, 4 lights lit, 2 blue, 2 green, long enough for me to send this. 

What I really need to know is:

  1. Is my modem functioning properly based on the numbers above?
  2. If so, what else do I need to do to test my system to get it to perform at a standard level? My router system is a TP Link Deco 2A80 Mesh with 3 pods.
  3. If my modem is crapping out, what should I replace it with? Is the SB 8200 still the best 3.1 for coaxial internet service?

Thank you in advance for any help/guidance you can provide me with...thx


You need a screensnip of the numbers and event logs. Just saying “that doesn’t help much because there’s a certain range between all of them, there’s errors that need to be viewd, and the logs that help check long term reports. 

 

In terms of testing, your best bet for checking speeds is to hardwire a pc to the modem and check its speeds. While the SB8200 has 2x ethernet ports, only 1 device can be connected to it for most ISP’s. So disconnect the router, reboot the modem, and wire your pc to it for speed testing. That ensures its not a slowdown on the router side causing issues. 

For the Deco, there isn’t that model. Do you mean the X80? 

In terms of modems, checking on cox’s approved list would be advised. Xfinity’s been moving on to next gen/midsplit speeds. Not sure what cox’s direction is with that so you’d need to check with them/their forums. 


Correction, mesh is 

TP-Link Deco Mesh AC1900 WiFi System (Deco S4) – Up to 5,500 Sq.ft. Coverage, Replaces WiFi Router and Extender, Gigabit Ports


 


I really appreciate your support, let me know what else I can send to assist you with trouble shooting my issue...


As ​@plemans  suggested, please connect a computer directly to the SB8200 modem to isolate the issue and monitor the connection for 24 hours. Check if the internet connection still drops, and also see if the modem reboots on its own when the connection drops. Please check if there is a splitter on the coaxial connection. 


I will do as you suggest, however my laptop doesn't have an ethernet port so I need to order an adapter. Also, there is no Splitter in the Coaxial line and most of the time the modem does reboot on its own, but not always.


Your power levels are all over the place, you have a ton of errors in the line, and the log is indicating line issues. 

Start with removing any amplifiers, signal attenuators, or splitters from the coax.
From there check the line for kinks, damage, moisture in the line.
Check the connectors for improperly made ends, foil touching the copper coax line, loose connections, bad/old/cheap connectors, or corroded connections. Replace them if you do.
If you can, simply connect the modem right where the coax comes into the home. This prevents wiring in the home from being the issue. And some ISP’s charge if the wiring issue is in the home. So this helps prevent this.

If you’ve done everything for checking the line that I’ve suggested prior, then the ISP needs to check it. 


Thank you, I have 1 long line from the point of entry to the modem, I will check the 2 connectors and see how it goes...thx again


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