datanode.net Where the totally inane meets the totally mundane

cable modem part 2

Posted by mcummings

So, initially I was convinced this was a connectivity issue (since when does Cox service work so well for so long??). But then I started noticing that the entire cable modem would reset itself every few minutes, and even the PC connection would disappear for intervals. I swapped out the router for a few minutes with an old but working one, same thing still happened, so I knew it wasn't a problem with the router. Given the symptoms, I had inkling that the cable modem itself was at it's end, so I went out and bought a (cheap) zoom cable modem.

Let me tell you, this thing isn't pretty like the D-Link I was looking at, or colorful like some other blue brands. It's a black brick, simply put. But five minutes after connecting it up and calling cox, it was not only running smoothly without resetting every few minutes, it's faaaaaaaasssssttttt. Maybe I should remember to refresh network hardware every few years too....

connection problems

Posted by mcummings

Our cable modem (I believe - i've tested a spare router and the problem persists) is having problems. We can't maintain a connection for more than a minute or so before the modem resets. Not sure when I'll be back online, hopefully soon. Hoping this makes it through one of the online times...

Damn you, Jones’!!!!

Posted by mcummings

Since we first bought our (now) 36 year old house, we've never failed to be surprised at what hidden jem the previous owner's might have left hidden for us. Today was just another chapter in the story. The guy putting in our new tub enclosure revealed to my wife why for the past 5 years we have been plagued with problems with drainage in our bathtub. We had always assumed that because there is no lint trap, that hair and whatnot had collected up, and had accepted the task of clearing it out every few months. We had once entertained the idea of hiring a plumber to snake it, but that seemed like overkill (especially given the price). However, in the case of the tub setup, such repairs were actually included as part of the price, and so we have revealed the real reason our tub wouldn't drain right all this time.

drum roll....

a blue (toy) chair was clogging the pipe just past the drain hole. To think, all these years of battling it, applying chemicals, etc., to have finally revealed another hidden toy (I'd add it to the collection i pulled from the crawlspace, the vents, ducts, and buried in the back yard, but at this point it's just icing on the pile).

Beard!