Troubleshooting - Slow Internet - Shaw Blue Curve

[CPT_BEEMO]

Hello everyone.

 

I have the Shaw 600 Internet package (Western Canada), and I have recently noticed some incredibly slow download speeds, to the point where even watching a 5 minute video requires about a dozen pauses to buffer. It should (in theory) be 600mbps downstream. And under any normal circumstance that is what I get, and its wonderful. However over the last couple of days It has been anywhere between 1% and 10% of the 600 down. I am getting kicked from games, cant watch videos, etc. I have contacted the technical support department of Shaw, my ISP, and they cant really tell me much other than the signal into my apartment complex is good and strong. Shaw's internet uses the coaxial cables from the wall, so I was advised to try a new one, which I did with no change. Full factory reset on the modem did not change anything. They then asked me to search for any coaxial splitters near my power distribution box, however being in an apartment, all that stuff is hidden in the walls, and my power dis. box is pretty well sealed up and I cant get into it other than to flip breakers. 

 

So with no strain on the bandwidth, if I run a speed test (Speedtest by Ookla) on a wired PC or on a wifi device, it has been as low as 2mbps, but stays around 20mbps to 30mbps. If I apply some strain like for example a game update and test during the update, its still around that result, however if I look at task manager's performance page, it shows around 80 to 120mbps receiving. Better, but still lower than usual. More weird that it is showing a better bandwidth on task manager versus multiple different speed tests.

 

I am curious to see if there is anyone here who may have any suggestions to help get me back up to the right speed.

 

Modem: Technicolor CGM4140COM

ISP: Shaw Communications

Subscription: Blue Curve 600mbps

[Radium_Angel]

7 minutes ago, CPT_BEEMO said:

back up to the right speed.

Look at the program Ping Plotter, check for packet loss.

That's a good 1st step.

[CPT_BEEMO]

6 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

Look at the program Ping Plotter, check for packet loss.

That's a good 1st step.

If I ping my IPv4 address 30 times, no loss. If I ping a webpage like google for example, 23% loss (7 packets lost out of 30)

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

18 minutes ago, CPT_BEEMO said:

-snip-

I would call Shaw technical support again to see if you can arrange them to replace your modem. From my experience those things don't really last more than 1-2 years, especially since they're usually powered on 24/7. 

[CPT_BEEMO]

8 minutes ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

I would call Shaw technical support again to see if you can arrange them to replace your modem. From my experience those things don't really last more than 1-2 years, especially since they're usually powered on 24/7. 

Its only 3 months old, and the best they can do is mail it to me, because its apparently too dangerous to go to a retail store and replace it due to covid

[Radium_Angel]

54 minutes ago, CPT_BEEMO said:

23% loss

There is your issue.

Now you have to prove to Shaw the issue is the modem.

I just went through this with Xfinity, and used Ping Plotter screen grabs to prove their gear was borked

[CPT_BEEMO]

On 8/6/2020 at 2:19 PM, Radium_Angel said:

There is your issue.

Now you have to prove to Shaw the issue is the modem.

I just went through this with Xfinity, and used Ping Plotter screen grabs to prove their gear was borked

Welp, they actually mailed me a modem an a decent amount of time, but suprisingly it was not the issue. As soon as we plugged the new modem in we called Shaw and had them walk us through the initialization only for the problem to persist. They then booked us an appointment for a technician to come to the building, and on the day before the tech was to arrive, just out of nowhere our internet was back to the proper speeds. I am not sure as to what had happened for it to cause a week of troubles, but it magically works without anything done on our end

[Radium_Angel]

1 minute ago, CPT_BEEMO said:

but it magically works

Well alrighty then, glad it finally worked out.

[Donut417]

On 8/6/2020 at 3:35 PM, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

don't really last more than 1-2 years,

Mine has lasted 5+ years and still going strong. 
 

3 hours ago, CPT_BEEMO said:

Welp, they actually mailed me a modem an a decent amount of time, but suprisingly it was not the issue. As soon as we plugged the new modem in we called Shaw and had them walk us through the initialization only for the problem to persist. They then booked us an appointment for a technician to come to the building, and on the day before the tech was to arrive, just out of nowhere our internet was back to the proper speeds. I am not sure as to what had happened for it to cause a week of troubles, but it magically works without anything done on our end

 Could have been RF interference on the coax. This happens when TV OTA signals, cellular signals and others get in to the cable system. This would have been likely a bad connector or coax cable in the complex. Shaw tracked it down and fixed it. That’s my guess.