systemic problems?

Tue Nov 26 21:24:30 PST 2002

[Hand de-MIMEd/HTMLed by me -- dhw]

I'm starting to wonder if anyone else is seeing systemic problems with
their ISP's.  I've got a broadband connection via Time Warner (Cable) in
Kansas City, and last week it started sporadically dropping packets.
Round trip times were all over the map, and anywhere from 40-60% packet
loss.  We swapped modems because TW said a lot of that particular model
"went bad" the same week (bad capacitors?) but that didn't fix the
problem.

I also have a Verizon DSL connection (using Genuity) in Buffalo, NY.
This week I started seeing very similar behavior.  RTT's all over the
map with random packet loss.  This happens whether I'm using Genuity's
network or Qwest's, and I've been unable to keep a connection up at
either site for more than 10-15 minutes at a time.  I've had more time
in Buffalo to play with the equipment, and have noticed that the
connection appears good and steady, but within 10 minutes of a power
cycle, starts degrading and dropping packets again.

Normally I'd just say, "@#(*F# cable company," lodge my complaints with
them, and move on, but it's really bizarre that it's happening with
multiple ISP's using multiple backbones several thousand miles apart.

Rich