how to detect lost internet access ?

[vhelp]

i've been suffering from this problem for over a year now. i've contacted verizon about this and they tested the service from their office and told me that they could tell that i keep loosing connection. said something about a log they have on file. so, at least they admited that they new i was loosing connection. a lot! i've been keeping my own record, but its not complete because i am not home, since i too, go to work. i asked to have a replacement model, a better one, but they said that they would have to come out and test the modem first, which i don't want. but if it turns out to be their modem, then i just want to get my own modem and use that instead of theirs plus save on taxes. anyway. at the time of contact, i was pretty certain that it was either their line or sevice or their Westell DLS modem i am using.

today, the connection is constantly comming and going. i keep loosing connection, and then anywhere from a minute to serveral minutes or longer, it reconnects. thus, when i enter 192.x.x.x into a browser it returns the following internet connection status.

(note, this webpage seems to internally refresh every 5 seconds)

Internet Status: Not Connected
DSL Link: Connected
Speed(Down/Up) 1184 Kbps / 448 Kbps
Connection Type: PPPoE
Username: na
IP Address: PPP
.
.
and after a few minutes later,
.
.
Internet Status: Connected
DSL Link: Connected
Speed(Down/Up) 1184 Kbps / 448 Kbps
Connection Type: PPPoE
Username: na
IP Address: 72.x.x.x

specs

brand: verizon, Westell
model: A90-750015-07
date: 09/2010
type: ADSL+2 modem router, 4-port

weather condition is fine, sunny clear skies over here.

1. the modem is connected via cat5e yellow cable wire to my netgear router
2. my desktop pc usb2 wifi adaptor is configured and wifi-connected to the netgear, connection speed is 150Mbps

i would like to know for sure how to "detect" when i loose internet connection so that i can correctly log it and give to verizon as my official proof. i want to rig up an unused netbook (i have two, one i use at work and another sitting in a closet never used) and write a custom browser for it to only "watch" the internet connection status and log times when it Disconnect and Reconnects while i am at work. later, when i return, i will look at the log and see just how many time i am not connected. this is also show how much i am loosing in cost. if i am paying for 24/7 service, i better recieve it, no matter if i'm at work, sleeping or home. i'm not paying for 10 percent service at 24/7 service costs.

so, does anyone know how i can tell, by what means, when i loose internet connection ?
what steps do i need to take or perform. this will turn into a small programming project. i already have most of the app working, i just need the function (as seen above) where it shows "Internet Status: connected". thank you.

here is an example of people with similar problem with lost connection.
http://www.amazon.com/Verizon-Wirless-Modem-Router-Westell/dp/B00377I40G

[jman98]

I'm going to tell you the truth about your DSL connection, but you're not going to like it.

All the big players that offered DSL, like AT&T and Verizon, want their customers to move off it and onto their newer services, which are actually better for consumers and cheaper and easier for the big boys to maintain than old DSL service. It's been known for some time that the majors that still have people like you on DSL now deliberately degrade their service to try to get you off it. One of the ways they deliberately degrade it to have you consistently lose your connection. I went through this with AT&T on their DSL. Once I switched to Uverse, my connection problems magically vanished. Lucky for me, the price for Uverse was about the same as their DSL offering.

I'm guessing that you may be playing the "cheap bastard" card here and you're getting service at some kind of price that Verizon can't match with their newer replacement service, whatever they call it. I'm just going to be blunt - you're wasting your time because Verizon is interested in getting you off the service, not in helping you fix your problems on it, so you're tilting at windmills in trying to get this problem "fixed" because it's probably reached the point now where Verizon would rather lose you as a customer than truly try to fix your problem as people like you are actually eating into their profits by refusing to leave the old DSL service.

[poisondeathray]

Do you ever have a complete disruption? e.g. say you download a file from a host that doesn't support resume and it gets aborted ?


Try a logger utility that connects every "x" time interval

e.g.
http://code.google.com/p/internetconnectivitymonitor/

[usually_quiet]

I'm going to tell you the truth about your DSL connection, but you're not going to like it.

All the big players that offered DSL, like AT&T and Verizon, want their customers to move off it and onto their newer services, which are actually better for consumers and cheaper and easier for the big boys to maintain than old DSL service. It's been known for some time that the majors that still have people like you on DSL now deliberately degrade their service to try to get you off it. One of the ways they deliberately degrade it to have you consistently lose your connection. I went through this with AT&T on their DSL. Once I switched to Uverse, my connection problems magically vanished. Lucky for me, the price for Uverse was about the same as their DSL offering.

I'm guessing that you may be playing the "cheap bastard" card here and you're getting service at some kind of price that Verizon can't match with their newer replacement service, whatever they call it. I'm just going to be blunt - you're wasting your time because Verizon is interested in getting you off the service, not in helping you fix your problems on it, so you're tilting at windmills in trying to get this problem "fixed" because it's probably reached the point now where Verizon would rather lose you as a customer than truly try to fix your problem as people like you are actually eating into their profits by refusing to leave the old DSL service.

Yes. This was my exact experience with Verizon, about 18 months ago. They do not want to maintain their copper lines anymore in areas where FIOS is deployed, so if restoring DSL service requires a repair to the copper phone lines themselves, as opposed to the lines from the pole to your home or inside wiring, official policy is to switch the customer to FIOS instead. Verizon might not even tell you that is what they are doing unless you ask questions when scheduling the service call. Expect to pay on the order of twice as much for FIOS Internet as you did for DSL once incentive pricing has expired.

[bevills1]

I had similar issues as the op with another dsl provider and switched to AT&T dsl which had very stable connections which might be because the newer AT&T services are not yet available at my location. About 1.5 years ago I switched to Charter cable that has extremely stable connections that are faster than dsl and at lower prices than AT&T dsl as well.

[vhelp]

well, i discovered that they lowered my speed.

last time, these were the DSL speeds since inception of service:

Internet Status: Connected
DSL Link: Connected
Speed(Down/Up) 1184 Kbps / 448 Kbps - (148 KB/s actual speed, real life speed 125 KB/s)
Connection Type: PPPoE
Username: na
IP Address: 72.x.x.x

current, as of two weeks ago:

Internet Status: Connected
DSL Link: Connected
Speed(Down/Up) 928 Kbps / 384 Kbps - (116 KB/s actual speed, real life speed 95 KB/s)
Connection Type: PPPoE
Username: na
IP Address: 72.x.x.x

i can no longer play youtube videos at 480p, too much buffering, and now down to viewing at 360p with some minor buffering at certain times of the day/night, otherwise smooth playback.

i think its time to call verizon to see why they lowered it and are still charging me the same high price, or else consider other options, if available.

[usually_quiet]

If you have DSL service, your provider only promises speeds between x and y for your plan. That is because the speed you will receive depends upon the condition of the copper lines that connect your address the provider's facility and the distance.

You already know that Verizon wants all its customers on FIOS, if they offer it in a given location, and is not doing much maintenance on its copper telephone lines in areas where FIOS is available. As someone who has has already gone through this, I advise you to decide whether you want FIOS or a competing cableco for your Internet service, because you want to be prepared for the inevitable before your DSL service is discontinued.

[vhelp]

i have one of those Internet on the Go devices, a personal hot spot device so that i can internet anywhere within the devices limits. to date, i have not had any problems with internet reception. i also mainly use it when at work and my work computer regularly blocks websiste, like videohelp. i would say it is your tipicle basic DSL speed, 1 Mbps, or pretty much the same speed as my current DSL. so for me the surfing speed is transparent, whether i connect to my home DSL or the Go device.

my current service plan

regional value               $ 20.00
internet access              $ 24.99
$10 bundle credit - 24 mon's - 10.00
Double-play bundle price     $ 34.99
Verizon long dist charge     $  2.99 -- i never use this service but get charged every month for it. 

sub-total of monthly charge  $ 41.23

4/1 Rate adjustment/
    change in serv s-total   $  0.01 -- i don't know what that is about. 

curr activity total          $ 41.24

taxes, gov, surch and fees   $  3.24
charges & other charges&cred $ 18.11

Total new charges            $ 62.59 <-- to pay this month

what i'm supposively paying initially is the $34.99 price. and then they throw in all these other strange taxes and surcharges and other charges, the price now totals to $62.59 dollars. so, the way i look at it, their $90/mo fios bundle will probably actaully cost me $130/mo or about double what i'm paying now.

if i find something better, at the same price i am paying here now, i will go with it. but for now, this is the best i can find as an alternative even if verizon should decide to shut DSL down completely. to note, at this time, i have not heard any talk or rumar about any shut down for DSL where i am. in fact, i have not been contacted, ever, about "switching or else" from anyone at verizon. even when i complained late last year about the service, they did not hint to me in any way about the fate of DSL or switching, for that matter. so, just because one area may be doing it does not mean that mine is, too. yes, they would love to get me on their fios--i get their sales mail all the time. but i'm not willing to spend the current asking price of $90 for their 2-year plan.

ps: just thought of this.

even if they were to do away with the DSL, that would probably amount to selling off their DSL to some third party, and guess what ? they will (whoever they become) will offer it in some add as a special offer to anyone who does not want to pay the Fios or Cable prices but only just want the basic 1, 2, or 3 Mbps internet speed, however they rebuild that system when they take it over. well, that could happen. it happens in pretty much every other business facet of life. yes, i'm stubborn. but, after all, its my money, and *i* choose to spend it how and where and what i want to on.

[usually_quiet]

if i find something better, at the same price i am paying here now, i will go with it. but for now, this is the best i can find as an alternative even if verizon should decide to shut DSL down completely. to note, at this time, i have not heard any talk or rumar about any shut down for DSL where i am. in fact, i have not been contacted, ever, about "switching or else" from anyone at verizon. even when i complained late last year about the service, they did not hint to me in any way about the fate of DSL or switching, for that matter. so, just because one area may be doing it does not mean that mine is, too. yes, they would love to get me on their fios--i get their sales mail all the time. but i'm not willing to spend the current asking price of $90 for their 2-year plan.

ps: just thought of this.

even if they were to do away with the DSL, that would probably amount to selling off their DSL to some third party, and guess what ? they will (whoever they become) will offer it in some add as a special offer to anyone who does not want to pay the Fios or Cable prices but only just want the basic 1, 2, or 3 Mbps internet speed, however they rebuild that system when they take it over. well, that could happen. it happens in pretty much every other business facet of life. yes, i'm stubborn. but, after all, its my money, and *i* choose to spend it how and where and what i want to on.

This won't happen. Verizon does not want competition. Speculation is that Verizon is waiting until the number of phone and Internet customers on copper gets low enough that they can take down the copper lines and sell them for scrap. Even if this is not true, Verizon does own the copper lines used to provide DSL and telephone service, if they simply allow them deteriorate until DSL won't work any more in most places and all but a few DSL customers have moved on, who is going to want to buy the DSL plant and faulty copper lines from them?

Verizon never actually wrote any letters to me stating clearly that DSL was being discontinued. However, I woke up one morning with no Internet and when called Verizon about it, I was simply told they would not attempt to restore my DSL service and I needed to switch to FIOS. Prior to that, I did receive letters for a couple of years telling me that Verizon was "transitioning its customers in my area to FIOS". I called a few times to find out if a termination date was set for DSL, and was told there wasn't any. The last letter I got from them before I lost my service suggested a consultation with a specialist to help me choose the right FIOS plan for me, but never said they were turning off my service.

[TreeTops]

Consider yourself lucky that you have fiber near you. I am in the boonies and probably will never have fiber here.

[ahhaa]

Try NetMeter http://www.afterdawn.com/software/network/misc_net_tools/netmeter.cfm

[jagabo]

There are ping utilities that can log results. You can use tracert (cli utility) to trace the route from you to some major server like yahoo.com or google.com. Then ping the in between servers/routers to see where the break is.

[vhelp]

so my internet disappeared again, as usual. and i tried the trace cli but don't understand it much nor what i can do for me.

Tracing route to www.google.com [. . . .]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     1 ms     1 ms     1 ms  . . . . 
  2    54 ms    51 ms    51 ms  . . . . 
  3    54 ms    50 ms    56 ms  . . . . 
  4     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  5    56 ms    55 ms    69 ms  . . . . 
  6    60 ms    59 ms    59 ms  . . . . 
  7    57 ms    55 ms    51 ms  . . . . 
  8    55 ms    55 ms    55 ms  . . . . 
  9    55 ms    55 ms    55 ms  . . . . 
 10    67 ms    67 ms    67 ms  . . . . 
 11    70 ms    67 ms    67 ms  . . . . 
 12    79 ms    67 ms    67 ms  . . . . 

Trace complete.

I'm still trying to undercover how to detect lost internet connection through software, and tried many different source code but when i loose my internet connection and run the code it tells me i'm connected. this is very frustrating since everyone guarantee's that it works. i believe they just don't truly understand what they are saying. i don't want to download some software suite. i believe i can do it through programming of my own, i just have to figure out which one works. and the only way to know that is to wait when i lose the internet and try then. anyway. i'll keep searching. eventually, i'll discover it. it will be usefull in other internet provider scenarios, Cable, Fios, etc. anyway.

And on top of that, they lowered my DSL speed, even more.

Internet Status: Connected
DSL Link: Connected
Speed(Down/Up) 846 Kbps / 160 Kbps - (real life speed 70 KB/s)
Connection Type: PPPoE
Username: na
IP Address: 72.x.x.x

[jagabo]

So that tracert log was made while your internet connection wasn't working? That would be odd because the log shows it was able to contact google.com.

[vhelp]

no. that log was made while it had just reconnected.

[jagabo]

no. that log was made while it had just reconnected.

Ok, that makes more sense. The log is showing you each of the devices packets passed through on their way to google.com. The route will vary depending on the destination you choose but the first 3 or 4 will probably be the same until your ISP changes it's system.

The first line is probably your own router at 192.168.1.1 or similar LAN address. If you can't ping that address when you have an outage it means your router (or cabling or computer's NIC or setup) is bad. The next line is probably your ISP's router just down the street from you. If you can ping that address the connection from your router to that router is ok. Etc. The 4th line is a router that doesn't respond to pings (tracert uses pings to contact the intermediate devices). It probably is working properly because pings to farther away devices are ok.

So keep that log and when your connection goes down try pinging each of the listed devices by IP address (not by name because if your computer can't contact a DNS server it won't be able to translate the name to an IP address) and see where the connection is broken.

[vhelp]

thanks for that info.

ok, so while you were typing that info and i was watching tv and typing myself, i lost the internet again... this time, i ran it again, with tracert -h 1 www.google.com though not sure that is enough info, maybe {-h 2 } is better, anyway, and it returned:

Unable to resolve target system name www.google.com.

i wonder if there is another address to use instead of google.com since they would not be happy about being pinged.

if i run the the above script, to detect that error message, maybe that would do it. but, i wonder if that would be good enough to detect the lost internet connection. progammically speaking, it would require a bit more code to incorporate code for handling studin/studout and other routines.

anyway. i will test this out somehow. eventually, i want to run the app whenever i decide to surf and let it run in the background at "certain" intervals. and also to test how often its down while i am at work, using an extra netbook laying around. i might create a report similar to this one, below.

Lost                 Restored             Downtime   Comments
------------------   ------------------   --------   ---------------
2015-04-18 08:02pm   2015-04-18 08:07pm   00:08:00   
2015-04-18 08:30pm   2015-04-18 08:35pm   00:05:00   
2015-04-18 09:05pm   2015-04-18 09:08pm   00:03:00   
2015-04-18 09:20pm   2015-04-18 09:24pm   00:04:00   

Accummulation Total: 2015-04-18           00:20:00   
Accummulation Total: 2015-04-17           01:02:00   
Accummulation Total: 2015-04-16           02:25:00   
Accummulation Total: 2015-04-15           01:02:00   

             Totals:                      04:49:00

[jagabo]

ok, so while you were typing that info and i was watching tv and typing myself, i lost the internet again... this time, i ran it again, with tracert -h 1 www.google.com though not sure that is enough info, maybe {-h 2 } is better, anyway, and it returned:

Unable to resolve target system name www.google.com.

All internet traffic is by IP address. Names like google.com are just a convenience for humans. Whey you type google.com into your browser, tracert, ping, etc. the first thing your computer does is perform a DNS lookup to get the IP address. All further transactions are performed with the IP address. If you don't have internet access your computer can't perform the DNS lookup so it can't contact any server by name.

i wonder if there is another address to use instead of google.com since they would not be happy about being pinged.

I'm sure google gets pinged a billion times a day. They're not going to care about a few more from you. But you can ping any internet address you want. And that is the point of the tracert. You have a list of valid IP address from your computer to google.com. All you need to do now is determine where along that route your connection is being cut off.

i want to run the app whenever i decide to surf and let it run in the background at "certain" intervals. and also to test how often its down while i am at work, using an extra netbook laying around. i might create a report similar to this one, below.

Lost                 Restored             Downtime   Comments
------------------   ------------------   --------   ---------------
2015-04-18 08:02pm   2015-04-18 08:07pm   00:08:00   
2015-04-18 08:30pm   2015-04-18 08:35pm   00:05:00   
2015-04-18 09:05pm   2015-04-18 09:08pm   00:03:00   
2015-04-18 09:20pm   2015-04-18 09:24pm   00:04:00   

Accummulation Total: 2015-04-18           00:20:00   
Accummulation Total: 2015-04-17           01:02:00   
Accummulation Total: 2015-04-16           02:25:00   
Accummulation Total: 2015-04-15           01:02:00   

             Totals:                      04:49:00

You can use an app like PingEasy.

[Nelson37]

If you want to prove to the ISP that the connection is broken, first thing to do is remove the router and connect directly to the modem. It is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to convince them that their system is broken when one of the links in the chain is not their equipment and responsibility. From decades of experience, they are correct to do so and I agree with this. The router is often the problem.

When I do this, I just ping a DNS server and note the failure. Determine their DNS server address and ping that, though it doesn't really matter. Failure to ping a known DNS server, when directly connected to the modem, is absolute and positive proof of connection failure, and this has Never, Ever, failed to establish a service / repair call at their expense. 63.75.167.11 is a very old server address that I usually use. Done this many dozens of times.

You may need to call them out two or three times. They will get tired of the expense after they send hunyucks the first couple times and will put someone more knowledgeable on the problem. Make sure and tell them that you do not intend to pay for non-functional service.

My testing sequence is always ping router, ping modem, ping yourself, ping DNS, ping by name, remove router and repeat.

Tracert will tell you where the breakdown is located but do you really care? It either works or it doesn't, and even their low-end techs understand "I cannot communicate with your DNS server!".

[aazerty]

Hi vhelp ,

Simple suggestion for re-running your modem-router .

Create a folder x:\Router
( in witch you'll put
_ [tst10.zip => tst10.exe + tst10.txt]
_ switch.txt + Router.bat )

===
"Telnet Scripting Tool v.1.0"

http://support.moonpoint.com/downloads/windows/network/Telnet/tst10.php
=> DL the file tst10.zip
==> tst10.exe + tst10.txt

===
Manage inside your modem-router giving you the posibility to access him by Telnet .
===
===
Create a .txt file ( named 'switch.txt' )

in witch :
_ '1.2.3.4' could be '192.168.1.1' the ip of your modem
_ keep '23' it is for telnet
_ 'admin' your 'login' of your modem
_ 'psw' your 'password' of your modem

1.2.3.4 23
WAIT "Login:"
SEND "admin\m"
WAIT "Password:"
SEND "psw\m"
WAIT
SEND "reboot\m"
WAIT
SEND "exit\m"

===
===
Create a batch file 'Router.bat'

@echo on
tst10.exe /r:script.txt /o:output.txt
pause
:fin

Launch 'Router.bat' and wait 2mn ( while the router is OFF and ON ) .
===

To be read :
http://dosprompt.info/network/

Cheers .

[lordsmurf]

I use the OpenDNS Updater tool, and it alerts me when DNS is not reachable.
It also shows how long the connection has been up.
For example, right now, it shows my connection has only been up for the past 31 minutes.

[aazerty]

Hi lordsmurf ,

My goal is to get a file in witch I can see when the stream has been down .
In my case it is one time a day .
_ for each issue => 'actuel-%ladate%-%moment%.txt'
_ all ones => 'suivis.txt'

I use :
_ grep.exe
_ delay.exe
_ beep3.txt ( <= mine )

Each 3 mn the command ping is sent .
( The main issue was the result ( changing ) with ping ) .

@echo on

SETLOCAL ENABLEEXTENSIONS

:Initial
cls
del ping_orange.txt
del TTL_grep.txt
cls
ping -l 2 orange.fr > ping_orange.txt

type ping_orange.txt | grep -o "TTL" > TTL_grep.txt

set /p TTL_ok=<TTL_grep.txt

findstr /I "TTL" TTL_grep.txt >nul
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 goto Affichage
goto Pas_Bon

:Affichage
rem %TTL_ok% valable
type beep3.txt
@echo Nous sommes le %date% - il est %time%
@echo Continuons la surveillance
delay 180
goto Initial

:Pas_Bon
@echo Etat pas de %TTL_ok%
@echo Nous sommes le %date% - il est %time% > actuel.txt

set ladate=%date:/=_%
set moment=%time:~0,2%h%time:~3,2%mn%time:~6,2%
copy actuel.txt actuel-%ladate%-%moment%.txt

type beep3.txt
copy /b suivis.txt +actuel.txt suivis_a.txt
del suivis.txt
del actuel.txt
ren  suivis_a.txt suivis.txt
delay 18
tst10.exe /r:script.txt /o:output.txt
@echo Le routeur redemarre
delay 120
type beep3.txt
@echo Routeur OK !!!

:fin

Cheers .

[Nelson37]

Apparently the OP has either lost interest in this problem and failed to tell anyone, or has solved it in some way and neglected to share with the group.

Noted for future reference. Update of the list pending response.

[vhelp]

update.. the situation is still the same. and i have not found a working system to truly detect "lost internet".

sorry guys, i lost and forgot about this thread. i've been busy in a special programming project (work related) and that has and is still keeping me from my regular entertainment. i don't even watch much tv lately. anyway.

i am upset with verizon because of their poor performance and lack of resolution with the DSL and its lowering speed. and the fact that they keep charging a higher price while reducing their service. case in point. during the long 4-day memorial day, they had my DSL speed back at the 1.184Mbps rate, then when it was over, it went back down to 864Kbps. i don't understand these games they keep playing. so i ask myself, why should i continue with them in a newer and more expansive plan all the while knowing (both parties know whats going on) what they've been doing to me these past two years with the modem speed and the shutting down the internet (PPP function of the modem) at all hours of the day and night.

so far, for the last three months, i've been offered a $74.99 package from verizon (2yr with contract), and just recently now, optimum's $84.99 (2yr no contract) offer. I am tempted to go with optimum ill-regardless. i just want an opportunity to give verizon a mouth full first. but i'd like to have my own proof of their bad business practice with me.

i have not given up on this lost internet detection thing. i am just so busy and drained out by the time i come home from work to put time into it when i have the work-related project that i have to continue working in at home, too. i'm tired. and warn out.

[usually_quiet]

so far, for the last three months, i've been offered a $74.99 package from verizon (2yr with contract), and just recently now, optimum's $84.99 (2yr no contract) offer.

Read the Verizon contract carefully. Sometimes the rate starts out low but goes up incrementally after 6 months or a year even during the contract period.

Also, check out offers on the websites if you have not already done so. Sometimes the best deal available is not the one in your mail, and it is almost never the one offered by a salesperson.

[Nelson37]

Rates vary by location but those seem very high. My ISP is comcast, $30.00/month with my own modem.

I don't have these problems with ISP's, I just call up and tell them "my connection has gone down 20 days out of the last thirty, I have the screen shots of the failed ping tests, and I am only going to pay you for service for one-third of the month." This procedure has never once failed to get resolution, and I have used it several times, with multiple ISPs and customer setups. Not once have they requested the actual proof, because they know I am speaking about the simplest and most basic of tests that is not modified in any way by other software. It's like picking up a land-line phone and no dial-tone, with a lineman's phone. There is no argument with the ping test. The Number, and Duration, of failures, yes, but they have not once disputed that. More than one proof of failure could reasonably invalidate the entire monthly bill, I consider two or three sufficient and is all I have ever needed.

Also have never failed to get a new modem simply by going to the local office, or sometimes a service truck, with the old one and requesting exchange. They will also mail you one. Numerous times with customers moving and disabling service they do not want the old modem back. If you think it might be the modem, do this, it is free and a VERY common cause of such problems. Their log should indicate if they lost contact with the modem, which could be either line or modem, or if they maintained contact but the modem did not respond properly, indicating more likely modem but still possibly line. SFAIK, these logs are not individually maintained unless there is a known service issue, but that may vary by region.

On the speed variation, you purchase an UP TO speed, and the far more important, MINIMUM speed. If you fall below the minimum, reduce payment as above. There is often a tiered payment schedule for the different speeds. Failing below the UP TO speed doesn't get you squat.

So, pay only for speed received and do not pay for failure days. That will get results.

Also, ask to speak to a Customer Retention Specialist. Often, they have the ability to reduce fees, offer better deals, and get things done. Their main job is to Keep The Money Coming In. You are not a customer, you are an income stream.

[vhelp]

These guys know the game. the talk, etc. And I've talked to a specialist and all they want to do is send someone out to my apt to check the modem. I know its not the modem. It is them. Them, jerking me around.

These past two weeks, I was back to my regular speed of 1.184Mbps / 448 Kbps. I thought it was because I switched the yellow wire (from the verizon DSL modem to my Netgear router) from E1 down to E4 on the modem, and was going to post about its success, today. But when I checked the speeds this evening, it is now 928Kbps / 448 Kbps. And i am sure that in the next few days, it will be back down to the lower 864Kbps / 160Kbps speeds. And, I still have the same issues of the modem acting up: lost internet connection, on and off throughout the day.

I also tried the suggestion (elsewhere here) about going directly to the modem. Its still the same (reduced) speed of 928Kbps.

So, now I'm going to pay half the bill. Half because they keep shutting my modem down, and for reducing my speed w/out telling me and NOT providing me a lower $ rate.

[usually_quiet]

If you want to fight Verizon, see a lawyer and find out what you can legally do. All you will succeed in doing by paying half of what you owe is to ruin your credit rating and get your service cut off.

If you want to get on with your life, obtain other Internet service.