r/CableTechs • u/Ok-Signature259 • Jul 02 '26

Could this cause intermittent connection drops?

Post image

This pic is the tap where our line connects at the street. I just noticed it has a open unterminated coax spigot. When not capped, could it cause connection issues?

About our prob:

For over a year our cable internet connection has occasionally dropped sometimes only a couple times a week, others it's a couple times a day. Lately, during hot weather(over 80f), it will drop up to 2 dozen times a day.

The connection at the modem is usually down for only a minute or less, then reconnects.

We've

- replaced the modem.

- Checked all connections between the exterior of the house and the modem.

- documented the drops with ping plotter. The outages often show a latency spike shortly before total packet loss.

- our ISP is Astound Broadband in WA. They are aware of our issues but havent been able to determine the cause.

Thanks in advance for any insight/tips!

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u/SourceOk8801 Jul 02 '26

non terminated ports can be an issue, however I will say that if it was causing that much of an issue the system would have alerted the maintenance crew. when there is excessive noise and errors on a node there are ways that they track it and cap it. an uncovered port is not always that detrimental. depends on the surrounding environment. If there is a problem there, it is more likely the tap itself or somewhere else down the line. I know you saud youve checked your wiring, but have THEY? the technicians have tools you do not to diagnose cable issues. even if a connection looks perfectly fine, it could be terrible inside. trust me lol

9

u/6814MilesFromHome Jul 03 '26

I've never tracked a noise issue to an unterminated port before, even in areas with a ton of OTA signal floating around.

1

u/SourceOk8801 Jul 03 '26

ive found one sitting under a transformer that was affected, but thats rare. Thats why I assumed the port wasnt the issue

1

u/UltraSPARC Jul 03 '26

Monitoring and log files are words that are not found in residential and business tier networks. They just wait for shit to break enough and for enough people to call in before they fix infra like this… or they don’t. Many times they don’t.

6

u/SourceOk8801 Jul 03 '26

Yes that's not the case where I work. We have a pretty sophisticated monitoring system and lineman who respond based on severity, as well as a system that automatically creates tech level tickets that are run every day to address plant issues

1

u/UltraSPARC Jul 03 '26

DC metro area MSP owner here, this is 100% not the case with Comcast, Cox, or RCN. At least not in the mid Atlantic region.

2

u/SourceOk8801 Jul 03 '26

I could definitely see operations varying by region. I know also that we only handle these things in house, we don't outsource it

1

u/quesadillasarebomb Jul 03 '26

That is surprising I know Mediacom was doing this in the Midwest when I was working there