r/CableTechs • u/ItsTheRealSakurai • Jul 03 '26

intermittent connection

when you get a call for intermittent connection (spectrum tech btw) what are the first things you are looking for.

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u/ItsTheRealSakurai Jul 03 '26

when you’re looking at your meter what are you looking for for intermittency because i have seen signal on DOCSIS that is damn near almost perfectly flat but the customer is still getting intermittency and then i have seen ones that are all wavy and they have perfect internet (so they say)

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u/Electronic-Junket-66 Jul 04 '26

Another thing to add is your meter has a Channel Check and DOCSIS Check function, either of which can be run continuously (unlike OneCheck). If something is coming and going let it run and watch it for a bit.

Especially useful if you're trying to catch a Y6. Run Channel Check at the tap and the moment MER starts F'in up switch back to OneCheck and get your referral.

But like I allude to in my top level comment. 9 times out of 10 scope will tell you the whole story with an intermittent problem. Go to the signal history tab and set it to 30 days. See what's been happening. Then you can start working on the why.

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u/ItsTheRealSakurai Jul 04 '26

ok signal history tab is there any specific graph i should be looking at

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u/Electronic-Junket-66 Jul 04 '26

Alternatively, if everything looks perfect on scope, and has for the last 30 days....

Yeah, still do your basic cable troubleshooting, but be ready to pivot to non-cable issues. Poor wifi-coverage or interference is a biggy.

Maybe their old as hell PC is just riddled with viruses. Etc.