Time Warner Cable Using Wrong Power Supplies To Throttle Service?
- July 23rd, 2007
- 5 Comments
So I just got off the phone with Time Warner cable. I’ve had their standard Wireless Road Runner service for four months now. During that time, our wireless broadcast has gone out for absolutely no reason numerous times (it has already gone out three times today alone). The only way to get it going again would be to call tech support and have them restart the signal. Not only that, but even though my download speed is supposed to be capped in the 10Mbps range, I would be lucky to get 40Kbps some days. Loading Google could take 5 minutes on a bad day.
Well, I finally got a competent guy on the phone today who informed us that: Oops! It turns out that the power supply that came with the Time Warner-issued router is actually pumping out the wrong voltage. The router needs a 10V plug, and they had given me a 12V one. The on-phone technician attributed my outages and slow service to this screw up. Had I not called about a hundred times, I would still be paying for a fast service I’m not getting.
So, if there are any other TW Cable Wireless Road Runner subscribers out there, check the voltage on your router’s plug. I’m curious if anybody else was issued one with the wrong voltage, and if this is perhaps a system-wide way of intentionally throttling service.
Shanshu (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Ahhhh I have a brother in TWC misery to share my pain with!
I too, have had many problems with my online services from TWC. At first, I was under the impression that my hardware was having issues. I even bought a new Linksys 54W-G router, even though the one I had was only 6 months old, at the time.
Then, I assumed the issue was related to my Playstation 3 and its compatibility problems and DNS errors with Linksys/PS3. I fixed the errors and configured settings and even went so far as to change my PS3 to a wired connection, rather than wireless.
My internet problems persisted. I finally realized the problem must be with my router. After several calls to TWC I was able to get a technician to come out to my home. He informed me that the signal from the router was coming out at a NEGATIVE pulse, when it should be +8. He also said the building itself was “wired wrong” and that the signal was so low he was surprised I was ever able to get online, at all. He said they would fix the problem.
Still no luck. My internet signal from the router is spotty at best, and I’m on my LAST nerve. I will check the voltage on my router’s plug when I get home, keeping my fingers crossed.
Rliebsch (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Um, nice find.
I have a few users whose home connection drops to 56K and worse regularly.
Time Warner resets the connection and its good for a short while
timmah (Who am I?)
1 year ago
The difference between 10 and 12 volts is …uh… two volts. No difference at all. Ask anyone who works in electronics, the amperage is what counts.
Afraid to Publish (Who am I?)
1 year ago
I am at a week and counting complaining about Time Warner digital cable and broadband Internet, intermittant failures. So far I have logged 9 phone calls to Customer Service, and have had 2 repairmen to the home. Everyone has a different opinion of what is wrong, plus the ususal appointment no-shows and a bewildering amount of misinformation and blaming the customer coming from phone reps and technicians. A new splitter was installed. I asked to keep the corroded old one. The newly installed one does not solve the problem. So what does TWC get out of this behavior? I’ll bet they tell me if I subscribe to an “enhanced package” the problem will stop.
Alex (Who am I?)
9 months ago
@timmah, you’re an idiot. I=V/R, just ask anyone who works in electronics