Does weather affect your service?

[jjv55]

I recently moved and took my Uverse with me.  I had a tech come out and install the service here.  It was fine for a couple of weeks.  Now, we're constantly getting errors and losing our connection.  It seems to have started around the time all of the big storms started hitting the plains (though I'm near Chicago).

Is there a correlation or has something gotten fried in my vrad?

Either way, I'm not looking forward to getting a tech out here again.  I went though this very problem when I first had the service installed at my old house...

[jfw ACE - Czar]

Sounds like a possible connection problem somewhere outside, download and run the Uverse Realtime App.
http://www.uvrealtime.com/
Post results for IP Profile, Bitload Graph, Error Table and Coax/HPNA, someone will be along to check the stats and advise.

[gadude25]

I get minor pixelation when there is lightning in the area.  If was real bad when I first got Uverse installed but has improved over the years.  When I had Charter it would go out for hours during a lightning storm.  So where are you to go?  Tech service said to call them during the next storm and let them see what is happening when it is happening.  The only problem there is the storms move so fast that it passes by the time I get someone on the phone.  They said the problem was noise on the copper part of the line so they had that replaced which helps a lot but not completely.  All services can have storm related issues so you have to decide what you can live with.

[jfw ACE - Czar]

So this only occurs during bad weather? Not normal IMO.

If you want,contact Alex, one of the ATT Community Managers via PM. He can escalate this to the right people.
Alex

[jjv55]

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m311/jjv55/IPStats-2012-04-16-18-12-55.png

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m311/jjv55/ErrorTable-2012-04-16-18-13-50.png

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m311/jjv55/Bitloading-2012-04-16-18-13-34.png

There wasn't any info for the coax tab.  I ran the extended test, but still no info showed up...

[mibrnsurg ACE - Geek]

4:17:43 before this screenshot there was a big problem, all kinds of errors.  ATT TS can see those errors and should have rolled a truck as those are major.  Your bitloading and IP Profile look good, it's just errors up the wazoo.

Chris

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Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
Need Help? 1-800-288-2020, After he gets acct info, press # a bunch of times, get a menu from Mr. Voice recognition
Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion
I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

[RCSMG ACE - Master]

At one time my service started getting pixelated and freezing when it rained.  I called ts, they sent out a tech and he discovered that there was water leaking into one of the lines running to my house.  He replaced the cable and all was well.  Call TS and have the csr run a test on your services.  If no errors are detected request a tech be sent out to visually check your service/lines.

[dhascall ACE - Professor]

Weather usually has no affect on the service but it can.  Here are a couple ways that I have personally had weather affect it (other than a direct lightning strike):

1. Rainwater and / or dew leaking into the main (outside) wiring.  This affects cable, as well.  An AT&T premesis tech will have to determine if the wiring is to blame.  They would then call a linesman to repai it.

2. Poor grounding.  This could cause dropouts

3. Bad components on the outside.  Had a nearby (proximity) strike that fried a diplexor (caused by a bad ground).  That was replaced and all was golden.

[jjv55]

So you're saying there's a problem?  

So I need to call TS and have someone come out then....Joy.

[oufanindallas]

Yes, that's what they are saying, You need to call TS and have them send a lineman out check your lines.

[jjv55]

I finally called tech support and they said that my modem was bad (brand new one I just got a few weeks ago).  They're sending me a new one.  Well see what happens.

[RCSMG ACE - Master]

If the problem shows up when it rains call TS and ask the CSR to send a tech out to check your lines.  Clearly they are seeing an issue but they are blaming it on the RG.  But the RG can and will be affected if there is a line problem.  That is why issues are showing up in your services.  Let us know how things go.

[jjv55]

Well, I've decided to leave Uverse.

Since originally posting, I've received 2 new modems and had techs come out and find no problems and I still have the ever pixelating TV and sporadic internet service.

I just got off the phone with tech support who, after all of the usual troubleshooting crap that I've had to go through each time I've called, said they had two time slots available for yet another tech visit.  Neither of those slots work for me and he said that's all he can do.  Really?  I told him I'd be dropping Uverse and he said he understood and that it would be OK to do so.

 LOL!!  He gave me permission to leave!  Hilarious!

It has been three months of crappy service that I've been paying full price for and I'm done.  Time to start shopping...Ugh.

[RCSMG ACE - Master]

Send Alex a PM he is an ATT Community Manager on the forum.  He will get you to the proper person/dept. to get that issue resolved.  I don't blame you for your frustration, but if you are at all, still interested in keeping the service click on the link below and you will be taken to his profile.

http://forums.att.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/318276

[jjv55]

Thanks for the tip.  I sent him a PM as I do like the service (when it actually works), but I'm tired of paying for something that I'm not getting.  Hopefully he can help...

[shoe]

No just my arthritis

[jjv55]

Just as an update, I did get in touch with someone (Chris) who is supposedly working on my issue.  Though it has been a couple of weeks and the problem is worse than it has ever been.  

I'm losing service many times every hour, and the techs who come out still say they don't see a problem....

[jjv55]

So three weeks passed with no resolution and no discernable actions.

I sent an e-mail, voicing my frustrations to the CEO of AT&T and got two calls within 3 hours of hitting "send."  

My case is now being handled by "executive technical service" apparently.  There are two techs coming out tomorrow.  

If this doesn't work, then I have no where else to turn.

I can't believe I had to e-mail the CEO and essentially beg him to keep me as a customer!

[dhascall ACE - Professor]

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jjv55 wrote:

So three weeks passed with no resolution and no discernable actions.

I sent an e-mail, voicing my frustrations to the CEO of AT&T and got two calls within 3 hours of hitting "send."  

My case is now being handled by "executive technical service" apparently.  There are two techs coming out tomorrow.  

If this doesn't work, then I have no where else to turn.

I can't believe I had to e-mail the CEO and essentially beg him to keep me as a customer!

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You really didn't have to do that a PM to Alex should have bveen all it took.

Here is my canned "Alex" response.  

Try contacting Alex, one of the AT&T Community Managers for further assistance.

[jjv55]

You obviously haven't read this whole thread.

I did PM "Alex."  I was in contact with someone, somehow related to his position.  Three weeks went by and as far as I can see, nothing really happened.  

I was told that an "outside tech" came out and saw no problems.  I was told another tech came out, but had to call for a more specialized tech.  Then that tech needed some other kind of tech to come out.  Apparently, Alex and his "minions" don't carry much weight with the managers in my area.  I was continually told how the managers really don't like having these types of problems linger in their service areas, but they were definitely not in any hurry to resolve it. 

After three weeks of that, with my service dropping upwards of 25-30 times an hour, I wrote my e-mail.

So, yes, it was necessary. 

[oufanindallas]

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jjv55 wrote:

You obviously haven't read this whole thread.

I did PM "Alex."  I was in contact with someone, somehow related to his position.  Three weeks went by and as far as I can see, nothing really happened.  

I was told that an "outside tech" came out and saw no problems.  I was told another tech came out, but had to call for a more specialized tech.  Then that tech needed some other kind of tech to come out.  Apparently, Alex and his "minions" don't carry much weight with the managers in my area.  I was continually told how the managers really don't like having these types of problems linger in their service areas, but they were definitely not in any hurry to resolve it. 

After three weeks of that, with my service dropping upwards of 25-30 times an hour, I wrote my e-mail.

So, yes, it was necessary. 

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No it wasn't, if you hadn't gotten the results you were looking for, you should have contacted Alex again to follow up.  You sending those letters to the alphabet agencies (PUC, BBB),  wasting your time.  But if it makes you feel better then by all means it it your perogative to do so.

[jjv55]

Reading is a skill.  Clearly you are not comprehending what I'm typing.

I didn't send any messages to any agencies (I have no idea what a "PUC" even is).  I have no idea where you pulled that from, but it wasn't anything I posted.

I sent one email to the CEO of AT&T on Friday.  "CEO" stands for Chief Executive Officer, you know, the boss of the entire company?

I got two phone calls within a couple of hours from the office of the president.  Two "executive" techs came out today and made multiple fixes on the lines from my house, all the way down to about four or five blocks away.  The service has been amazingly improved so far.   

My service hasn't worked properly since I had it installed 4 months ago. After countless hours on the phone with tech support and after three weeks of working with the mysterious Alex's contacts, my service was still broken.  

One e-mail to the CEO and it's fixed (seemingly) within three business days.  

I'd say that e-mail was effective and well worth the 3 minutes it took to write and send.  It's just a shame that it took so much effort just to get Uverse to make their service work.