[Earl Bonovich]

Anyone have a good software tool I could run...
That can track the uptime of my Comcast internet connection ?

Over the last week or so, it has been losing general internet connection, for about 30-60s randomly... sometimes it will lose it multiple times in a 10 minute area.

By the time I realize it, and want to go check the modem/router... the connection is back.

I don't think it is the router for the house, or the router to the modem... as typically those would take longer to re-sync then just a few seconds.

I am thinking it is possibly something a few hops along the way.

Makes it really difficult for online games, streaming audio, streaming video, VoIP calls, and VPN connections...

My VoIP is having a hard time handling it as well, as it has to keep reconnecting...

Trying to collect some data, so when I call Comcast I have something a little more than "it is bouncing" to give them

 

[Davenlr]

My modem itself keeps a log (surfboard). Maybe yours has one too?

 

[funhouse69]

It doesn't really sound like you are looking for an Uptime Test as the modem is probably still up / connected to the "mother ship" but getting out is the problem. I'd say get some kind of a ping test going on a PC and record the results. Do it for a few different IP Addresses either known like public DNS or maybe upstream devices / routers even within your ISP's network.

Most of the time Ping Test Results and some Trace Routes are all they are looking for. Just make sure that if you are using Windows you increase the size of the Window Buffer so you catch a long enough time. If it is happening as often as you say it is it should be pretty easy to catch.

There are a lot of different tools out there that you can get. One I found on download.com is called Internet Connection Monitor and they have a free version.

http://download.cnet.com/Internet-Connection-Monitor/3000-2085_4-75332247.html

These things can be a pain in the butt to track down depending on what the issue is. It could be something as simple as a bad / loose connection / wire to a failing device somewhere in the loop. This is why a ping test can be really helpful.

Also worth mentioning is that some ISP's have their own Diagnostic Website which will show you everything from the signal strength and other information. See if your ISP has one that might provide a ton of info if you can happen to catch the issue and it shows up on that page. I am dual homed here Verizon doesn't have one that I know of that shows diagnostic info but RCN does which is here... http://ma.speedtest.rcn.net/

Hope this helps

 

[phrelin]

Comcast is my ISP also. We do experience an occasional "down" minute now and then (maybe a couple of times a week). The modem is above my desk and I watch its lights as it reconnects.

Since it's connected 24/7 I've just chalked it up to Comcast system maintenance. But if it were longer or more frequent I'd get irked.

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Since it's connected 24/7 I've just chalked it up to Comcast system maintenance. But if it were longer or more frequent I'd get irked.

It is getting pretty frequent, and it is impacting more then just me...
Neighboors, friends that are different cities (some a distance away)..

All are seeing the saming thing.

Last night we had 10 drops in just a 1 hour period... but none were long enough for me to get back to a computer, to run tests to find out why...

 

[Shades228]

Most router/modems will do logs as stated earlier. Most tools like that are high level but you could setup for what you want.

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/five-apps/five-free-network-monitoring-tools/1342 are the up to date ones I've found. What I use is a paid app that's not worth it for one time issues.

If you're running a Linux distro of any kind there are tons of options that are free with those.

 

[Shades228]

It could be a DNS issue if its happening like that but it's faster than it takes for a modem to reset. You might want to try using a public DNS to test it. 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 are Google public DNS servers.

 

[Earl Bonovich]

It could be a DNS issue if its happening like that but it's faster than it takes for a modem to reset. You might want to try using a public DNS to test it. 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 are Google public DNS servers.

I am using OpenDNS... so I would think it was the problem, we would be seeing a lot more people complaining.

 

[Shades228]

I am using OpenDNS... so I would think it was the problem, we would be seeing a lot more people complaining.

Did you ever get this sorted out? I stay away from OpenDNS because of their content restrictions and they block sites based on feedback. While some sties are ones I would never go to there are times when something may be linked and you can't see it. I have my own firewalls so I don't need someone restricting my access.

 

[funhouse69]

I've been using Open DNS for years and haven't had any issues. I also use other public DNS as backup just in case. Besides unless the TTL of the site you are visiting is really low most DNS lookups will say in your cache for hours.

The fact that the OP mentioned that this is happening to other people in the area seems to point to a larger problem with maybe one of the main switches or upstream devices. This isn't DSL which used to have to connect to the mother ship after a certain period of inactivity.

I'd be doing some ping tests and trace routes to try and capture this. If it happens as often as stated it shouldn't be hard to catch. As usual make sure you eliminate any potential issues within your network and connect a single device directly to your cable modem and do your testing. Of course Tech Support will blame the issue on your network / equipment.

 

[Davenlr]

I have had this happen several times this month on Comcast. Usually I can connect to some sites almost immediately, while others will time out (DBSTalk is one that times out). I can run a tracert to DBSTALK, and it always goes through, as do pings. It affects several websites though, but not others. I just figured it was a problem rerouting due to an outage on the backbone.

If it actually is something locally, I almost always get this error a time or two before it goes out, and then the modem reboots:
Jun 29 2012 13:44:22 3-Critical R02.0 No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out