Your WiFi dropping a Zoom call during an important work meeting isn’t ideal. Nor is it ideal to have constant Internet and WiFi issues. Before calling your Internet Service Provider and complaining, try testing your cable modem to see where the problem originates.
Testing your cable modem doesn’t require a degree but sometimes troubleshooting it can seem like you need one. To troubleshoot your modem, try the following:
- Service is activated – If your service is new, make sure that you have activated your Internet Service with your Internet Service Provider. To activate your Internet service, visit your cable Internet provider’s website and follow the instructions to activate your Internet service.
- Check the coaxial cable – make sure your coax connections are secure at the modem and at the coax outlet. You can use a coax cable tester like Hitron’s DSS-01 Coax Cable Tester to ensure that your coax outlet or wiring is receiving an Internet signal from your Internet Service Provider.
- Check the Ethernet cord – make sure your Ethernet connections are secure at the modem and at the computers’ Ethernet port.
- Power off your modem – rebooting your modem by powering it off for at least 10 seconds and then power it back on.
- Restart your computer or router connected to the cable modem. This ensures that they receive a correct IP address from the modem.
With a coax cable tester, you can save yourself the hassle of waiting on hold with your cable Internet provider and do some of the major troubleshooting yourself with this handy tool. Hitron’s DSS-01 Coax Cable Tester, tests your coax outlets and wiring connected to your cable modem to verify if your cable modem is receiving an Internet signal. By testing your coax, you can tell if the issue is with your cable modem, coax or Internet Service Provider.
The DSS-01 Coax Cable Tester is not only small, but also easy to use. With results in 10 seconds or less, the DSS-01 is engineered to detect a specific range of signals used by Cable Internet providers to deliver Internet. By using a coax cable tester, you will forgo having to carry your cable modem from coax outlet to coax outlet to get an accurate reading.
Still need help with your cable modem? Read our other articles on Cable Modems and Routers, or Coax Cable testing on Hitron’s Learn section.
