I have been a Wildblue and now Exede installer for 10 years. I have encountered a problem which started 2 months ago that I cannot solve. I have about 5 installs that lose modem lock(sync) about once a day. The modem will resync if the customers power cycles the modem. All five of these customers were installed last summer and worked fine until about 2 months ago. I have a service call on one of them open. I have re pointed several times. I have replaced the tria, the modem, the power supply. I have replaced all the cable connectors. Nothing is fixing this problem. There is no line of sight issue. We are on beam 305. I don't know if anybody else is seeing it, but its making me miserable. The skew is correct, the svt's always show green. Can anybody tell me something? I am suspicious of WB because they never admit to anything.
Exede, Problems with modems losing sync
- Thread starter browndog
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Replace the cable. Had a customer with same issue. Modem would lose lock every 12 hours and would not reconnect without power cycle. 3 techs before me relocated pole, replaced equipment, and cable from dish to groundblock. I arrived and power cycled modem. It locked on and I checked modem stats which were excellent. So I replaced cable from groundblock to modem. Been 2 weeks with no issue.
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Yup, even new cable is not infallible. Determine cable-feet from modem to TRIA, double it, then use that number to determine loop resistance for both conductor and shield. If either exceeds manufacturer spec for that distance, isolate down to the offending segment. If you're unfamiliar with this procedure, I'll be happy to share.
//greg//
//greg//
Greg, I a an Exede SI Dealer in Northern CA. I have been instating since May 22, 2012, pretty much when initial rollout occurred (I know Viasat-1 was launched in Oct 2011, but I couldn't get certified or installed by someone else til around end of May). Anyway, I have 247 installs in that time (roughly ? are mine...I have 2 full-time installers who work for me) so I have encountered and overcame all sorts of problems. However, I now have a customer who is off the power grid (like many of my customers) using solar and generator. He is only customer with this problem. Exede's gateways give out dynamic IPs with 72 hr leases. I have all my customers learn the correct startup procedure...modem (wait 2 mins) --> then Exede voice (if present) --> then router --> then restart computer (if necessary). This customer is not getting an updated IP address. Hence, signal from router looks strong, successfully associated with BSSID, but NO INTERNET. Before I go drive 2 ½ hrs to do truck roll, I'm trying to think of anything I might need. My suspicion is that: 1) bad router, 2) not following correct startup procedure, or 3) his older, modified (not pure) signwave inverter is causing a problem. Any ideas? And please elaborate on quote above... Thanks.
/josh//
First thought is unstable power causing modem to cycle. Recycle quite often results in a new IP assignment between modem and provider. Surfbeam2 is supposed to operate between 85-264 volts and 47-63Hz, so it can tolerate spikes. But it can't tolerate hits; as in momentary loss of power. But it wouldn't hurt to put a voltage/frequency monitor on their inverter output. Such monitors are available in both hardware and software approaches, some of the latter are even free. That's not a fix, but it can determine if in fact the inverter is at fault.
If that proves impractical, an alternative solution may be a good quality UPS between the (suspect) inverter and the LAN. I have had very good luck with APC SmartUPS models over the years, they react in milliseconds. I currently have a 1500VA (laser printers need a lot of battery) on my home network, a 750VA on my home entertainment system, and a little 350VA on desktop configuration I made around an iPad. With accompanying software, you can set a voltage operating window.If the UPS detects voltage from the inverter that's outside that window - power dip/spike/loss - it cuts off supply and throws battery power at the LAN until it senses the supply has come back to within your window. The UPS restores the supply voltage, and puts itself back in monitor/recharge mode.
Alternatively, it could be a LAN address conflict. I witnessed that with HughesNet Gen4. Modem and router inconveniently had same default LAN address (192.168.xxx.xxx), and therefore couldn't talk to each other. Far as I know you can't change the SurfBeam2 LAN address, but most routers should offer LAN address alternatives in the user interface.
//greg//
If that proves impractical, an alternative solution may be a good quality UPS between the (suspect) inverter and the LAN. I have had very good luck with APC SmartUPS models over the years, they react in milliseconds. I currently have a 1500VA (laser printers need a lot of battery) on my home network, a 750VA on my home entertainment system, and a little 350VA on desktop configuration I made around an iPad. With accompanying software, you can set a voltage operating window.If the UPS detects voltage from the inverter that's outside that window - power dip/spike/loss - it cuts off supply and throws battery power at the LAN until it senses the supply has come back to within your window. The UPS restores the supply voltage, and puts itself back in monitor/recharge mode.
Alternatively, it could be a LAN address conflict. I witnessed that with HughesNet Gen4. Modem and router inconveniently had same default LAN address (192.168.xxx.xxx), and therefore couldn't talk to each other. Far as I know you can't change the SurfBeam2 LAN address, but most routers should offer LAN address alternatives in the user interface.
//greg//
