Current Backflow?

Geoff Waller · 08-20-2004, 12:56 PM

Could use some help here. Am a Comcast subscriber with a Motorola 5100 modem. Since I have had it, approx 4 months, it just stops working. Two green lights and one flashing, not the four green I'm supposed to have. I have talked to Comcast support which seems to be every IT guy in Canada and have gotten every reason under the sun. When they can't fix it they roll a truck. When they get there they say its simple just something wrong with my splitter and replace it and it works. Well after the last call the tech said that it was really and uncovered ground somewhere in the house and the electrical current backflow was shutting down the modem after it built up. Has anyone dealt with this before?

**Fox** · 08-20-2004, 01:08 PM

I know this may not help, as it isn't the same problem, but when I had a similar problem, it turned out to be water inside the sleeve of the cable that feeds the bottom half of my house. The way I was able to isolate it was to take the modem upstairs to a different socket, and that one connected.

I was unable to find almost any documentation on the subject of backflow, but I would assume that placing a diode (running with the open end towards the ground source) would prevent any backflow.

johnwill · 08-20-2004, 01:36 PM

If you have poor electrical grounds in your wiring, it can cause all sorts of oddball issues. I can only presume that this might be what they're talking about.

08-20-2004, 12:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
Geoff Waller Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 1 OS: xp	Current Backflow? Could use some help here. Am a Comcast subscriber with a Motorola 5100 modem. Since I have had it, approx 4 months, it just stops working. Two green lights and one flashing, not the four green I'm supposed to have. I have talked to Comcast support which seems to be every IT guy in Canada and have gotten every reason under the sun. When they can't fix it they roll a truck. When they get there they say its simple just something wrong with my splitter and replace it and it works. Well after the last call the tech said that it was really and uncovered ground somewhere in the house and the electrical current backflow was shutting down the modem after it built up. Has anyone dealt with this before?

08-20-2004, 01:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 31,468 OS: XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	If you have poor electrical grounds in your wiring, it can cause all sorts of oddball issues. I can only presume that this might be what they're talking about. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

08-20-2004, 01:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
Fox TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 7,752 OS: XP Pro, CentOS My System	I know this may not help, as it isn't the same problem, but when I had a similar problem, it turned out to be water inside the sleeve of the cable that feeds the bottom half of my house. The way I was able to isolate it was to take the modem upstairs to a different socket, and that one connected. I was unable to find almost any documentation on the subject of backflow, but I would assume that placing a diode (running with the open end towards the ground source) would prevent any backflow.