slow/spotty internet connection issue

Internet has been acting up lately, called servive provider and they couldn't solve remotely and sending a service tech next week. In the meantime, I openedup the hatch to where the service is in the ground out at the end of my driveway (utilities are all underground) and the hole is full of water. I thought about trying to pump it out, but it's right next to the power transformer box and kind of worried I might get zapped if I go messing around with it. Is there any need to worry about touching cable/internet wires submerged in water?

No, since no juice is flowing through them. Phone lines are different, but it's only -48 DC.

DSL goes over the telephone lines. Cable goes over the TV coax lines. If it is Cable Modem, then a faulty ground can allow voltage over the cable, bad splitter, or a bad modem or cable box could back feed voltage. This is usually is 45 to 60 or there about volts.
If it is telephone lines, then on hook the voltage is around -45 DC and 90v AC when ringing.

Both are considered low voltage, but you if you do not know what Electrical stuff is also in the box, then I'd suggest calling an electrician. And of course if there is any electrical storms with lightening forget trying anything.

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Originally Posted by RShea

DSL goes over the telephone lines. Cable goes over the TV coax lines. If it is Cable Modem, then a faulty ground can allow voltage over the cable, bad splitter, or a bad modem or cable box could back feed voltage...

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Disconnect the Coax from your modem/cable box before doing anything. Wallah - no feeding back shit...

You should do that no matter what.

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Originally Posted by Tippster

Disconnect the Coax from your modem/cable box before doing anything. Wallah - no feeding back shit...

You should do that no matter what.

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If the voltage is due to a device and not due to a problem with the grounding, yes. If it is a grounding issue no telling where it is coming from.

You may have found the problem. But water usualy causes a complete failure or no issue.

If you have Cable the degraded signal that suddenly pops up is almost aways due to someone upstream from you pirating the cable.

When they set you up they power the line to support existing users. When a person or two taps in and steals cable it degrades the signal and causes issues.

I've had spotty internet lately too; turns out my wife's Kindle was crashing my router. Turning off wifi on our iphones and her Kindle solved it. Fuck I hate technology.

In either case- since most of the time the internet is carried along with telephone if it is DSL or the TV signal if it is Cable, you may notice problems with the other signals too. Background noise or static on the regular phone line, or on the TV with cable you could have problems from time to time with the TV signal. The ISP tech support should have ways to measure the signal quality from their end with some testing.

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Originally Posted by Flyoverland Captive

I've had spotty internet lately too; turns out my wife's Kindle was crashing my router. Turning off wifi on our iphones and her Kindle solved it. Fuck I hate technology.

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You should hate your mickey mouse ISP instead.

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Originally Posted by RShea

If the voltage is due to a device and not due to a problem with the grounding, yes. If it is a grounding issue no telling where it is coming from.

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The juice still has to come from somewhere. It's not from the sending side ever - there is no electrical load on the coax network - so has to be added on the receive end. If you disconnect the incoming line from your equipment there is no way to add electricity to the cable system, and thus grounding doesn't matter. He can then pump out the hole he was talking about, dry the cables & connectors (if any,) reconnect to the modem, and if he still has the same issue then it's more than likely something inside the house, and possibly a grounding issue within the equipment.

This of course assumes we're talking about cable-modem internet, not DSL.

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Originally Posted by ass-to-mouth

You should hate your mickey mouse ISP instead.

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Oh, I do, trust me. Screw you, Wild Blue.

The Kindle thing is a known issue; a bit of googling revealed the solution.

We used to have issues w/ slow/spotty internet. Bought a new cable modem and wireless router and gave the cable company back their crappy hardware - haven't had to think about it since the day I plugged it all in. I'd make an effort to rule out modem, etc. If you're renting one from your ISP have them replace it or buy your own; they aren't expensive.