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drbob's avatar
drbob
New Contributor II

Phone modem drop-out after 5 minutes

I fought a problem with my Cox phone for over an hour until I solved it, but it is never mentioned in the phone support FAQs or on this forum.  Am I the only one that has had this problem?

I started one day, and it happened all the next day until I isolated it to the phone-internet modem.  I don't know if it is a problem with my modem or something in the Cox system, but I think Cox needs to acknowledge it and post the solution for all to see.  I can't believe I am the only one that has had this problem.

The problem was that our calls were dropping out.  As I troubleshot the issue, I discovered it would be at almost exactly 5 minutes into the call, irregardless if we initiated or answered the call.  Since we had recently installed a new cordless phone set, I suspcected that was the culpert.  Testing proved it wasn't the cordless system's fault since it also would happen with a corded phone connected to the modem.  I tried unpluging the power from the modem to reboot, but that did not help.  Finally I went on-line and reset the modem.  That solved the problem. 

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  • Bruce's avatar
    Bruce
    Honored Contributor III

    Resetting a modem is thoroughly documented on Cox.  Since your device is also an Internet modem, it's probably documented under Internet support.  Moreover, it could be documented on the support page of your specific modem.

    You don't need the online tool to reset your modem.  Most have a recessed button you can depress with a paper clip.  For example, "...Use a sharp object such as a pen or a paper clip to press and hold the Restore Factory Settings button (located on the bottom of the router) for about 5 seconds, until the Power light begins to blink."

    There is a difference between recycling power (unplugging) and resetting.  Recycling usually reverts to your settings in NVRAM.  Resetting reverts to the factory default-settings in ROM.  If you recycle the power long enough, it'll fix any memory leaks and hung processes.  Resetting a modem is a little more involved and should resolve most problems.

    "Irregardless"...you've solved the problem.

  • drbob's avatar
    drbob
    New Contributor II

    My point is that dropped calls and/or reseting the phone-internet modem are not mentioned as one problems or the possible solutions when a customer goes to the Phone Support - Toubleshooting  Calling Issues path.  I agree that modem reseting is documented if you know where to find it.  I have used it before, both on-line and the paper clip method.  When the modem is buried in an entertainment center console, it is a pain to to get to the back and insert the paper clip.  The on-line reset is much easier for a feeble 80 year old geezer to do.  Your trouble shooting support guide should help the customer find the easiest path to finding the solution to their problem.

    I also have difficulty believing that other customers haven't had this problem of the modem getting locked into a mode of limiting all calls to 5 minutes, whether it is a quirk of my particular modem part number, or something that the Cox systems tells it to do.  It was a hard failure, verified by over 10 test calls that went away immediately after the reset.  It seems that if Cox is serious about asking for feedback on ways to improve their troubleshooting guides, they would be eager to learn about problems such as this and tell their customers how to fix it.  A basic priciple of quality assurance is that you can't fix a problem until you know you have a problem.

    For the record, the email reply I received from coxforums with nearly the same wording as Bruce's above reply included "Since you didn't identify your phone-internet modem, I can't provide an applicable article.", the identy of my modem is:

    Cisco Model DPQ3212,  DOCSIS 3.0 EMTA, P/N DPQ3212-COXVM-K9.

  • Bruce's avatar
    Bruce
    Honored Contributor III

    First, I think you did everything right to resolve your problem, such as searching the Forums, duplicating the problem with a corded phone, recycling power and finally resetting.  You're more intuitive than most subscribers.

    As far as searching Phone/Troubleshooting articles, you were looking for a specific condition in a general troubleshooting guide.  Cox would have to list all symptoms in the guide, such as static, can't hear, can't talk, ringing, not ringing, etc.  You might associate "dropped calls" with "My phone has no dial tone," which would lead you to Unplug all telephone equipment on that phone line for 5 to 10 minutes.

    There are plenty of dropped call questions in the Forums.
     - Go to Cox Forums
     - Go to Phone Forum
     - Locate the Search For: box
     - Type "dropped calls"
     - Click the Find It button (don't hit Enter on your keyboard because it only refreshes the page)
     - There will be 3 pages of results

    It's weird you received an email reading "..identify your phone-internet modem..." because I typed that but soon replaced it with the support page reference.  Maybe I submitted it but later edited it.  I can't remember.