PSA: I spent 3 hours trying to figure out why my router kept dropping when the issue was just a loose coax cable

Called my ISP twice, replaced the router, and even ran new ethernet before my neighbor asked if I checked the cable connection behind the wall plate, which was barely hand tight. Has anyone else had a fix that simple take way longer than it should have?

3 comments

3 Comments

robertgreen15d ago

Yeah 100% I've had that same thing happen but with a loose phone line on my DSL back in the day. I spent a whole Saturday swapping out filters and even bought a new modem before my dad walked over and just wiggled the wall jack connection. Tightened it by like a quarter turn and boom everything worked. The kicker is I had already checked that same jack twice but I was pressing on it from the wrong angle so it seemed fine. Now I always start with the physical stuff first before I even touch software settings or call anyone. Saves me hours every time.

jamie_smith15d ago

Wait, is it really that big of a deal though? Its just a loose coax cable, right? Yeah it took a while to figure out but its not like you had to call a tech or anything. Ive had way worse issues like a bad power supply that fried my whole modem setup. That was a real headache. Loose cables happen all the time in my experience, just gotta get in the habit of checking them first before going crazy.

kevin_dixon15d ago

Yeah but that fried power supply sounds like a nightmare compared to a loose cable though.