I recently experienced a situation where roadwork caused my internet provider's wire to be disconnected from my house. When they came and reconnected everything, the internet service came back online, but about two hours later, my modem completely failed. I tested the power source, and that seemed fine, so I ended up purchasing a new modem. This new one worked well until the highway department took the line down again just a week later. Now, I'm wondering if the reconnection could have caused my modem to fail, or if it was just a strange coincidence. For reference, my old modem was a three-year-old Surfboard. Just to clarify based on previous comments, I've only lost one modem, and this failure happened before the second service interruption. The first one wouldn't power on or show any lights, while the new modem works fine on the same power source.
4 Answers
I've heard of this sort of thing happening often. If there's a malfunction during the reconnection process, it's entirely possible for the modem to get damaged. I've actually had mine fry from a lightning strike before – bad wiring can definitely cause issues. Watch out for grounding problems or static build-up. Your new modem should be fine, as long as you take precautions when they come to fix the lines again.
It's definitely possible for roadwork to fry your modem. When they reconnect lines, it can cause a power surge that sends a voltage spike through the coax cable, which can damage your modem. Grounding issues and static discharge are also real risks during work like that. Since you mentioned it happened twice – once with your old modem and then with the service disruption, it seems more than just bad luck. To protect your new modem, I'd recommend getting a coax surge protector for around $15-20. Also, make sure the line is properly grounded where it enters your house. If it fails again, your internet provider might be on the hook for the damage.
Unplugging it sounds like a smart move. As long as it's disconnected, you're less likely to deal with a spike when they restore service.
Yeah, this can definitely happen, especially if there's a surge from reconnecting the lines. I had a similar experience where my modem fried after a thunderstorm brought down my connection. It's a real pain. You might wanna talk to your provider about the equipment you're using if these issues keep occurring. It's good that you bought your own modem to save money, but make sure you're protected from these situations!
While it's unlikely that simply reconnecting the internet caused the issue, it's not impossible either. I mean, if the modem was already on the brink, any fluctuations in power could have tipped it over. If the modem isn't responding after they fixed the cable, it's probably toast for sure. But keep an eye on your new one; just in case, you should ask the ISP if they can provide you with protection while they work on the lines next time.
Thanks for the advice! I'm still waiting for a tech to come out and fix things. Can I keep my modem unplugged until the work is done to avoid any issues, or will the surge happen regardless?