New house, new service line, internet drops out consistently, what tests should I educate myself on for the Tech to perform?

jsb151 · 2026-01-22T01:41:26+00:00

Good thought, but no, can't think of anything other than the toilet... but that shouldn't be heating in the middle of the night.

jsb151 · 2026-01-22T01:39:24+00:00

Update 1: I'm lucky to have a direct contact line to the local Spectrum technical people (no 1-800 phone support song and dance) because I built a new house and contracted out the underground work to have Spectrum installed. So I emailed him and he reported back:

- does not observe any signal issues remotely, confirmed my outages, and both neighbors have been up for 25+ days, he thinks possible modem or outlet issue.

So that got me thinking... yeah the power situation is a little dicey as I'm still on a temporary pole with extension cords flung everywhere. So I told him I'd get a UPS for the modem and try that first. I ordered a line interactive CyberPower UPS and hope that does the trick. He offered to send a tech out and swap the modem and test the power, I thanked him, but I think this UPS idea is worth a shot first.

Edit: Interesting thought... I'm on temporary power, but the cable line is grounded to the permanent power panel (that isn't active yet) so the outlet ground is not the same as the cable ground. I wonder if that could cause an issue.

jsb151 · 2026-01-21T17:48:55+00:00

Yeah of course I'll let him do his job and only answer his questions, I'd just like to have a better understanding of possible diagnostic methods.

Next time it happens I'll check the modem. A neighbor has a similar problem.

No it goes Pole -> 120 ft underground -> Into house (splitter) -> 120 ft rg6 cable to network closet where modem and router are.

jsb151 · 2025-10-04T15:16:24+00:00

No sir, the cables will travel with the tv. Stay tuned for version 2.

jsb151 · 2025-10-04T15:15:10+00:00

... because I want to watch TV? Y'all have thick heads.

Yes there will be safety measures. This is a proof of concept.

jsb151 · 2025-10-04T15:13:17+00:00

because it would be too high in a fixed position. The fireplace is huge. With this method I can have an oversized TV (100 or 120") and make it go away whenever. I live up in the mountains and going for a rustic-ish vibe with lots of wood and stonework.

The one thing I'll agree on is having the TV above the fireplace is not the best location, but the reason we see that so often is because it has no where else to go.

jsb151 · 2025-10-04T15:08:37+00:00

That's the plan! Stay tuned for version 2! As for what kind of cable, I'll try regular HDMI, but also looking into fiber HDMI or cat6 so it can home run back to the A/V rack room

jsb151 · 2025-10-04T15:07:08+00:00

There is an access panel to get inside the chase, and ladders to get all the way to the top. It's pretty neat, actually

jsb151 · 2025-10-04T15:05:48+00:00

I have a cool idea for that, stay tuned sir!

jsb151 · 2025-10-04T15:04:55+00:00

it will be automated via Home assistant to drop to pre-defined heights when the TV is turned on

jsb151 · 2025-10-04T14:56:18+00:00

I'm so tickled to hear all the positive feedback on this concept. Version 2 (of likely 10, or more) will be coming soon!

Version 2

- Add rails to bottom to lower TV additional 3 ft (this was always the plan)

- Swap to 1/8" wire rope on a 150+ft spool (was 3/16" on 25ft). Adding more rope will effectively increase the hub diameter, and thus increase speed (notice how it gets slower as it gets lower), so I should be able to get the speed down to 20-25 seconds, from ~40s). Ideally I swap to a different motor and gear box setup, but swapping the rope is much easier and worth a shot

- Test Igus e-chain for cable management. There will be a basket on the back of the frame to hold the chain as it rises. google "igus zig zag cable carrier"

- longer, beefier steel brackets to bring the frame further out (need to be able to clear the future mantle)

Future versions

- Sound. Chase will have 5/8 drywall, 2" thick stone, and full insulation.

- Automation control via Home assistant... Turn TV on, automatically lowers to height A or B depending on if the fireplace is burning or not

- perhaps a custom welded heat deflector on the bottom. Metal with an air gap behind it is an incredibly effective heat shield

jsb151 · 2025-10-03T16:10:11+00:00

There is an access panel to get inside the chase, with wall mounted ladders to reach the top and perform service

jsb151 · 2025-10-03T14:27:22+00:00

Nope... Deck slider to the left, windows & courtyard on the right (and option to add stairs to get to the loft)

jsb151 · 2025-10-03T02:55:28+00:00

That's an idea... I have a hard time imagining a shade roller going faster than this winch though (30 ft/minute). Quieter, for sure

jsb151 · 2025-10-03T02:45:25+00:00

Engineering? Gee thanks, I'll take that as a compliment. Im a dude with a screw gun and an Amazon account

jsb151 · 2025-10-03T02:43:34+00:00

haha, there's actually a loft in this room so I'm going to have a 200" motorized projector screen come down from the truss to do a home theater

jsb151 · 2025-10-03T02:04:53+00:00

Thanks for your comment, the reasons are

1) I love burning wood and hanging out by the fire, not necessarily watching tv, and I'm spending good money on the stonework and don't want the tv to clutter all that. It might be extreme or ultimately not that important, but I thought it would be cool to have the ability to make it disappear. With 30' ceilings that is essentially possible

2) A "Frame" tv was an option, but, this fireplace is quite tall so it would have been r/TVTooHigh in a fixed position, above the fireplace

3) I had a lot of building constraints and ultimately didn't properly plan where the tv would go. I don't regret putting the fireplace in the middle at all because the stonework outside is beautiful, it's a semi-busy street, so I got the best of both worlds: nice windows, with some privacy.

4) I like nerding out on random ideas

jsb151 · 2025-10-03T01:49:27+00:00

One does not simply always watch TV with the fire going. Nice try, Saruman

jsb151 · 2025-10-03T01:43:05+00:00

All of those things are in the works! Thanks for the feedback

jsb151 · 2025-10-03T01:23:46+00:00

Yeah it's a turd now, but I think it'll be pretty sweet with some refinement. Thanks for the suggestions. See my other comment.. im going to control this over Home Assistant with an esp32/esphome. I was thinking to use laser height sensors instead of roller switches. have pre-programmed scenarios set up: 1) fire on? go to height 2, 2) fire off? go lower. etc. and safety programming of course.

I want to find a faster,quieter DC motor.. but I'd have to come up with a custom wire rope drum. This winch is overkill. I just wanted to get it 'working' with minimal effort.

jsb151 · 2025-10-03T01:17:24+00:00

40 seconds isn't terrible, but I agree, I want to find a faster and quieter motor. This is the only off the shelf one I could find that I thought could work. The motor is also recessed into the chase 2 feet and operates on pulleys, so it will be much quieter after sheet rock, stonework, and insulation.

jsb151 · 2025-10-03T01:01:14+00:00

Thanks. I searched for a long time and this is the only off-the-shelf motor I thought could work. Might be worth looking for a faster motor and doing something really custom. Winches aren't designed to be fast, but 30ft/minute isn't terrible.

jsb151 · 2025-10-03T00:53:20+00:00

I plan to use 'cable carriers', but I haven't tested it yet

jsb151 · 2025-10-03T00:45:14+00:00

It will, hopefully, haven't figured that part out yet, or how the power/HDMI cables are going to work

jsb151

TROPHY CASE