Squirrels Took Out Our Internet

[jaydee325]

We had been noticing degrading internet performance for several weeks. Finally got so bad that I decided to contact the cable company. To my surprise, everything, (on line chat, discussion on the phone, and the tech that came out to repair) exceeded my expectations!

The tech found that squirrels had chewed several spots along the overhead line going from the street to my house. He cut off a souvenir and gave it to me. Amazing how much damage those little buggers can do!

 

[MossRoad]

That's nuts...

 

[lman]

Makes me glad mine is all buried. Hope the bugs don't chew on it. I think it's buried below groundhog level.

 

[MossRoad]

When they bury cable here, it's often less than 6". Heck, sometimes it pops up in the landscaping.

 

[lman]

Two ft. from road to house here. Five feet along the road. Fiber Optic.

 

[drssg]

Two ft. from road to house here. Five feet along the road. Fiber Optic.

Your house is only 2' from the road? That sounds horrible! (Sorry)

Our fiber optics line is not very deep from the road to the house. They used a walk-behind slicer trencher thing.

My driveway has a 5' diameter culvert that crosses a creek, and I was surprised that they "trenched" right through the 4"-6" stone that covers the culvert. There's no conduit or anything to protect the line. We'll see how that holds up.

 

[Rob41]

Lol, 2' from the road is where my mind went too.

 

[woody]

when they install mine it will be 3 feet deep, I know because I buried the conduit

 

[ponytug]

@jaydee325 Sorry to hear it. Hopefully, it is a one time thing caused by a loose cable.

We have trouble with squirrels all the time on our phone/internet. More often than not, it is that they, or the birds, stuff acorns in the overhead breakout boxes and then the nuts get wet and short the circuits. Of course, enquiring minds might ask how is it that the breakout boxes are open enough to get an acorn in to begin with... Still, the big holes mean that the boxes air out after rainfall, but then again that meant that the rain gets in to begin with and corroded things in the first place... round and round we go.

The shallow fiber tends to be armored and can put up with a lot.

All the best,

Peter

 

[MossRoad]

when they install mine it will be 3 feet deep, I know because I buried the conduit

... still got the shovel.

 

[dmccarty]

We once lost DSL and phone service when a squirrel built a nest in the phone box.

DSL and the phone went down a month or so ago but it sounds like someone in the office simply disconnected our service.

Later,
Dan

 

[jaydee325]

That's nuts...

Apparently, they like coax more than nuts. (LOL!!)

 

[lman]

Your house is only 2' from the road? That sounds horrible! (Sorry)

Our fiber optics line is not very deep from the road to the house. They used a walk-behind slicer trencher thing.

My driveway has a 5' diameter culvert that crosses a creek, and I was surprised that they "trenched" right through the 4"-6" stone that covers the culvert. There's no conduit or anything to protect the line. We'll see how that holds up.

They bored under a creek along the road here. I thought they would run it through conduit that was already attached to the bridge, but I guess their policy is to go under everything. They will even bore under small rivers. The boring machines are interesting on how they can control where the conduit needs to go.
My house is 500' from the road.

 

[oosik]

I'm a ham radio operator. I have a Colins radio that was used in military service. ALL the interior wiring is protected by braided shielding. The military knew about squirrels - ??? I think not - it's to prevent extraneous RF interference.

 

[ljjhouser]

I'm a ham radio operator. I have a Colins radio that was used in military service. ALL the interior wiring is protected by braided shielding. The military knew about squirrels - ??? I think not - it's to prevent extraneous RF interference.

They were a great radio - expensive. That would be a place I would not want to find a mouse at work. Wonder if Collins still makes amateur radios or when they stopped. And their linear amps.

 

[Chewwy]

Squirrels chewed thru the low voltage aluminum neutral line supplying our church creating a floating neutral condition. The floating neutral resulted in damage to several electronic power supplies as well as numerous led light fixtures.

Apparently squirrels like to chew on aluminum. The power company replaced the chewed portion with copper. Seems that squirrels don’t chew on copper.

 

[ponytug]

Squirrels chewed thru the low voltage aluminum neutral line supplying our church creating a floating neutral condition. The floating neutral resulted in damage to several electronic power supplies as well as numerous led light fixtures.

Apparently squirrels like to chew on aluminum. The power company replaced the chewed portion with copper. Seems that squirrels don’t chew on copper.

Yes, well, aluminum is inert and copper is toxic, so there is a certain Darwinian selection going on... I am glad that the fix worked. Floating neutrals are no fun.

All the best,

Peter

 

[ovrszd]

Squirrels are rats that can climb trees. I don't tolerate them near my buildings or equipment.