LOL!

I've already learned I can drastically cut down the time spent determining the problem if I just start the cable guy at the entry point to the home rather than the modem itself. Otherwise the guy will be prone to blaming (and replacing) every wire and connector between the modem and the outlet first before accepting that the poor signal originates from outside the home.

I've got an insider at the cable company. Maybe I'll just default modem error emails to him if the quality of my service doesn't pick up soon. What's that they say about the squeaky wheel?