Living in Your Rental Property

Fridges! Warm beverages and empty fridges: Don’t do it!

So, your fridge seems like its not cooling? First big question: Did you just move it (or recently have it mostly empty or off for some time for some reason). If so…

“My refrigerator isn’t working.” 9 times out of 10 this message comes in when someone arrives, as in move in time, with a bunch of food, especially WARM/HOT beverages and loads up the refrigerator. Not only will it take a REALLY long time, like overnight or longer, it will likely cause the fridge to condensate inside (ie. puddle of water) and potentially outside. Refrigerators simply are not designed to work going from empty to a large amount of warm products and to cool those products takes lots of time as there is a lot of mass to cool down and none already in the fridge to help hold the cold. Normally, at home, you have all the other already cold stuff that retains a temperature and “helps” the new stuff cool down. Not so when empty. This also means that if you put some milk, eggs, and lunchmeat (perhaps already cool) but with a lot of hot beverages then they may very well not be kept at at a good temp too until everything is cooled down.

Key takeaway?! If you are bringing beverages, buy them cold if you can, or put them on ice in a cooler for that first day or so. 

Worth noting: this should NOT affect the freezer except in extreme cases, so your freezer portion should work regardless of what kind of crazy you have going in the fridge (unless of course you stuck a lot of hot beverages in the freezer….).

BUT its been working, what now?

If on the other hand, you put cold stuff in and its not staying cool, or the freezer isn’t working, or the lights don’t come on in either compartment (a big clue there may be a power issue–is it plugged in? Is the breaker tripped? Is there a GFCI outlet nearby that is tripped?), OR you don’t hear fans or compressors, something definitely could be awry! In that case, reach out so we can get someone out asap!

Stay frosty my friends!

Here’s the 411 on where you need a Neighborhood Parking Permit and how to obtain proof of residency. Hint: DO NOT provide a copy of your lease!

Most areas where we have homes around Bloomington and the IU Campus REQUIRE neighborhood parking passes to be able to park on the street. That is… no, you cannot just park on the street anytime you want. Unless… you have a permit! Enforcement is not 24×7 in most locations, but see below for more. The key thing: if you live in a home around Bloomington, you probably qualify for a city neighborhood parking permit, and you will need one to park on the street in your neighborhood. And to get one… you will need proof of residency… and we are here to help!

How do I get proof of residency for a Bloomington City Neighborhood Parking Pass?

Easy! We have a letter for that that we will generate and send to you. All you need to do is send us a note using the below form, or just sending us an email with your name and the address of the home you are living in. The city may ask for a copy of your lease. That is just one form of proof of residency and we do not allow for residents sharing their lease. It contains a lot more about you and your roommates than you really need to provide them. Instead… handy dandy letter!

Easy peasy! Please note, we will also confirm whether you are eligible, as most townhomes, apartments, and similar units are specifically not allowed to have Neighborhood Parking Passes.

BONUS FAQ Items:

What are the Neighborhood Zones?

So City Neighborhood Parking Passes are specific to “Zones” — you cannot use one to park in a different zone, so if you have one for your place, do not assume all is well if you go park at a friends (unless they happen to be in the same “Zone”). See the below map for where Zones are. Also, be mindful of the street signage. ALL Zoned areas have lots of signage explaining hours, which zone, etc.

https://bloomington.in.gov/gisdata/mapgallery/Parking/ResidentialNeigbhrohoodPermitZones/NeighborhoodParkingPermitZoneLocationsMap.pdf

When (and where) is neighborhood street parking enforced?

Neighborhood parking is ONLY enforced in the zones (see the map, or check with the city to be ABSOLUTELY sure… your decision to park somewhere is… your decision… please be sure you park where and when you are allowed to do so). Parking enforcement is sometimes limited in hours. Please verify the latest information from the City website but as of this writing (August 2022) the following are the hours:

All zones shall be in effect from eight a.m. to five p.m. Monday through Friday. Additionally, from August 15 through May 15, Zone 6 shall be in continuous effect from eight a.m. Thursday until eight a.m. Sunday

Zone 6, for those wondering, is the zone closest to the stadium, and is bordered roughly by 14th street, 17th, Walnut and Woodlawn.

Everything else you ever wanted to know about Neighborhood Parking

(just not in a terribly user friendly form)

https://bloomington.in.gov/transportation/parking/neighborhood-parking

Missed trash collection. Got a lot? You can schedule extra trash pickups! And Large Items too!

Have a full CBU trash bin? Forgot to take it out, or filled it way before the next collection?

Did you know you can schedule an additional trash pick up anytime, if you pay for city water utilities yourself? If you pay for water though US, you will have to call or email us and submit a request and we will handle it for you!

Full bins no more! You can self-schedule an additional trash pick up. These happen on Fridays, conveniently emptying your bin(s) before weekend activities!

NOTE: IF ANY of the forms from CBU site below are not working, we suggest you just start at your CBU portal (how you pay for CBU) OR at https://bloomington.in.gov/mybloomington/

Additional Weekly Pick-Up Requests from CBU (Optional)

The Sanitation Division will provide additional pickups on request for missing collection due to forgetting to place your carts out by 5:00 AM on pickup day, or for overflow trash from an unusually large amount of trash during a particular week.  There is an extra charge associated with these requests, depending on the size of your cart, which will be added to your monthly CBU statement. It seems pretty minimal, maxing out around $5 for the largest of the bins, so well worth it!

You must contact the Sanitation Division or complete this on-line form to schedule these additional weekly pickups (they are collected on Fridays). It may be possible to do it in your portal too!

And.. don’t forget large items too!

Large Item and Appliance Collection

The charge for pickup of any large item or appliance is $10 (per item). Please contact the Sanitation Division at (812) 349-3443, or complete this on-line form, to schedule a collection time for these items. Large items will be picked up on your regular trash day, and appliances will be picked up on Thursdays. All charges will be automatically added to your monthly CBU statement.

You must schedule an appointment with Sanitation in order for large items or appliances to be picked up by crews!

Examples of large items and appliances:

• Furniture (couches, chairs, tables, etc.)
• Mattresses
• Refrigerators
• Dishwashers
• Grills

And of course we have everything you wanted to know about your CBU trash bins…

Where can you recycle in Bloomington, Indiana? Recycle carts and the Monroe County Recycling Centers!

Great question. Way to be environmentally conscious! There are lots of great options for recycling in Bloomington, Indiana!

City Utilities Trash and Recycling Carts

If you are a CBU customer (water/sewer), you have (and are paying for!) trash and recycling carts. Solid waste should be placed in the cart designated for waste, while all recycling – cans, paper, plastics, glass – should be disposed of in the cart designated for recycling. Both solid waste and recycling are collected on a weekly basis.

https://bloomington.in.gov/sanitation/modernization/faq

Monroe County Recycling Centers! Lots of options. Take most anything!

You can also check out the Monroe County Recycling Centers. Great place. Easy drop off! They can most things, even electronics for a small fee. Plus the primary one is right by the humane society, so its a chance to visit puppies (just remember, most of our places do not allow pets…).

http://www.gogreendistrict.com/centers

Ouch! Did your actual or projected energy cost go through the roof? Big changes in the weather are usually the primary cause!

Your (projected) energy use is way up. Why might this happen?

Your energy bill may go way up. Or perhaps you received an email from Duke Energy telling you that your projected use is way up, like the image above. What’s up with this?

If this happens in late fall, or early winter, this is likely perfectly normal.

2018s weather, for example, set everyone up for what may have been an unpleasant surprise. We had unseasonably temperate temperatures for most of fall. This means you were not using either your AC or your heat very much, and if you did, it didn’t have to work very hard. So… that’s great: low energy bills!

Then Winter hit pretty hard!

From unseasonably nice, to very cold: Recipe for big energy use changes!

But then we had temps drop below freezing, in fact well below freezing, almost record breaking. That means, ladies and gentleman, fire up your heat! And not just a little… we went from not much use at all… what a lovely fall it is… to wow, its cold!

Very cold=even more costly to heat.

Note: the colder it is outside, the harder it is for heat systems (other than gas) to warm the home, not just because of the temperature difference, but also because heat pumps, which are usually more efficient, don’t work well when the temps go well below zero and they have to fall back on emergency (heat strip) heat. This is normal, but means it costs even more to heat when it gets to be very unseasonably cold… See the chart. We dropped WELL below zero (and well below the green “normal”).

Energy usage may double or more…

So, since HVAC is the most significant use of energy in a home, that means your energy bill likely doubled or possibly tripled when the temps drastically changed. How much it went up depends on how much you used your AC before hand, how much “other stuff” you have drawing energy in the house, and how warm you set it to when you turned on the heat.

About that “average” Duke may report…

The two graphs on this page are from actual 5 and 2 bedroom units and there increased usage. Big increases, but not unusual when temps change markedly. Note, the $270 above average DOES NOT MEAN the increase is higher than other people in the area. It means the amount is higher than that particular home’s average, and of course this is true because peak winter (and peak summer) are always much more expensive energy-wise.

What can you do?

For many of our places, you have double hung windows. They rock. You can open them up… but if they aren’t closed right, they can let a lot of air in (plus they won’t lock). Check out our FAQ about double hungs!

A few other tips about saving on Heat from Duke Energy:

• Check your furnace filter monthly and replace it when it appears dirty.
• Lower your thermostat temperature to the lowest temperature that is comfortable to your family. You may save as much as 3 percent on your energy bill for each degree you lower your thermostat. Reduce your thermostat setting at night and when you are away.
• The “auto” thermostat setting on central heating systems may save you money.
• If you have a heat pump, keep the outdoor unit clear of grass, leaves and especially drifting snow around the outdoor coil.
• Never switch a heat pump to the “emergency heat” setting on the thermostat, unless the unit is malfunctioning. This switch will turn off your energy-efficient heat pump. Using only your backup electric or gas furnace without the heat pump could double your heating costs.

Never below 60 (or off!)

BUT! Don’t ever set the thermostat to below 60 (or to off!) if you will be away because frozen pipes will cost you a lot more than the energy bill! Bad things. Expensive things. Thousands of dollars…

Even smaller places will see similar projected big changes. These happen most frequently when weather goes from nice to very hot or cold in a short period, like May and November. Toward summer, we might jump from no HVAC to high speed AC, and in winter to a need for a lot of heat!

Trash bins and recycle bins are provided by the city and are your responsibility

First up: Please remember that Elkins Apartments is not involved with or responsible for these trash carts (or fines you may get by not handling them correctly). We know the process can be challenging at first, or downright frustrating, and we definitely want your time with us to go smoothly, so we are creating this FAQ as well as sending reminders to try to help, and, as always, let us know if there is anything we can do to help…

Many of you may already know the city has provided you with trash and recycle bins for your unit. These are usually associated with your water bill (from the City of Bloomington Utilities-CBU).

Everyone who has a water bill, and some people who don’t, from CBU gets sanitation services (trash and recycling) through their utility account.

Not sure? Its easy to check. Go to MyBloomington and type your address. It will tell when your trash pickup is if you have the services.

Do I have trash bins? When’s my pickup day? This and more at MyBloomington. And don’t forget the Trash Bin FAQ.

These bins are yours to use and to take care of…

There may be a few bumps at the beginning of the school year, but wanted to get a note out to everyone that there should have been bins at your unit and to let you know that, yes, indeed, you do have them, and that you need to be sure to take them out on your scheduled trash day [click the link, type your address] and to bring them in after the trash has been picked up, as the city can also fine you for not keeping them off the streets… different department of course! And if the cans wander off, they will charge for them…

PLACEMENT OF CARTS FOR DAILY USE

TRASH CARTS MUST BE KEPT NEATLY ON THE SIDE OR REAR OF THE HOUSE or at a location approved by Elkins Apartments.

They may not be kept on the front of the home/unit, in flower beds, or other areas clearly visible from the primary street.

You may be charged a fine of no less than $50 per day for violation, by us, by the city, OR BOTH. NOTE, if WE send someone to pick up after you, the charge for that will start at $100, and is in addition to any fines.

https://bloomington.in.gov/sanitation/modernization/faq

The pickup schedule is in there too, so you can rock and roll your recyclables (and trash) in the new school year!

Some tidbits from the city. Remember, these rules (and fines) ARE NOT ONLY FROM US. We know its not cool to get fined for things, and it can be significant, and a frustration, but please try to remember that we don’t have anything to do with these fancy ‘carts,’ or any fines or problems that may follow them, although the city will often send the fine to us to pass along to you since the department that issues the fines isn’t the same as the one that provided the carts and so they don’t have your contact information (go figure).

Placement of Carts for PICKUP

The placement of the carts is very important. 

• Carts must be placed at the curb by 5:00 a.m. on your day of pickup in order to guarantee service***
• Carts must be 4 feet away from any obstacles, including mailboxes, other carts, overhead wires, trees, etc.
• Carts must also be 10 feet away from vehicles
• All cart lids need to be fully closed.
• Failure to comply with these guidelines could result in a missed pickup!

***Please note: after pickup, carts must be removed from the curb on the same day of pickup or fines may be issued.

Non-Collection Notices

In the event that City Sanitation crews do not collect your trash or recycling, a non-collection notice will be left explaining the problem.  To ensure collection of your trash and recycling, please follow these guidelines:

• Set carts near the street
• Point front of carts toward the street
• Set carts 4 feet apart, 4 feet away from other objects and 10 feet away from vehicles
• Close lids completely
• Bag all solid waste
• Do NOT bag recyclable materials
• Place all solid waste and recycling INSIDE the container

Large Item and Appliance Collection

The charge for pickup of any large item or appliance is $10 (per item). Please contact the Sanitation Division at (812) 349-3443, or complete this on-line form, to schedule a collection time for these items. Large items will be picked up on your regular trash day, and appliances will be picked up on Thursdays. All charges will be automatically added to your monthly CBU statement.

You must schedule an appointment with Sanitation in order for large items or appliances to be picked up by crews!

Examples of large items and appliances:

• Furniture (couches, chairs, tables, etc.)
• Mattresses
• Refrigerators
• Dishwashers
• Grills

What about recycling?

You usually also get a recycle bin. Break down boxes. And load up the bins. Be enviro-friendly! Too much? You can also check out the Monroe County Recycling Centers. Great place. Easy drop off!

http://www.gogreendistrict.com/centers

Bloomington, Indiana. Summer. Hot. Humid.  When temps rise, so do your apartment or rental house energy bills. What can you do to save a few (dollars, that is!)?

4 Energy Savings Tips from Duke Energy. Bloomington, Indiana. Summertime. AC is almost a requirement with our heat and especially humidity. How can you save some hard cash while staying cool?

Set your AC to at least 78.

According to one article in the New York Times, every degree below 78 raises energy use by 6%! Other estimates suggest that each degree you raise the setting, saves 3%. 3%, 6%? Either way, that’s a significant savings….

Change your filters monthly.

Dirty filters make the AC unit work harder=more energy use!

Use stand-alone or ceiling fans.

Fans help you feel cooler as well as circulate cool air from the AC.

Close blinds or curtains.

Blocking the sun, especially on south and west sides of the home can really help lower energy use by reducing radiated heat from entering your home. Bonus, curtains in a home in the winter can block drafts and cold air radiating from windows too!

Here are some more tips from the Department of Energy. Stay cool my friends….

https://energy.gov/energysaver/spring-and-summer-energy-saving-tips

Heading out of town, even for a long weekend? You need to make sure you have someone check on your place while you are gone, even if its for a short time, and especially during inclement weather.

In the end, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for anything that happens to the home while you are a tenant and the home is in your possession, even if it happens while you are away.

Long weekend, business trip, holidays, leaving at the end of a semester? Have someone check your home!

If you will be gone for an extended period of time, it is very important that you have someone check your home. If something happens while you are away, such as a water leak, and you are not around to check it or report it, then the damage can be much worse than if you had been home and noted the problem right away.

Cold weather during a trip? Have someone check your home!

If the temps are low while you are gone, it is especially important that you have someone check your place. And if you failed to take the steps to prevent frozen pipes, then you should have someone stop by to do that, or come back yourself, just to be safe. Because a frozen house is an expensive proposition. That’s why we include it in the policies and procedures AND send regular notices before typical trip times AND send notices if the weather changes. Its just that big of a deal.

Things can happen when no one is home, and they become a bigger deal when the folks who aren’t there also don’t check. Furnaces can stop working. That’s an inconvenience when you are home. It can be a catastrophe if you are not and if no one notices until you get back. Again, its that important.

Please just do it: Don’t assume all is well.

And in a pinch, you can ask us to check for you. It might cost a trip charge, and doesn’t absolve you of your responsibilities, but we don’t want anything to happen to your place either, and are happy to help if we can do so.

Some Details, from your handy dandy legal agreements

From the lease…

7.12. Tenant shall not permit any person to destroy, deface, damage, impair or remove any part of the Leased Premises. Tenant shall promptly report any defect, damage or breakage to Landlord. Except in the case of emergencies, Tenant shall obtain the prior written approval of Landlord before ordering any repairs. Without exception, costs associated with any repairs made by landlord shall be due and payable upon receipt of bill from landlord. Tenants will be liable for any damages resulting from extended absence from the Leased Premises during the lease term.

Policies and Procedures (incorporated within the lease)

EXTENDED ABSENCES. During periods absence from your unit, it is your responsibility to have someone periodically check that the unit is secured and without maintenance issues, including but not limited to, water leaks, loss of heat or air conditioning, broken windows, etc. Without exception you will be liable for any and all costs associated with such damages. Do not turn heat, AC, or electricity off.

Apartment Grilling Rules 101: Can I use a grill at my apartment, house or townhouse?

Generally, yes. BUT there are some important restrictions and apartment grilling rules!

Don’t blow it or it could cost your a lot more than your deposit (and a burnt meal!).

“It only takes one person to violate the Fire Code, but many will deal with the consequences because fire knows no boundaries, as shown in the Dupont Lakes apartment complex where 33 families were affected by one charcoal grill.”–Ft Wayne Fire Department, regarding fire caused by tenant grill use

Stay More the 10 Feet Away

By Indiana Fire Code, open-flame and gas grills and other cooking devices must be located no less than 10 feet away from combustible construction.

“But I was getting wet”–yeah, that’s probably what one of our tenant’s a few years ago when they put a grill right up against the house on our front deck. Well… they stayed dry for a while, but melted the siding of the house and were lucky they didn’t set the whole place on fire. They were responsible for replacing ALL the siding. Not good.

Be Neighborly–Keep the smoke and smell to thyself!

So you’ve avoided mass destruction. Awesome. Now let’s avoid annoying the neighbors. You may like the smell of flesh sizzling on the grill, but your neighbors may not like it, or the smoke that can come along with a good grilling!

Please try to be mindful of this and locate your grill in a place so smoke and smell do not go directly into a neighbors house or gathering. Just be mindful of where your smoke and smell may be going because while you certainly have the right to enjoy a good plate of grilled veggies (or shrimp, or steak–okay, now I’m hungry), you do not have the right to impose said aromas and smoke on your neighbors. Right?!

And while you are at it, you can always offer to share. Now that’s neighborly!

Renter’s Insurance?

You should consider renter’s insurance for your belonging’s and the home if an accident were to occur, grilling or otherwise!

So, yes, enjoy some grilling during good weather, but please follow these apartment grilling rules: never put the grill on or under the porches or decks or up next to the buildings when in use. And, of course, be courteous to your neighbors.

And here’s a little infographic advice from NFPA and FEMA:

Grill safety. Click for a larger PDF. Grilling is awesome, but grilling unsafely and where you shouldn’t, and “burning down the house”–not so much.

A home fire can be devastating and they happen more frequently than you may imagine. In a recent year in Bloomington, for example, there were 47 cooking-related fires —and those are only the ones for which fire trucks were rolled!

10 Things to Do to Prevent Residential Fires

• Check your smoke detectors monthly.
• Check your fire extinguisher monthly.
• Don’t leave cooking unattended.
• Never leave candles unattended.
• Don’t use space heaters.
• Only grill where it is allowed, and do so safely.
• Don’t smoke. If you must smoke, dispose of your butt appropriately.
• Do not overload a circuit: too much stuff=fire hazard.
• Never leave a christmas tree (or similar) unattended.
• Snag Rental Insurance, just in case…

THIS IS JUST A SHORT LIST: WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU CAREFULLY REVIEW THE U.S. FIRE ADMINISTRATION SITE OR CALL THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF FIRE PREVENTION PRECAUTIONS.

The Bloomington Fire Department has some good information about how to prevent, and what to do about, cooking related fires.

Another good resource for fire prevention can be found from the Department of Homeland Security. We highlight recommend you read through the materials and take steps to safeguard yourselves and your home:

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/

(and if you would like your fire prevention a little less dry, try the one targeting kids although it should not be a replacement for the one targeting ‘more mature audiences’).

Another good site is the National Fire Protection Association.

Before you leave for the holidays, Bloomington police offer the following eight tips to help keep your valuables safe at home while you’re gone.

1. Check that all windows and doors are locked.
2. Have newspapers and mail held, as a pile of newspapers is a definite indication that no one is home.
3. Ask someone to shovel snow in the driveway and on the sidewalk.
4. Consider a timer for lights and a television or radio.
5. Keep trees and shrubs trimmed.
6. Set an alarm, if applicable.
7. Use the buddy system and ask neighbors or friends to check on the home while you’re gone.
8. Ask for extra patrols. Bloomington police keep an extra patrol log book. Officers on all three shifts attempt to drive by each home listed in the book as well as walk around the home to make sure it is secured.

To these, we would add the following regarding fire prevention:

1. Test smoke alarms before leaving, change battery if necessary (these should be checked monthly too just to be safe).
2. Do not leave Christmas trees unattended. Definitely appropriately dispose of the tree before you leave. The Salvation Army or another organization may take them and you may be able to leave it curbside if on city pickup (check first or the city may fine you).

For more on preventing fires, see our Fire Prevention FAQ.

Are cable and internet included in my lease? No, cable and internet are not included in your lease. Yes, you can and should have them installed asap as it gets very busy this time of year, and you don’t want to be without your internet and tv!

Cable and internet are not a part of your lease. Unlike large, one size fits all, humongous dorm-like housing complexes, most of our Bloomington rentals are detached houses for rent (we also have several 1-5 bedroom townhome and apartment complexes, if a home isn’t your style). You get to choose who provides your cable and internet service, and whether you sign up at all.

Sometimes we have a specific contact for Comcast and that person often has better deals available than the general public can get just by calling in. However, this contact seems to change yearly (or more frequently). When we know who it is, we include it in our email that goes our about 1 month before move-in.

Please note, new installations must use existing wire. New wiring, holes in the wall, cables dangling on the sides of the buildings, etc may not occur without prior written permission from the office.

We do not provide any support for cable or internet. Your service and any service issues are between you and the provider. However, we want to know if you are having issues and they are not being resolved or if the provider to pass the buck by blaming wiring, etc. We will help you if we can. One of our owners happens to have been a tech coordinator for schools, worked in IU network services, and runs a tech company. He’s usually happy to provide his $.02.

Can you have cable and internet installed in your Elkins Apartments Bloomington rental home, townhouse or apartment? Yes, and no! Definitely no new holes and wires. Read on….

Can I have cable and internet installed at my location?

Yes, of course you may have internet and/or cable television installed in your apartment or rental house but….

Can installation involve new wires and structural changes? NO. Not without written permission.

You may not have any structural changes performed, this includes but is not limited to, new wires run, any holes drilled, have anything mounted to the outside of the building, or dangle wires anywhere. That is, without written prior approval to do so. The issue we run into is that many installers will take the easy route, and just slap new cables and drill new holes, and we end up with lots of extra holes and wires everywhere, and they look bad and damage the places. So, if for some reason an installer or service tech suggests that there is a need for new wiring, you will need to get in touch with the office and connect one of us with the service provider. We are happy to help with this.

What if they say my wiring is “bad”? Well, maybe, but not likely.

This is a common first statement when a tech shows up to troubleshoot a house. Signal is bad (they did actually test it, right, and not just try the modem and tv?!?) so its the wiring. “We need to run new wires, and we need the landlords permission.”

Well, okay, but no, let’s have them do a little work first because “throwing the wiring under the bus” is a pretty easy thing to do–plus it delays your resolution (but let’s them hit the road to their next jobsite, of course). In most cases, we have had tenants year after year (after year) using cable and internet in the homes. Often techs, especially seasonal ones (think: hired just for turnover in August), don’t want to take the time to figure out what someone has done (usually another tech from the same company) in the past. It can be hard to figure out who ran what cable where, and added which splitters, etc. In the end, aside from the initial construction, we have never changed wiring, so any issues with wiring are usually from a previous tech.

Note, not ALL techs from the companies will do this. Some are excellent and will work with you to figure the problem and will then work with us if they cannot resolve it without internal wiring changes. Oh, btw, good trouble shooting first steps for the tech?

1. Is the signal to the box outside solid? If not, fix that (which has nothing to do with your house).
2. Does the wiring split in the home somewhere (usually a closet)? If so, if signal at #1 is solid, how is it at the split, with the split removed? Good? How’s the splitter? Bad? That is, does the signal drop off when you add in the splitter and another cable? Replace it (or possible the cable). I even once had my house have a problem the tech could not figure out until I asked him whether the signal was TOO strong… turns out they added a powered splitter in my house years ago to fix the signal, then actually fixed the upstream signal issue, which increased the house signal, which then the powered spitter (an “amplifier”) was boosting too much, which caused the devices to misbehave. Go figure. Anyway, #2 good?
3. Then its just about the runs to each device… There are two most likely culprits in this case and both are easy the fix. First, it could be the end connector at the splitter or, more likely, at the wall (imagine years of people yanking the cords around just a bit). These are really easy to switch (although if you do it even a little wrong, by allowing even one little thread of shield wire to touch the center wire, then it won’t work well, or at all!). It could also simply be the wire from the wall to your device (usually provided by you), so change that out. Finally, it COULD be the device itself, especially if other devices are working in the house.

Of course, there are a lot of things to try and lots of other variables. Having trouble? Send the office a note. This should not be your first point of contact because we are not Comcast and its their job to get you up and running. And they have those handy dandy awesome meters to test signal quality. However, we do want you to have a great experience and we may be able to help. One of the owners (me!), happens to have been a tech coordinator at schools for years, worked at IU network services for years too (while earning a PhD in instructional technology), and still runs a tech company. I may be able to help… 🙂

Can I have more wire run inside the house? No. Well, sometimes.

Generally, no, but if you have a need for an additional drop AND the installers coordinate with the office, then we will sometimes allow new drops to be run, at your expense, and only with written permission after we have discussed the install plan with the installer.

Do you provide support? No, but…

Elkins Apartments is not a cable or internet provider. We are not in any way involved in your account – we CAN talk about installations with them and they know that they are not to do structural changes without our approval, since the owners of the homes/locations must approve installs.

However, we also know that know that having your cable and internet not work is a pain in the patooey. It so happens that one of us spent 7 years as a technology coordinator for a school and another 5 at IU as network and user tech support. That is, we have someone on staff who seriously knows his stuff. So, if you are having trouble with your network that you simply can’t resolve, send us a note through your portal and he’d be happy to help troubleshoot it.

You bet! Although Elkins Apartments is not your service provider, we have a lot of experience troubleshooting internet connectivity problems. Here are some useful ways to start troubleshooting….

Note, these are for trouble shooting a CABLE internet connection (i.e. Comcast). If you have a different type of connection, then the basic idea applies but some steps are not relevant. In the end, however, its up to your service provider to make sure you are getting the service you are paying for. If they say your modem is a-okay, then its likely a problem with how you have chosen to distribute the signal in your place (hubs, wi-fi routers, etc).

Some initial internet troubleshooting steps:

Is your cable tv working?

So, I know I know… you are interested in internet, but if you have cable tv, and the tvs are not showing channels, or some channels, especially HD, are badly pixellated, then you have a connection problem. About the only thing you can do is check the wiring to make sure it is all snug. Call the provider. If they get the tv sorted out, the modem will likely work again.

OR check for a Comcast service outage in your area, online!

Is your modem connected to the internet?

Got tv but still no internet? Do you in fact have a connection to the internet at the modem. Check its lights. You should have several blinking lights. These vary by modem. But generally you should have at least 4 blinking or lit. These would be power, receive, send, online, and activity.

If something doesn’t seem right, the first thing to try is resetting the modem.

Once the modem comes back up, are there more lights? Yes? Then try your connection again (you might have to reset any wifi routers or other hubs by power cycling them). No? Call Comcast and have them “ping the modem.” They can quickly tell you whether the modem is connected to the net and what the signal looks like.

If Comcast says your modem is okay (ask them to double check that the signal is neither too weak OR too strong, known as “hot,” (this happens, and its often overlooked) or if they see any intermittent failure, just to be thorough. All that checks out? It’s your internet set up, my friend, and that’s up to you. Send us a note and we may be able to provide some advice, but again we aren’t your network provider, just trying to be a friendly landlord 🙂

If the service provider says your modem has a signal problem, then they will have to fix it. Note, Comcast is generally responsible for anything up to the box outside the building. You are responsible for any service inside the building. However, if they installed it initially and said it all checked out, AND you have checked all the connections, then I would argue that it perhaps wasn’t installed appropriately in the first place. Or the modem has gone bad (this does happen), or any number of other things that they can easily check.

“Its the wiring.” If, when they perform the service call, they say its a problem with the wires, then you should consider two things: (1) you cannot have new wires installed without written permission from the office (just send us a note), and (2) you really should ask why the wiring wasn’t a problem when it was installed (assuming it worked). They can, and should, replace connectors, splitters, etc. I’m not claiming its never the wires–it can be! However, in the last 2 years alone, I have personally troubleshooted 2 locations with rather upset tenants where Comcast claimed it was the wires, and in neither case did this end up being true. In fact, at one location I let them drop in a new wire and, whammo, fixed? No, still messed up. Go figure. It took me physically swapping the outside cables to two units (and showing that the other unit was then messed up) to prove that it wasn’t the wiring.

Does the provider still think you need new wiring?

You’ll need our written permission for new wires, but we are happy to provide it with a little details.

Troubleshooting BEYOND the Modem: Just you and the modem, nothing else!

Signal seems okay, and the modem is all lit up? Then the best thing to do is take a WIRED internet device that you KNOW works on another network. That is, you take it somewhere, you plug it in, and it works in that other location.

1. Disconnect everything from the modem (even power and cable)
2. Leave it for 5 minutes.
3. Plug the cable cable in (coax)
4. Plug the power in
5. Take an ethernet cord and plug that into one of the ethernet jacks (technically, RJ45) of the cable modem
6. Plug that into the wired device
7. Do you have an internet connection?

If yes, then start adding things, like a hub, and a wifi router, until it breaks again. That is, put the hub it, connect to the hub, do you still have a connection? This way you are isolating what device isn’t working.

Wifi issues?

This is too big a subject for this post, or supporting your personal wifi is well beyond our scope, though perhaps we will write a fuller job aid in the future. BUT if you connect the wifi router to the modem and are able to connect to the network though the wifi router from a device when the device is close to it, but not in many places in the house, then there are several possibilities: interference, bad configuration choices, poor location, and a weak radio/older wifi technology. Reset/reconfigure it, move it, replace it.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/260524/how_to_fix_your_wi_fi_network_7_tips.html

Finishing Touches, Check Your Speed

Want to know how your speed is? Check out the Comcast speed test (provided by Ookla). Though speed isn’t everything. High latency, regularly about 60ms, or latency that is very random and/or includes a lot of dropped packets, is a sign of a bad connection.