Hey guys and gals! I have been checking over my home network over the past few days trying to get some more speed out of out cable connection. I went to www.speedtest.net and I'm only getting like .95 Mbit per second download speeds and .20 upload speeds with .25 ms ping. This connection should be 10 times faster than this! Any ideas?
Note: I tried this test several times over the wireless network, a few times plugged directly into the router, and a few times plugged into the cable modem directly (and I reset each device each time I made a change). It doesn't matter what I do, we still have a poopy connection. Is it time to call the cable company?
Our ISP average is 10Mbit per second download: something MUST be bottlenecking us. Right?
If you are getting a lousy speed plugged directly into the modem you have a problem with the signal. If you are getting your internet through cable, you may have a splitter that's gone wonky or you may have a bad line to the house or under the house to the modem. Contact your provider to have them test the line and the modem.
That's what I think might be happening. We are also having a lot of trouble with our cable tv which is plugged into the same wall port as the modem: they are running through a splitter. Of course, I did test the system with the splitter removed so it was computer => modem => directly into wall. There was no difference.
I'm willing to bet that you're right. Perhaps I'll call Time Warner tomorrow.
Thank you!
Before you call them tell me how the cable modem is connected to the wall. Is it a direct line? a splittler? old cable? new cable? what is the modem type?
I was a tech for Comcast for years lol
Does ~1.0 Mbit / Second seem really slow for cable? My buddy helped me at my old house with our connection there. It went from 1.0 to over 10.0 with some router changes! Of course, with no router plugged in up here, it obviously isn't the problem.
Well, it was run through a splitter with some pretty new and high-quality cable. The splitter was setup so that the cable TV box and the modem shared the line (that's how it is right now).
But I did test it with the cable modem plugged directly into the wall. Before the test, I reset the modem (for 30 seconds). There was no difference.
Yeah 1mb is slow.
alright you did connect direct. that is good. on the cable line to the wall is the center pin in the end of the connection flush with the end of the screw cap or sticking further out or pulled in some?
How old are the lines coming to your home? Was this a sudden thing? Always happening or steady progression?
also again what make and model modem is it.
I'm not sure if it's cut flush. I'll check that tomorrow.
It has been this way since I moved up here on March 1. I assume it's always been this way, but nobody cared to notice.
The modem is an RCA by Thompson. Not sure of the model, but I bet it's pretty old. It's not very big either.
Also, about the modem's environment: it sits in an open faced cabinet. Theres about an inch of clearance above it. It's strapped to the top of the router with a zip tie. The router sits on top of the cable box which sits on top of the surround sound amp. Long of the short: the mother berkeleyer gets hot. Could this have killed it?
Ah an RCA yeah those were basically all crap lol. Whenever I had someone call in with problems and they had an RCA I would just have them swap it and most of the time the issue was fixed. The environment you have it in more than likely does not help. These suckers need ventilation just like anything else.
The fact that you are saying the cable is fairly small means it is more than likely an older cable. The newer ones that should be going in are going to be fairly thick and heavily shielded.
More than likely if it is a rental modem, I would say get a tech out to do the swap and also have him put in a new line from the ped if possible (its more then likely 20 year old piece of trash by now anyway). Also have him replace any splitters as well and check the connection to the back of the plate to ensure a good fit.
If you are having any reception issues on your TV that will indicate more issues in the actual line to the house and it really will need to be replaced so make sure you check and mention that to them when you call. If you don't they won't allow the tech enough time to fix all the issues. Check all channels particularly your upper channels, any tiling or pixilation are indicators of line problems.
But yeah anything from an RCA 315 I think it was and back was complete crap anything after that was slightly better crap. The Motorolla Surf Boards are the modems to go with (at least they were for Comcast).
Oh also how many TV's are setup on the cable in the house? That can be a factor as well. Check the reception on all of them.
I meant that the modem was of a small size. The cable is brand new and thickly shielded. Hell, it even has rubber boots on the ends that butt up against the wall and seal it there.
Also, the building is brand new (just about 2 years old).
The TV problem is strange. Time Warner had to do several things on their end to allow us access to ON Demand (which we should have) and other channels. For a while, channels 4, 5, and 6 wouldn't work at all. Then they magically started working. I think this is because cable box software (or maybe hardware) is crap in general. The ones at my parents house were all crap (DVRs by Motorola). If you turned them off, they would almost never turn back on right--no picture unless you loaded a DVR show and then exited it back to live cable. BUT--I think it's entirely possible that the cable itself its the culprit.
I'll look into a new modem.
Also, there are only two TVs in our apartment (not a house if that means anything). Both of them get good reception--the problem is that sometimes a channel doesn't show up at all, but all the surrounding channels come in clear. This problem only occurs, to the best of my knowledge, on the TV in the living room that is split with the modem.
Also, the SPEED network worked for a day or so. Then it became unauthorized. That pissed me off. Time Warner sucks donkey d**k.
Ah ok. Yeah look at the modem, we use to crush RCAs out back with the trucks lol.
Yeah the Motorolla DVRs have always had some firmware issues and were kinda hit and miss. I had one that was good and the other was crap.
No worries I did that stuff for 5 years. Cool part was I tested the On Demand stuff and the like before it was ever launched. Also my services were all free lol.
I still have quite a few friends that still work for Comcast back in Portland. My old boss told me if I ever moved back down there and needed a job I had one, just had to give him a call. Guess I was good at my job lol.
He IS qualified to work in the Government Accountability Office.
