Comcast just set up my new Internet, and...

[uRabbit]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

... I am already disappointed...

- Tech did not introduce himself. (However, he was on-time.)
- He did not talk much.
- Did not even know what service I signed up for.

He was performing a speedtest.net run, and it got up to 17.89 mb/s. He said, "You must have gotten the 12 then, right?" I told him I ordered the 20. He says, "No, see, you got the 12 because that is the turbo boost kicking in. Also, if you had gotten the 20, you would need an entirely different modem."

So you're telling me that not only did you set me up with the wrong service, but you also brought the wrong modem?

But, knowing better, I ignored it. See, the 12 mb/s (and 20) is up to 12 or 20, with turbo boost. Also, the modem (a Surfboard 5100) supports up to 38 mb/s...

/facepalm

These guys, I swear! They don't know squat! In the one day of research that I had done, I know more about the products than he does... Urgh!

Anyways... I might get a DOCSIS 3.0 modem. Better than $7/mo for this thing.

 

[Tortri]

Just getting a DOCSIS 3.0 modem and having it with the 12 MB service you'd still get faster speeds. So expect i'd guess around 20Mbit speeds though 17isn't that bad either.

 

[Primejimbo]

That speed is only guaranteed with Comcast websites and that is it, and people don't get that and never will. Comcast cannot control anything once it leaves their network and goes on someone else's network to go to a website.
Getting a 3.0 modem will not get you faster speeds, you need the service to match it. Speed test websites are not 100% at all, and the more people you have doing a speed test, the slower the server will get (kind of like when a new iOS update happens, Apples servers slow down). You also have time of day, you have everyone in your neighborhood on line at the same time and using bandwidth, guess what, you're going to slow down.

These guys don't talk because people get so offended now a days, so it's better just to keep quiet. Also, I love how people think they know it all just a searches. I was a tech a while back and for 13 years I had to deal with know-it-alls and they were the worst. My favorite was the people who moved a modem from 1 room to another just because there is a cable line in that room. The customer these techs have to deal with, I see why they are quiet.

 

[class77]

First of all, the Surfboard 5100 is a Docsis 2.0 modem, so it's going to hamper your speed right out of the gate. Go get a 6120/6121 Surfboard from Best Buy or NewEgg and I think you will see immediate improvement. I know I did. When you put it in just call Comcast and give them the new Mac number. Takes 5 minutes or less.

Second, I have the same tier service as you do(Performance-54.95). It's supposed to be 20 Mbps down and I get 35 down with 5 up thru the 6120/AEBS combo modem/router. Don't accept a crappy thru-put. Get them to fix it.

 

[Lennyvalentin]

Second, I have the same tier service as you do(Performance-54.95). It's supposed to be 20 Mbps down and I get 35 down with 5 up thru the 6120/AEBS combo modem/router. Don't accept a crappy thru-put. Get them to fix it.

Anecdotal evidence like what you supplied in your post is basically worthless, because actual throughput depends on local and general conditions, because not only are cable connections shared between multiple customers along the same trunk line (so if you have many file sharers as neighbors, you'll get slower throughput), and like others have already stated, once you leave your ISP's network it's a crapshoot as to what speeds you get, regardless of how much you harass your ISP to "fix" your connection...

 

[uRabbit]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

We pay for 20 and have consistently been getting 20. Last night was 23 for a good while.

So, if that's with a 2.0 modem, I can't imagine a 3.0!

 

[laxman101]

I'm paying for 20, during the day i can get 17 (over wireless) and at night I get up to 25 also over wireless. As said throughout this thread, comcast can't do much after it leaves their servers. The time of day really does play a major role on the speed of your internet (at the lower speeds at least).

 

[class77]

Anecdotal evidence like what you supplied in your post is basically worthless, because actual throughput depends on local and general conditions, because not only are cable connections shared between multiple customers along the same trunk line (so if you have many file sharers as neighbors, you'll get slower throughput), and like others have already stated, once you leave your ISP's network it's a crapshoot as to what speeds you get, regardless of how much you harass your ISP to "fix" your connection...

Well Lenny, I changed from a Docsis 2.0 to a Docsis 3.0 modem last summer. When I did, I saw speed increases of roughly 10-15 down and 2 up(depending on the time of day). I thought some real world numbers with those kind of increases might be relevant to the OP, especially since he didn't get the equipment/level of service he paid for.

 

[GoEagles997]

Going from a DOCSIS 2.0 to a DOCSIS 3.0 modem definitely helps. I had one of the Motorola 5XXX series DOCSIS 2.0 modems and I would usually get 8-12mbps per second, pretty fast, didn't need faster than that. Upgraded to the Motorola 6121 DOCSIS 3.0 modem and I get about 20-25mbps per second easily. Part of the that is the overly strong signal to my place, but definitely DOCSIS 2.0 has a limitation to it. Buy one, don't rent one. I regularly see deals for $60 - $75 for this. Paying Comcast $6-$7 a month is a little out there and in a few months the modem pays for itself.