Comcast Upgrade?

[sm625]

"Recently, we increased the speeds of some of our popular Internet tiers at no additional cost to you. Our records indicate that your cable modem needs to be upgraded in order to ensure you're getting the most out of your XFINITY® Internet service."

I'm currently running on a motorola surfboard I bought about 5 years ago. My downloads currently max out at about 28Mbps. Is it just a matter of a few more potential mbps that I'm missing out on? Or is there something else I would gain by switching to a newer router? Because I wont notice a difference between 28mbps and say, 50mbps.

 

[VirtualLarry]

"Recently, we increased the speeds of some of our popular Internet tiers at no additional cost to you. Our records indicate that your cable modem needs to be upgraded in order to ensure you're getting the most out of your XFINITY® Internet service."

I'm currently running on a motorola surfboard I bought about 5 years ago. My downloads currently max out at about 28Mbps. Is it just a matter of a few more potential mbps that I'm missing out on? Or is there something else I would gain by switching to a newer router? Because I wont notice a difference between 28mbps and say, 50mbps.

I personally think that you would notice a difference between 28 and 50Mbit, although it would be subtle for web browsing. Downloading ISOs though, that would be nearly night and day.

Anyways, sounds like you have the older Motorola Docsis 2.0 modem (SB5101 or the like), and they want you to upgrade to a Docsis 3.0 modem. I would do it.

If you're paying modem rental fees to Comcast, then just swap it out at one of their offices. Otherwise, you can get the SB6141 fairly cheap at Newegg (they often bundle it with a combo discount with higher-end routers).

 

[k3n]

You may encounter problems with your existing wifi products... you've been warned.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2403893

 

[alkemyst]

"Recently, we increased the speeds of some of our popular Internet tiers at no additional cost to you. Our records indicate that your cable modem needs to be upgraded in order to ensure you're getting the most out of your XFINITY® Internet service."

I'm currently running on a motorola surfboard I bought about 5 years ago. My downloads currently max out at about 28Mbps. Is it just a matter of a few more potential mbps that I'm missing out on? Or is there something else I would gain by switching to a newer router? Because I wont notice a difference between 28mbps and say, 50mbps.

You will need a DOCSIS 3 modem.

You may also need a firmware update.

I have one of the latest ARRIS modems and I was upgraded from 50Mbps to 105. I never got it until I had COMCAST send me a firmware down the pipe.

 

[heymrdj]

You can get a newer surfboard and probably get a free boost on speed, I would do it. The newer modems also are a bit nicer, IMHO. I have an SB6121, which is DOCSIS 3, so it would support everything comcast could give me. Otherwise my speed was going to be limited to about 25mbs or something like that instead of the 50mbs by default.

 

[sm625]

You may encounter problems with your existing wifi products... you've been warned.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2403893

How can a modem affect my wireless devices? My router is the only thing that connects to my modem. The wireless devices connect to the router. Comcast never said anything about needing a new router too.

 

[futurefields]

Downloading ISOs though, that would be nearly night and day.

Yes, your ability to pirate software will be like night and day!

Still amazes me how casually people will talk about how they steal stuff.

 

[KingFatty]

There would be the assumption that ISOs are only used for pirated material, but I don't think that's always the case.

 

[Fardringle]

Yes, your ability to pirate software will be like night and day!

Still amazes me how casually people will talk about how they steal stuff.

Some people actually do download legitimate ISO files on a regular basis, but the other 99.999% of the population give those people a bad reputation.

 

[MustISO]

I got the DOCSIS 3 modem when Comcast started offering them. When from 33Mb/s to 53Mb/s, then they bumped it up to around 100Mb/s. I don't pirate anything but the bandwidth is nice for streaming and downloading from Steam.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Yes, your ability to pirate software will be like night and day!

Still amazes me how casually people will talk about how they steal stuff.

Still amazes me how people can be stupid retards and assume everyone pirates.

(Linux ISOs, Windows 10 Tech Preview ISOs, oh, the horror!)

 

[alkemyst]

Yes, your ability to pirate software will be like night and day!

Still amazes me how casually people will talk about how they steal stuff.

Go smoke some more weed kid.

I need bandwidth because I work from home with up to 10 kids here all doing youtube, vines, etc.

Then I have to move big files between my home PC and the corporate server.

I also love Amazon Prime Videos.

I will say many that need big bandwidth, but are solo and in college or flipping burgers probably are stealing stuff.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Motorola SB6141

Any router that can go WAN to LAN at the >50mbps:

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanwan/router-charts/view

 

[Thump553]

"Recently, we increased the speeds of some of our popular Internet tiers at no additional cost to you. Our records indicate that your cable modem needs to be upgraded in order to ensure you're getting the most out of your XFINITY® Internet service."

I'm currently running on a motorola surfboard I bought about 5 years ago. My downloads currently max out at about 28Mbps. Is it just a matter of a few more potential mbps that I'm missing out on? Or is there something else I would gain by switching to a newer router? Because I wont notice a difference between 28mbps and say, 50mbps.

I was in the same situation-and was running a motorola surfboard as well. Got 23-24Mbs down ("Performance" level internet per my bill). Replaced it with a Netgear C3700 modem/router combo-pretty highly rated per the reviews. I now get 28-29 Mbps down. Both measurements taken on a hardwired computer.

Pretty much a waste of time and money IMO unless Comcast threatens to discontinue service-which they haven't done yet.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Yes, your ability to pirate software will be like night and day!

Still amazes me how casually people will talk about how they steal stuff.

I love "stealing" stuff! Like the TV show Arrow, because watching it through the Plex CW channel (pulls directly from cwtv.com) on my Roku doesn't have subtitles, and the wifey needs them.

Thug lyfe!