If my mother bought a new DSL modem, could she get better speed?

[Comdrpopnfresh]

My mom has verizon DSL (adsl I'm assuming). She was paying for their 3/1.5mbps speeds, but about 2 years ago after running a speed test which showed we were only getting 768k service, I called and got them to only charge her for that speed band.

But currently, a speedtest online can't max out at 768k anymore, and we rarely get sustained downloads over 90k/s. I'm wondering whether buying a new, well-rated modem may be of use. I understand our house may be located at the edge of their dsl transmission station's range (or w/e the hell you call it); but is there a chance a new modem will be more sensitive to the signal? I'm also weary because the modem we have verizon supplied when we got dsl ~5 years ago, and it has never been configurable- the manufacturer website doesn't have any listed info, and the modem's firmware/software update only yields 'server cannot be reached.'
Thoughts? Thanks

 

[Tarrant64]

It's possible that a new DSL modem may help to increase the speeds, but I wouldn't bet on it. I wouldn't put your own money down on something like that if it's something that you feel should be provided by your ISP. If you are getting charged for a service and you feel you aren't getting it then have them come out and check everything. TW here in Nebraska have sent techs out before to test cables and modems and if it isn't up to par with the averages they will replace whats needed for free. Is the $30+ (whatever they cost now) modem really going to be worth that extra 'possible' 200kb? Are you 'truly' going to see the speed increase?

You hit the nail right on the head when you mentioned you were near the edge of the dsl range. It's true that the further away you are the weaker your signal. I'd suggest having someone come out and check it to see what you should be getting.

Also, a service sold at 768k does not mean that that is to be the expected download speed. Hell, if I was getting a true 1mb download speed I would downgrade from my 7mb in a heartbeat.

 

[JackMDS]

90KB/sec. is what you should get from a 768Kb/sec. service. (B=Byte b=bit).

I doubt that it has any thing to do with a Modem the quality of the lines and distance from the Telco building creat thses situation.

You should call the ISP and tell them that you want 3Mb/sec. let they come to your hpouse and show yopu thta you are getting 3Mb/sec. at the Modem's output, it is their responsibility.

Otherwise, Internet Speed Optimized: http://www.ezlan.net/Internet_Speed.html

 

[SunSamurai]

"But currently, a speedtest online can't max out at 768k anymore, and we rarely get sustained downloads over 90k/s."

I lol'ed. So must have the poor rep on the phone. Did he even try to explain it to you? Maybe they just didnt care/know. Sucky.

Anyway 3Mb/s line will get you 384~ KBps download speeds max.

1Mb = 1024Kb
8Kb = 1KB

3Mb = 3072Kb
3072Kb = 384KB

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

Originally posted by: aeternitas
"But currently, a speedtest online can't max out at 768k anymore, and we rarely get sustained downloads over 90k/s."

I lol'ed. So must have the poor rep on the phone. Did he even try to explain it to you? Maybe they just didnt care/know. Sucky.

Anyway 3Mb/s line will get you 384~ KBps download speeds max.

1Mb = 1024Kb
8Kb = 1KB

3Mb = 3072Kb
3072Kb = 384KB

Whether your misinterpretation of my post was forward thought condescension or not, I don't care- but let me correct it anyhow... Going to the IP of our modem, the DSL signal the modem is 'picking up' is listed. Ours was listed at 768 KBits/Sec when paying for 3Mb, or 3072Kb; as you pointed out by doing the intensive unit conversions- Verizon couldn't provide us the speed of that price band, so they have only charged us for 768Kb DSL since I called- a call in which the rep was shocked they hadn't already dropped our plan automatically and charged us for the service they were actually providing.

Now for anyone not misinterpreting my post b/c of one grammatical error, and pick it apart, let me rephrase my situation and question:
Verizon has done away with the 768Kb service bracket and made 1Mb their lowest speed. I understand we are receiving rates a bit higher than a 768Kb service, but since they are charging us, and relaying a 1Mb service (and a packet-loss eval of our line doesn't start losing any until far after our service radius, if that's of diagnostic relevance), would a higher transmission rate be had if we bought a new modem? The one we have is old, and made by a company specifically for verizon, and only serviced by verizon firmware updates. Could a new modem be sensitive enough to provide us with the service rates we're paying for? The modem currently has this to report about the signal we're picking up:

DSL Connect Rate (Down/Up) 864 KBits/Sec by 160 KBits/Sec

Seems we're getting a bit more than the 768Kb we were getting before the 1Mb was V's lowest plan- leading me to think they put some more juice into their signal relays. Back when we had only 768Kb DSL signals, we got download rates of 90KB, now we're only getting that as a maximum average, with 80 being the more frequent norm (though our peak during downloads can be as high as 140KB/s). 90KB=720Kb; so I'm at a loss why going from 768k to 864k service speeds would have us lose 10KB/s rather than gain....
Would getting a new modem help in this department?

 

[JackMDS]

The numbers that are quoting as spec. are Not the functional numbers.

Just like 54MB/sec. Wireless does not yield really 54Mb/sec. functional Wireless "Speed". Functional outcome of most Network related activities depends on many other factors (some are beyond real control).

While 1Byte=8 bits, the downloads usually go by factor of 10 since there are protocol and other overhead factors that are not taking in to consideration with the pure mathematical realtions.

The variations that you are complaining about are within the acceptable tolerance of most systems.

You can try a new modem, who knows may be it would help. But if you ask me to put a probability number i would say that there is 1 to 2% that another modem would anything for your specific system.

I do not want to sound sarcastic but from all the variables that are under your control moving to another physical location is probably what would yield a change.

In case you did not check the TCP/IP settings this might help.

Optimizing the TCP/IP Stack - http://www.ezlan.net/Internet_Speed.html

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

Thanks for the link- are TCP/IP stack changes advised with vista? I know it was certainly a good idea with xp. My main thought of getting a new modem was to increase that 864Kb/s DSL signal rate the modem is picking up; not to eek out more resultant downloading speeds on the client-end (although waking up tomorrow to have the router report a dsl signal of 1024Kb/s would probably yield some more dl speed). Since it seems my 90Kb/s download speeds are in that variance you mentioned, in relation to the DSL speed the router is picking up- would it be safe to assume the 864Kb/s signal the modem is reporting is pretty much ideal and doesn't have any variations of it's own? And further, if a new modem could help increase the dsl signal pickup, without us moving out of this house... would I see number improvements across the board?
Say my mother wanted to get their 3.0Mb dsl service... with all the extra headroom in the signaling speed of the dsl (up from 864Kb, resultant, we're receiving now), would that be a situation where a new modem could be useful in picking up as strong of a DSL signal as possible?

 

[JackMDS]

The link concerning TCP/IP is for XP, for Vista, try the following.

Download TCPOptimizer, http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php

Check the current setting of TCP Auto-Tuning

From a command prompt with administrator privileges.

Issue the command: netsh interface tcp show global

Output should look like this:

Querying active state?
TCP Global Parameters
----------------
Receive-Side Scaling State: enabled
Chimney Offload State: enabled
Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level: normal
Add-On Congestion Control Provider: none
ECN Capability : disabled
RFC 1323 Timestamps : disabled

***Notice that Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level states Normal.
That means that it is On.

----------------------------

Disable TCP Auto-Tuning

From a command prompt with administrator privileges.

Issue the command: netsh interface tcp set global autotuning=disabled

Run again the show global as above and it should state:

Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level : disabled

-------------------------
At this point Run TCPOptimizer, and set the TCP/IP parameters according to your Internet connection contract Speed.

Try first the RWin size as indicated by the program, measure the Download. Then try double the size of the recommended RWin.

Choose whatever seems to work best for you.

-------------------------------
If you need to reverse the status of the RWin

Enable TCP Auto-Tuning

From a command prompt with administrator privileges.

Issue the command: netsh interface tcp set global autotuning=normal

=================

Can a DSL Modem be defective? Sure.

However the so call modem is a form of simple Bridge, it just translate the DSL signal off the tel. line to Ethernet. It does not amplifies, adds, accelerates anything.

Since your numbers are within the acceptable tolerance of DSL services I doubt that getting another modem can work. However it is your money and you can use it the way you find fit.