91–100 of 181 posts
The best thing anyone can do is swap out the junky cable modem + WiFi router combos they rent to you. They're horrible under standard usage, bad when lots of clients are connected, bad wifi range, low memory, require frequent reboots, etc. For about $70 (about 5mos of rental charges) you can get a Surfboard barebones Docsis 3 modem that will vastly outperform whatever junk they rent out. After that you could get a TP…
Don't use Speedtest.net. The major providers all prioritize their traffic and it gives unrealistic results. I built a graphical console-based speed tester (client+server) that you can run yourself to get a more accurate picture and test between your home and servers you actually use: https://github.com/chrissnell/sparkyfish
I live in NYC so TWC (now Spectrum) is a choice in my area. The service has been pretty good since their first major service line upgrade (probably around 2013, 2014). I get to speak with a customer representative and get a discount promo price every 12 months (very known trick for ISP, just call and tell them you wanted to cancel your ISP account, they will likely offer you a promo price). TWC even have a mobile app which I can use to check service status and even chat with the representative directly from the mobile chat! The app itself is slow kind of a crappy version, but hey, it's amazing.
When I moved to my new home, I bought motorola sb6141 modem instead of the stock version. I can tell you that the speed is consistent and noise level is low compared to my old modem. I understand environment (where I live) may matter, but I am happy with my own equipment.
TWC let me keep the factory modem in case I needed a replacement which is a nice touch. I have more faith in TWC than in Comcast. Just another customer rant.
Comcast ripped me off much more than that. My HOA signed a (incredible bad) deal with Comcast to provide basic channels (the ones nobody wants) for $35/unit* * for 3 years. Then, Comcast's rep allegedly* forged the contract to last 8 years instead of 3. The stupid manager lost the emails, Comcast insisted on the (allegedly* forged) 8-year contract and so the HOA paid it until the manager found the original signed con…
Another reason to never live somewhere with an HOA.
"Pretty poor coverage" sounds like the author was relying on Wi-Fi for connectivity. I wouldn't trust an ISP-provided combo modem/router to do anything more than the bare minimum when it comes to wireless, most likely a single chain 2.4 GHz network (and 5 GHz if you're lucky). Replacing it with Google Wifi which is a Wave2 802.11ac 5 GHz device with Beamforming will make a world of difference. Intentionally supplying…
The author also mentions that their comparisons are done in cities, which are places populous enough such that it might be neighbors or people on the street using the Comcast Xfinity WIFI network via your router. It might be other people clogging channel time on your router's wifi, or it might be other people clogging the cable pipe!
Didn't see any other mentions, but turning off the public Xfinity hotspot is the #1 thing I'd try. It's a courteous service to leave open to travelers, but I wish there were some visibility to the home user about how much work it was doing for outsiders. Disabling guide: https://www.xfinity.com/support/internet/disable-xfinity-wif...
The best thing anyone can do is swap out the junky cable modem + WiFi router combos they rent to you. They're horrible under standard usage, bad when lots of clients are connected, bad wifi range, low memory, require frequent reboots, etc. For about $70 (about 5mos of rental charges) you can get a Surfboard barebones Docsis 3 modem that will vastly outperform whatever junk they rent out. After that you could get a TP…
Changing my router was the best thing I have done to my internet connection, but somehow it never occurred to me to change my modem until I just read your comment. Er, duh! Ordering one now. Any recommendations from this list?: http://www.spectrum.net/support/internet/compliant-modems-ch...
I still prefer to avoid combo modems though, I find that the Wi-fi tech upgrades at a faster pace, and prefer to keep the devices separate rather than combined into one box. YMMV, do what makes sense for your setup.
Comcast ripped me off much more than that. My HOA signed a (incredible bad) deal with Comcast to provide basic channels (the ones nobody wants) for $35/unit* * for 3 years. Then, Comcast's rep allegedly* forged the contract to last 8 years instead of 3. The stupid manager lost the emails, Comcast insisted on the (allegedly* forged) 8-year contract and so the HOA paid it until the manager found the original signed con…
Another reason to never live somewhere with an HOA.
So, no, there's probably not a class action case. Just stop renting crap equipment and buy a DOCSIS 3.0 modem and a router that does at least 150mbps.