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Comcast internet speed improved with non-Comcast hardware

jeffreymartens.com

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Re: Comcast internet speed improved with non-Comcast hardware

#121

Post by thirdsun »

r1ch wrote: post #9

"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…

Right, kind of disappointing that the author relied on Wifi. To draw any conclusions about the provided bandwidth I'd only trust measurements made using a wired ethernet connection. Wifi depends on too many variables.

Re: Comcast internet speed improved with non-Comcast hardware

#122

Post by JustSomeNobody »

devonkim wrote: post #85

The great, vast majority of Comcast users are ignorant and get fleeced constantly (I firmly do believe the great majority are old people with their primary bandwidth "hogs" being an SD-broadcast Netflix TV show, 3 iOS apps / year, and a bank website login), so this practice of under-delivery visible to the consumer will probably never really stop (they're cash cows) until we get the FCC involved across the board show…

I'm not old or ignorant but I am a Comcast customer. Have to be because they're the only game in town.

Re: Comcast internet speed improved with non-Comcast hardware

#123

Post by ocdtrekkie »

chaostheory wrote: post #116
ocdtrekkie wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And Comcast only guarantees speed on wiring directly to their modem. Their Wi-Fi is generally unable to put out the full bandwidth you'll get off Ethernet.

Unless you have a business plan, I don't feel that they even guarantee that.

Heh, true. "Guarantee" is too strong of a word there.

Re: Comcast internet speed improved with non-Comcast hardware

#124

Post by vinay427 »

chrissnell wrote: post #34

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

https://testmy.net has worked great for me and tests both downloads and uploads in increasing sizes.

Re: Comcast internet speed improved with non-Comcast hardware

#125

Post by striking »

lph wrote: post #115

I signed up for Comcast basic cable a few years ago because I was hosting a Superbowl party. I signed up in person at an xfinity store because I didn't want to wait around for shipping. Right after I told the dude at the desk I had a brand new HD TV that I was eager to watch the Superbowl on, he tried to send me home with a cable box that only had one output: (standard definition, analog) coax. I don't even know why…

If you were just getting basic cable, I don't think you'd get HD video... It might be part of the training to give crappy boxes to basic cable customers.

Re: Comcast internet speed improved with non-Comcast hardware

#126

Post by matt_wulfeck »

Honestly it's bad everywhere. I'm lucky enough to have U-verse 1Gb fiber. I get around 95% of the speed, which is awesome. EXCEPT for some awful reason I'm required to use their modem/firewall combo. Even if I forward all IP traffic to my own router I still have to keep the AT&T router in front because it authorizes me on the network.

To make matters worse it exposes a management port for who-knows-why. I'm hoping somebody picks the thing apart and dumps the 802.1X certificate so I can use my own modem.

Re: Comcast internet speed improved with non-Comcast hardware

#127

Post by MertsA »

fake-name wrote: post #66
chrissnell wrote: post #34

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

Another reason to not use speedtest.net is they use compressible data for their tests. DOCSIS has some support for stream compression, so you'll often get highly unrealistic results. On the other hand, basically all internet content is sent over the wire already compressed, so any stream compression doesn't help with it at all. I've had speedtest.net overrate my connection by 2-3 times it's actual throughput.

>DOCSIS has some support for stream compression, so you'll often get highly unrealistic results.

Do you have a source for this? I've never heard of it and I can't find any reference for this or even proposed support for this.

Re: Comcast internet speed improved with non-Comcast hardware

#128

Post by jdeibele »

cpeterso wrote: post #93
chrissnell wrote: post #34

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

Netflix's fast.com speedtest uses Netflix's nflxvideo.net CDN servers and HTTPS so it should be a good model for real-world Netflix video usage. https://fast.com/

Hadn't tried that (fast.com) before. Interesting results:

iPhone 6+ very close to router: 110Mbps 2012 MacMini (WiFi 802.11ac) very close to router: 120Mbps 2011 MacMini (ethernet but USB-powered switch in between): 92Mbps

With dslreports.com speed test the ethernet is consistently the fastest.

I have limited the download speed on the TP-Link Archer C7 router to 100Mbps in an effort to cut down on bufferbloat. Seems to work pretty well on the dslreports test - get A, A, A.

Re: Comcast internet speed improved with non-Comcast hardware

#129

Post by EduardoBautista »

lph wrote: post #115

I signed up for Comcast basic cable a few years ago because I was hosting a Superbowl party. I signed up in person at an xfinity store because I didn't want to wait around for shipping. Right after I told the dude at the desk I had a brand new HD TV that I was eager to watch the Superbowl on, he tried to send me home with a cable box that only had one output: (standard definition, analog) coax. I don't even know why…

The Super Bowl is available through antenna.

Re: Comcast internet speed improved with non-Comcast hardware

#130

Post by MertsA »

JustSomeNobody wrote: post #91
loeg wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They'll bill you more for an hour of a technician's time than the cost to just buy a new modem/router.

Not if it is their fault/equipment.

>Not if it is their fault/equipment.

That depends entirely on the technician you get. At least for Cox, it's up to the technician to determine if the customer foots the bill or not and while you might get a competent technician who will happily redo all of the outside wiring while he's there for free you might also get a technician from some third party contractor who doesn't even have the equipment to test anything and is just relying on the customer's modem for troubleshooting.

Just because it's their fault doesn't mean that they'll admit it or even fix it.

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