New DOCSYS 3.0 modem = lower uload speeds?

[Lyian]

Hello guys.

Ok. I was looking around on Comcast's site and found a few things out.

First, i have the BLAST service. Which is (suppose to be) a DOCSYS 3 level service. It even indicates that their own RCA modem provided, (the DCM425) isnt on their approved "blast" service list.

Now, seeing as how i wanted to stop paying $7.00 per month on the modem rental, i decided this, along with the docsys 1.1 version of the rental modem, would be a good cause to just purchase my own modem.

I went with the Motorola SURFboard SB6121.

I ran some tests with the old modem, and then again with the new modem. The results went quite what i expected.

With the RCA, i was getting an average of 36Mb/s Down, and 5.8 Mb/s Up
With the Motorola, im getting an average of 36.5 Mb/s Down, and 3 Mb/s Up

While the download speed barely changed, ive seemed to have lost a lot of upload speed, when Really, nothing should have changed, or else a minor speed increase should have happened.

Also, if anyone is familiar with the modem, the Ethernet port light isn't what i think it should be. According to the Op sheet, it should be Sold Orange for 10/100, and Blue for 1000. However it is blinking Orange.
My router is a D-link DIR-655 (with a gigabit Wan) so it should be blue.

Anyone have any ideas on if i did something wrong? Why i did i get a drastic reduction in upload speed? And why it seems like the Link light is only detecting 10/1000 when connected to a gig router?

Thanks

 

[jazon1]

its probably just a bad modem i have had horrible luck with surfboard modems in the past so since have stuck with linksys modems.

im on comcast blast also and get a good solid 6Mb on upload on my docsys 2 modem.
maybe check your cable connection to the modem it make quite a difference.
is possible you loosened a cable connection somewhere when you switched modems?

comcast left my house after install with a 9Mb download and 1Mb up and told me it was the best it would get im my area after refusing to replace my old cable line to my house because they were feeling lazy and get payed the same whether they do work at your house or not.

needless to say i ran my own line to my modem after a visit to home depot for a crimper and some cable and not get a solid 33Mb down and 6Mb up.

 

[Lyian]

its probably just a bad modem i have had horrible luck with surfboard modems in the past so since have stuck with linksys modems.

im on comcast blast also and get a good solid 6Mb on upload on my docsys 2 modem.
maybe check your cable connection to the modem it make quite a difference.
is possible you loosened a cable connection somewhere when you switched modems?

comcast left my house after install with a 9Mb download and 1Mb up and told me it was the best it would get im my area after refusing to replace my old cable line to my house because they were feeling lazy and get payed the same whether they do work at your house or not.

needless to say i ran my own line to my modem after a visit to home depot for a crimper and some cable and not get a solid 33Mb down and 6Mb up.

The connection from the wall is the same as with the old modem. No change there.

I cant replace the lines here, as i live in an apartment, sides i was getting near 6mb up on the old modem not 1 hour before. I ran several tests on each modem and its been consistent.

Ill RMA this modem and see if a different one shows better results. It still bugs me that the link light blinks orange. It should be blue.. I tested this by plugging it directly into my computer. After a moment, it started blinking blue. Of course, it couldnt get a connection due to the router being the registered "computer" with comcast, but it shows its an issue between the modem and the router.

My router is a D-link 655 which i Know the WAN port is gigabit. Ive even gone in and forced the port from Auto to gigabit speed. It still wont go blue. No clue why.

 

[Lyian]

Ok, i managed to get upload speeds upto 6.5mb/s by disabling the QoS engine on the router, however on the 2nd test, the upload speed jumped a bit before setting down at 6.5.

 

[jazon1]

yea ive had nothing but bad luck with anything d-link some people have good luck with them im not one of them lol.

 

[Lyian]

yea ive had nothing but bad luck with anything d-link some people have good luck with them im not one of them lol.

I've liked this router so far. But there's still a few questions.

1. I had the QoS turned on with the old modem, that was getting 5+mb/s
2. QoS seems to be a D-link thing, but does it work? (i haven't tested games with it off)
3. The WAN port doesn't seem to either want to go gigabit, or it just cant seem to establish that with the modem. I know i wont see gigabit from the modem to the router, thats not really the point. The point is that its not connected correctly, which may or may not be interfering with the upload speed.

#1 bothers me the most really. This modem should have faster speed, but its slower. Im going to call comcast when i get home today and have them put the old mac back on in addition to the current and run some tests with and without the QoS.

 

[jazon1]

they will most likely have you take the router out and test the modems direct to your pc then tell you they dont support routers and cant help you with it,at least that's what they have told me in the past.

 

[WhitehawkEQ]

On #3 you said the WAN does not want to go gigabit speed, why would it go that fast when the fastest speed will be what the cable moden will alow, now if you have more than 1 PC connected to the router, then the PC's will talk to each other at gigabit speed.

I have a D-Link router EBR-2310 and Moto Surfboard SB6120, I've had the router since 2009, I got the cable modem from Fry's after the modem from Time Warnner started slowing down. This new modem does have a blinking orange light (that's the link led, it should blink), the other 4 lights are green (power), blue (recieve), green (send), green (online).

The send led will turn blue for DOCSYS 3.0 speed upload and 5-6mb upload is not DOCSYS 3.0 speed.
Also Comcast needs to know the mac address of this new cable modem, I had to do same with Time Warnner. I'm getting 30mb down and 5mb up and loving it a lot faster than 10mb down and .4mb up.

I've liked this router so far. But there's still a few questions.

1. I had the QoS turned on with the old modem, that was getting 5+mb/s
2. QoS seems to be a D-link thing, but does it work? (i haven't tested games with it off)
3. The WAN port doesn't seem to either want to go gigabit, or it just cant seem to establish that with the modem. I know i wont see gigabit from the modem to the router, thats not really the point. The point is that its not connected correctly, which may or may not be interfering with the upload speed.

#1 bothers me the most really. This modem should have faster speed, but its slower. Im going to call comcast when i get home today and have them put the old mac back on in addition to the current and run some tests with and without the QoS.

 

[Lyian]

On #3 you said the WAN does not want to go gigabit speed, why would it go that fast when the fastest speed will be what the cable moden will alow, now if you have more than 1 PC connected to the router, then the PC's will talk to each other at gigabit speed.

I have a D-Link router EBR-2310 and Moto Surfboard SB6120, I've had the router since 2009, I got the cable modem from Fry's after the modem from Time Warnner started slowing down. This new modem does have a blinking orange light (that's the link led, it should blink), the other 4 lights are green (power), blue (recieve), green (send), green (online).

The send led will turn blue for DOCSYS 3.0 speed upload and 5-6mb upload is not DOCSYS 3.0 speed.
Also Comcast needs to know the mac address of this new cable modem, I had to do same with Time Warnner. I'm getting 30mb down and 5mb up and loving it a lot faster than 10mb down and .4mb up.

Also Comcast needs to know the mac address of this new cable modem

Ill pretend i didnt read that.

Anyway the link light Does blink blue when i connect it directly to my PC, which is why its confusing, so i don't think its the modem, but points to the router.

As far as upload, it seems to be fluctuating, its hit 5.5mb upload a few times, depending on when i test it. The download seems to be pretty similar to Comcast's modem.

As for the light, i get 2 blue (the up/down connections) instead of orange (which by the manual means its linked or something (dont have it in-front of me). Ill test the upload again when i get home, if it has expected upload speeds i'll likely just call it and keep it to return the rented one.

 

[WhitehawkEQ]

Well, you have the SB6121 and I have SB6120 so there would be some changes also if you test the speed with the local cable company, your speed will be about 5mb or higher, the ferther you get away the slower it will get, I live in Austin TX and I get 5mb testing localy as well as to Dallas, now if I test to Los Angeles I get 17mb down and 4.26 up.
That will also vary on the time of day to.

 

[Lyian]

Well, you have the SB6121 and I have SB6120 so there would be some changes also if you test the speed with the local cable company, your speed will be about 5mb or higher, the ferther you get away the slower it will get, I live in Austin TX and I get 5mb testing localy as well as to Dallas, now if I test to Los Angeles I get 17mb down and 4.26 up.
That will also vary on the time of day to.

I use Speedtest.net and the closest place i can test is about 60 miles way. This is where im getting the speeds im reporting. (also, i have Comcast)

 

[WhitehawkEQ]

Goto Speakeasy.net and click on the Speed Test

I use Speedtest.net and the closest place i can test is about 60 miles way. This is where im getting the speeds im reporting. (also, i have Comcast)

 

[Lyian]

Goto Speakeasy.net and click on the Speed Test

Closest place on there is further away , but i get about the same results, so no change.