Xfinity/Comcast said my modem is too slow for speed I pay for

[sirgroiney]

Hello all, I got an email from Xfinity/Comcast today saying my modem is too slow for the download speeds I am paying for. My Netgear CM500 is supposed to deliver up to 680 Mbps. I don't feel like I have issues with it but wanted to know what others thought about this.

[plemans · Accepted solution]

hitting 45-55mbps over a single band 2.4gz laptop is actually pretty good. 5ghz is a lot faster. Only thing that might help that would be upgrading the wireless chip in it to dual band. 

If the CM500 is hitting the full 300mbps, then I wouldn't worry about it unless you plan on  upgrading your speeds. 

The Arris I'm using isn't bad. Its currently lacking features that other mesh systems offer but I had to get it cheap. 

Lacking: wired backhaul, bridge mode, ipv6, customized dns (without crashing), browser based navigation (hate not having this). and a few other things. but those are key. 

If i'd have had to pay full price, I wouldn't have done it. But it was a lot cheaper than orbi AX and does provide great coverage. 

[plemans]

What speeds are you subscribed to? 

The ISP is the one who sets minimum requirements based on speed levels. 

The modem might be an (up to ****) speed but if the isp has different requirements, then the ISP's requirements trump

For example. cox is starting to require docsis 3.1 for speeds greater than 150mbps while comcast doesn't require it until speeds greater than 600 (roughly) mbps. 

[sirgroiney]

I am paying for 300 Mbps. My phone gets over 300 as do all my ethernet plug ins. The cheap DELL laptop allows only the 2.4 channel (this model only has that channel...who knew?!? Not me!)) and it gets on average daily 45-55 Mbps on average. The PC guy we use says that's typical for this model DELL (it's only 2 years old and has a harddrive replaced by DELL the first year...clue to longevity...). It's ten feet from the modem no blockage. Hmmm. 

OLD MAC located far from Wifi gets 22 via Wifi and it has a refrigerator and two wall to deal with! And over 250 on ethernet. So ethernet it is for it. 

By the way...your ARRIS...do you recommend that brand? I hear it's a good one. Thanks for the info. Yes Xfinity/Comcast says it's good up to 600. My Netgear model is about four years old but I get good numbers on everything except the DELL laptop. Not sure why Comcast sent me that email? They weren't even hard selling their models! They gave me links to reviews and purchase choices. Some choices are no longer covered by manufacturer labeled "END OF LIFE." Kind of sad way to say it.

[plemans · Accepted solution]

hitting 45-55mbps over a single band 2.4gz laptop is actually pretty good. 5ghz is a lot faster. Only thing that might help that would be upgrading the wireless chip in it to dual band. 

If the CM500 is hitting the full 300mbps, then I wouldn't worry about it unless you plan on  upgrading your speeds. 

The Arris I'm using isn't bad. Its currently lacking features that other mesh systems offer but I had to get it cheap. 

Lacking: wired backhaul, bridge mode, ipv6, customized dns (without crashing), browser based navigation (hate not having this). and a few other things. but those are key. 

If i'd have had to pay full price, I wouldn't have done it. But it was a lot cheaper than orbi AX and does provide great coverage. 

[decosse]

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@sirgroiney wrote:

... The cheap DELL laptop allows only the 2.4 channel (this model only has that channel...who knew?!? Not me!)) and it gets on average daily 45-55 Mbps on average.

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You could always use an external Dual Band USB WiFi dongle and just disable the internal adapter 

[sirgroiney]

That was a good idea about the USB Wifi dongle. I will definitely look into it. I never thought I could do that and it wasn't suggested by the computer person I was dealing with.

Just a sidebar: I do regret that I said "cheap Dell." I am using it right now so that was a quick-typed remark. I should have worded it " it was a quick replacement Dell in my price range when my Dell with more bells and whistles died after NINE years of relatively trouble-free service."

[plemans]

You can use a usb dongle. Or many dell devices support replacing the wireless chipset in the laptop with a different one. I've done that on numerous occasions to upgrade the wifi from stock. 

[decosse]

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@plemans wrote:

Or many dell devices support replacing the wireless chipset in the laptop with a different one. 

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e.g. https://www.parts-people.com/shop/dell-parts/category_wireless-card/

(no affiliation with that seller - just an example and that will show you if/what options there are for your model Dell) 

It should be accessible under the bottom cover (do youtube search - lots of example videos but it's pretty straight forward) 

[sirgroiney]

Thank you! I did do a chat with Xfinity/Comcast meanwhile and it appears that email (and a second one I got a couple of says ago) are just looking to get those that have problems renting a modem/router from them is my guess). The agent didn't really know anything except they checked my modem and it seemed fine for the job. Your suggestion is a good one and I will check it out.