• Can I increase my speed?
• Which is better to use for a cable modem, USB or Ethernet?
• What's the best RWIN for cable modems?
• What kind of signal levels do I want on my cable modem?

If you haven't tweaked your computer to its optimum settings, it's possible you may not be getting the best throughput from your connection. You can head over to our »Broadband Tweaks forum for personalized assistance in getting your system optimized for your cable connection.

If you want to try to hack your cable modem to increase your upload or download speed, please see »Cable Users FAQ »Can I uncap my cable modem to get higher speeds?

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by wheelert$93 edited by big greg
last modified: 2006-08-22 17:48:57

USB 2.0 interfaces can operate at up to 400 Mbps. A fixed amount of USB bandwidth is shared between all devices that are plugged in to your computer. USB is used to connect your computer to a wide variety of devices.

An Ethernet interface, on the other hand, is intended for network traffic only. It connects directly to the computer's bus so that high speed transfers occur with the lowest possible CPU overhead. Ethernet interfaces are included with most modern motherboards. Older machines need a PCI-based Ethernet adaptor. Ethernet interfaces can typically connect at 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet). Newer Ethernet interfaces connect at 10, 100, or 1000 Mbps (Gig Ethernet).

In most cases, you will want to use a wireless or wired router behind your cable modem. In this case, you must use Ethernet for the modem to router connection.

What about speed? Your cable modem will typically operate at 3 megabits per second or less. This speed can easily be handled by the slowest USB or Ethernet connection. Most cable modems can connect with USB 2.0 (up to 400 Mbps) or Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps).

The Ethernet interface is usually preferred, as this frees your USB ports (and bandwidth) for other peripherals.

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by steven500 edited by Lex Luthor
last modified: 2010-06-24 08:00:43

It depends. Determining your RWIN (TCP Receive Window) is not an exact science, and one size does not fit all.

You can go to our Tweaks Forum for assistance in determining the best RWIN for your computer and connection, or visit the Tweaks FAQ for reference information.

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by wheelert$93 edited by big greg
last modified: 2005-08-01 08:13:41

You can view your signal levels using the cable modem's web interface. You should see readings like this

Receive/Downstream: -15dbmV to +15dbmV
Transmit/Upstream: 30dbmV to 55dbmV
Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR): 30dB or Greater

If your signals are out of spec, you may experience packet loss or retransmissions. Either can lead to slow speeds.

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by drake edited by big greg
last modified: 2005-08-01 08:22:05