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pinhead3641
join:2004-05-24
Placentia, CA

pinhead3641

Member

[cable] Upgrade SB4200 For Faster Speed?

We own a Motorola SB4200, and have used it for more than five years. I see inexpensive used Motorola SB51** modems on eBay and wonder if there is any benefit in upgrading.

We connect via TWC Roadrunner Turbo, which is advertised to deliver up to 10 MB/sec down and 1 MB/sec up. Speed tests show we typically see speeds quite a bit below the advertised rates. A couple of months ago, we were getting 6-7 MB/sec down and around 1 MB/sec up; today (a Friday morning) we're getting around 3.5 MB/sec down and 1 MB/sec up.

A few months back we switched to Ooma for our phone service, and so we're wondering if we would benefit in any way from having a newer modem, say an SB5100 or equivalent.

I've read that my SB4200 can't do better than about 7 MB/sec down, so I'm wondering if our cable connection is possibly faster than my modem can use.

Thanks in advance for any and all helpful replies.

dbmaven
There's no shortage
Mod
join:1999-10-26
Sty in Sky

dbmaven

Mod

»broadband.motorola.com/c ··· heet.pdf

No. Max downstream on Docsis 1.1 is 38Mbps, max upstream is 10Mbps.

Cablevision in NY still uses the 4200s for their 'standard' 15/2 service, and they work fine.

AMDUSER
Premium Member
join:2003-05-28
Earth,

AMDUSER

Premium Member

That also depends on the firmware as well; some of the SB4xxx series also have issues with a 10 meg ethernet port installed (not 10/100) as well.

If you are renting the modem, take it in and swap it for a Surfboard 51xx series.
pinhead3641
join:2004-05-24
Placentia, CA

pinhead3641

Member

We own the SB4200. How can one tell what sort of ethernet port it has installed?
Reinvent3d
join:2004-12-06
Camarillo, CA

Reinvent3d

Member

You are getting your bits and bytes confused. Your line is meant for 10 Megabits, or Mbits, or Mb. MB is Megabytes.

However, slow speeds, which it sounds like can be caused by line problems.

AMDUSER
Premium Member
join:2003-05-28
Earth,
ARRIS CM8200
ARRIS SB6183

AMDUSER to pinhead3641

Premium Member

to pinhead3641
Hook the modem up to the computer.. then check the local area connection speed (located by the system try - near the clock.)
If it says 10 Meg, that is the problem.. (Note: If you have 10 meg ethernet port, it will say 10 Meg.)

There is a post somewhere in Charter forum about this problem (problems with 10/1 ), although I can not seem to find it atm.. (In theory it should work;but it is not always the case.)

(A linksys cable modem I had before had the issue, was rated docisis 1, it maxed out at 7 meg even with 100 meg wan ethernet port..(on charter) was rated upto 38 Meg and all. )

I would check with TWC to see if cable modem rental costs $ though, locally in Milwaukee,WI they do not charge for it.
AMDUSER

AMDUSER to pinhead3641

Premium Member

to pinhead3641
Have you tweaked your computer yet? »/tweaks

Sometimes it well help quite a bit to get closer to advertised speed.
K Patterson
Premium Member
join:2006-03-12
Columbus, OH

K Patterson to pinhead3641

Premium Member

to pinhead3641
II would not buy a modem from EBay. It is apt to be broken or stolen, and if it happens to be stolen from TWC it will not work.