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ScottRiqui
join:2010-10-01
Norfolk, VA

ScottRiqui

Member

[VA] Faster speeds in the past two weeks?

There was a brief internet outage about two weeks ago, and when service was restored, I noticed that my download speeds were significantly faster.

Before, on sustained multi-GB downloads, the speed would peg right at the 25 Mb/s that I'm paying for. Since the service restoration, my sustained download speeds are almost exactly 30 Mb/s. Did Cox raise the speed caps?
betterdan
join:2002-03-20
Portsmouth, VA

betterdan

Member

I am on Premier and getting 30-35 down and about 4 up (real speed via »testmy.net, not the exaggerated speeds from Speakeasy or Speed.net which say my uploads are about 20)

I can't say I've noticed any speed increase although I did just switch to Premier last weekend.
I did just have to reboot my modem. I came home and my uploads were so damn slow they wouldn't even start the upload tests on any of the previously mentioned sites. After the reboot I'm back to 35/4
ScottRiqui
join:2010-10-01
Norfolk, VA

ScottRiqui

Member

Now I'm puzzled. I just tried testmy.net a few times, and it's only reporting download speeds of around 9-10 Mb/s.

But then I downloaded a 3 GB Linux distro from Usenet, and after the initial "Speed Boost", the download speed settled down to just over 30 Mb/s and stayed there for the rest of the download. And that's the exact same speed I get with all of my Usenet downloads. But up until the outage ~2 weeks ago, I'd only get 25 Mb/s on my large downloads.

I guess I'll just be happy it's faster now.
betterdan
join:2002-03-20
Portsmouth, VA

2 edits

betterdan

Member

Did you select East Coast for the test? I get faster speeds testing to Central for some reason.

Here's what I just got for Central


Here is what I just got for East Coast
ScottRiqui
join:2010-10-01
Norfolk, VA

ScottRiqui

Member

Ah, thanks! I had it set to "Central US". After setting it correctly, it's reporting 30 Mb/s down and 7 Mb/s up. According to the Cox site, their "Premier" tier is only advertised as 25 Mb/s down and 3 Mb/s up, so I'm not going to complain.
betterdan
join:2002-03-20
Portsmouth, VA

betterdan

Member

Weird you get faster on East Coast and I get faster on Central and we are right near each other.
What modem do you have by the way? I have the SB6121
ScottRiqui
join:2010-10-01
Norfolk, VA

ScottRiqui

Member

That is strange. This is what I just got using the East coast setting:



And the Central setting:



Now I'm wondering if my computer was doing something in the background when I was getting the slower results from the Central server.
ScottRiqui

ScottRiqui to betterdan

Member

to betterdan
I have the SB6120. I briefly replaced it with an SB6121 during the outage, because I originally thought the problem was with my modem. But when Cox confirmed that the problem was on their end, I returned the 6121 and put the 6120 back.
betterdan
join:2002-03-20
Portsmouth, VA

betterdan

Member

My wife is upstairs streaming Netflix to the tv and my step daughter is surfing the net on her phone while I ran those tests.
ScottRiqui
join:2010-10-01
Norfolk, VA

ScottRiqui

Member

And you've always gotten those speeds with the Premier Tier? Prior to the outage, I was always getting 25 Mb/s down, and I didn't think much about it since that was the advertised speed.
betterdan
join:2002-03-20
Portsmouth, VA

betterdan

Member

Well like I said earlier I just got this package last weekend. I had preferred before and it was always around 20 down. I read that a docsis 3.0 might solve my congestion problems where it would drop speeds at peak hours so I went and got the new modem last weekend and also had them raise my package to Premier.

One other question, How many channels bonded down and up do you get?
I get 3 for download and 4 for upload.
ScottRiqui
join:2010-10-01
Norfolk, VA

ScottRiqui

Member

I get three down and four up as well. Right now, my downstream Signal-to-Noise Ratio is 37 dB on all three channels, and the power level is -1 dBmV on all three, which is pretty typical for me. The upstream power level varies between 42 and 46 dBmV on the four channels, which is also what I typically see.
lilstone87
join:2009-04-09
Chesapeake, VA

lilstone87 to betterdan

Member

to betterdan
Click for full size
Motorola SB6180
said by betterdan:

Well like I said earlier I just got this package last weekend. I had preferred before and it was always around 20 down. I read that a docsis 3.0 might solve my congestion problems where it would drop speeds at peak hours so I went and got the new modem last weekend and also had them raise my package to Premier.

One other question, How many channels bonded down and up do you get?
I get 3 for download and 4 for upload.

Well you got a 4x4 modem, and our hampton roads market currently has 7 downstream channels. But there is a set of 3 500mhz channels, and 4 800mhz channels. Oddly the 4x4 modems in our market lock onto the 3 500mhz channels. If you had of gotten a D3 8x4(newer model) modem, you would be locked onto 7 downstream channels, and 4 upstream channels. I am sure cox will be adding an 8th downstream channel in the near future, to totally max out the newer 8x4 d3 modem. Which will end up maxing out your 4x4 d3 modem as well.
betterdan
join:2002-03-20
Portsmouth, VA

betterdan

Member

Yes I know I have a 4x4 modem, if Walmart would have had an 8x4 Motorola I would have bought it instead.
I have been trying every day to call the Cox Solutions store in Churchland and Norfolk to try and see if they had an SB6180 and if the price was decent I'd take back the 6121 to Walmart and buty the 6180 from Cox. I just can't get them to answer the phone. Typical crappy Cox service...

Here is my modem signal page

ScottRiqui
join:2010-10-01
Norfolk, VA

ScottRiqui

Member

Are you having consistency problems with your speeds, or is there some other benefit to upgrading to an 8x4?

EDIT - nevermind, I just saw your comment about dropping speeds during peak times. I haven't seen that at my house, but I don't live in a high-density area (no apartment complexes nearby, etcetera). My neighbors are an older crowd, so I doubt many of them have more than basic broadband, if that.

No_Strings

join:2001-11-22
The OC

No_Strings to betterdan

to betterdan
It's been mentioned elsewhere that the Cox retail locations are phasing out stand-alone modems, opting instead for combo "gateway" units. Netgear is what I've seen.
betterdan
join:2002-03-20
Portsmouth, VA

betterdan

Member

Yep that's why I want to hurry up and get a hold of them so maybe I can snag a modem before they run out but they won't answer the phone at all.
betterdan

betterdan to ScottRiqui

Member

to ScottRiqui
When I had the Preferred package with an SB5120 Docsis 2 modem is when I would get slowdowns due to congestion all the time. With this new modem I don't see that anymore so far.
lilstone87
join:2009-04-09
Chesapeake, VA

lilstone87 to betterdan

Member

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Well I ended up getting my Motorola 6180 off ebay, which isn't the best place to buy modems. I just did my research on the seller, and the feedback from buyers. As for the Cox on high street, I have been there, and only notice them selling the Cisco dpc3010(8x4) modem. But as mention already, cox is phasing out selling D3 stand alone modems. So whatever current cox stores have on hand is what they have, and what they will sell as far as stand alone modems.

CoxTech1
join:2002-04-25
Chesapeake, VA

CoxTech1

Member

And just an FYI but the SB6141 is now approved an available for retail purchase. It's a stand alone 8x4 D3 modem.

digiblur
Premium Member
join:2002-06-03
Louisiana

digiblur

Premium Member

said by CoxTech1:

And just an FYI but the SB6141 is now approved an available for retail purchase. It's a stand alone 8x4 D3 modem.

Great! Spec for spec it looks like the 6141 is almost exactly like the 6180 except for it has two 96mhz wide tuners instead of two 32mhz wide tuners and uses 12w of power instead of 8w.

I suspect this allows for the cable co's to be flexible with each set of 4 bonded downstream channels so they don't have to put them right in a line next to each other.