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Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to Dryvlyne

Premium Member

to Dryvlyne

Re: Standalone Internet pricing & supported modems

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It is not ONLY about speed. You want as MANY BONDED channels as TWC in your area is currently set up for. With the modem you bought it can only get 4 bonded channels downstream. MANY AREAS already have EIGHT downstream bonded channels. Why would you not want to get this? Would you not want to have a less congested connection? With a lot of bonded channels, the least congested ones will be used and that can change frequently. You want a modem that can take advantage of what TWC is offering RIGHT NOW and that you are paying for each month but don't have because the modem you bought is already outdated. My area recently moved from 4 bonded downstream channels to six and soon to eight.

»Downstream Channel Issue

»twc socal now has 8 channel bonding

Dryvlyne
Far Beyond Driven
Premium Member
join:2004-08-30
Newark, OH

Dryvlyne

Premium Member

How can I even find out how many channels are available in my area?
Dryvlyne

Dryvlyne to Mele20

Premium Member

to Mele20
Okay, I did some more research and I'm convinced. I've cancelled my order for the 6121 and ordered the 6141 which should arrive Friday. Too bad I couldn't cancel the 6121 before it shipped and now I have to pay $8+ to ship it back. Oh well, a small price to pay for being future-proofed I suppose.

One question though... I've been reading several reviews on the 6141 on Amazon and several TWC customers have said that TWC will not push firmware updates to customer owned modems. Is this true!? If so, is there any way around that because that sounds downright anti-consumer if you ask me... they tell you it's an approved modem, but then won't keep it updated on their network... that sounds a$$ backwards to me!
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

I am aware of the concern about TWC not pushing new firmware to a modem owned by the user while pushing it to TWC rented modems. Usually the concern is centered on Motorola Surfboard modems in particular the 6141. TWC CSRs (tier 1) and tier 2 - National Help Desk usually don't know anything about pushing new firmware so they may give inaccurate answers if asked. Tier 3 should be able to give a correct answer but they are not easy to reach.

It makes no sense to only upgrade firmware on rented modems as TWC wants their system running smoothly thus they would logically want all Surfboard 6141 on the same firmware. TWC rarely pushes updated firmware but they are in the process currently of pushing new firmware to the 6141 and 6121 and a couple other Motorola modems. Each division is doing this by their own time table though. Konaguy bought the same modem you bought and he posted in another thread that his firmware was updated just a day or so ago by Oceanic TWC and his is a user owned modem. The funny thing though was that his modem did not get pushed the firmware Oceanic TWC pushed to mine. He got the firmware that came on my rented 6141 instead of the newer firmware. He's on the other side of the island so it maybe that my side did the firmware push to the latest issued Motorola Surfboard firmware before his side.

kw0
Premium Member
join:2004-06-12
New Albany, OH

kw0 to Dryvlyne

Premium Member

to Dryvlyne
said by Dryvlyne:

How can I even find out how many channels are available in my area?

I'm in Gahanna and can safely say that you probably don't have more than 4 bonded channels, meaning the 6121 would've been fine.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

But for how long? TWC is in the process right now of upgrading to 8 bonded channels down across the nation. So, you are recommending that the OP should buy a 6121 that I would assume he expects to use for several years at least that will not be able to get all 8 bonded channels once TWC upgrades his area? I suppose if the OP lives in the area which is the very last to be upgraded then maybe he will get his money's worth out of the 6121. So, you are saying you have knowledge that his area will be the very last in the nation to be upgraded? If so, then my advice was probably not that good but, otherwise, I believe I advised him correctly. I was really surprised to see my side of the Big Island get an upgrade to 6 bonded channels down recently. My island (and my side in particular) is usually the last to get anything. We did not get the upgrade from 10/1 to 15/1 for standard tier until a few weeks ago, whereas, almost all other divisions and Oahu got it in Nov 2012. So, I don't think it is wise of you to be so certain (unless you have direct knowledge of this because you work for TWC in his area, etc) that the OP's area will be among the very last to get 6 channel and then 8 channel downstream bonding or possibly go directly from 4 channel to 8.

kw0
Premium Member
join:2004-06-12
New Albany, OH

kw0

Premium Member

said by Mele20:

But for how long? TWC is in the process right now of upgrading to 8 bonded channels down across the nation. So, you are recommending that the OP should buy a 6121 that I would assume he expects to use for several years at least that will not be able to get all 8 bonded channels once TWC upgrades his area?

No, I was recommending he buy the 6121 because:

1) It's cheaper
2) The channel bonding isn't as great or fascinating as you are pumping it up to be, especially since he has the standard tier. If his internet is already stable, it will likely continue to be stable even with "older" equipment.
3) The mid-Ohio market is huge. If they started pushing channel bonding, he would have plenty of warning before they flipped the switch in his market which is about 30 miles OUTSIDE of Columbus. Even then, if he always reaches his rated speeds and is stable it likely isn't going to make a difference anyway. Regardless, he'd have plenty of time to run out and get the appropriate modem.

So, to recap: The difference between 6121 and 6141 is probably going to be negligible in his case since he's a typical user. There are people out there with super old equipment and they have no issues.

You've been thumping your chest in various threads about your island this, your island that. We don't care. The rest of America isn't in Hawaii, and just because you got upgraded doesn't mean the upgrade is around the corner for everyone else.

Dryvlyne
Far Beyond Driven
Premium Member
join:2004-08-30
Newark, OH

1 recommendation

Dryvlyne to Mele20

Premium Member

to Mele20
New modem arrived today and must say that TWC was very quick to get it provisioned. Looks like I'm getting exactly what was advertised so I'm happy


Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to kw0

Premium Member

to kw0
You don't understand channel bonding if you think it will make no difference on a standard tier.

Maybe he has tons of money....in that case saving some now I guess makes sense if he wants to invest what he saved or needs what he saved for something he must purchase very soon and then in a year, or even two years from now, TWC upgrades his area and he has a modem that is only one or two years old and now is worthless but he will have plenty of money to go purchase another modem to replace a one or two year old one. Ok, in that case then what he did is fine. But if he has tons of money why would he buy the cheaper modem that is not at all future proof? Modems last many years (6-8 or more) if on a UPS and handled carefully.

Most folks want to be somewhat future proof and take that into consideration when buying electronics. If there is no promotion in a few months (and TWC has cut way back on promotions), when my promotional year is up with TWC, I will be going back to the Standard tier. When I have a little more money, I plan to buy my modem and I will be buying the 6141 because I understand how much better it is to have 8 channel bonding than 4 channel even on the standard tier. I also understnd why it is better to have a DOCSIS 3 modem on the standard tier rather than a DOCSIS 2 one on a DOCSIS three plant. I will also be purchasing the 6141 because I can't afford to replace equipment often and I want a reasonably future proof modem.

30 miles outside Columbus is nothing. I lived 40 miles outside Columbus and commuted to OSU and part time work. Part time work was on the opposite side of Columbus and back then the outer belt loop was not complete on my side which would have made a short commute to work so I had to use the belt for almost a full circle but that was nothing .....it was still the Columbus metro area and that was many years ago (so maybe things have changed radically or may be not - Ohio back then had fabulous highways and interstates). So, I am not sure what being outside of Columbus has to do with it. (Long live the Buckeyes and Woody Hayes)!

Sounds to me like you might be a bit jealous of folks in Hawaii? I haven't thumped my chest. You should go back to 2001 threads in this forum and read some of my and Konaguy threads and posts up to the current time. You have little understanding of of the history of Road Runner and the Big Island. It is actually funny to see someone accuse me of bragging about Road Runner (which is what it will always be to me) on the Big Island. We were both accused for many years in this forum of complaining way too much about Oceanic and RR in Hawaii and were told to shut up because we complained too much and no one on the Mainland cared (but they cared enough to be ugly in this forum). Now you accuse me of bragging too much....that is really hilarious!

I'm sure the OP can decide what is best for him. You and I have given him reasons for each choice and now he can make a more educated decision.