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Sudos
join:2014-02-24
Roselle, NJ

Sudos

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[Speed] SB4200: should I even be getting these speeds!? Woah!

So after having issues with my grandmother's health at the end of the last year, we're now watching her every day until she recovers fully, and this has taken quite a toll on my family, who are all internet-craving lunatics! so we bit the bullet and got an internet connection attached to her TV account, which has been active with US Cable, TCI, AT&T and then Comcast, in that order of infrastructure ownership, never interrupted, since the late 70s.

I hoped to make use of one of three cable modems I had on hand from a friend that recently switched to Verizon-- a Ubee Docsis 3 modem which I don't remember the model of, an old Thomson DCM435? Docsis 2 modem, and a Surfboard 4200, which was the oldest of the lot, coming in at Docsis 1.1 and an approximate age of about 11 or 12.

the Thomson had blown capacitors, and the Ubee was supposed to be returned to Comcast since it was rented, it seems. so, we tried to get the surfboard activated over the phone. The guy warned of the speed decreases because Docsis 1.1 was old, and I replied that I was well-aware of this fact... So he worked his magic fingers, and it worked. but it didn't just work. it works:



for some reason, Speedtest thinks I'm in Arkansas, when I'm really in NJ, and supposedly this is because that's where the IP was assigned from? The real wow is the speed. Should I even be getting this kind of speed down with a Docsis 1.1 modem? the speed even surprised the comcast guy on the other end of the phone, who was pretty much speechless, since D1.1 modems are usually on slower plans... in this case, 25/2 was the slowest the comcast guy could give her since she had a very grandfathered and discounted down account that was of considerable age, and was an existing customer.

Here's the information from the Signal page on the modem:



Am I missing something here? I was really expecting the speed to stay below like 8Mbits or something. the upload speed I can understand, but the download speed is immense for a modem of this age. now, I'm not complaining, I love it! I just want to know if this is "normal". and yes, the modem has been confirmed to be in Docsis 1.1 mode.

Might this have anything to do with the speed increases said to be happening? if it is, then I better call Comcast back up for my own internet connection at home, which is currently on their Blast tier!

Tobin
join:2003-09-21
Burlingame, CA

Tobin

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The SB4200 was definitely capable of DOCSIS 1.1's max 38mbps down / 9mbps up.
saratoga66
join:2002-08-22
Saratoga, CA

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I'm really surprised they provisioned a 1.1 modem. Comcast doesn't even want 2.0 modems on their network now.
PowerMac
join:2011-03-02
Anaheim, CA

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WOWWWWWWW! :0

SeattleMatt
Streaming Tech Director
Premium Member
join:2001-12-28
Seattle, WA

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said by saratoga66:

I'm really surprised they provisioned a 1.1 modem.

Same here - but then again the big "shut down" of those modems here in the Philly region that was supposed to happen at the start of last December still hasn't...so...I guess roll the dice until 1 day it doesn't work.

You're best bet would be to either 1) buy a new one or 2) rent one from your local center...

Kasoah
join:2013-08-20
Merced, CA

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That modem is going to get knocked off quite soon. All the TDMA channels are gone in my area.

People keep talking about DOCSIS 2 modems going EOL, they are going to stay for a long time. There is no reason to get rid of them as they support the ATDMA upstream. Some models like the sb5101 also support ipv6.

That looks right for a docsis 1.1 modem, the downstream should be the same as docsis 2.0 modems. Upstream only goes up to 16qam, and the modem does not have signed certificates but that really doesn't matter.
Sudos
join:2014-02-24
Roselle, NJ

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Sudos

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said by Kasoah:

That modem is going to get knocked off quite soon. All the TDMA channels are gone in my area.

People keep talking about DOCSIS 2 modems going EOL, they are going to stay for a long time. There is no reason to get rid of them as they support the ATDMA upstream. Some models like the sb5101 also support ipv6.

if I have to upgrade to another modem, I have the RCA/Thomson DCM425 I can re-cap and drop in as a replacement-- doing some digging inside the unit shows they blocked ALL THE VENTS with adhesive plastic paper which in turn with the heat from a voltage regulator (seeing as it can take anywhere from 8-12v DC) cooked the two main power filter caps (25v 1000uF) and a third smaller 47uF capacitor which from memory is 10v. I have all these in stock, I just didn't have the time to re-cap it when I initially picked up the unit. Also found out it supports IPv6, an added bonus.

What I'll most definitely be doing is using the 12v adapter it was supplied with, and just add a small 40mm fan to the thing to keep it actively cool (it's already heatsink'd now.) I did something similar with an old Belkin 802.11g wireless router at a friend's house, which was Marvell-based instead of the Broadcom-based model needed for DD-WRT support. it had a heatsink, but it and the NIC controller chip liked to overheat due to bad design, so I added a 40x40x25mm Nidec and shared it on the 5v rail-- no issues whatsoever. it's run pretty much non-stop save for power outages and cleaning days (once every year, pretty much) since 2008. I just need to find the right fan for the job... and my hole saw bits.

I also picked up a Surfboard SBV5120 at the thrift shop today for $4, adapter and all. powered it up, everything looks to be in order... it's currently sitting on the bench at home waiting for the thermal adhesive with a heatsink attached to the main SoC to dry. I'm hazarding a wild guess that i'tll work based that the SB5120 was supported, and not much chnages between this and the other aside from the VoIP circuitry, which I'll never use anyway. the downside is there's no IPv6 support, so it's more of a hot spare sort of thing for when the RCA/Thomson goes into service (hopefully!)
said by Kasoah:

That looks right for a docsis 1.1 modem, the downstream should be the same as docsis 2.0 modems. Upstream only goes up to 16qam, and the modem does not have signed certificates but that really doesn't matter.

Still isn't much of an issue, I don't care for the upload speed all too much, just that it even uploads to begin with. 1.5Mbits is fine for the moment until the other modem goes into service.
said by saratoga66:

I'm really surprised they provisioned a 1.1 modem. Comcast doesn't even want 2.0 modems on their network now.

I'm really the most surprised, being one of three end-users who are making use of this to connect to the Internet (my Grandmother doesn't have any internet-enabled devices and has no will or desire to learn how to use one at the ripe old age of 88) but we desperately needed an internet connection, and I'm not exactly how she did it, but my mother must have made a really good story to the support tech on the other side of the phone. For now, I can easily manage until the other modem goes up. 20+Mbps down is more than enough for viewing Youtube in HD, and doesn't feel slow or clunky-- the average speed I get in my basement is about 22/10 over bridged routers on a 50/10 line and quite a few more devices connected.

AnonMan
@comcast.net

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While these speeds are expected because 1.1 is able to provide them I am somewhat disappointed in Comcast for allowing it to be put on the network.

They should have a policy in place that all activations be 2.0 or 3.0 only.
I understand the point here for you was to save money but the more older equipment on the node the worse for everyone else actually.

For 1 it causes more usage on a single channel instead of balancing it.
For 2 it makes it so they can't get rid of the old channels and re-provision them for the higher speed ones that the newer modems can do and thus limits upgrade ability in areas.

That said, they will force you off it soon. Despite people still being on them and ignoring the letters they are paying customers so Comcast is giving a lot of space and not wanting to just cut the connection but it all servers as warnings when they do.

I suggest you upgrade the modem asap, if cost is a factor just find a used or refurbished 3.0 one. Don't worry about all the hype of people saying don't by used ones on ebay etc. You're protected to get your money back via eBay, PayPal and your credit card company (so 3 layers of protection) in the event of any the modem being stolen, still on an act etc.
Sudos
join:2014-02-24
Roselle, NJ

Sudos

Member

said by AnonMan :

That said, they will force you off it soon. Despite people still being on them and ignoring the letters they are paying customers so Comcast is giving a lot of space and not wanting to just cut the connection but it all servers as warnings when they do.

I suggest you upgrade the modem asap, if cost is a factor just find a used or refurbished 3.0 one. Don't worry about all the hype of people saying don't by used ones on ebay etc. You're protected to get your money back via eBay, PayPal and your credit card company (so 3 layers of protection) in the event of any the modem being stolen, still on an act etc.

yeah, I know they'll make us off it soon. as said, I have a couple 2.0's I'll probably up to in the very very near (1 month or less) future. the one supporting IPv6 is the obvious contender there.

I have no issue buying old modems off eBay if so need-be. if it needs to be fixed, I'm more than adequate at replacing stuff like capactors and voltage regulators/transistors or what have you. I also have as of this morning a friend in Nebraska on Cox that has two modems they switched away from, both are Surfboards, one seems to be D2 SB5101, the other is known to be an SB6121 D3 modem. but I won't be able to acquire these for another month or two... so I have to make do.

Chris 313
Because It's Geekier
Premium Member
join:2004-07-18
Houma, LA
·AT&T FTTP
·Comcast XFINITY

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1 recommendation

Chris 313

Premium Member

said by Sudos:

said by AnonMan :

That said, they will force you off it soon. Despite people still being on them and ignoring the letters they are paying customers so Comcast is giving a lot of space and not wanting to just cut the connection but it all servers as warnings when they do.

I suggest you upgrade the modem asap, if cost is a factor just find a used or refurbished 3.0 one. Don't worry about all the hype of people saying don't by used ones on ebay etc. You're protected to get your money back via eBay, PayPal and your credit card company (so 3 layers of protection) in the event of any the modem being stolen, still on an act etc.

yeah, I know they'll make us off it soon. as said, I have a couple 2.0's I'll probably up to in the very very near (1 month or less) future. the one supporting IPv6 is the obvious contender there.

I have no issue buying old modems off eBay if so need-be. if it needs to be fixed, I'm more than adequate at replacing stuff like capactors and voltage regulators/transistors or what have you. I also have as of this morning a friend in Nebraska on Cox that has two modems they switched away from, both are Surfboards, one seems to be D2 SB5101, the other is known to be an SB6121 D3 modem. but I won't be able to acquire these for another month or two... so I have to make do.

Focus on the 6121 and get rid of the rest as soon as you can. I have quite a few doubts that the SBV5120 you picked up will even work, given that model was nowhere on Comcast's approved lists.

The 6121 you mentioned should work for at least another year, maybe two before the base Performance speed upgrades past that modem's useful life.
Sudos
join:2014-02-24
Roselle, NJ

Sudos

Member

said by Chris 313:

Focus on the 6121 and get rid of the rest as soon as you can. I have quite a few doubts that the SBV5120 you picked up will even work, given that model was nowhere on Comcast's approved lists.

The 6121 you mentioned should work for at least another year, maybe two before the base Performance speed upgrades past that modem's useful life.

I'm just going to get the RCA/Thomson modem going for now, I need something better than the 4200 provisioned in any which way right now, if they're going to be flipping the switch on 1.1 compatibility soon. I'm at least lucky to have an internet connection there, but still.

Chris 313
Because It's Geekier
Premium Member
join:2004-07-18
Houma, LA
·AT&T FTTP
·Comcast XFINITY

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1 recommendation

Chris 313

Premium Member

said by Sudos:

said by Chris 313:

Focus on the 6121 and get rid of the rest as soon as you can. I have quite a few doubts that the SBV5120 you picked up will even work, given that model was nowhere on Comcast's approved lists.

The 6121 you mentioned should work for at least another year, maybe two before the base Performance speed upgrades past that modem's useful life.

I'm just going to get the RCA/Thomson modem going for now, I need something better than the 4200 provisioned in any which way right now, if they're going to be flipping the switch on 1.1 compatibility soon. I'm at least lucky to have an internet connection there, but still.

While 2.0 is better then 1.1. As soon as you get the 6121, make sure to switch it out as soon as possible. D2 modems are on the chopping block as well, and with the coming Performance 50 upgrade making the rounds, any on D2 modems will not get their full speeds and other things that the 6121 and better provide. Not to mention you being able to keep your internet connection online with them yanking 1.1 and 2.0s from the system as fast as they can.

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't pay for something I'm not getting.

pclover
join:2008-08-02
Santa Cruz, CA

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You really should pickup a D3 modem.

they'll be flipping the switch on D2 modems at some point as well.

Why not buy a D3 modem now?
saratoga66
join:2002-08-22
Saratoga, CA

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Somehow Comcast's engineering team needs to get with the customer service team and make the system not allow any new 1.1 or 2.0 to be registered. They are never going to get the old modems off the network if they keep allowing them to be registered.