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rudnicke
Premium Member
join:2004-10-23
Rantoul, IL

rudnicke

Premium Member

[Connectivity] New modem?

My mother rec'd a message from Comcast telling her that her current modem will no longer support the full speeds offered by Comcast. They said she needs to upgrade to a new modem.

Is this legit? If so, can someone recommend a modem that will work with the new speeds?

Thaks.

SuperNet
Go Ninja,Go Ninja Go..
Premium Member
join:2002-10-08
Hoffman Estates, IL

SuperNet

Premium Member

If she has a Docsis 2 modem then, Yes it is legit since comcast will soon be disconnecting them... She will need to upgraded to a Docsis 3 modem..
I recommend SB6141

telcodad
MVM
join:2011-09-16
Lincroft, NJ

telcodad to rudnicke

MVM

to rudnicke
said by SuperNet:

If she has a Docsis 2 modem then, Yes it is legit since comcast will soon be disconnecting them... She will need to upgraded to a Docsis 3 modem..

Yes, see: »[Speed] Heads-Up: Time to Replace Your DOCSIS 2.0 Modem

Johkal
Cool Cat
MVM
join:2002-11-13
Pennsyltucky

Johkal to rudnicke

MVM

to rudnicke
What tier does mom subscribe to?
bleagh
join:2004-03-11
Salt Lake City, UT

bleagh to rudnicke

Member

to rudnicke
It would be easier to help if we know what speed is being subscribed to and what model the modem is, and if the modem is rented or purchased.

rudnicke
Premium Member
join:2004-10-23
Rantoul, IL

rudnicke

Premium Member

I will find out and post it.
rudnicke

rudnicke

Premium Member

She has a 50Mbps connection. Part of some Triple Play package. The modem is listed as AR tm402p.

I have a used Motorola 6121 modem that I think is Docsis 3. Would that work?

SuperNet
Go Ninja,Go Ninja Go..
Premium Member
join:2002-10-08
Hoffman Estates, IL

SuperNet to rudnicke

Premium Member

to rudnicke
Yes it would work.

telcodad
MVM
join:2011-09-16
Lincroft, NJ

1 recommendation

telcodad to rudnicke

MVM

to rudnicke
said by rudnicke:

She has a 50Mbps connection. Part of some Triple Play package. The modem is listed as AR tm402p.

As shown above, the ARRIS TM402P eMTA (aka "voice modem") is a DOCSIS 2.0 device that was declared at End-of-Life (EOL) in June 2013: »mydeviceinfo.comcast.net ··· evid=278

As a DOCSIS 2.0 device, it's not capable of channel bonding, and therefore its downstream speed is limited to 38 Mbps or less.

End of Life (EOL) Devices
Updated on March 05, 2015 at 9:35 PM
»customer.comcast.com/hel ··· devices/
said by rudnicke:

I have a used Motorola 6121 modem that I think is Docsis 3. Would that work?

Well, it is a 4x4 DOCSIS 3.0 Modem that will work fine for a 50 Mbps HSI tier, but it is not an eMTA, so it can't support the Xfinity Voice telephone service part of a triple-play package, like the TM402P did.

Otherwise, you would also have to make sure that that Motorola SB6121 modem was no longer associated with your account.

I can recommend the DOCSIS 3.0 eMTA that I own, the ARRIS TM822G, which can be purchased (new) from a number of 3rd party sellers on Amazon for less than $130 right now: »www.amazon.com/gp/offer- ··· tion=new

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf

Member

I used the SB6121 for several years and I've had it running on the Blast 105 package seeing speeds of 126Mbps which from what I've gathered is nearing the peak of what to expect with it. It's still a viable option if only a modem is what is needed.

Johkal
Cool Cat
MVM
join:2002-11-13
Pennsyltucky

1 recommendation

Johkal to rudnicke

MVM

to rudnicke
Whereas the SB6121 will get you by on the 50/10 tier, check to see if her area is getting an upgrade to 105/10 and then consider in the near future upgrading her to at least a modem capable of 8x4 channel bonding such as the SB6141 or Zoom 5341J.
Quattrohead
Premium Member
join:2005-02-09

Quattrohead to rudnicke

Premium Member

to rudnicke
The Zoom 5341 works well for me.
I wonder if you can keep the Arris just for the voice side of things and add a DOCSIS 3 modem for the data side ?

Johkal
Cool Cat
MVM
join:2002-11-13
Pennsyltucky

Johkal

MVM

Note that the 5341 is only a 4x4. The 5341J is an 8x4.

They will lease the EMTA and only enable it for CDV if you want to use your own modem for internet. this enables using 2 modems.

telcodad
MVM
join:2011-09-16
Lincroft, NJ

telcodad

MVM

said by Johkal:

They will lease the EMTA and only enable it for CDV if you want to use your own modem for internet. this enables using 2 modems.

Yes, but then you are still paying a monthly rental fee in that case.

If your market allows owning your eMTA (like mine), then purchasing a new 8x4 ARRIS TM822G eMTA for $130 would be the best bet. With the current $10/mo rental fee, it would pay for itself in just over a year's time.

rudnicke
Premium Member
join:2004-10-23
Rantoul, IL

rudnicke

Premium Member

I did verify that she does have voice through comcast. So it sounds like the new Arris modem would be the way to go?

owlyn
MVM
join:2004-06-05
Newtown, PA
Netgear CM2050V
Netgear RBRE960
Netgear RBSE960

owlyn

MVM

Yes, either that specific Arris modem, or lease an eMTA modem from Comcast for $10/month. I chose to lease, and have not regretted it. Modems go bad. I am on my 3rd eMTA. Each time I get one replaced, I've received newer technology. It also make any trouble calls easier. They can't say the problem is YOUR modem. If they suspect it is the modem, they replace it- no additional cost to you. Of course, the problem rarely is the modem, but that's another topic...

telcodad
MVM
join:2011-09-16
Lincroft, NJ

telcodad

MVM

said by owlyn:

...or lease an eMTA modem from Comcast for $10/month. I chose to lease, and have not regretted it. Modems go bad. I am on my 3rd eMTA. Each time I get one replaced, I've received newer technology. It also make any trouble calls easier.

I understand your viewpoint, and it made some sense to me back when the monthly modem rental fee was only $3 or $5, but now that it's $10 (with rumors that it will be raised to $12 next year), the cost recovery period can be as short as 7 months.

When I first signed up for Comcast HSI service back in Sept. 2011, the monthly fee was $7 then. I decided right away to purchase an SB6121 4x4 D3 modem that was on sale for $89, therefore paying for itself in about a year.

I had one issue with low downstream signal levels, which a dispatched tech easily verified was Comcast's problem by using his meter (which turned out to be due to water in the ground block).

As far as keeping up with new technology, I upgraded to 8x4 mode when I signed up for a triple-play promo and purchased my ARRIS TM822G eMTA in Dec. 2013. That cost should be recovered in a few more months now.

I figure that I will next upgrade once the first hybrid D3/D3.1 modems become available at a reasonable cost.

If you find that you are having to replace failed modems periodically, you may want to see what may causing that.

If you're purchasing quality ones, then electrical issues in your home (improper/faulty ground bonding, bad neutral connection, voltage spikes/surges from heavy equipment, etc.), or a problem with your cable connection might be the cause.

I use APC UPSs on all my networking and computer equipment and replaced my ground block with this TII 212 coaxial surge protector »www.digicomm.com/tii210.pdf , which is currently available from Amazon for $16: »www.amazon.com/TII-Broad ··· 016AIYU6 , and have not had an equipment failure yet.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf to owlyn

Member

to owlyn
said by owlyn:

Each time I get one replaced, I've received newer technology.

This is not always the case however, there have been many reported cases of the exact opposite, where older devices were received after replacing a failed device. Just a word of caution.