sortofageek
Premium,Mod
join:2001-08-19
Valhalla Dr
clubs: | reply to Quaoar
Re: PowerBoost on 8M/768K service is Borked?
PowerBoost problem discussion should now be posted here ---> »[Speed] PowerBoost Problem Discussions |
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CSHA
join:2003-07-22
Ann Arbor, MI
| reply to Quaoar
Quaoar  , what are your RWIN and MTU values? My values were way off and I was seeing the same symptoms as you are describing here. (just a thought) |
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Quaoar
join:2004-08-11
Fort Collins, CO
| reply to Quaoar
I had a very nice discussion with a tech service rep via 1800comcast about this problem. Summarizing...
1. Comcast is aware that there is a problem with the 8Mbps service and Powerboost. They have had 'many' complaints.
2. They know that the problem is hit-or-miss; it appears some in an area have the problem while others do not.
3. PB is still being tweaked and it might be a couple of weeks until they have all of the bugs under control.
4. Be patient.
OK, I'm being patient. My 6:00am speed tests are now showing 4Mbps upload (plus or minus).
Q |
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priller
join:2000-10-20
Gainesville, VA
 ·voip.ms
·Callcentric
·Vonage
·callwithus
| reply to Quaoar
said by Quaoar :Maybe this is a local network problem since Comcast is a conglomeration of many acquired networks? I think you're right. Doing a search on the speed test archive, I see lower than average test results across the board, in my general area. |
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Quaoar
join:2004-08-11
Fort Collins, CO
| reply to priller
Your results are directionally what I had before PB raised its ugly head. Now, download is 6+/-, and from what I can read on the ugly sticky Powerboost thread, some others on the 8M tier are finding about the same. Others, though, in the east primarily, are finding full PB performance.
Maybe this is a local network problem since Comcast is a conglomeration of many acquired networks?
I'm going to see if I can 'discuss' this with a tech service rep and see what he/she says.
Q |
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Quaoar
join:2004-08-11
Fort Collins, CO
| reply to CableTool
So, CableTool (you are aware of what the younger generation considers a "tool"!?), following your comment I've been downloading the Comcast downloadable install wizard from »denv-cdn01.cmc.co.denver.comcast···zard.exe
What I find is absolutely nothing whereas BEFORE PB, I was routinely downloading at 11-14Mbp. My download is now 6+/- Mbps and this is on the closest Comcast server to my. Note that I've used http, ftp, both IE and Firefox, router in place with all three computers, and my best computer directly connected, modem restarted between each test, and nothing shows that PB is remotely active.
Dunno. I guess I'll negotiate a discussion with a tech service rep to verify that my account is properly configured (and my new modem also). BTW, signal levels, S/N are all well within the acceptable range.
Q |
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digitalboy26
join:2003-10-17
Milford, MI | reply to priller
Geez... all you folks whining about ~10mb... I'm happy when I actually hit 8mb.
Though, I've noticed that my upstream has been spiking to 900k. |
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priller
join:2000-10-20
Gainesville, VA
·voip.ms
·Callcentric
·Vonage
·callwithus
1 edit | reply to minkink1
Grrrrrrr!!!! 
yes ... I'm in a PB area and have the 8/768 tier. This is actually good. |
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minkink1
join:2006-01-05
Milton, MA | reply to Quaoar
 oh yeah whos the man |
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NuAlphaMan
join:2006-08-07
Bowie, MD
| reply to Quaoar
Well, I've just upgraded to the 8M tier and have been bursting out the seams! I used to run speed test all the time when I had the 6M tier and never exceeded the 6M.
For those who say it's not working, you need to be sure it's in your area. They say the plan is for it to be released everywhere by the end of the year. |
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markofmayhem
join:2004-04-08
Pittsburgh, PA
| reply to AthlGrond
If anyone is using java-based speed tests to see if powerboost is working, please stop. It has been proven again and again that java-based speed tests are very unreliable. Find a nice FTP server that can push data to you as fast as your connection can handle and test it that way. I downloaded SP2 from MS's site last week and received horrible speeds as well, but a few days ago it was blazing through as normal again. I can't say if it was Microsoft's push that was slow or my connection that was slow and still consider myself sane and reasonable. The same night as that slow SP2 download, I hit my max speed downloading from Nero's FTP site, which is very unusual. |
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AthlGrond
Premium,MVM
join:2002-04-25
Aurora, CO
 ·Comcast
| reply to tivoking
When I was converted from AT&T to Comcast my account was messed up and I didn't know it until just a few months ago, I was thinking that perhaps that might be a contributing factor to people not getting the 8Mbps + powerboost now, their accounts are in a similar state to what mine was. (Previously I got the full speeds but not in tests, and I could not get my free IGN account to work.)
--
"When you're an Anvil, hold you still;When you're a Hammer, strike your Fill." -- Benjamin Franklin |
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aggiejy
Premium
join:2002-07-10
Wimberley, TX | reply to Quaoar
I had 8m plan in Dallas here since they offered it. When I first signed up, it worked. For the past few months, it only tests at 6m. So I just downgraded to the 6m plan. Now I get 5 megs. Oh well. |
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tivoking
join:2005-02-03
48077
2 edits | reply to AthlGrond
reply to AthlGrond
I have always had Comcast. Comcast has been the only provider in my county for 24 years, until they had to share with Americast\WOW. Since Powerboost has been available in my area, I have not seen any increase or decrease in downloads, or speed tests. Exactly the same. My modem has excellent signal strength, and is reporting as DOCSIS 2.0. |
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AthlGrond
Premium,MVM
join:2002-04-25
Aurora, CO
·Comcast
2 edits | reply to Quaoar
I'm on the 8Mbps tier, and my speed test from last night was 12158/701 kbps. I appear to be boosting.
I don't know if my regular speeds have been impacted since I didn't usually get 1MB/s downloads before power boost went in, and that hasn't changed.
I'm using the SB5100.
[Edit]
Quaoar, are you a former AT&T customer or has your cable connection always been with comcast?
[/Edit]
--
"When you're an Anvil, hold you still;
When you're a Hammer, strike your Fill." -- Benjamin Franklin |
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tivoking
join:2005-02-03
48077 | reply to markofmayhem
I have been getting 8.2Mbps speed test results on multiple speed test sites for the past year. This has never changed since Powerboost is supposedly available in my area. |
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Wayne99021
Premium
join:2004-12-28
Mead, WA
| reply to Quaoar
I think most are aware of the "can" and "up to" of the power boost. I just don't think it should degrade the 8 meg tier.
My example is before power boost I was getting bursting speeds up to 13000 down. I could download SP2 from Microsoft and would normally get 1 mg or a little above and never below 750kb. Now my bursting rarely hits 10000 and I have been as low as 100.7 kb on the SP2 download from Microsoft.
On the power boost thread, TD NICKELL of Washington state couldn't get power boost on the 8mg tier so he cancelled the 8 mg and went back to 6mg and is now getting the power boost speeds.
The people I know who are on the 6mg tier speeds have almost doubled since power boost for the first part of the download. The ones on the 8mg tier as not gained anything and in some cases like mine have lost speed.
This is just too much of a coincidence for there not to be something wrong. |
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NetFixer
Freedom is NOT Free
Premium
join:2004-06-24
Murfreesboro, TN
 ·AT&T Southeast
·Vonage
 ·Cingular Wireless
·AT&T CallVantage
| reply to markofmayhem
said by markofmayhem :I think it would be nice for this well educated community to get together and find a nice, routine, standardized way to test "powerboost". First you would need to get Comcast to bypass the marketing ISP-speak and actually publish the specs. Don't hold your breath. 
--
We can never have enough of nature.
We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander.
Test your firewall. |
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markofmayhem
join:2004-04-08
Pittsburgh, PA
| reply to NetFixer
I think it would be nice for this well educated community to get together and find a nice, routine, standardized way to test "powerboost". A lot of posters write "my Powerboost isn't working", but leave out any details as to why they feel this way. It would be nice to have a little guide by those who understand exactly what is going on with Powerboost so that we can all "test" our connections to see if
a. Powerboost is even present in our area
b. What the average Powerboost level is for each of our connections
c. If there is a sudden decrease in Powerboost but not provisioned speed
Just a nice 5-10 step process, as speed tests don't work and I keep hearing about large files not being a good test either (FTP a 25 MB file). |
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NetFixer
Freedom is NOT Free
Premium
join:2004-06-24
Murfreesboro, TN
·AT&T Southeast
·Vonage
·Cingular Wireless
·AT&T CallVantage
| reply to Quaoar
In order to understand PowerBoost, you have to understand ISP-speak. Take for example, this quote from the Comcast FAQ What is PowerBoost and how does it work?
PowerBoost can provide customers with extra bursts of download speed that is
- Up to 12 Mbps on Comcast's 6 Mbps service
and
- Up to 16 Mbps on Comcast's 8 Mbps service
The key words are "can" and "Up to" as oppposed to the common misinterpretation of those words as meaning "will" and "At least".
--
We can never have enough of nature.
We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander.
Test your firewall. |
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