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Cable Modem Channels & Internet Speed

Discussion in 'Networking' started by sms1295, Jul 20, 2020.

  1. sms1295

    sms1295

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2015
    Messages:
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    Operating System:
    Windows 7
    When I was talking to tech support at Suddenlink about the possibility of upgrading my internet speed from 200 Mbps to 400 Mbps, he suggested that I should upgrade my modem to have at least 24 downstream channels since I now have higher speed internet and I have my phone & TV service through them. I have an Arris SB6183 modem. When I talked to there sales support to make the actual upgrade, they told me the modem I have now is fine. At the moment I'm not sure who to believe. I've thought about upgrading to an Arris SB619 with 32x8, but not sure if that would actually be worth the money or would improve my speed. After the upgrade, I'm averaging 320 Mbps. Not sure if I have a modem issue or still need to have Suddenlink look at my connection. Fyi...I use a Linksys - Max-Stream AX6000 router.

    Any help would be appreciated,
     
    sms1295, Jul 20, 2020
    #1
  3. Tony D

    Tony D Administrator Administrator

    Joined:
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    Location:
    SE Pennsylvania, USA
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    Firstly, why are you considering an upgrade? The only reason I see to upgrade is if there are several users in the house and they're all streaming. If that's not the case, then you probably won't even see a speed bump.

    In my case, I have 50 Mbps. Everything runs nicely. Normally, I usually have two or three computers running, two or three Echo devices, an iPad, and my smart TV connected. Sometimes I add an additional computer, and my mobile device. They're all connected wirelessly at the same time. In reality, the most data I use would be when streaming something on the smart TV while the Echo devices are listening to me and I'm casually checking web sites and email on my iPad or other device.

    If you already have 200 mbps, you should not be experiencing issues. Now, if you're sharing bandwidth with your neighbors (which is what I think Suddenlink does), that's the bottle neck. Check your speed at https://www.speakeasy.net/ See if you're really getting 200 mbps. If you're sharing bandwidth with your neighbors, your speed will depend on what your neighbors are doing.
     
    Tony D, Jul 20, 2020
    #2
    Rustys likes this.
  4. sms1295

    sms1295

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2015
    Messages:
    5
    Operating System:
    Windows 7
    Thank you for your response. I've additional research and found that the Suddenlink rep was wrong about upgrading my modem for 400 Mbps, so I have not done that. Several years ago I had 100 Mbps and was not happy with the speed due to work which was mostly accessing my companies systems from home, so I upgraded to 200 Mbps which helped 100%. Since then I'm added cloud storage, gaming, mobile devices, and streaming to my internet usage which at times I can see a drag on my devices. The additional speed has been helpful. Your experiences with your internet speed were interesting to read.

    Thank you again for taking the time to respond,
     
    sms1295, Jul 22, 2020
    #3
  5. Tony D

    Tony D Administrator Administrator

    Joined:
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    Location:
    SE Pennsylvania, USA
    Operating System:
    Windows XP Professional
    Yes, if you're seeing issues once adding the additional devices, that's a god reason to increase your Internet speed.

    I'd be interested to see what the speed test results are when you're not having issues and then compare it to when you are having issues. That would tell you if your speed is constant or is changing.
     
    Tony D, Jul 22, 2020
    #4

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