New Router, New Modem, New ISP, still slow?

[mace200200]

Forever we have been using a 3mb line from AT&T. We've also been using a really crappy modem/router from them for a few years and the thing was terrible, it'd drop connection and slow to a 5 or 10 Kb/s crawl whenever anyone would close a web browser for some reason.

For the same price per month we switched to a 12Mb/s line from Comcast, we got a new modem, and since our router before was so bad a new router to go with it. A Belkin DB n600. On Tuesday when they first installed the thing it was very very fast. We were downloading stuff at an average speed about 2Mb/s, yesterday I think it was pretty much the same until late at night. I was trying to watch youtube videos on my Iphone 4S and they would not load, it'd take like 20 mins to load some 5-10 minute videos. Today I decided to test it out on my gaming rig in the basement, which runs a wireless adapter, by downloading a WoW patch, and it was sitting <150 Kp/s. On our old line we'd get around 300Kp/s assuming it wanted to work right. I thought it might be my adapter, or worse my computer itself, so I run the same test on my brothers computer, that's ones hooked up with a cable and it still has the same speeds. Running the test from speedtest.net also yields results the same on both machines.

So what's going on, is it just that it's not going to run so fast on some days because of weather, ill tempered sea bass or other stuff? The router updated itself to the newest firmware the other day, and I decided to enable some Intellistream thing just today but still nothing has changed. I hope the new firmware isn't what is bogging it down.

My parents are okay because Comcast has much better service, but I'll be pissed at myself if it doesn't speed up to at least the same speeds as our old line, even if it is up and working right all the time.


Link to my router: http://www.belkin.com/us/F9K1102-Belkin/p/P-F9K1102
Our last belkin router was a tank, I wanted dual band for my xbox, and they didn't have the n450 at RadioShack, that's why I bought this one.

 

[mace200200]

I've been building computer for a while, but when it comes to networking I don't know a whole hell of a lot, so keep that in mind if I didn't do something obvious to troubleshoot.

 

[ubobill]

Have you tried doing a fresh default settings on your router?

You can do a power reset by doing the following steps:

1.) Push in the reset button and unplug the power. Keep the reset button pushed in while doing this.

2.) Keep the power unplugged for 30 seconds while keeping the reset button pushed in.

3.) Plug the power coord back in and keep the reset button held in for 15 more seconds.

4.) After 15 seconds let go of the reset button and let it boot up normally.


You can also post us an ipconfig /all test.txt here for us to look at.


When it comes to wireless networking, there are so many things that can relate to issues.

 

[mace200200]

First thing I tired was unplugging it, then factory reset, I think upgrading the firmware caused a software glitch that is messing it up, I'm going to take it back to Radio Shack today I'm probably going to go for the netgear n600, or spend the extra $40 on the Cisco e3500. Going to do some more research first

 

[mace200200]

Well, I plugged my brothers desktop directly to the modem and it was still entirely to slow. So my router isn't the problem I don't know what else to do, unless Comcast set something up wrong some where or it's my modem itself. Please help.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

What's the make and model of the modem?

If it's Motorola (others may offer the same page) then open a browser and surf to http://192.168.100.1 That's the modem's internal status page. There will be a signal tab. On that tab you want to see the downstream at or slightly above 0db and the upstream in the mid to high 30's. If upstream is in the mid to high 40's or above 50, or downstream is in double-digit negatives then there is a provider side problem that needs to be addressed.

 

[mace200200]

It's a Cisco modem, that's all I can find out about it, I was at the setup page earlier and this is all it tells me, there's any other pages to click to or anything that I can find:


Model: Cisco DPC3008
Vendor: Cisco
Hardware Revision: 1.0
MAC Address: 7c:b2:1b:9c:c7:44
Bootloader Revision: 2.3.1_R3
Current Software Revision: d3000-v302r125532-120517a-L2VPN-CMCST
Firmware Name: d3000-v302r125532-120517a-L2VPN-CMCST.bin
Firmware Build Time: May 17 11:31:04 2012
Cable Modem Status: Operational
Wireless Network:


Cable Modem State

DOCSIS Downstream Scanning: Completed
DOCSIS Ranging: Completed
DOCSIS DHCP: Completed
DOCSIS TFTP: Completed
DOCSIS Data Reg Complete: Completed
DOCSIS Privacy: Enabled

Downstream Channels

Power Level: Signal to Noise Ratio:
Channel 1: -7.3 dBmV 40.2 dB
Channel 2: -7.2 dBmV 40.6 dB
Channel 3: -6.6 dBmV 40.9 dB
Channel 4: -6.4 dBmV 40.9 dB
Channel 5: 0.0 dBmV 0.0 dB
Channel 6: 0.0 dBmV 0.0 dB
Channel 7: 0.0 dBmV 0.0 dB
Channel 8: 0.0 dBmV 0.0 dB

Upstream Channels

Power Level:
Channel 1: 57.0 dBmV
Channel 2: 0.0 dBmV
Channel 3: 0.0 dBmV
Channel 4: 0.0 dBmV

Let me add that I'm about 99% sure that it's not a virus, for one thing it worked fine for the first two days, and for another my phone, and anything else (Kindle, etc...) is very slow even at night when all the computers are turned off. I scan for viruses a lot, and I rarely do anything on this computer anyway other than play games, and come to this site.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

That 57.0dBmV on upstream channel 1 is concerning. I'm not that familiar with Cisco modems, but that level on a Motorola is max power on the transmitter (actually 3dB above max). It seems that the modem is having to quite literally shout to be heard which will have a most decidedly negative impact on performance.

This can be caused by one or more of: too many or wrong type splitters, bad fittings, pinched or severely bent cables, cable plant problem. You should have your provider out to check everything from street to modem.

 

[mace200200]

Alright I think I will have them do that, would a problem like this be likely to appear after just a few days though?

 

[ex_bubblehead]

If it's a provider side problem, yes.

 

[mace200200]

Alright then I will be sure to post back once I get someone to come take a look at it and fix it up.

 

[mace200200]

Ok, so they gave us a new modem, when that didn't work they sent out a guy today, he found one of the cables was pinched, and he says another one needs to be replaced. Either way we're getting 20Mb/s down again, hopefully it'll stay close to that until they come back over here to replace the cable outside.

 

[JulesSF]

Similar issue here, also just upgraded from AT&T 3MB to Comcast Business, but rarely see near the "guaranteed 15MB downstream" - especially on Wi-Fi signal it's usually hovering around 4-5MB.

Here is what the signal page of Motorola SBG6580 shows:

Downstream Bonded Channels:
Channel Power SNR Correctables Uncorrectables
1 7.5 dBmV 39.5 dB 1072 590
2 7.3 dBmV 39.4 dB 799 706
3 7.2 dBmV 39.5 dB 1175 687
4 6.7 dBmV 39.5 dB 1195 1142
5 6.4 dBmV 39.4 dB 925 807
6 6.0 dBmV 39.4 dB 989 993
7 6.2 dBmV 38.6 dB 1310 1140
8 6.8 dBmV 39.5 dB 1136 1000

Upstream Bonded Channels:
Channel Lock Status US Channel Type Channel ID Symbol Rate Frequency Power
1 Locked ATDMA 5 5120 Ksym/sec 30600000 Hz 43.2 dBmV
2 Locked TDMA 4 2560 Ksym/sec 25300000 Hz 43.2 dBmV
3 Locked ATDMA 6 5120 Ksym/sec 37000000 Hz 43.2 dBmV
4 Not Locked Unknown 0 0 Ksym/sec 0 Hz 0.0 dBmV

 

[mace200200]

Best answer selected by mace200200.