Modem/internet speeds(?)

[billethkid]

I have Xfinity internet, category "fast" at 400 mbs.

My modem...an Aris Surfboard 586141....and have never hit 100 mbs yet.....ussually runs around 40 mbs. Has not been a problem until recently when I am running streaming options and experience the spinning wheel of death/pausing/loading and some no connection at all. Hence the need to pursue higher modem speeds.

I called Xfinity today. He did a modem restart and ran an analysis to see if there were any connection issues outside/inside/et al.

He had me move my modem away from the window to a more inside location. That brought the speed from around 40 mbs to around 80 mbs.......still a long way from 400!!

There were no connection issues. He "suggested" using an Xfinity" modem ($15 per month). I advised him I was already paying Xfinity too much and was looking to fix that.

My plan at the moment is to pursue Xfinity for internet (assuming I can been adequate speeds). I will go with Apple TV, using Direct TV stream for programming and recording....and of course the myriad of other apps for other "stuff".

Any suggestions regarding my current inability to get the high enough speed from Xfinity.

It has been a long study for me but cord cutting is just around the corner!!

____________________________________________

:censored:

[retiredguy123]

I have Xfinity internet, category "fast" at 400 mbs.

My modem...an Aris Surfboard 586141....and have never hit 100 mbs yet.....ussually runs around 40 mbs. Has not been a problem until recently when I am running streaming options and experience the spinning wheel of death/pausing/loading and some no connection at all. Hence the need to pursue higher modem speeds.

I called Xfinity today. He did a modem restart and ran an analysis to see if there were any connection issues outside/inside/et al.

He had me move my modem away from the window to a more inside location. That brought the speed from around 40 mbs to around 80 mbs.......still a long way from 400!!

There were no connection issues. He "suggested" using an Xfinity" modem ($15 per month). I advised him I was already paying Xfinity too much and was looking to fix that.

My plan at the moment is to pursue Xfinity for internet (assuming I can been adequate speeds). I will go with Apple TV, using Direct TV stream for programming and recording....and of course the myriad of other apps for other "stuff".

Any suggestions regarding my current inability to get the high enough speed from Xfinity.

It has been a long study for me but cord cutting is just around the corner!!

____________________________________________

:censored:
I don't think the modem is your problem. I have the Xfinity Internet at 800 mbps and I usually get that speed, even on wifi devices. Blaming your modem is a convenient way for Xfinity to shift the blame to you. That is why I rent an Xfinity modem. You may want to rent a modem for a month or so, and you can always return it. Note that, if you increase your speed to above 600 mbps, you may need to upgrade the modem.

[GpaVader]

First thing you need to understand is what you are measuring. 400mbps is that upload or download or is it symmetrical? You dont' normally see symmetrical with copper service. I have Comcast and on average I see about 250mbps down and 20-40 up. That is pretty typical. Where you are measuring to is also important because you are competing for traffic. Even locally you don't have a dedicated connection, you share that connection with everyone in your neighborhood, that can also affect you're speeds. What is your real objective? Are you just trying to get a number or are you trying to stream something and it's always buffering? That may have more to do with what numbers you need and what you are getting. You might have a Lamborghini but you are still driving in the neighborhood, not the AutoBond....

[retiredguy123]

First thing you need to understand is what you are measuring. 400mbps is that upload or download or is it symmetrical? You dont' normally see symmetrical with copper service. I have Comcast and on average I see about 250mbps down and 20-40 up. That is pretty typical. Where you are measuring to is also important because you are competing for traffic. Even locally you don't have a dedicated connection, you share that connection with everyone in your neighborhood, that can also affect you're speeds. What is your real objective? Are you just trying to get a number or are you trying to stream something and it's always buffering? That may have more to do with what numbers you need and what you are getting. You might have a Lamborghini but you are still driving in the neighborhood, not the AutoBond....
If you are paying for a 400 mbps download speed and only getting 40, you have a problem.

[Bill14564]

I'm getting about 90mbps over wifi from my Xfinity modem (Arris TG1682G) and 75mbps plan. I use speedtest.net to look at my speeds.

I have streamed without buffering on as little as 10mbps in my old house.

Is there any chance you have a network extender in the house? The device I have does not have nearly the throughput that the modem does. If I happen to get attached to the extender instead of the modem then my speeds are much lower.

I can't think of a reason why moving the modem away from the window should make any difference unless you are testing the speed from the other end of the house and this just moved it closer. If that is the case then maybe try testing the speed with a device that is close to your modem. If the problem is the distance then that's fairly easy to correct.

*** Is your modem a 586141 or an SB6141? The SB6141 appears to be wired only; does the modem have wifi capability or just wired? Is there a separate wifi router involved?

[Arctic Fox]

Any suggestions regarding my current inability to get the high enough speed from Xfinity.:

Are you measuring when wired into the cable modem, or when using a wireless connection?

The former will give a much faster reading.

[retiredguy123]

Are you measuring when wired into the cable modem, or when using a wireless connection?

The former will give a much faster reading.
Not necessarily. I agree with trying a wired connection. But, I get the same speeds on wired and wireless speed tests.

[Arctic Fox]

Not necessarily. I agree with trying a wired connection. But, I get the same speeds on wired and wireless speed tests.

So do I if I'm in "line of sight", but not if I'm round a corner or in another room

It is the most common cause of getting a connection speed lower than you are expecting

[deano_hoosier]

I managed a large increase in download speed by replacing the old Ethernet cable with a new one to connect the cable modem to wireless router.....Amazon Basics RJ45 Cat 7 Male to Male High-Speed Gigabit Ethernet Patch Internet Cable, 10Gbps, 600MHz, 3 Foot, White.

The old Ethernet cable I was using was really old, I guess.

[Babubhat]

Just bought this for 55 at Amazon and I exceed the paid for speed. Try it and send back if not satisfied

ARRIS® SURFboard® SB6183 Cable Modem, White

[CoachKandSportsguy]

I have Xfinity internet, category "fast" at 400 mbs.

My modem...an Aris Surfboard 586141....and have never hit 100 mbs yet.....ussually runs around 40 mbs. Has not been a problem until recently when I am running streaming options and experience the spinning wheel of death/pausing/loading and some no connection at all. Hence the need to pursue higher modem speeds.
____________________________________________


From specs: Recommended for Internet Plans up to 100 Mbps.

So internet speed at the pc or laptop is dependent upon all equipment between the wire coming into the house to the computer/laptop.

From your descriptions, all your equipment is not new enough to support the incoming bandwidth. I would recommend getting all new equipment which supports 1 GB speeds, including the modem in the laptop or tower. . etc.

good luck
network guy

[Keefelane66]

I stream with a 5 year old Att modem picked up off Ebay connected to Quantum Fiber 200mgbs service no buffering thru Firestick with sideloaded apps and IPTV.

[Nucky]

Once I started using the XFINITY white Modem all my problems have disappeared. I was using a Motorola Modem recommended by XFINITY. Not so good I guess.

[CSB1228]

[QUOTE=billethkid;2182938]I have Xfinity internet, category "fast" at 400 mbs.

My modem...an Aris Surfboard 586141....and have never hit 100 mbs yet.....ussually runs around 40 mbs. Has not been a problem until recently when I am running streaming options and experience the spinning wheel of death/pausing/loading and some no connection at all. Hence the need to pursue higher modem speeds.

I called Xfinity today. He did a modem restart and ran an analysis to see if there were any connection issues outside/inside/et al.

He had me move my modem away from the window to a more inside location. That brought the speed from around 40 mbs to around 80 mbs.......still a long way from 400!!

There were no connection issues. He "suggested" using an Xfinity" modem ($15 per month). I advised him I was already paying Xfinity too much and was looking to fix that.

My plan at the moment is to pursue Xfinity for internet (assuming I can been adequate speeds). I will go with Apple TV, using Direct TV stream for programming and recording....and of course the myriad of other apps for other "stuff".

Any suggestions regarding my current inability to get the high enough speed from Xfinity.

It has been a long study for me but cord cutting is just around the corner!!

____________________________________________

I have Xfinity and just tested my speed. It was 360. That's with the TV on which is also taking part of my high speed. Remember all of your devices that use the internet are sharing that speed when in use.

[KeithD]

Try quantum fiber. I get the numbers I pay for.

I have Xfinity internet, category "fast" at 400 mbs.

My modem...an Aris Surfboard 586141....and have never hit 100 mbs yet.....ussually runs around 40 mbs. Has not been a problem until recently when I am running streaming options and experience the spinning wheel of death/pausing/loading and some no connection at all. Hence the need to pursue higher modem speeds.

I called Xfinity today. He did a modem restart and ran an analysis to see if there were any connection issues outside/inside/et al.

He had me move my modem away from the window to a more inside location. That brought the speed from around 40 mbs to around 80 mbs.......still a long way from 400!!

There were no connection issues. He "suggested" using an Xfinity" modem ($15 per month). I advised him I was already paying Xfinity too much and was looking to fix that.

My plan at the moment is to pursue Xfinity for internet (assuming I can been adequate speeds). I will go with Apple TV, using Direct TV stream for programming and recording....and of course the myriad of other apps for other "stuff".

Any suggestions regarding my current inability to get the high enough speed from Xfinity.

It has been a long study for me but cord cutting is just around the corner!!

____________________________________________

:censored:

[rsmurano]

If you want a good network setup with good coverage and fast speeds, you really need to get a good network technician to set 1 up, and that's not someone from the Geek Squad or any of the xfinity/spectrum/att vendors, these guys are normally clueless. I was doing large enterprise networks in the late 80's.
Don't expect to get the best modem/router from xfinity and get say 400Mb from anywhere in your house on every device unless you do it right. Every wall/ceiling you go thru you lose signal strength, every device (Ecobee, garage doors, direct tv receiver, peacock receiver, iPhone, iPad, etc...) either use the 2.4ghz/5ghz/6ghz network bands, and when to setup ipv4 and ipv6.
Also, you have 3 networks, 1 wired to the internet, 1 wired internal network, and 1 wireless network. Xfinity/spectrum/att/or any other IP will state their speeds at the wired location coming into the house at the modem/router. So if you want to test the maximum internet speed, hook up a laptop with a ethernet cat5e or better cable to the modem/router and do a network speed test. The internal wired network can be any speeds from 10Mb to 10Gb or higher depending on network setup and equipment and setup. Then you have your internal wireless network which can vary in speeds from 10Mb to over 1Gb depending on equipment and setup.
I use a mixture of the Xfinity modem/router and another pair of mesh routers (wired bridge using wifi 6E) in my house and I get close to 1Gb wireless speeds from my iPhones and iPads, and all my home automation gear inside and outside gets great coverage and speeds.

[Professor]

I learned that my download speed was actually limited by the computer I was measuring it with. Computer is only a couple of years old but was getting around 250 with my modum and maybe 300 on my new iPhone. Switched to the xfinity modum and still only got 250 on the computer but the iPhone jumped to 800 consistently.

[Windguy]

When I use a VPN, my download speeds drop by a factor of 2-3. I’ve had this problem with both NordVPN and Norton’s VPN. If you are using one, try disabling it to see if that helps.

[wawriwwawriw]

Wow! I must be really dumb. These all sound like Chinese to me.

[Streamers]

[QUOTE=billethkid;2182938]I have Xfinity internet, category "fast" at 400 mbs.

My modem...an Aris Surfboard 586141....and have never hit 100 mbs yet.....ussually runs around 40 mbs. Has not been a problem until recently when I am running streaming options and experience the spinning wheel of death/pausing/loading and some no connection at all. Hence the need to pursue higher modem speeds.

I called Xfinity today. He did a modem restart and ran an analysis to see if there were any connection issues outside/inside/et al.

He had me move my modem away from the window to a more inside location. That brought the speed from around 40 mbs to around 80 mbs.......still a long way from 400!!

There were no connection issues. He "suggested" using an Xfinity" modem ($15 per month). I advised him I was already paying Xfinity too much and was looking to fix that.

My plan at the moment is to pursue Xfinity for internet (assuming I can been adequate speeds). I will go with Apple TV, using Direct TV stream for programming and recording....and of course the myriad of other apps for other "stuff".

Any suggestions regarding my current inability to get the high enough speed from Xfinity.

It has been a long study for me but cord cutting is just around the corner!!



____________________________________________


Xfinity has two modem speeds, one if you are hardwired and one for WiFi. If you plugged a computer into the modem directly , you would get the 400. WiFi is a different story.

[Janie123]

In Colorado I had Comcast, speeds were slower before 8 and after 3 before and after school and work. the comment of you sharing with your neighbors could be valid. I would check CenturyLink which is now Quantum and see if they can get you 1GB speeds over fiber. I pay $65 for 1GB and I think they have a slower cheaper option as well. Since you are cutting the cord for TV, no reason to stay with you current TV provider.

As for cutting the cord, I and many on this board use YouTube TV for regular programming.

[jabacon6669]

Where do you get the speed readings? I have 400 maps from Xfinity. Modern is right beside the TV, and I am using a ethernet cable. But still on occasions get the pause and spinning circle. I'm told that 400 will serve up to eight devices. I believe we have 7. 1 computer, 1 printer, 1 iPad, 2 iPhones, and 2 TV's. So I should be alright. Will the speed show up in your settings somewhere. Also I do use a Xfinity rented modem.

[retiredguy123]

Where do you get the speed readings? I have 400 maps from Xfinity. Modern is right beside the TV, and I am using a ethernet cable. But still on occasions get the pause and spinning circle. I'm told that 400 will serve up to eight devices. I believe we have 7. 1 computer, 1 printer, 1 iPad, 2 iPhones, and 2 TV's. So I should be alright. Will the speed show up in your settings somewhere. Also I do use a Xfinity rented modem.
Go to the website "speedtest.net" and do a speed test. It's very easy.

[Bill14564]

Where do you get the speed readings? I have 400 maps from Xfinity. Modern is right beside the TV, and I am using a ethernet cable. But still on occasions get the pause and spinning circle. I'm told that 400 will serve up to eight devices. I believe we have 7. 1 computer, 1 printer, 1 iPad, 2 iPhones, and 2 TV's. So I should be alright. Will the speed show up in your settings somewhere. Also I do use a Xfinity rented modem.

Whoever told you that 400 will serve up to eight devices probably meant that it would serve eight devices simultaneously streaming. I personally believe that number is low but I don't have eight streaming devices to test it. I have two dozen devices connected to my 75Mbps service with no problem at all (only a few are streaming devices).

You can get speed readings by connecting to speedtest.net or speedtest.xfinity.com.

[maistocars]

Are you measuring when wired into the cable modem, or when using a wireless connection?

The former will give a much faster reading.
Exactly - wired connection direct to the modem will give you those higher speeds.

[jabacon6669]

I'm getting 471.81 according to speediest.com. I'm contracted with Xfinity for 400.

[Pinball wizard]

Try quantum fiber. I get the numbers I pay for.

Did they give you a free Router?

[tuccillo]

A good point. I suspect many people don't realize just how little bandwidth is consumed when streaming video. 1080p Hi-Def uses about 5 megabits per second of bandwidth. While 4k (2160p) consumes about 20 megabits per second of bandwidth, there is not a lot of material out there. We currently have 200 megabits per second nominal download service (QuantumFiber) only because it was lower cost than our previous 80 megabits per second service. Prior to that, we had 10 megabits per second nominal download and had no issues streaming two 1080p sources to two TVs at the same time via Wi-Fi (centrally located router). Unless you are regularly moving around large files (say 50 gigabytes or more), nominal download bandwidths of hundreds of megabits per second will probably be indistinguishable from lower bandwidths, say less than 100 megabits per second (perhaps webpages with substantial amounts of graphics load slightly faster). I could upgrade to QuantumFiber's 1 gigabit per second nominal download service but it would not provide any additional functionality (I'm retired and don't move around big tar balls anymore) but would more than double my cost.

Whoever told you that 400 will serve up to eight devices probably meant that it would serve eight devices simultaneously streaming. I personally believe that number is low but I don't have eight streaming devices to test it. I have two dozen devices connected to my 75Mbps service with no problem at all (only a few are streaming devices).

You can get speed readings by connecting to speedtest.net or speedtest.xfinity.com.

[Cheapbas]

Tell Xfinity to get their technician out to fix it and don’t let them leave until they prove you’re getting what your paying for.

I had FIOS 1000mps and was still getting spinning circles with Dstream with a warning on the tv that “when the network is busy”. It was infrequent but enough to be annoying , like It would happen with bases loaded in the ninth.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Exactly - wired connection direct to the modem will give you those higher speeds.

another old networking guy here. . though worked in the finance department bidding on large networks and working with network architects, so learned by doing with them . .

all depends upon the network design and network equipment . . .
cable companies buy in bulk from cheapest supplier for the current minimum demands and the industry innovation moves more quickly than their purchasing and installation. Do not expect HIGH end equipment from a cable supplier who is bidding on neighborhood supply to the Villages. They are bidding low and therefore you start with low end equipment.

If this is your long term destination house, not sure how "handy of a man" you are, if its greek, get a design consult from one of the posters here, or Galaxy who was at one point the main supplier of networking to the builders here, or do some reading on the internet on smart home network design and then buy the equipment on line. I have a about 500 foot roll of ethernet cable left over from rewiring our current MA house, which I will bring down and donate to individual causes later this year. . .

I had to have a second wiring closet installed for all the equipment in our house with that god awful HUNTER watering system get rid of that as well. . i specd out hard wiring everywhere prior to the fast wireless of today. .

good luck

networking guy

[retiredguy123]

I'm getting 471.81 according to speediest.com. I'm contracted with Xfinity for 400.
I think you mean speedtest.net.

[Tunesmith]

I have Xfinity internet, category "fast" at 400 mbs.

My modem...an Aris Surfboard 586141....and have never hit 100 mbs yet.....ussually runs around 40 mbs. Has not been a problem until recently when I am running streaming options and experience the spinning wheel of death/pausing/loading and some no connection at all. Hence the need to pursue higher modem speeds.

I called Xfinity today. He did a modem restart and ran an analysis to see if there were any connection issues outside/inside/et al.

He had me move my modem away from the window to a more inside location. That brought the speed from around 40 mbs to around 80 mbs.......still a long way from 400!!

There were no connection issues. He "suggested" using an Xfinity" modem ($15 per month). I advised him I was already paying Xfinity too much and was looking to fix that.

My plan at the moment is to pursue Xfinity for internet (assuming I can been adequate speeds). I will go with Apple TV, using Direct TV stream for programming and recording....and of course the myriad of other apps for other "stuff".

Any suggestions regarding my current inability to get the high enough speed from Xfinity.

It has been a long study for me but cord cutting is just around the corner!!

____________________________________________

:censored:

After reading your post, I thought I might as well check out my DL/UL (download/upload) speeds (Spectrum is my internet provider). On my wireless laptop, I did several speed tests and averaged about 110mbps & 11mbps (DL/UL). I checked my Spectrum account and saw that I have the 300mbps & 10mbps service. Since I was getting about 1/3 of the download speed that I'm paying for, I chatted with a Spectrum agent and they asked if they could update my modem software. After the update, my DL speed went from 110 to 307mbps! The UL speed stayed about the same, at 11mbps. I was pretty surprised that the software update to the modem made a huge difference in the DL speed!

[jrref]

Stop wasting your time and get Quantum Fiber if your house has it.

[JMintzer]

I have Spectrum, 100mbs...

I use a Netgear Nighthawk modem (I forget the model, but it was about $125...)

I routinely get 90-95+ mbs...

[daniel200]

Your measured speed is limited by whatever bottlenecks exist between you and Xfinity’s servers. To solve your problem you need to run some tests to find what is limiting your speed. Some possible bottlenecks:
1) problems with the incoming Xfinity cable or signal
2) problems with the xfinity modem/router
3) problems with the connectors or cable between wall and the xfinity modem
4) problems with your router, router cable or router setup (if you have one)
5) problems with the device doing the speed test
6) other problems like speedtest domain’s, VPN’s, dns resolvers etc

I use Speedtest by OOKLA. It works well for me. So, i would suggest checking results from that

If you have spare cables, swap them out first and test again because this is the easiest thing to do.

Next, if you have a laptop ( or desktop), then turnoff the wifi on your laptop and use an ethernet cable to connect your laptop to the xfinity ethernet port. Then run your speedtest.

If your speed is still very low, then the wifi is not the limiting factor… try connecting a different device and run the test again. If the results are still bad then its either the ethrnet cable, the xfinity modem or their incoming signal

if your speed is good on the ethernet connection, then it is something in your wifi setup. You can sort this out by trying speedtest using two different devices (like recent ipads, iphones, samsung phones .. because these have good wifi receivers)

I have xfinity cable (300 mbs speed) and use their grey modem with my 2018 Asus router. I consistently get 250 mbs downloads while using VPN everywhere in my 2000 sq ft home and lanai. Uploads are typically 10 or 11 (which is what Xfinity promises)

But i did have an internet issue for 24 hours about two months ago. I determined that it seemed to be either the xfinity modem or their signal. I took the modem back to xfinity and swapped it. That fixed the problem (Well it was a little more complicated … when i arrived home i found the new modem they gave me had a rattle sound like a loose screw and had to return it for another). No issues since then

[sowtime444]

1) Do the speed test from the phone's web browser. Is it faster than the PC?

2) Check what the maximum speed is of your network adapter in your PC: Check the Ethernet or WiFi Adapter speed in Windows 10 - Blacktubi (https://www.blacktubi.com/guide/check-ethernet-adapter-speed/) it might be less than what you paid Xfinity for.

[talonip]

I get 800 using the xfinity modem. I have Xfinity internet, category "fast" at 400 mbs.

My modem...an Aris Surfboard 586141....and have never hit 100 mbs yet.....ussually runs around 40 mbs. Has not been a problem until recently when I am running streaming options and experience the spinning wheel of death/pausing/loading and some no connection at all. Hence the need to pursue higher modem speeds.

I called Xfinity today. He did a modem restart and ran an analysis to see if there were any connection issues outside/inside/et al.

He had me move my modem away from the window to a more inside location. That brought the speed from around 40 mbs to around 80 mbs.......still a long way from 400!!

There were no connection issues. He "suggested" using an Xfinity" modem ($15 per month). I advised him I was already paying Xfinity too much and was looking to fix that.

My plan at the moment is to pursue Xfinity for internet (assuming I can been adequate speeds). I will go with Apple TV, using Direct TV stream for programming and recording....and of course the myriad of other apps for other "stuff".

Any suggestions regarding my current inability to get the high enough speed from Xfinity.

It has been a long study for me but cord cutting is just around the corner!!

____________________________________________

:censored:

[JRcorvette]

I have Xfinity internet, category "fast" at 400 mbs.

My modem...an Aris Surfboard 586141....and have never hit 100 mbs yet.....ussually runs around 40 mbs. Has not been a problem until recently when I am running streaming options and experience the spinning wheel of death/pausing/loading and some no connection at all. Hence the need to pursue higher modem speeds.

I called Xfinity today. He did a modem restart and ran an analysis to see if there were any connection issues outside/inside/et al.

He had me move my modem away from the window to a more inside location. That brought the speed from around 40 mbs to around 80 mbs.......still a long way from 400!!

There were no connection issues. He "suggested" using an Xfinity" modem ($15 per month). I advised him I was already paying Xfinity too much and was looking to fix that.

My plan at the moment is to pursue Xfinity for internet (assuming I can been adequate speeds). I will go with Apple TV, using Direct TV stream for programming and recording....and of course the myriad of other apps for other "stuff".

Any suggestions regarding my current inability to get the high enough speed from Xfinity.

It has been a long study for me but cord cutting is just around the corner!!

____________________________________________

:censored:

It may not be your Modem… it very well and most likely is your Router. Especially if it is an older one. For the best coverage get a Mesh Router. Check your model and see what it’s limits are. It may have a limit of 100mps.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

OP, time to send private messages to the knowledgeable posters here and invite them to a lunch at your expense in return for the following you home to get some specific network design ideas and equipment specs that you get a decent design with which you are happy. . .

Its weird being the same age as old people, but can't think of a better place to be in the same boat together in such a great location as TV

[Henryk]

I managed a large increase in download speed by replacing the old Ethernet cable with a new one to connect the cable modem to wireless router.....Amazon Basics RJ45 Cat 7 Male to Male High-Speed Gigabit Ethernet Patch Internet Cable, 10Gbps, 600MHz, 3 Foot, White.

The old Ethernet cable I was using was really old, I guess.

Any idea if age would affect a coax cable?

[Darield]

I have Xfinity internet, category "fast" at 400 mbs.

My modem...an Aris Surfboard 586141....and have never hit 100 mbs yet.....ussually runs around 40 mbs. Has not been a problem until recently when I am running streaming options and experience the spinning wheel of death/pausing/loading and some no connection at all. Hence the need to pursue higher modem speeds.

I called Xfinity today. He did a modem restart and ran an analysis to see if there were any connection issues outside/inside/et al.

He had me move my modem away from the window to a more inside location. That brought the speed from around 40 mbs to around 80 mbs.......still a long way from 400!!

There were no connection issues. He "suggested" using an Xfinity" modem ($15 per month). I advised him I was already paying Xfinity too much and was looking to fix that.

My plan at the moment is to pursue Xfinity for internet (assuming I can been adequate speeds). I will go with Apple TV, using Direct TV stream for programming and recording....and of course the myriad of other apps for other "stuff".

Any suggestions regarding my current inability to get the high enough speed from Xfinity.

It has been a long study for me but cord cutting is just around the corner!!

____________________________________________

:censored:
I have never gotten the same speed on wireless as I have on hard wire. I just went through wi-fi speeds with Xfinity. Hubby's PC is hard wired to their newest router. we found that the speed was under what we were purchasing 850mbps because he uses VPN. Once I rebooted his PC (VPN off), speed was over what we were paying for. All devices on wireless were running at approximately 300-350mbps. We also have an extender. While testing, I unplugged. It did not increase wi-fi speeds. When I take devices near the modem, wi-fi speeds increase (400-450mbps). Metal studs can play havoc with wi-fi which we have and I was told most Villages houses have. It is difficult to find hi speed wi-fi in the North end of The Villages. Quantum was recommended but the reviews were not good. Although Xfinity is expensive and I would like to get our cost down, their wi-fi has been very reliable and their newest router works very well.

[Bill14564]

Any idea if age would affect a coax cable?

Age alone will not affect a cable (the metal doesn't go bad) but age combined with a lot of flexing could cause breaks or tears and age combined with humidity could cause corrosion and bad connections.

One thing that could cause some problems is using an older cable with the new, higher speeds. Coax that worked will for television signals and lower rate signals might not give the best performance with today's higher rate signals. I believe RG-6 cable (should be marked on the insulation) is the proper cable to use. I have a box of older RG-59 which worked well in the past but is not rated for higher speeds.

[pete525]

I had the same problem when I switched to Xfinity. I fixed it by ditching the old cat5e cable from the router to my computer and replace it with a cat6 cable.
Regards,
Pete

[smurphy]

Any idea if age would affect a coax cable?

Age probably does not impact a coax or ethernet cable unless it is under stress, ie much flexing or the connectors are loose. An old cable can, however impact expectations.

If you have an old e-net cable rated at CAT-5, it is designed to run at 100mbps and 100m max length. It was perfect for its day but if you are trying to exceed those limits you will have issues. Cat-5a increased the limits to 1G bps and 100m. Cat 6 and later 6a increased it again.

The old cable could become a bottleneck depending on how old it is compared to the equipment you are connecting on each end, but a new cable will not make old or slow equipment run faster.

[jedalton]

I have Xfinity internet, category "fast" at 400 mbs.

My modem...an Aris Surfboard 586141....and have never hit 100 mbs yet.....ussually runs around 40 mbs. Has not been a problem until recently when I am running streaming options and experience the spinning wheel of death/pausing/loading and some no connection at all. Hence the need to pursue higher modem speeds.

I called Xfinity today. He did a modem restart and ran an analysis to see if there were any connection issues outside/inside/et al.

He had me move my modem away from the window to a more inside location. That brought the speed from around 40 mbs to around 80 mbs.......still a long way from 400!!

There were no connection issues. He "suggested" using an Xfinity" modem ($15 per month). I advised him I was already paying Xfinity too much and was looking to fix that.

My plan at the moment is to pursue Xfinity for internet (assuming I can been adequate speeds). I will go with Apple TV, using Direct TV stream for programming and recording....and of course the myriad of other apps for other "stuff".

Any suggestions regarding my current inability to get the high enough speed from Xfinity.

It has been a long study for me but cord cutting is just around the corner!!

____________________________________________

:censored:
I will save you ma ton of money and give you so much more

[jedalton]

95% of all buffering problems is do to slow Internet speed. Here's how Internet speed works if you subscribe to 600MB the only way you're gonna get that speed is if you hook your device directly to the router with a cable. if you stream it wirelessly then you only get 300MB and if you have other T v's cameras doorbell's tablet's phones hooked up to it it's gonna continue to reduce that speed. To check your Internet speed on your fire stick scroll over to the gear all the way on the right side of the home screen click on it scroll down to the network you'll see the network that you're connected to, Push the play button on your remote control then scroll to the right where it says run speed test click on the run speed test and wait for it to test speed. I subscribe to 1.2 Gbs speed but only have 395Mbs on my firestick due to all the other things I have connected to my internet. However. That is more than enough for my firestick.
Other options: unplug router and firestick for 2 minutes and then plug back in. If that doesn't help You may want to go back to cable.

[Larchap49]

I have Xfinity internet, category "fast" at 400 mbs.

My modem...an Aris Surfboard 586141....and have never hit 100 mbs yet.....ussually runs around 40 mbs. Has not been a problem until recently when I am running streaming options and experience the spinning wheel of death/pausing/loading and some no connection at all. Hence the need to pursue higher modem speeds.

I called Xfinity today. He did a modem restart and ran an analysis to see if there were any connection issues outside/inside/et al.

He had me move my modem away from the window to a more inside location. That brought the speed from around 40 mbs to around 80 mbs.......still a long way from 400!!

There were no connection issues. He "suggested" using an Xfinity" modem ($15 per month). I advised him I was already paying Xfinity too much and was looking to fix that.

My plan at the moment is to pursue Xfinity for internet (assuming I can been adequate speeds). I will go with Apple TV, using Direct TV stream for programming and recording....and of course the myriad of other apps for other "stuff".

Any suggestions regarding my current inability to get the high enough speed from Xfinity.

It has been a long study for me but cord cutting is just around the corner!!

____________________________________________

:censored:

Only way you will get anywhere close is run a cable from modem to television, using WiFi cuts speed in half. Also anything else like thermostats, cell phones, echo devices, or any wifi device uses band with and slows down download speed. Purchase a better modem and hard wire it.

[HJBeck]

I’ve never heard of a category called fast. Xfinity has a “Blast” or Business category. Also do not recognize your arris surfboard number, please check the front of the modem and it will tell you the model number. Your router must also not be a limited factor. If it is at least a 3.0 or 3.1 version then the router will not be a bottleneck.

[rsmurano]

A lot of misinformation. 350Mb is not the maximum you will get over wifi, far from it. I get over 800Mb on my iPhones and iPads.
Like I stated early on, it’s not magic that you will get fast speeds in every room by getting a certain providers service. You get 1 modem router from the vendor and if you sit right next to it you will get decent speeds, but when you start streaming wireless to your bedrooms or other rooms and to the outside, your performance will be either much slower or even nonexistent.
Wired is the best way with using multiple switches to get max speeds. I use 3 mesh network routers, 3 switches, and get 1G speeds in each room wired, 800Mb wireless.
You also need to make sure your routers are up to date. Remember the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and wifi6 and wifi6e? Cat 5e is rated at 1G speeds which is plenty fast for an internal network.
Also, the devices you use on the network have limitations on the speeds you get. A 10 year old device will get you 10Mb speeds whereas my latest iPhone 14 pro will get you over 800Mb. Again, look at your computer/iPhone/iPad network specs and it will show what spec it supports: 802.11XX.
Let me also say that hiring the geek squad or xfinity/spectrum/galaxy to install your network is like going to a barber shop to get your taxes prepared!

About the post: “95% of all buffering problems is do to slow Internet speed. Here's how Internet speed works if you subscribe to 600MB the only way you're gonna get that speed is if you hook your device directly to the router with a cable. if you stream it wirelessly then you only get 300MB” is not true at all. You have multiple networks in your house: internet connection to the WWW, wireless, and internal. You buy bandwidth from the ISP and that speed is ONLY involved with traffic going to the WWW, period, this speed cap has nothing to do with your wireless speeds or your internal network speeds. And your wireless speeds have nothing to do with the WWW speed or your internal network speeds. You design each part of the network differently. 1/2 or more of my network traffic stays within my internal/wireless network because I stream from my servers or my home automation devices talk to my internal servers/hubs. So I designed my internal network around many switches that are designed for 1G or faster networks. Same goes for wireless, I get 800+Mb on each of my devices (iPhones/iPads) that talk to my servers on my internal network, nothing to do with my outside internet speeds. Copper networks will have more latency than fiber networks provide. Also you will never see the same upload speeds on a copper network as you will get on a fiber network. Some of your devices on your network only support the 2.4ghz channels and that determines on network speeds and quality of signal

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

From specs: Recommended for Internet Plans up to 100 Mbps.

So internet speed at the pc or laptop is dependent upon all equipment between the wire coming into the house to the computer/laptop.

From your descriptions, all your equipment is not new enough to support the incoming bandwidth. I would recommend getting all new equipment which supports 1 GB speeds, including the modem in the laptop or tower. . etc.

good luck
network guy

Yup. My modem supports speeds up to 100mbps. I get around 90. Xfinity upgraded my service to 200, and I still get around 90. Fortunately that's all I need to get everything I do to work fine:

My desktop, hubby's laptop, my phone (which I have a data plan for so I use the wifi when I'm home), my tablet (which is on 24/7), my printer, and two TV sets in two different rooms.

Eventually I'll get a new, upgraded modem and router. That'll probably be the same time I get a new computer, since I can't upgrade to Win11 and win10 will cease to be supported in just two years.

[cjrjck]

You modem is the weak link. You don't necessarily need to rent one from Xfinity; you could buy one from Amazon or Walmart. Just check to make sure it is on the Approved Third-Party Equipment for Xfinity Internet list.

[PoolBrews]

Everything rsmurano said is spot on. Looking up the modem being used here, it is an older modem with only 8x4 channels and is limited in the speed it can provide.

The weak link currently here is the modem - replacing that should provide the paid for speed... assuming the devices connecting have the latest wifi cards in them.

I use a mesh system (Netgear Orbi wifi 6), and subscribe to 1GB service. I get 1GB hardwired, and anywhere from 700MB to 950MB wireless depending on where I am in my home or yard. I live in a concrete poured wall home, so this knocks down the signal signficantly outside.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

So who wants to write the "Official" networking guide with available options for new joiners/buyers to the villages?

Seems like there are a few people who could write one, as these posts with people not reading all the way though 10 + and still responding to the initial question is very inefficient. Also there are various levels of networking understanding with the differences between a switch and a router and a modem and wireless access point capabilities.

must be written to be understood by a 5th grader. . since they are the grandchildren which you ask for help when they stop in and the first question you ask is "How do you operate this streaming device?" :duck: and they will answer like a 5th grader

:evil6:

[daniel200]

So who wants to write the "Official" networking guide with available options for new joiners/buyers to the villages?

Seems like there are a few people who could write one, as these posts with people not reading all the way though 10 + and still responding to the initial question is very inefficient. Also there are various levels of networking understanding with the differences between a switch and a router and a modem and wireless access point capabilities.

must be written to be understood by a 5th grader. . since they are the grandchildren which you ask for help when they stop in and the first question you ask is "How do you operate this streaming device?" :duck: and they will answer like a 5th grader

:evil6:

Ok, I will keep it simple. If you are new to the area and fiber is available in your area, get fiber (does not matter which provider). Fiber is always the best choice.

If fiber is not available then things get more complicated. Both dsl and cable can be very reliable (but location dependent … best to see what service your neighbors use). Any generic recommendation/solution for one location may not apply at another.