Better Modem?

[Curbkiddytech]

Hi all, so basically I'm a little familiar with networking, and I know for improved Internet speed you need the right cabling ( have CAT6 right now) a good router (WNDR3700) but how much of a difference does the Modem make? We have a cable modem:

Best Data
CMX300V2

It's somewhat old and I think beginning to die, so we're looking for a good modem replacement. Does anyone have any suggestions and would it improve internet speed if we got a new one?

 

[Lexluethar]

Your modem is unlikely to improve your internet speed.

The bottleneck is usually with your ISP. Most modem and routers will go up to 100mbps. You are probably paying for around 3 to 5 mbps which is FAR FAR less than the max your device can withstand.

What speeds are you getting right now?

IMHO do yourself a favor, unless you are experiencing drops in connectivity and have narrowed it down to your modem don't waste your money and buy a piece of equipment that won't help.

 

[CntdwnToExtn]

^^
agreed.

If anything, call your ISP and have them run a diagnostics on your modem, just to make sure it's performing correctly.

 

[Slaymate]

It can also be a problem with the sites your visiting. You can have the fastest equipment in town, but you still cannot send or receive data any faster than the sites your visiting are capable of doing. And the amount of Internet Traffic can also affect your speed. Have you tried running Speedtest.net when you think your slowing down.

 

[4P_Bulldozer]

Hi all, so basically I'm a little familiar with networking, and I know for improved Internet speed you need the right cabling ( have CAT6 right now) a good router (WNDR3700) but how much of a difference does the Modem make? We have a cable modem:

Best Data
CMX300V2

It's somewhat old and I think beginning to die, so we're looking for a good modem replacement. Does anyone have any suggestions and would it improve internet speed if we got a new one?

If you plan on using your Laptop in the Yard or giving your friend next door free WiFi then I recommend a 3 Antenna Router. The "diversity" helps transmission speeds if you are on the other side of the house.

I use a D-Link GigaBit Router with three Antennas so when Packets get dropped they get resent immediately. If you need fast pings (reaction time for online Gaming) you don't want dropped Packets or slow retransmissions, otherwise, like the others said, save your money.

Here is my Cable Modem speed:

 

[Apokalipse]

You said you think the modem is dying?
If it is, just get a Motorolla Surfboard SB5100 or something, and use it with whatever router you want.

I like the Asus RT-N16 router. It has 128MB RAM, 32MB ROM, 480MHz Broadcom CPU, 300mbps wireless (2.4GHz only though), gigabit LAN, and you can install Tomato firmware on it.

There's also an Asus RT-N66U which should be released soon, which is supposed to have 450mbps dual-band wireless, 32MB ROM (which is a lo for a router), 1GB DDR2 RAM (yes you read that right, a router with 1GB RAM), and a 600MHz broadcom CPU, which should be faster than the 680MHz Atheros CPU in the WNDR3700

The Linksys (cisco) E4200 is out now, and has dual-band 450mbps wireless, 64MB RAM, 8MB ROM, same Broadcom CPU as in the RT-N66U

Only problem is Linksys haven't got a driver for the 5GHz wireless that runs on linux K2.6 (only K2.4), which means Tomato firmware doesn't have 5GHz support on it.
The Asus RT-N66U will probably come with the required driver. So 5GHz support with Tomato firmware should be available for the E4200 and RT-N66U when the RT-N66U comes out.