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ladycat92
12-20-2012, 01:30 PM
Looking to update my cable modem to a DocSIS 3.0 model. Any recommendations?

badrose
12-20-2012, 02:09 PM
Yeah, I can't help you.:653:

PedroDaGr8
12-20-2012, 03:25 PM
Looking to update my cable modem to a DocSIS 3.0 model. Any recommendations?

I have always been partial to the Motorola SurfBoard line of cable modems. They tend to be some of the fastest and I have yet to have one fail on me and I've run them in some pretty unfavorable areas. Check with your Cable service because some do rent to own for actually cheaper than you can find them online. I got a Motorola SurfBoard from Insight for $4 for 11months (online it cost $50-70 new).

I am looking and it looks like the two best Motorola SurfBOARDs on their website on the SB6141 and the SB6180. Truthfully I can't see ANY difference in them AT ALL. Same speeds, tuners, etc. The SB6121 has much lower theoretical maximum though I'm not sure if that even matters as its unlikely you will reach it unless its a 100Mb account (though faster hardware may still handle even slower speeds better).

Don't forget to check things like Craigslist as you can sometimes save some significant $$$.

I have a small cisco one right now that frankly sucks. I have to keep it very much out in the open or it overheats.

Do not under any circumstances get one of the hybrid cable modem/wireless routers. Those tend to be universally bad in speed, features and reliability.

ladycat92
12-20-2012, 04:52 PM
I've already upgraded my wireless router. Just looking to update my cable modem. Pretty certain I've had the current one since 2003. Checked and there were no firmware updates since 2003. Gotta think the technology has surpassed its capabilities and I'm not getting full usage out of my current service.

Darrell KSR
12-20-2012, 05:06 PM
I am hurt. Hurt, I tell you.

Sent using Forum Runner. All typos excused.

ladycat92
12-20-2012, 05:57 PM
Now, Darrell, if I let you answer all of the questions, these 2 get really jealous. Its ok to let others' light shine. Besides, you know you answer all of my questions via PM anyway.

PedroDaGr8
12-20-2012, 07:33 PM
I've already upgraded my wireless router. Just looking to update my cable modem. Pretty certain I've had the current one since 2003. Checked and there were no firmware updates since 2003. Gotta think the technology has surpassed its capabilities and I'm not getting full usage out of my current service.

If your modem is from 2003 its likely DOCSIS 1 or 1.1, which likely WOULD slow you down. As for DOSCIS 2.0 versus 3.0 its kind of questionable, in some situations it CAN provide a benefit but it often depends on how your ISP handles things on their end.

CitizenBBN
12-20-2012, 07:50 PM
Afraid I wont' be much help. I haven't shopped for one in quite a while. I need to, I have no doubt mine needs attention, just haven't gotten around to it. I've got a box full of old ones somewhere if you want one though. :)

ladycat92
12-20-2012, 08:33 PM
No, its DocSIS v2.0. I can verify that via the manufacturer website and firmware load.

PedroDaGr8
12-20-2012, 09:58 PM
No, its DocSIS v2.0. I can verify that via the manufacturer website and firmware load.

Then truthfully there is no guarantee that you will see any benefit from an upgrade. I don't know your ISP speeds but DOSCIS 2.0 maxes out at around 40.0MB/sec. There are certain things your cable company can do that would make a DOCSIS 3.0 modem perform better but that is on a city by city basis. I have seen some people report no improvement when upgrading and some report a solid improvement. It's up to you on whether the potential is worth the cost or not.

Darrell KSR
12-20-2012, 10:41 PM
Now, Darrell, if I let you answer all of the questions, these 2 get really jealous. Its ok to let others' light shine. Besides, you know you answer all of my questions via PM anyway.

This is true...throw them a bone from time to time.

Reminds me a little of the SNL skit where Ronald Reagan was depicted as some bumbling fool in front of everyone, but when the doors shut, he became a master of everything, a veritable genius.

And I'm as FAR from that as you can get. I'm not even sure which is my modem and which is my router. ;)

CitizenBBN
12-20-2012, 10:48 PM
This is true...throw them a bone from time to time.

Reminds me a little of the SNL skit where Ronald Reagan was depicted as some bumbling fool in front of everyone, but when the doors shut, he became a master of everything, a veritable genius.

And I'm as FAR from that as you can get. I'm not even sure which is my modem and which is my router. ;)

One of my 4-5 favorite SNL skits of all time. Everyone takes the easy "he's a baffoon" joke with politicians, esp. Reagan as the dottering old man who didn't know what was going on. Be creative, do something different.

That was funny as heck.

badrose
12-21-2012, 06:47 AM
Now, Darrell, if I let you answer all of the questions, these 2 get really jealous. Its ok to let others' light shine. Besides, you know you answer all of my questions via PM anyway.

I'll bet he ups his post count that way.

BigBlueBrock
12-21-2012, 10:52 AM
Would Darrell have a solution that didn't involve hitting it with a rock?

PedroDaGr8
12-21-2012, 11:54 AM
Would Darrell have a solution that didn't involve hitting it with a rock?

Yes but it involves a Torx screwdriver :sHa_dielaughing:

Darrell KSR
12-21-2012, 01:37 PM
Would Darrell have a solution that didn't involve hitting it with a rock?


Yes but it involves a Torx screwdriver :sHa_dielaughing:

And a screw extraction kit. Don't forget that. It is integral to the process.

Jealous. Just because I upgraded my $99 Palm PDA from 2mb to 8mb for only $160 and several hours of work. And explaining to my banker why I was using an account that was supposed to be closed.

And then there were some things I just won't talk about.

ladycat92
12-21-2012, 08:15 PM
Yes but it involves a Torx screwdriver :sHa_dielaughing:

That's not even funny. :mixed-smiley-030:

PedroDaGr8
01-06-2013, 10:42 PM
Sorry to necro-post but LC if you are still looking:

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/1249389/

CitizenBBN
01-11-2013, 06:28 PM
i'm going to necro post too and thank lc and pedro for the discussion.

I hadn't looked at them for years, and guess what happened last night? we had some kind of outage and my dottering modem didn't recover. I can have insight come and lease one for $3-4 a month, great deal really, but won't be here till monday. 2 days with no internet? are you nuts? so great chance i'm off to get one so they can provision it tonight.

so this was useful info for me, within the constraints that i'm impulse buying so it has to be something off the shelf and now.

Lfbj00
01-12-2013, 01:36 AM
Jeez...every time I click on one of these threads, it just proves how tech-stupid I really am!! I've said it before, and I'll say it again....when the machines take over the world, I want to be somewhere close to Pedro!!!

On a totally unrelated topic...anybody got any suggestions on how to get my desktop computer to turn back on? We had a power outage and she won't restart. Everything else on the surge protector still works except the computer. It's done it twice before, one time was off for about 2 months, and then I hit the power button and it just started back up. So far that hasn't happened this time, and it's been about 6 weeks. ALL MY CRAP is on that computer. You think I'd have fixed that after I got it back on the first time, but NOOO. I'm a moron!!

CitizenBBN
01-12-2013, 02:17 AM
do you get any light flicker or noise at all?

if not the first thing to get out of the way is to plug it in a different strip or outlet. could be a burned out plug or short. probably not but when i work a problem i try to start at one end and work to the other. start making sure it's getting power.

PedroDaGr8
01-12-2013, 03:47 PM
do you get any light flicker or noise at all?

if not the first thing to get out of the way is to plug it in a different strip or outlet. could be a burned out plug or short. probably not but when i work a problem i try to start at one end and work to the other. start making sure it's getting power.

If you get no noise or lights when pressing the power button that is of course the first thing I would check. After that I would check the power supply. A quick easy way to check it out is to jumper pin 13 (usually green) with one of the ground pins near by. This pin doesn't carry voltage or current it just looks for a connection to ground. when it finds it it turns the psu on.


http://youtu.be/u0OKmIuNtmI?t=32s

If it turns on the board may bedead. If it doesn't then you need a new psu and i'll give you some recommendations.

PedroDaGr8
01-13-2013, 03:04 AM
Oh yeah even if the computer doesn't start again. There is still a 90% chance your data is fine. You will have to remove the harddrive and connect it to a new one. When you do that, you will be able to browse the drive and retrieve what you need.

Lfbj00
01-13-2013, 07:57 PM
^^^^^^^^^^
Thank guys. I've been so busy with my son's basketball games and work this weekend, that I haven't had time to try anything yet. I know the plugs are good, so I'll try the power supply.

PedroDaGr8
01-14-2013, 12:00 PM
^^^^^^^^^^
Thank guys. I've been so busy with my son's basketball games and work this weekend, that I haven't had time to try anything yet. I know the plugs are good, so I'll try the power supply.

I forgot to mention, unplug the hard drive from the PSU before testing (until we are sure everything is working). No need to risk subjecting it to electrical issues at this point.