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How do I tell whether I'm getting DOCSIS 3.0?


oldnslow

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I am on MetroCast here in New Hampshire with their Basic internet service (1.5). Just bought my own modem, a Motorola SB6120. The lights on the front are supposed to tell me when I'm getting the bonded channels in 3.0 (blue) or not (green). Tech support tells me I am getting 3.0 but my modem disagrees....always green lights. Now they are telling me that maybe I need to configure the modem to get on the correct channel. Huh? I didn't know I could do that.

Anyone know if there is something more I need to do so I can talk intelligently to tech support? I'm OK with computers but modems and network talk are over my head.

Thanks,

Bill K

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I am on MetroCast here in New Hampshire with their Basic internet service (1.5). Just bought my own modem, a Motorola SB6120. The lights on the front are supposed to tell me when I'm getting the bonded channels in 3.0 (blue) or not (green). Tech support tells me I am getting 3.0 but my modem disagrees....always green lights. Now they are telling me that maybe I need to configure the modem to get on the correct channel. Huh? I didn't know I could do that.

Anyone know if there is something more I need to do so I can talk intelligently to tech support? I'm OK with computers but modems and network talk are over my head.

Thanks,

Bill K

You shouldn't have to do anything... it isn't your responsibility to program your modem, it's your providers. I have the same modem, my receive and link are always blue...

post-2-0-47328000-1325971559_thumb.jpg

What level of service do you have with them?

oldnslow.png

3.0 only really matters if you have a very high level of service. Like 30, 40, 50 Mbps and faster. Their system may be connecting you at 2.0 because of the level of service you've ordered. :wink:

... that's my guess :icon_thumleft:

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You should be able to see in the modem basic information what it is set at. As stated already , bonding is only really needed ( in residential applications ) afaik, to obtain higher bandwidth.

Most modem adresses are set automatically at http://192.168.100.1 Depending on the firmware and what the ISP has decided to keep " secret " will be what you can see.

You can see a bit more sometimes , but disconnecting the cable from the modem and restarting it. While being connected directly to the modem with your computer.

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Thanks for the responses! There is a lot I don't know. I was assuming that my downloads would have more bandwidth with the 3.0 service even though I will max out at the 1.5 speed (which I am paying for and getting). For example when trying to watch a streamed movie on TV last night with Roku, and often times on the computer from youtube, my picture will stop until it catches up with the download. I read somewhere that with Docsys 3.0 and the "channel bonding" I should have an effectively faster data transfer because I can get more data through at the same speed.

Your answers seem to say that it's only speed that makes the difference. Why should it be an advantage only at higher data speeds?

Interestingly enough the movie that kept hanging up was from a little-used free movie channel but when I went to Amazon I watched a movie all the way through without any problem at all. Could that be because Amazon does a better job of streaming somehow?

Thanks again for the help.

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From what I understand , bonding of channels can be referenced as a freeway , say there is one lane going either direction. Ten cars , five each way. The cars second in line each side will be tolerant of the leading car. And so one. Widen the road by one lane , so there is now two lanes , each direction. You can now add ten more cars, five each side , and get the same results as if you had one lane ten total cars.

The length of cars on the one lane road will be longer, or , a longer wait to get to the destination. As the lanes or channels multiply, more data , or cars , can get in the same space at the same time waiting to be processes.

Does not necessarily mean the cars will go faster , just more width , or bandwidth capability.

In the modem there is a file that the ISP loads , which mandates how fast data ( cars ) can travel through it. So no matter two lanes ( channels ) or three. The traffic will be throttled or adjusted when it passes through the modem.

The reference is a best just that , as data goes out the same lane as it comes in, different frequencies.Same with channels, different frequencies.

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