ot: do modems die? - Page 2

sitzmark · #16 08-08-2017, 12:04 PM

No lights/dead sounds like a power issue. Did prior modem have an external power adapter? If so, easy to check output with a multimeter. External power "blocks" are easy and inexpensive to replace.

The Comcast tech should have had a multimeter, but isn't incented to diagnose customer-owned equipment. Tech and Comcast would rather you rent because it is profitable for the company and limits the amount of troubleshooting they have to do. Doubt they "killed" the one you have though.

Comcast/Xfinity publishes a checklist of modems/routers that work by download speed and service area. Purchase vs rent depends on personal objectives.

dave thompson · #17 08-08-2017, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddief

new triple play Arris modem is $240. In some ways a no brainer, in others it's a crap shoot.

No lightening here I am aware of.

Costco has a variety of Comcast compatible modems on their shelves for far less.

weiwentg · #18 08-08-2017, 12:14 PM

In addition to what everyone said about cheaper modems being available, you (OP) said that you had this modem a couple years. A lot of credit cards will extend a manufacturer's warranty by 12 months (usually the caveat is that said warranty has to be less than 36 months). You usually have to provide proof of purchase and some evidence of the original warranty coverage (often can be pulled from the manufacturer site, but not always). I've filed a claim once, and I think I got tripped up because I couldn't prove the original warranty's length. But this can be worth investigating nonetheless.

unterhausen · #19 08-08-2017, 07:35 PM

every problematic router I've ever owned had a bad power supply. I'm guessing that's all that's wrong with yours

11.4 · #20 08-08-2017, 11:19 PM

Run the bandwidth numbers. If you are only paying for slow access, any modem will do. If you have an old TV and low-resolution computers, any modem will do. If you're buying 300 GB or 1 TB bandwidth, you need a state-of-the-art modem. Ditto if you have three teenagers streaming HD movies. If you are anticipating even faster speeds soon to come, then ditto. The modems the carriers provide are pretty poor and won't deliver the speeds you may have coming into the house, and have various other limitations. I would prefer to spend the money on a good high spec modem and get the speed I want.

Will that modem die? Yes. As mentioned above, lightning, any kind of electrical shock, too much dust collecting on the power supply, installation where it overheats, any shock coming in through the coax, and other issues can all kill one. Comcast cannot send a shock down your coax or optical fiber to kill your unit. Sorry. If it died it was its time, or you did something or allowed nature to do something to it. Modems tend to be a bit fragile and while the chipsets are pretty reliable, the power supplies (as mentioned above) and integrated telephony or wifi chips tend to go pretty easily. It's the nature of the beast. Buy one and get a cheap 5-year replacement warranty with it; that's about the best you can do. And remember don't cry when a modem dies. In the three years you had it, modems will have gone through at least a couple levels of performance improvement and you now have the opportunity to get better usage with newer equipment.

eddief · #21 08-09-2017, 08:29 AM

thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 11.4

Run the bandwidth numbers. If you are only paying for slow access, any modem will do. If you have an old TV and low-resolution computers, any modem will do. If you're buying 300 GB or 1 TB bandwidth, you need a state-of-the-art modem. Ditto if you have three teenagers streaming HD movies. If you are anticipating even faster speeds soon to come, then ditto. The modems the carriers provide are pretty poor and won't deliver the speeds you may have coming into the house, and have various other limitations. I would prefer to spend the money on a good high spec modem and get the speed I want.

Will that modem die? Yes. As mentioned above, lightning, any kind of electrical shock, too much dust collecting on the power supply, installation where it overheats, any shock coming in through the coax, and other issues can all kill one. Comcast cannot send a shock down your coax or optical fiber to kill your unit. Sorry. If it died it was its time, or you did something or allowed nature to do something to it. Modems tend to be a bit fragile and while the chipsets are pretty reliable, the power supplies (as mentioned above) and integrated telephony or wifi chips tend to go pretty easily. It's the nature of the beast. Buy one and get a cheap 5-year replacement warranty with it; that's about the best you can do. And remember don't cry when a modem dies. In the three years you had it, modems will have gone through at least a couple levels of performance improvement and you now have the opportunity to get better usage with newer equipment.

unterhausen · #22 08-09-2017, 09:14 AM

I bought the fastest Comcast-approved modem a few years ago. Have they really gotten any better? Is comcast upgrading their end of the line?

eddief · #23 08-09-2017, 09:19 AM

is running about 80 mbps. I am not a power user, one person and a cat in the house, and minor wireless at this time. No streaming here...yet.

This new modem has both 2.4 and 5.0 options for wireless. The old modem did not have this option.

fffuhq · #24 08-09-2017, 09:23 AM

modems always change with technology. Always good to upgrade anyways.

benb · #25 08-09-2017, 10:15 AM

I am honestly not sure what people are doing with these 50-100mb connections as consumers.

We've got 25 mb and you can easily stream a 1080p video on the TV and watch videos on a couple of iPads or something at the same time and then have someone else doing their work on the computer.

I've had a few co-workers (I'm a software engineer) who did things like pirate massive amounts of TV/Movie content and they'd have computers setup downloading stuff 24/7 and they used a lot of bandwidth but that is really really weird usage. (They would download 100x more stuff than they could ever watch in their life, digital hoarding.) One of these guys was even archiving the local public access TV channel.

If you're running an office and have a bunch of people working on the computer all day that obviously requires higher bandwidth too.

Finally keep in mind these consumer plans never guarantee what you are advertised. They are all oversold and the network is not built to support everyone getting the advertised speed at the same time, but at the same time sometimes they will let you get more bandwidth than you pay for if the network is not busy.

unterhausen · #26 08-15-2017, 09:29 PM

yeah, for years we had a whole lab with 8 computers running off of a 10mbps hub, so not even a switch. In fact, I may never have replaced that hub. Never had any complaints from the grad students, a notably whiny bunch. Building is only 100mbps anyway. Of course, those are real numbers, not Comcast numbers

tylercheung · #27 08-16-2017, 07:11 PM

not sure if this is the case but consumer electronics, esp cheep ones like routers, often use low quality solder on chips (google "ball grid array failure") and capacitors. They also are often fanless and don't get good heat ventilation esp if in dusty area. So they do fail.

Often you can get a discount w cable co if you get your own modem (typically Arris/Motorola Surfboard models are pretty good).

Routers - the new Google Wifi/Eero's are worth the extra $$ vs the standard tp link or net gear, if only for the better security featurss