Is this BS

I got the email below from Charter. About 15 months ago I got tired of
paying their $5/month modem charge and bought a new (reconditioned) lynksys
modem. It works great but I have noticed that things are a tad slower of
late. But I don't know if this is accurate, or just a sales pitch. Is there
some way to test this?

Mel


Things are getting faster all the time and we're here to keep you up
to speed.

Based on your account information, you have an older modem that is no
longer optimizing your Charter Internet experience.

It is important for you to take action and replace your modem. This
ensures that you continue to receive the fastest and most reliable Internet
speeds available?.

To help make this process easy, you can lease a new modem for only
$5/mo or purchase a replacement. Click the link below to get started.


REPLACE YOUR MODEM NOW

Thank you for choosing Charter. We look forward to many more years of
delivering you the best Internet experience.


Sincerely,
The Charter Internet Team

On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 10:25:33 -0400, "MZB"
wrote:

I got the email below from Charter. About 15 months ago I got tired of
paying their $5/month modem charge and bought a new (reconditioned) lynksys
modem. It works great but I have noticed that things are a tad slower of
late. But I don't know if this is accurate, or just a sales pitch. Is there
some way to test this?

Mel


Things are getting faster all the time and we're here to keep you up
to speed.

Based on your account information, you have an older modem that is no
longer optimizing your Charter Internet experience.

It is important for you to take action and replace your modem. This
ensures that you continue to receive the fastest and most reliable Internet
speeds available?.

To help make this process easy, you can lease a new modem for only
$5/mo or purchase a replacement. Click the link below to get started.


REPLACE YOUR MODEM NOW

Thank you for choosing Charter. We look forward to many more years of
delivering you the best Internet experience.


Sincerely,
The Charter Internet Team




Sounds like bs but check out dslreports.com . That's probably the
best source to get to the truth.

Hi!

But I don't know if this is accurate, or just a sales pitch. Is there
some way to test this?

You can use an online speed test against a server that is relatively
close to you.

Most cable modems have an informational web page that you can use to
see what the current data rate is for both upstream and downstream
communications. It is accessible at http://192.168.100.1/ for most
models. You are looking for your "provisioned rate" and there will
likely be two values--upstream (lower for uploads from you to the
'net) and downstream (higher from the 'net to you).

Based on your account information, you have an older modem that
is no longer optimizing your Charter Internet experience.

Which may or may not be true. To know for sure, you need to know the
specifications to which your modem complies. The standard (in the US)
is known as DOCSIS and there are varying versions of it. Each one
specifies different capabilities.

What Linksys modem do you have? Model and version number are both
important.

Even if your modem is older, it's likely still doing a fine job. I've
got a 12 megabit connection over my Linksys BEFCMU10 and it's rare
that I can download anything that fast outside of speed tests and
Microsoft's web sites.

Cable modems receive their parameters at startup via trivial FTP. The
cable company sends these parameters out and then (usually) reboots
the modem to force it to update the parameters.

Therefore, you may try rebooting your modem to force it to download
the new parameters.

William

William:

Actually, I checked further and I didn't order it that long ago. It's the
linksys CM100, refurbished from Buy.com for $27.99. I got it in early
November, so I've only had it for 5 months.

Is that enough information to tell you that it is okay? I remember at the
time checking with Charter and the DOCSIS for the modem was compatible with
their setup.

I suspect Charter is upgrading and maybe the DOCSIS is no longer compatible
(ie: recommended)?

Mel


"William R. Walsh" wrote in message
...
Hi!

But I don't know if this is accurate, or just a sales pitch. Is there
some way to test this?

You can use an online speed test against a server that is relatively
close to you.

Most cable modems have an informational web page that you can use to
see what the current data rate is for both upstream and downstream
communications. It is accessible at http://192.168.100.1/ for most
models. You are looking for your "provisioned rate" and there will
likely be two values--upstream (lower for uploads from you to the
'net) and downstream (higher from the 'net to you).

Based on your account information, you have an older modem that
is no longer optimizing your Charter Internet experience.

Which may or may not be true. To know for sure, you need to know the
specifications to which your modem complies. The standard (in the US)
is known as DOCSIS and there are varying versions of it. Each one
specifies different capabilities.

What Linksys modem do you have? Model and version number are both
important.

Even if your modem is older, it's likely still doing a fine job. I've
got a 12 megabit connection over my Linksys BEFCMU10 and it's rare
that I can download anything that fast outside of speed tests and
Microsoft's web sites.

Cable modems receive their parameters at startup via trivial FTP. The
cable company sends these parameters out and then (usually) reboots
the modem to force it to update the parameters.

Therefore, you may try rebooting your modem to force it to download
the new parameters.

William

I meant to add this modem is DOCSIS 2.0
"William R. Walsh" wrote in message
...
Hi!

But I don't know if this is accurate, or just a sales pitch. Is there
some way to test this?

You can use an online speed test against a server that is relatively
close to you.

Most cable modems have an informational web page that you can use to
see what the current data rate is for both upstream and downstream
communications. It is accessible at http://192.168.100.1/ for most
models. You are looking for your "provisioned rate" and there will
likely be two values--upstream (lower for uploads from you to the
'net) and downstream (higher from the 'net to you).

Based on your account information, you have an older modem that
is no longer optimizing your Charter Internet experience.

Which may or may not be true. To know for sure, you need to know the
specifications to which your modem complies. The standard (in the US)
is known as DOCSIS and there are varying versions of it. Each one
specifies different capabilities.

What Linksys modem do you have? Model and version number are both
important.

Even if your modem is older, it's likely still doing a fine job. I've
got a 12 megabit connection over my Linksys BEFCMU10 and it's rare
that I can download anything that fast outside of speed tests and
Microsoft's web sites.

Cable modems receive their parameters at startup via trivial FTP. The
cable company sends these parameters out and then (usually) reboots
the modem to force it to update the parameters.

Therefore, you may try rebooting your modem to force it to download
the new parameters.

William

On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 12:44:12 -0400, "MZB"
wrote:

William:

Actually, I checked further and I didn't order it that long ago. It's the
linksys CM100, refurbished from Buy.com for $27.99. I got it in early
November, so I've only had it for 5 months.

Is that enough information to tell you that it is okay? I remember at the
time checking with Charter and the DOCSIS for the modem was compatible with
their setup.

I suspect Charter is upgrading and maybe the DOCSIS is no longer compatible
(ie: recommended)?

Mel




You know one reason to get their modem aside from your issue is from
my experience, if you have a lightening strike or surge, if it gets
fried, they replace it for free. You might want to ask about that and
reconsider if they do the same.

On Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:13:50 -0500, "RnR" wrote:

On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 12:44:12 -0400, "MZB"
wrote:

William:

Actually, I checked further and I didn't order it that long ago. It's the
linksys CM100, refurbished from Buy.com for $27.99. I got it in early
November, so I've only had it for 5 months.

Is that enough information to tell you that it is okay? I remember at the
time checking with Charter and the DOCSIS for the modem was compatible with
their setup.

I suspect Charter is upgrading and maybe the DOCSIS is no longer compatible
(ie: recommended)?

Mel




You know one reason to get their modem aside from your issue is from
my experience, if you have a lightening strike or surge, if it gets
fried, they replace it for free. You might want to ask about that and
reconsider if they do the same.


I didn't make myself clear above.. I didn't mean to buy it but rather
pay the $5 / month fee. Sorry about that.

I did some further checking. Apparently Charter now wants the modems to be
DOCSIS compliant.

Might this explain why sometimes my system is speedy and other times it is
CRAWLING. (All 3 computers)

Mel
"MZB" wrote in message
...
I meant to add this modem is DOCSIS 2.0
"William R. Walsh" wrote in message
...
Hi!

But I don't know if this is accurate, or just a sales pitch. Is there
some way to test this?

You can use an online speed test against a server that is relatively
close to you.

Most cable modems have an informational web page that you can use to
see what the current data rate is for both upstream and downstream
communications. It is accessible at http://192.168.100.1/ for most
models. You are looking for your "provisioned rate" and there will
likely be two values--upstream (lower for uploads from you to the
'net) and downstream (higher from the 'net to you).

Based on your account information, you have an older modem that
is no longer optimizing your Charter Internet experience.

Which may or may not be true. To know for sure, you need to know the
specifications to which your modem complies. The standard (in the US)
is known as DOCSIS and there are varying versions of it. Each one
specifies different capabilities.

What Linksys modem do you have? Model and version number are both
important.

Even if your modem is older, it's likely still doing a fine job. I've
got a 12 megabit connection over my Linksys BEFCMU10 and it's rare
that I can download anything that fast outside of speed tests and
Microsoft's web sites.

Cable modems receive their parameters at startup via trivial FTP. The
cable company sends these parameters out and then (usually) reboots
the modem to force it to update the parameters.

Therefore, you may try rebooting your modem to force it to download
the new parameters.

William

On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 13:35:47 -0400, "MZB"
wrote:

I did some further checking. Apparently Charter now wants the modems to be
DOCSIS compliant.

Might this explain why sometimes my system is speedy and other times it is
CRAWLING. (All 3 computers)


No. It depends what the 3 computers are doing at the time.

Hi!

Actually, I checked further and I didn't order it that long ago.

I knew that I remembered the discussion from somewhere.

Is that enough information to tell you that it is okay?

The CM100 is a DOCSIS compliant modem, supporting versions 1.0, 1.1
and 2.0. I was not able to determine what they offer for certain, but
Charter is offering some DOCSIS 3.0 cable modems.

DOCSIS is said to be compatible in all directions. If you have a
DOCSIS 1.1 compliant modem, you can use it on a DOCSIS 2.0 cable
network. The reverse should also be true...a DOCSIS 3.0 modem would
work on a 2.0 network. Features provided in a newer version of DOCSIS
won't be available to equipment that supports the older version.

As best I can tell, the only thing added to DOCSIS 3.0 is support for
IPv6 protocol. DOCSIS 2.0 provided for enhanced communication speeds
over the previous revisions. If this is true and DOCSIS 3.0 only
brings support for IPv6, an older modem could theoretically have its
operating software upgraded to a release supporting IPv6 as that is a
software-only issue.

(Cable companies can upgrade the firmware in your cable modem from
afar. They do this in much the same way as they do when sending
parameters to it.)

I think that Charter may have incorrect information on the equipment
you have--OR they are being somewhat dishonest and trying to rent/sell
you something that you do not need. As DOCSIS is *the* standard for
data exchange over cable TV networks, I doubt Charter would be doing
something different.

Therefore, I strongly doubt that you have to upgrade your cable modem.
I would recommend keeping your current equipment and continuing to use
it.

William