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How To Increase Cable Modem Speed

Simple Cable Modem Tweaks To Speed Up Cable Internet
by Richard Thomason - July 3rd, 2010

Even though it is well-known that cable modem speeds are considerably higher than DSL speeds, sometimes cable Internet can seem slower than DSL. There are a few reasons this can happen, including not upgrading your cable modem when it becomes out of date technologically, increased network traffic, browser plug-ins and add-ons, the browser settings, computer settings and actual cable modem settings. There are some things that a person can do to increase cable modem speed -- and most are free.

The first thing you should do to speed up your Cable Internet is determine if the speeds are actually slower than they should be for the package you are paying for. To do this, you can use a Cable Modem Speed Test. Match your results up to the advertised speed rates from your cable Internet provider to determine if the speeds are correct or not. A good way to determine correct speed is you should be getting at least 80 percent of your quoted speed. So if you are paying for up to 4 Mbps download speeds, you should get at least 3.2 Mbps. If your speeds are slower, then you need to take action.

Top Cable ISP's: Cox Cable, Comcast High Speed Internet, Time Warner Road Runner and Charter High Speed Internet.

 

Ways To Speed Up Cable Internet

1) First, you want to be sure that your cable modem is not out of date.

A modem that utilizes even the slightest update can make a modem manufactured last week seem old. That means that a modem you purchased last week can become “technologically out of date” tomorrow. However, as long as your broadband Internet provider's DOCSIS technology is compatible with your modem, all you should need to do to make it run faster is configure it differently.

You can download a user manual for your modem which will tell you the best settings based on various situations. Another possibility is utilizing the help desk at your cable Internet service provider's website. As long as you are using a “supported device” they are authorized to help you optimize your cable modem speeds. However, if you are not using one of the supported devices, then you can download Dr TCP, a free software utility used for cable modem tweaks. This utility tests your network connections and makes recommendations based on what type of configurations are already being used.

2) Disable the add-ons and plug-ins your Web browser is using.

Oftentimes, browser plug-ins or other add-ons can slow down your Web surfing, which makes it look as if your cable Internet speeds are slower than they should be. Disable your plug-ins and add-ons and restart your Web browser. If your connection speeds up or seems faster, then enable your plug-ins one by one until you find the problem plug-in. If this does not work, you might want to make some changes to the overall settings of the Web browser. Go to the website where you downloaded it from and go to the help or FAQ's section and you can find setting information there.

3) Check for malware, spyware, and possible computer viruses.

Check for spyware or other malicious programs that may slowing down both your computer and your cable Internet connection. If you don't have anti-virus software on your computer, then you can use a free one, such as Avast Free Anti-Virus. Also, make sure your anti-virus program is updated frequently. Then run a full scan.

Sometimes the problem with slow speeds is traffic congestion. Because there could be hundreds, if not thousands, of people subscribed to the same service, you are all sharing the same cable Internet bandwidth. This can cause a major slow down at peak traffic times. In a case such as this, there is nothing you can do except to upgrade your Internet service to a faster plan or send in a complaint to your cable ISP.

 
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The High Speed Internet Access Guide provides information on several types of Internet connections, including DSL, Dial Up, Wireless, and Cable Internet.