That's normal more than likely.
The 2.4ghz network is very crowded. If you live in an apartment or if you live in a neighborhood chances are the wifi is saturated.
Everybody and their grandmother has a wireless router these days.
There are only 11 channels available for 2.4ghz and only 3 that don't interfere with each other.
If you want to see what the channels look like, check out this AP:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer&hl=en_US
Here's a budget router I recommended, netgear is the only thing I use so that's what I think is the best if you don't wanna spend too much money
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R2AZLD2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_N3ZZ80EQJ8QGNWD53AZM
TP Link Archer A7 the best selling router on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1750-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B079JD7F7G/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=archer+a7&qid=1600370174&sr=8-3
I'd get a new DOCSIS 3.1 compliant modem from Spectrum (bring old modem in and get a new one at store).
Router: Archer A7 or A9. A7 is the best selling router on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1750-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B079JD7F7G/ref=sr\_1\_3?dchild=1&keywords=archer+a7&qid=1624322248&sr=8-3
You can't do that with the new Spectrum remotes. If you had the old style one (with all the Source buttons at the top) you could.
Get a cheap RCA remote that can do what you want but it'll be more button presses. I use 1 of these and it works. Not the most elegant thing but it does what I need it to do: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BYVHCXC/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The routers they offer are not very good, pretty much everything I wanted to change was classified as "too advanced" and I got my own router - pretty much anything off the shelf should work, make sure it supports the speeds you're paying for. This is the one I got: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079JD7F7G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_RRYDZ0GAQCHJBC4YGYQW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
That's not a modem, that's a combo modem/router device....
You should just go and see what DOCSIS 3.1 modems your local store has (if any) and get one to replace the combo unit. Then get a real router- I always recommend the Archer A7: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1750-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B079JD7F7G as the best bang for the $$$. Having your own router is much better as you control the features and setup, not Spectrum.
And as mentioned below, speed tests are done from a computer connected directly via ethernet cable to your router/modem. Wireless tests are never 100% accurate
have you tried an new equipment maybe your old one needs to be replaced or your line was not set for your speed correctly , There’s also an chance your line needs to be repaired I know spectrum is not the best but one thing I can say is I have always gotten more speed then I should of almost every one I know has https://www.speedtest.net/my-result/i/4040037687
This is megabytes per second. I tested with speedtest.net, fast.com, Unifi Dream Machine speed test, and actual downloading with Steam and random large file download. all points to gigabit speed.
I am having pretty good success with The Spectrum Choice 15 package. The streaming interface is horrible. I solved this by removing the cloud DVR from my subscription and am using Channels. https://getchannels.com/
My recording are on my Windows 10 pc and streaming on an Apple 4k box. Their video interface is great. FF, rewind, and pause on streaming shows. It has a "skip commercial" function which works fairly well. It also has a picture in picture so you can still watch while checking the guide and other apps.
I would not be using the Spectrum service without Channels. ($8 month)
I would recommend a powerline adapter over an extender
https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-PowerLINE-1200-Gigabit-PL1200-100PAS/dp/B00S6DBGJM
One plugs into the wall by the router and connects with ethernet. The second you plug in near the laptop and then you can use an ethernet connection off of that. It sends your internet through the powerlines in the house. Have had good luck with those in the past in large houses.
Yes, TP Link Archer A7. I have 1 they are great and cheap and the #1 best selling router on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079JD7F7G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
A9 is just more powerful if you need that. And remember that any router that claims to do x sq footage is just guessing. It all depends on your residence's construction, interference issues and a whole bunch of other things.
Yeah, that's what I figured. I just wanted to make sure there weren't policy changes I wasn't aware of. Thanks for the clarification!
For anyone with the same issue using NordVPN, I fixed it by going to Settings > Auto-Connect and selecting a protocol OTHER THAN NordLynx, rather than having it select protocol automatically.
Don't test speed with wifi, it's never 100% accurate. Use a laptop/desktop wired directly into your modem. Then report back what speeds you get- if the speed test shows you the speed you are paying for then no need to do anything- if lower, then you'll need to call in a service visit.
It might be time for a new router as well. I recommend the Archer A7: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1750-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B079JD7F7G/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=archer+a7&qid=1603659748&s=electronics&sr=1-2 a great router for a little $$$.
Also pls post your hardware make/model for your modem and your current router as well as specs on what cudy adapter you're using
Don't rent their POS get your own router. Archer A7: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1750-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B079JD7F7G/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=archer+a7&qid=1603659748&s=electronics&sr=1-2
You beat me but you didn't say what router he needs to get!
Spectrum supplied routers are garbage IMHO, get an Archer A7 and save the $5 Spectrum charges you for their POS device: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1750-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B079JD7F7G/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=archer+a7&qid=1603659748&s=electronics&sr=1-2
What's the router make/model? And FYI you'd be better off getting your own router that doesn't sh*t the bed all the time- you're paying Spectrum $5 a month for the "privilege" of using their POS router (that's locked down essentially).
I recommend an Archer A7, the best-selling router on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1750-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B079JD7F7G/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=archer+a7&qid=1603549415&s=electronics&sr=1-3
Get any DOCSIS 3.1 compliant modem from a Spectrum store. You never mentioned the make/model of your existing modem though.
Then get an Archer A7 router, approx $62 on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1750-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B079JD7F7G/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-p13n1_0 that's about 29 burgers. It'll do everything you ever want/need.
Also stop eating so much McD's it's bad for you.
Are you testing on wifi? You need to test directly with an ethernet cable from your laptop/desktop into your combo device. Report back what speed you are getting.
And you'd be better off dumping your combo device and just getting a Spectrum modem and supply your own router. I recommend an Archer A7 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1750-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B079JD7F7G/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=archer+a7&qid=1603659748&s=electronics&sr=1-2
Sounds like something went wrong with the outage that's affecting your service in my view. You'll have to wait until the tech shows unfortunately.
Agreed. I use IPVanish and some days it's slower than molasses in winter, other days its fast. Wife uses Cisco VPN and hers keep disconnecting all the time. It's the VPN not the ISP.
Also "free" doesn't mean "the best". You're sacrificing cost for stability/speed.
None of the above, my PC's motherboard was only gigabit-capable so I bought a PCIe Nic to add that was multi-gig capable https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y2GWVB8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Inexpensive but good, TP Link Archer A7 , Archer C7.
Any nighthawk tbh I have the nighthawk ac1750 here's a link it's not that pricy compared to other nighthawks but I really recommend a nighthawk for gaming and streaming https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R2AZLD2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8VgjFb54FEMCP
I remember that that was setup in case of future updates, but most cable companies have that Ethernet port on a cable box disabled so you can’t plug it in and get internet.
You can use something like this.
AmazonBasics Ethernet Internet Adapter
Nighthawks are good. If you want a budget router that rocks, look at TP Link Archer A7, the #1 selling router on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1750-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B079JD7F7G?ref_=ast_sto_dp
Ya, makes sense - apartment complexes are notorious for having wifi interference. Basically every wifi device, phone, tablet, laptop, everything are all fighting for dominance from every neighbor, etc.
If you want an eye-opener, try this on a cell phone to see what a nightmare you have there in your area for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. 5 GHz is faster but shorter range/weaker, while 2.4 GHz is slower and stronger but has way more devices generally fighting each other.
No problem. You can check signal strength and channel congestion with a cell phone - look up 'Wifi Analyzer' and try that.
How about a multi-switch power strip? Just mount to the front of the rack and label each device so they can switch off the one needed.
Why not buy a Universal AC Adapter? They have selectable voltages, settable "tip polarity" and come with a variety of interchangeable connectors. Just be sure it has the same (or greater) output wattage and you properly set the polarity & voltage correctly.
Get a bigger surge protector ?
I'm using my own router because they never gave me one. This is the link to the product page: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0711TPTZL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1. It is a few years old, not wifi 6.
I've heard a lot of people recommend TP Link. A lot 3rd party routers have band steering but also have ability to turn it off as well. In less than 2 years a $100 router like the one here will end being less than renting a router from Spectrum for 2 years.
Have this on my pc.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NVR8M8X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Router - Tenda AC1900 Smart Dual-Band Gigabit WiFi Router Model AC15
This other thing I have is an ARRIS TM 1602
That’s funny about me ever working for Spectrum. Even more entertaining is how you Spectrum shills come to the defense of a company that is so poorly rated by its customers. Or haven’t you seen this?
I've had Spectrum internet (and tv) for years [TWC before takeover] and they suck. Over time, I've replaced everything from the street to the house, rewired the house, several different modems and routers.
Here's the deal: During the week, performance is great (I have 300 Mbps service). On weekends, it consistently sucks so bad I have to use my cell phone as a personal hotspot. The problem is likely not your equipment. It is that they are under-provisioning their network and when user traffic is high, we all suffer - even if you pay extra for high speed service.
During football / baseball playoffs and NBA playoff seasons, forget it. Here is an example speedtest from yesterday (Sunday and today) I am sharing. This is repeatable data every weekend. https://www.speedtest.net/results?sh=c772f3c4a9a695b074a5942039ca0613
Why do I stay with Spectrum? Because they have a monopoly in my area.
If you had a vpn then Spectrum wouldn't have been notified as the IP you pirated with would have been mulvads IP address, not your Spectrum IP. It's possible Mullvad gave up your Spectrum IP in response to a court order but a more likely scenario is that your vpn dropped and you didn't realize it. If you plan on pirating again then get a seedbox based in the Netherlands. I realize this isnt helpful for your current problem but I'm just throwing out some advice to keep this from happening again.
Spend as much as you are able on an ASUS router, you will get the most bang for your buck.
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Rank
ASUS RT-AX82U you can get it open box very good condition for $150 (most under rated router on the market)
ASUS RT-AX68 On sale
ASUS AX-3000
TP-Link AC1750 is a great router. It's widely recommended for a reason. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079JD7F7G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
I imagine AC-1900 is also just as good (but higher speed)
There are a few options:
OP, the AC version here from Synology has been solid, around for years:
Not AX, but, AC probably good enough for a few more years.
The new AX version they put out is getting "meh" reviews.
So I have just the modem as well. I used to have the Spectrum modem/router and it had 2.4 and 5g networks. It almost always would drop my security camera signals and didn’t ma the network very well.
When I switched to just a modem, I bought an Eero 6+ mesh system with 3 pods. It operates on the same bands but provides a more consistent signal throughout our home. You won’t have to choose either 5g or 2.4, the mesh automatically manages everything under one network. I currently have 4 outdoor security cameras, 6 indoor WYZE v3 security cameras, Amazon Alexa’s, smart tv, 4 tablets, 3 iPhones, 3 watches, an Xbox, wireless printer, and a network storage system. Since switching to the mesh, not one device has lost connection. With Spectrums router, my security cameras were constantly going offline. This is the mesh system I currently have.. Unfortunately, they raised the price $80 since last month.
Some may not particularly like TP Link routers, and I had never used them before until April of this year when I got my current TP Link AX1800 router. What I got for the price I paid is outstanding. I got a new laptop a few weeks ago that has WiFi6, and when pairing those 2 devices together I actually get the same speeds on the laptop as I do on my Ethernet wired desktop. All of this said, there ARE better alternatives out there, of course, if you want to spend the money. But, for the typical end user, the device linked below will be perfectly fine.
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https://www.amazon.com/WiFi-6-Router-Gigabit-Wireless/dp/B08H8ZLKKK
How seriously does the company take copyright infringements against their customers? Should I be worried if I get a notification every few months, quarter, yearly or do you have to be a severe repeat offender for then to care? I have ExpressVPN on the device but should I get it on the router to be super safe about it or is there really no way to be safe about occasional torrenting.
Hi, any other changes you've done with switching to NordVPN? I'm also not that tech savy, but own NordVPN and am a couple of months away from ending my 3-year plan I bought back in 2019.
Moved into a new apartment and believe we have spectrum internet, mainly use the VPN to torrent games, movies and tv series, but speeds fluctuate too much when speed is normal ~150-180mbs.
Thinking of switching VPNs but am not sure really.
Thanks,
Wow thanks for so much info. My Spectrum Rep (Mgr) recommended this
I was using Pure VPN, but recently I have had issues where I would be getting 100 Mbps+ download speeds for a few minutes, then suddenly drop to 10 Mbps+. Didn't matter which location I connected to, which protocol, etc. Tried on a few computers. It was driving me crazy. Just signed up with Mullvad to see if it was a Pure VPN issue, but I'm having the same issue. Other devices not connected to the VPN are getting over 300 Mbps speed (even though I pay for 200), and this device goes back to it as soon as I disconnect the VPN. I replaced the modem. I don't know what else to do. I'm baffled. I know everyone says Spectrum doesn't throttle, but it sure feels that way.
Haha I’m not tech savvy but need something user friendly. I can follow instructions well if that makes sense. I’ve been following r/digitalnomad and it looks like most people there are using travel routers such as GL-inet and have a neat guide too. Idea is to install this and use NordVPN. Looks like location will be undetected but obviously you would be able to tell this is commercial IP
I think the speed bottleneck on my Internet is going to be the neighborhood wiring, with claimed max of 300Mbps (recently increased from 200Mbps), so I'm not especially concerned if a AC1200 router can only get 400MBps. That's not going to be my bottleneck.
Maybe the faster processors, more memory, and more antenna will result in a stronger output signal. Maybe other components. Maybe it varies from one router to the next. As noted in my earlier post, I didn't see much correlation with number of antennas and range, although I only tested routers with at least 4 antennas, so I was comparing >= to 4 antenna to <= 7 antenna. The reported antenna gain had more correlation in my experience, but there were many exceptions. For example, the Alien Amplifi you mentioned is listed as having only 3 to 6dBi gain antennas.. It doesn't appear to be the gain of the antennas that is key for the high range, with this router.
The Alien Amplifi is listed as having 3000sqft coverage with router alone compared to 2500sqft with the Speedify listed above. However, I expect claimed sqft coverage is not standardized and depends on marketing. Do they test in empty warehouse type conditions with no walls? Do they exaggerate/lie? Different manufacturers will likely have different answers. The Alien WiFi 6 router looks like it sells for $400. I was hoping for a less expensive option, particularly since my neighborhood only supports 300Mbps Internet. Ideally I'd like to spend no more than around 2 year's worth of the cost for Specturm router rental. So a target budget of $5 * 24 = $120. If I can't get equivalent range for a ballpark of around $120, then I'd probably favor sticking with Spectrum router for now and make the router purchase later... keeping track of changes in technology, mesh systems, and prices.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079JD7F7G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I've had it for a year, and haven't had any issues with it.
Well, if you want quality, this one is a powerhouse and is of decent value. ASUS RT-AX88U
This one I got and updated the firmware using ASUSWRT Merlin.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077KXY71Q
I bought this a couple years ago to test things out (and now use it daily for reasons), but it can do full GbE no problem, whether from on the LAN or WAN. If you can afford it, might be good to pick up
I've had the router linked below for several months. IMO, this is currently the best "bang for your buck" on the market right now. It's WiFi 6, so also a bit future proof.
TP-Link WiFi 6 Router AX1800... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08H8ZLKKK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
What program do you use? qBittorrent has an option to connect through only a user-specified network interface (in my case, Mullvad).
It has saved me a few times. Connections through any other adapter (WiFi, ethernet, etc) are blocked. If you're curious, it's in "Options -> Advanced -> Network Interface".
I have yet to see any blocked websites, I am curious which ones are blocking you.
I have been using NordVPN for about a month so I'm not sure if website blocking is a recent thing they have implemented.
I’ve never had a VPN, I’m asking for testimonies about the quality of NordVPN, I understand what’s happened as far as the notification email goes. (It’s just the first time I’ve EVER gotten this from any ISP)
What is Seedbox?
As long as you make sure to only torrent when connecting through your VPN, you should never get any copyright claims.
Use a torrent client with a "kill switch" that lets you allow seeding/downloading only while connected through your VPN. This way if your VPN fails, or you forget to activate your VPN, your torrents will stop and your actual IP will remain hidden.
I've been using qbittorrent with ExpressVPN for two years now and have never had an issue. I'm sure it works just as well with Nord.
I took matters into my own hands and bought a coax identifying thing. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B076DP1534/ Basically you put a color endcap on each coax and then when you use the tester it will identify where the end runs. This isnt 100% fool proof because there might be splitters from room 1 to room 2 inside the wall, but it helped me tremendously.
That looks like a female coax. Are you stating that you need a male coax instead? Spectrum may charge you to send a tech to change it, but you can have them do so. Or you can buy a female to male coax adapter such as this:
https://www.amazon.com/VCE-5-Pack-Coaxial-Connector-Adapter/dp/B07KLG718M
You won't find any Ethernet ports unless your apartment is v modern and new and they wired it that way on purpose (v v unlikely). You're looking for a coaxial cable. called RG6. it could be black or white (95% of the time it's white). The end should look like this using Amazon pic, your cable color may vary): https://www.amazon.com/Satellite-Broadband-PHAT-SATELLITE-INTL/dp/B01GDE1BWW
Once you've found that/them, then you've found a way to get Spectrum services.
Anything is better than the POS routers that Spectrum gives out. You should be fine.
Drops: well if that's your modem acting up for some reason then a new router won't solve that
Speed: all depends. Wifi "speed" is a nebulous concept and is not really measurable as there are way too many factors that can affect it. But I'd say that your new router is going to be much better than your Spectrum router.
And as u/Mocavius says I remember an article recently about Asus routers having an unpatched exploit. Just make sure you update the firmware.
Also: look at the Archer AX10 for a wifi6 router: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-AX1500-Wifi-Router/dp/B07ZSDR49S?th=1 IMHO better than the Asus and much cheaper.
A great wireless router that I recently purchased that's up to par, and WiFi 6, is the TP-Link AX1800. Here's the Amazon link.
The best thing you can do is buy a huge pile of coaxial terminators, and go around to all your neighbors.
Ask if they have cable TV, and if they do, give these to them for free to put on any unused cable wall connectors.
Your problems (and theirs) will mostly go away if they follow through with this.
https://www.amazon.com/Coaxial-Terminator-Splitter-Antenna-Fanbalunke/dp/B09QLYKFXX
SOLVED:
Just following up in case anyone ever needs this info. I tried five different IR extenders that plug directly into the cable box, and none worked.
I finally broke down and tried this one (has its own power, and sticks to the outside of the cable box. Works perfectly:
BAFX Products - All-in-One... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LC7HVHW?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Yes, you'll need this:
https://www.amazon.com/Knoweasy-Coaxial-Compression-Crimper-Stripper/dp/B07Q34VD6N
Source: Former TWC Tech.
NETGEAR 4G LTE Broadband Modem (LM1200) – Use LTE as a Primary Internet Connection or Failover Solution for Always-On WiFi Certified with AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R813HLW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_82D531RE0GVYHPZJBE6X?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
NETGEAR 4G LTE Broadband Modem (LM1200) – Use LTE as a Primary Internet Connection or Failover Solution for Always-On WiFi Certified with AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R813HLW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_82D531RE0GVYHPZJBE6X?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Absolutely! I purchased it through Amazon used which I saved about half the retail of 119.00. It has all the latest technology with Mimo which allows multiple devices without noticeable bandwidth speed swings.
TP-Link WiFi 6 AX3000 Smart WiFi Router (Archer AX50) – 802.11ax Router, Gigabit Router, Dual Band, OFDMA, MU-MIMO, Parental Controls, Built-in HomeCare,Works with Alexa https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YMFZ28Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_DGFSW1QD6QDKACFPNMKE?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Buy your own modem, don’t go with spectrums unit, we had nothing but issues with their modems I recommend this one: Motorola - MB8611 DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modem - Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox & More - Wi-Fi Router https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DDFKXKC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_23QK52WRFFPHGXS39WMZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
What’s ur budget. I have this one. Any nigh hawk one really is fine. They r made for gaming which I don’t do and I can stream on every tv and computer on 4k plus smart home stuff I have with no issues
Well, a friend gave me this one try try:
https://www.amazon.com/Inteset-Wideband-Infrared-Receiver-Compatibility/dp/B01LXO79CL
It did not work either. The extender is getting power (a blue light comes on when the remote is activated), but extender doesn’t work.
It’s BS that Customer Service won’t even give me the name of the correct extender. I don’t mind supplying my own, but they won’t even tell me what I need to do to use the cable box properly. Why even have the exterior jack, if it’s unusable. I hate Spectrum.
A nice router I've seen is TP-Link AC1750 - speeds max out at 450 on the 2.4 and 130 on the 5 ghz. That will solve the issue if the issue is router related at least.
Spectrum only gives us like one-seventh of our download speed towards our upload speed: https://www.speedtest.net/result/9397719792
Fucking hate the lot of them.
Thats the highest it has been since the issue started nearly 9 hours ago apart from a short hour window where it recovered and went back to normal.
> https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.consolidated.com
So the reviews are even worse for Spcetrum, 1.2 stars out of 5, yet most people I know have no problems with their service. It seems like only a few people with problems are bothering to rate their service.
Have you looked at their reviews online? Here are some from the BBB website. https://www.bbb.org/us/il/mattoon/profile/cable-tv/consolidated-communications-0734-310030931/customer-reviews. TrustPilot: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.consolidated.com
Also look them up on Yelp.
with that being said if it's happening on everything & not just the game servers when connected to the modem directly via Ethernet, sounds like a call to them would be warranted in this situation. Also my particular asus router allows me to see the entire networks bandwidth usage, in my settings its under the adaptive QoS looks like on the blue cave it might be under Traffic Manager - I'd take a look at that just to be 100% sure nothings going on in the background like updates or auto backups saturating it while ya wait for that tech. if you go to fast.com and click show more info after the test you'll see why that part is important, buffer bloat sucks balls. can also open up a cmd window and ping googles dns ( ping 8.8.8.8) with a -t to make it constant while doing this test and you'll see your ping jump quite a bit
Ok, thanks for the recommendation. So, like this one? Stupid question, but how do I hook up this and Spectrum’s modem? I’m only used to the all in one modem and router ones.
Sure, here's the one I bought, on Amazon but shop around - it's regularly on sale at Target for example. Speeds max out on this one at 1300 Mbps on the 5Ghz and 450 Mbps on the 2.4 Ghz band.
In addition to the router, because I like to hard wire as many things as I can (Chromecast, smart Roku TV, PC) I picked up this Ethernet switch so I get some more ports for hardwiring.
I’d use a cheap multi function IR remote that you can program yourself. That way the VOL punchthrough controls can work the soundbar and everything else can be programmed properly. I’ve used these and they work pretty well:
GE Universal Remote Control for Samsung, Vizio, LG, Sony, Sharp, Roku, Apple TV, RCA, Panasonic, Smart TVs, Streaming Players, Blu-ray, DVD, 4-Device, Black, 34457 Brushed Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XH52NNM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_X5MXP2H467SBDEFSXEXZ
It looks your local node is over utilized and it tanks the performance.
You can easily troubleshoot by downloading a free network ping tool like ping plotter: https://www.pingplotter.com
Ping to popular sites like google.com and your game server host name or IP address. Do it when it is working good and during the times you have issues.
Pretty much it will give you a ms average of all the hops your connection goes though.. and it will tell you if one of those hops is performing bad.
yeah, if you can connect directly to your Wifi Router with an Ethernet cable and run some online speedtests (speedtest.net or fast.com, etc.) and do this a few times and you are getting the speeds your paying for & your PING results are good, then your problems are with the game servers.
Console speeds are limited by the console "servers".
And to ensure that your getting the speeds your paying Spectrum for, you will have to use a computer, directly wired to your Internet Gateway device and test on sites such as: speedtest.net or fast.com, etc.
I have the exact same issue. Fast.com is also all over the place. A tech came out and replaced my modem and other stuff and it's still all over the place. The Spectrum speed site always shows 900+ like it does for you. Any other site I use and it's all over place.
A few weeks ago I noticed that my speed was in the double digits, I reset the modem and it fixed it. Or so I thought. The entire week it kept happening. That's when I had a tech come out cause the rep on the phone said our signal was very weak or something like that. Like I said above the tech came out and was here for over 2 hours trying to figure out what the issue was. Ever since then it's been all over the place. Before all this I was pulling in 1.7 to 2.5gbps. Now it's just all over.
Firstly, I would recommend never to use Google's speedtest. They are notoriously slow and inaccurate.
Use either Spectrum's speedtest or Ookla's for more accurate results.
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That being said you are quite clearly having some issues, I notice you have WiFi enabled, though it appears to be a good signal.
Have you seen similar results on a wired connection?
It very well may be you will need to call your ISP and get a field technician if you are having equipment or line issues.
We have the gigabit service and they provided a Hitron eMTA E31_2V1 as the modem and a Sagecom RAC2V1S as the router.
Our speeds are usually pretty steady. The router is okay, better performance than the one I had so we use it.
The install fee is bullshit, but it is what it is. They came out, spent about an hour installing things and making sure the signal levels and cables were good. However, they never got my phone service to work with the new eMTA. I guess I don't care too much since it costs less with phone service than without.
Take a look on Amazon for MoCA 2.0 adaptors they should come in a two pack. You will also need a MoCA filter as spectrum doesn't use MoCA although the filters are pretty cheap. I would recommend a Motorola MoCA adaptor but any brand would do.
For a $100 budget I would recommend this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MQG6T61/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_dl_JMFRPXF59KYF5HGQ2R93
If I buy one of these does it also act as a modem?
Depends, do you need a mesh network? What kind of coverage are you needing? If you can get away with 1 router this is always a solid choice. If you're going to upgrade the router you might as well snag a modem as well.
DNS doesn't often come into play with gaming - it's a name to ip request that gets cached so the first request is the slowest - DNS tweaks often are for casual / heavy surfing. That said you can benchmark your dns to pick the best servers - I would pick the one that averages best overall (which might not be the #1 result in the program). Filter out those redirecting servers - they send you to helpful but monetized search pages instead of adhering to the DNS specification. Maintain once every 6 months or when you start noticing slowdowns or network issues. Pick and add as many fallbacks as you like, windows will keep going down the list.
If you have windows 10, it does a fair amount of TCP tuning on its own. You can try tcpoptimizer to boost gaming speed, specifically you want to disable nagling (a process that waits for a packet buffer to fill before transmission).
Your frequent drops have nothing to do with what DNS Server you are using, though Google usually give you better performance.
One test doesnt indicate an issue. My "loaded" latency was also high according to FAST, when no other speed test sites gave that same information. I also know from my usage that I dont have any issues with delayed responses; gaming, streaming, uploading files, etc.
Here is a screenshot for an example of the speedtests I ran.
Are you having any issues with your services that prompted this post? That would help us to give you better information.
Thanks. Its actually called Guest Mode instead of Rental Mode ... my bad. https://www.roku.com/blog/auto-sign-out-mode
The way it works is that when the renter turns on the TV for the first time, they are prompted to input the end date of their stay. They can then freely log into any apps on the box and on the day that they leave, it automatically logs them out and clears all their account information from all apps on the Roku box. I'm guessing it would do the same for the Spectrum app, so I'd not be able to just leave it logged in.
Can you setup different user logins for for the Spectrum app, or must you use your main userid/pw to login. If you can setup users, then I could just leave the login info on a card for renters to use if they wished.
I'm trying to avoid the cost of full cable service that I think most people don't use on vacation, and still provide something for those that don't have logins for streaming apps.
That could be, my bad if I was unclear in my post. I'll admit, I'm not that well informed with networking things.
A support representative from Riot Games had me use the program WinMTR to check three different IP addresses & websites, to diagnose connection issues that may be occuring.
Running WinMTR indicated that there was a "hop" between my home and all three websites which had frequent fluctations up to ~240ms.
This was also the only "node" or "hop" to have any fluctations in latency above 50ms for any of the websites I've tried in WinMTR.
ae63.blvroh0402h.midwest.rr.com (24.164.116.69) is also one of the few "hops" that shows up in WinMTR, regardless of which website I put in.
No matter what website I visit, our connection always goes through that address as the 3rd in the list on WinMTR, and it consistently shows high latency spikes above 200ms.
I think you need to use a different tool, because you are only seeing the reply from this one IP address, you are missing all the hops between your machine and this one IP.
Maybe 'Pingplotter' would be a better tool: https://www.pingplotter.com/
Unfortunately I'm unsure how to interpret the pingplotter results screen.
try another bandwidth site like fast.com or speedtest.net
Why leave frontier fios for spectrum? I have spectrum for 3-4 months and service has been inconsistent. VZ Fios i never had service issues, maybe when there is a region outage, but besides that its been solid. I wish fios was offered at my new location.
The modem is "spectrum e31u2v" the router is "spectrum rac2v1k". I'm using my pc connected with an ethernet cable as well as my phone through wifi. And I tested with google's speed test, Ookla's, spectrum's, and the fast.com one's