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RogersMoin
I've had the displeasure of upgrading two accounts to the Gigabit package.
I understand the marketing gimmick of the term up to, but it's getting a bit ridiculous.
Here is a snapshot of a speedtest done downtown by Bay and College. Straight lan, bridge mode.
As you can see, the speeds are a far cry of true gigabit. I understand fully the limitations and expectations of the Docsis 3 technology. I would even deem constant speeds of 750-800 acceptable.
I also have the package in Richmond Hill, where the speeds are about 80% of the above posted numbers.
Service agents have showed up to both locations, followed by visits from their supervisor.
The Richmond Hill service team advised me the maximum speeds that they have ever seen in the area is about 600Mb/s whereas the Downtown Toronto team advised me the the maximum they have personally seen is in the 650Mb/s range that was sustainable. To me, upload speeds are more important. The comparison between the two is full 50 as seen above to mid 30s in Richmond Hill.
If the agents are reporting that to the customers, knowing that the network cannot achieve anywhere close to their advertised speeds, why bother selling them as Gigabit. Should have rolled out publicly as 500u instead!
Spoke to the management team who advised me, since we are already on a highly discount bundle, there is nothing they can do. The analogy they gave me was you get what you pay for.
So my frustration spikes, just because Rogers offered the 63U package and I take advantage of the deal, they have the audacity to justify the slower speeds because I'm on a "discounted" plan? In my opinion, that's disgusting.
I would advise anyone considering upgrading to the Gigabit package to steer clear until their systems can actually handle the traffic.
*Edited Labels*
@jordanlambert8 can you post the rest of the signal table please? That will include the Downstream OFDM section down to and including the upstream OFDM section. Can you also run a speedtest via ethernet connection to see what the modem will run for the download rates. Please run the test using the www.speedtest.net Toronto Rogers or Montreal Rogers server, which ever is closer to you.
@jordanlambert8 I am working on a response for you, just haven't had time to finish it yet. I'll do that a little later tonight.
@jordanlambert8, I apologize for not getting to this sooner, but, I haven't forgotten about your situation. I've pasted this in from Notepad, so the forum software kindly removes all line spaces and double spaces between sentences when you paste in from another application. I've replaced the missing line spaces, but, its rather late so I haven't respaced the sentences.
There appear to be a number of things going on here.
Your speedtest results on both wired and wifi don't make sense. So, one step at a time:
1. Your DOCSIS 3.0 Downstream signal levels are all low, within spec, but much lower than I would like to see. The signal to noise levels are ok. Your upstream DOCSIS 3.0 signal levels are about what I would expect when DOCSIS 3.1 is running. The following questions come to mind:
a. Do you have more than one Rogers service, internet, Home phone and/or cable tv. If so, how many modems are there in the apartment?
b. If you look in your utility closet, where the cable connections probably originate for the apartment, do you have a passive splitter attached to the main cable, or, do you have a power amplifier instead. Can you also tell me how many output ports there are on that device? There will be one input port and possibly many output ports depending on how many modems you have for the various services.
c. looking at the back of the modem, near the power cord, are there one or two black circular stickers, or none at all? No black stickers would indicate one of the original 4582s. One or two black stickers would indicate that additional shielding has been placed over the cable DOCSIS tuner to protect it from self inflicted EMI from the 2.4 Ghz broadcasts of the modem.
2. Your modem is running DOCSIS 3.1 on the downstream side. Normally that results in improved performance, so, I would expect you to see up to 950 Mb/s downstream on a speedtest. However, there have been, and continue to be customers who see terrible results with DOCSIS 3.1 running. The DOCSIS 3.1 signal level data on the modem's user interface is not correct, so, the question is, what is the real DOCSIS 3.1 signal level?
a. Call tech support and ask the CSR what the signal level is for the DOCSIS 3.1 channel and if its in spec. Also advise the CSR that you are seeing slow data rates from the modem. Please let me know what the power level is and if the tech has indicated that its within spec. If that value is out of spec, I would expect him or her to arrange a tech visit to determine what the problem is.
b. are you running the modem cable thru any power bar or UPS, or is the cable connected from the wall port straight to the modem?
3. Before you call tech support, the next question is, are you using a pc or laptop with a 100Mb/s port to run the ethernet speedtest? Or, are you using an ethernet cable that might be restricting the data rate to the device? You should be seeing ~900+ Mb/s down, 30 or 50 Mb/s up on a wired connection. The upstream speed will depend on when you signed up for gigabit service. So, that is something to check in order to see the max rates of your gigabit plan. Take a look at the back of the modem, specifically the connected port LED. That should be flashing amber for a 1 Gb/s connection rate, port to port. It will be flashing green for a 100 Mb/s connection, port to port. In order to see higher wifi data rates, the first order of business is to ensure that the modem is delivering the max or near max data rates of your internet plan. The only way to do that is to ensure that the signal levels are ok, and that the modem is delivering the correct data rates by way of a speedtest using the www.speedtest.net Toronto or Montreal Rogers servers. Just to note, seeing 900 Mb/s down on a laptop will be a real challenge unless you happen to be using a gaming laptop. Customers who sign up for gigabit service are very often disappointed to learn that their laptops and desktops can't keep up to the higher data rates. Not saying that's the case here, but we've seen that more often than not.
4. The wifi rates don't make much sense either. There are a number of variables that go into wifi rates, all of which can drop the transmit/receive rates observed in a speedtest. That is why its important to get the wired rates up to where they should be so that you know that the modem is capable of, and is in fact operating at its max rates. I would expect higher data rates out of the modem via wifi, but, can't vouch for those rates as I run my modem in Bridge mode with an Asus RT-AC68U behind it. I would expect anyone running 802.11ac to see 400 to 500 Mb/s or more from the modem via wifi. That is entirely dependent on three items:
a. The modem/router transmit/receive capability
b. The pc/laptop transmit/receive capability
c. The interference level from neighboring wifi modems and routers
The modem has 3 antenna for 2.4 Ghz operation and 4 antenna for 5 Ghz operation, all of which are located at the top of the modem. The modem should be standing upright so that the antenna are at the top of the modem. Just to note, Hitron modems have not been noted for stellar wifi performance. That is one point to keep in mind through all of this. Having said that, the current trial firmware version for the 4582 is V2.0.10.27. Improvements in the wifi performance are targeted for inclusion in .29 which shouldn't be that far off. So, depending on your frustration level with the wifi at the moment, you may want to wait for perhaps a month (maybe) to see what improvements .29 will bring before deciding to buy a good wifi router.
The modem wifi settings can default to less than optimal settings, so, can you log into the modem and check/change the following settings to the indicated settings:
check/set the following 2.4 Ghz wifi parameters:
Wireless Mode: 802.11 n
Channel Bandwidth: 20/40 Mhz, although, for test puposes you could set this to 20 Mhz. In a crowded wifi environment, I would set this for 20 Mhz. There is a trade-off, bandwidth versus data rate, reduce the bandwidth, reduce the data rate, but, I'm counting on a higher power level per Mhz with 20 Mhz set.
Wireless channel: AUTO or, to an open channel if one existed, or to the channel that offers the least interference from neighboring routers and modems
WPS Enabled: OFF
Security Mode: WPA-Personal
Auth Mode: WPA2-PSK
Encrypt Mode: AES only
Save the setting and ensure that the Encrypt Mode stays on AES only. If it changes on its own to TKIP/AES, change it back to AES only and save the setting again. TKIP is no longer secure and from what I remember will cause the wifi data rates to cap at 50 Mb/s. I'll have to look this up again.
Check/set the following 5 Ghz wifi parameters:
Wireless Mode: 802.11 a/n/ac mixed
Channel Bandwidth: 80 Mhz, although, for test purposes you could set this to 40 Mhz. Again this will depend on the channel occupancy as viewed on the laptop or other device.
Wireless channel: 149 to 165 as these channels allow 1 Watt output power vs the 50 or 200 milli-watts for the lower channels, depending on when the device was approved by Industry Canada. You will also have to check via the laptop or other device to determine what channel is not occupied or which offers the least interference. Set the channel in the modem to that channel.
WPS Enabled: OFF
Security Mode: WPA-Personal
Auth Mode: WPA2-PSK
Encrypt Mode: AES only
Once again, save the setting and ensure that the Encrypt Mode stays on AES only. If it changes on its own to TKIP/AES, change it back to AES only and save the setting again.
Reboot the modem if you had to make any changes, ADMIN ..... DEVICE RESET .... Reboot.
One check that should be done is to look at the wifi environment. I suspect, that if you haven't done so already, that your in a very crowded wifi environment. So, there are a couple ways to do this, with a laptop or android or IOS device. I would prefer the laptop route as it yields more space for the network data to be displayed. Here are some options:
http://www.techspot.com/downloads/5936-inssider.html
https://www.acrylicwifi.com/en/wlan-software/wlan-scanner-acrylic-wifi-free/
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_information_view.html
Or,
For IOS
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/network-analyzer-lite-wifi/id562315041?mt=8
For Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer&hl=en
Thats the last freebie version of inSSIDer and at this point in time is getting a little old. Its fine for 2.4 Ghz application and does work for 802.11n 5 Ghz networks. It does display 802.11ac networks but not as well as it should. This has become a licenced application now for $20 US and works very well for both frequency bands, 2.4 and 5 Ghz. For anyone who uses a 5 Ghz network, I would highly recommend spending the $20 US as it can save you hours and hours of frustration with your wifi network.
The other applications are fine for 802.11ac. Acrylic is graphical, WifiInfoView is text only.
What you want to do is determine what channels in the 149 to 165 range are occupied and if so, which offers the least competition in terms of signal level for any given channel. If you can find a channel or channel range in that group that is not occupied, that will be the best choice.
Have a look at the wifi settings and set the 5 Ghz channel to the best possible choice and see how this turns out.
Other thoughts in general:
Are you in a recently built apartment? If that's the case, perhaps the apartment has structure wiring installed. That's a cable bundle usually consisting of two RG-6 cables for satellite or cable tv, one Cat-5e / 6 cable for ethernet, and one Cat 3 (maybe Cat-5e) for telephones. Usually there is one run from the structured wiring cabinet to each room. If you look at the cabinet, you might see RG-6 and ethernet cables which are not connected to anything, or, if you look behind a wallplate that has a cable or telephone port on it, you might see the other cables sitting there, waiting to be discovered and put to use.
If you had ethernet cables available, then you could run ethernet data in the apartment wherever the bundles run. That might help with the connectivity to the desktop. You would connect an ethernet cable to the modem, run that back via structured wiring to the cabinet, into an unmanaged gigabit switch, and then out to the rooms in the apartment.
If you had a second set of RG-6 cables installed but not used, you could run ethernet to MoCA adapters and essentially have a private cable internet network in the apartment. This is more expensive as it requires the adapters as shown here, but, it can be done. If you end up having to go this route, ensure that you buy MoCA 2.0 adapters such as these. The MoCA 2.0 adapters user a greater frequency range in the cable and therefore support higher data rates:
If you only had a single cable network in the apartment that is currently in use for the internet modem and possibly Whole Home PVR, you should still be able to use these adapters. If you have Whole Home PVR there is a Point of Entry MoCA filter in the amplifier or added to the splitter to prevent leakage of MoCA data outside the apartment and inbound from other apartments. If you don't run Whole Home PVR, then you would have to have a MoCA filter installed. You can probably pick one up from Lowes, Home Depot, or electronics store that sells cables and connectors.
Next, if wifi is the only possible connection between the modem and your desktop, and you absolutely have to have a reliable wifi connection, taking into consideration the modems wifi performance, and the wifi environment, consider installing one of these in the desktop, replacing the current USB adapter:
https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Networking/PCE-AC88/
Thats a little expensive, $170 at Bestbuy, but, as I indicated, if there is no other way to provide an adequate data path for the desktop, and I was absolutely reliant on the desktop for work, and gaming if you happen to be a gamer, I'd look for the best way to do that. That 4x4 antenna system should match up nicely with the modem's 4x4 antenna system, and it allows you to use 802.11ac which will push the data rates up.
Along those same lines, if you had more than one ethernet type device at the desktop location, you could buy a router for the desktop and use the router as the second half of a wifi bridge, which then connects via ethernet to the desktop and anything else at that location. The modem would be the first part of that wifi bridge.
Fwiw, another food for thought item, I have a 50 foot Cat-6 cable that I use for testing occasionally if I want to bypass the house ethernet for some reason. That results in a cable snaking thru the house every once in a while, but, its an easy way to run a quick test or troubleshoot a problem if one has to connect directly to the modem from another device that is located somewhere else in the house and that device can't be moved as its connected to other equipment. That might be useful for testing the modem to desktop data rates if the desktop is the only pc/laptop in the apartment that will support 900+ Mb/s download rates.
Ok, thats it for now. There's a little homework in there and some food for thought on how to improve your modem and network performance. Please let me know what you find as you go through the list.
@jordanlambert8 if there is anything that you don't understand, please let me know so that I can clarify the subject.
The first order of business is to get the signal levels up to where they should be. Those levels are dependent on the original cable signal level where it enters the apartment, and also on any follow-on splitters that are used to provide data to all of the modems in the apartment, which includes internet, Home Phone and cable tv. The splitters will drop the signal level, some, more than others, so, its important that the right splitter or amplifier is installed to provide service to all of the modems and that the internet modem is connected in a manner that will result in the least amount of signal drop from the original signal level. That's why I was wondering about how many other modems there are in the apartment. Its likely that you will require a tech visit to sort this out, so, we'll see how this works out.
@jordanlambert8 call tech support and ask the CSR to run a signal check on the modem. Indicate to him or her any issues that you might be having including slow ethernet performance which reflects the data rate thru the modem, and any issues with cable tv such as pixelation or choppy audio problems.
Off of the top of my head, I can't remember if you have the CODA-4582 modem which is the white modem. If so, restart or reboot your modem. Firmware version 2.0.10.27 was released today as the latest production version for that modem. The modem will load that version when it reboots and runs a firmware check for the latest firmware version. When its all said and done, up and running, run another reboot. I've found that a second reboot is required to see the best performance out of the modem after an update.
@jordanlambert8 have you been able to make any headway with your modem data rates and wifi issues?
Fwiw, V2.0.10.29 is being released to the 4582 trials group today and into the rest of the week. This may be of some interest as it includes the first step of enabling the users to run Multimedia Over Cable Association (MoCA) networks over their house/apartment/condo cable systems. The user interface isn't totally complete at this point as it doesn't include the privacy settings that can be used on a MoCA network, but, with a MoCA filter installed, in theory that should be enough to protect the MoCA network. I believe that the privacy settings are under development at the present time. I still have to ask a couple of questions regarding the Hitron MoCA frequencies and the Point of Entry filter to be sure that the filter will protect the MoCA network.
That MoCA network, with the modem at one end and a MoCA adapter at another cable outlet, will allow 4582 users to run cable intra/internet in their homes over the existing cable system, with multiple outlets if desired. It would require a MoCA Point of Entry Filter installed on the cable, as it enters the apartment to prevent MoCA leakage out of the home, and into the home from other systems.
Here's the Actiontec EBC6500 which is a MoCA 2.0 Cable to ethernet adapter:
https://www.actiontec.com/products/home-networking/ecb6200/
If you happen to have a cable outlet near your upstairs pc, this might be a solution to the low data rates that you are experiencing via wifi. That adapter supports privacy settings to protect the MoCA network if it has been updated to the latest firmware version. The update process isn't straight forward, but, it isn't a big problem to run.
https://www.actiontec.com/products/home-networking/ecb6200/
Fwiw, MoCA 2.5 devices might be hitting the market fairly soon, with much faster data rates and multi-node capability. Here's a couple of links for a MoCA Wifi adapter which will be interesting to see when it hits the market. That would provide an easy solution for 4582 users who are looking to provide wifi coverage at the far corners of the home:
https://wegotserved.com/2017/01/03/moca-2-5-adapters-way-ces-2017/
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170103005478/en/MaxLinear-Zinwell-Bring-Multi-Gigabit-MoCA-t...
Also note, trial version 2.0.10.30 is expected to arrive next week. That version is partly aimed at improving the wifi data rates, so, that version might also be of interest to yourself and a good many other 4582 users.
@jordanlambert8 have a look at the following post from this morning and my response to it:
http://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/Internet/Rogers-Hitron-CODA-4582-Hardware/m-p/397794#M46441
I would recommend the Actiontec MoCA 2.0 adapters at this point as they will provide the highest data rates available under the MoCA 2.0 spec:
https://www.actiontec.com/products/home-networking/ecb6200/
It is possible to run the privacy setting with that adapter with the latest adapter firmware available. There seems to be some confusion in the company support regarding the firmware update, but, other users have posted the existence of that firmware. Perhaps at this point in time, new adapters arrive with the latest firmware loaded. That would have to be determined. To run these with the privacy settings enabled, you would have to run two of these. When the next trial firmware arrives it will hopefully have the privacy settings included in the version build. At that point, you would be able to run the MoCA network, including the modem with privacy enabled (encryption).
So, if you read thru the linked post and its response, the shopping list to run a MoCA network would be:
MoCA filter
Actiontec MoCA adapter(s)
MoCA 2.0 qualified splitter (to be determined)
High Frequency F-Connectors
Fwiw, I don't run a MoCA network as our house is wired with Cat-5e which is part of the structured wiring that is installed in the walls.
@jordanlambert8 In terms of the hardwired approach, run more than one cable while your at it. At least one ethernet and one RG-6, depending of course where your starting from and ending up. I'd run two of each for future growth. If you're running the cable from where the modem is located, having the ethernet cable will simplify the home network, so that you don't have to use a MoCA adapter. And someday, you might want to run a tv from the far end as well.
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