My Internet provider has told me that if I upgrade to docsis 3.1 from my 3.0, my Internet browsing speed will increase significantly.
Is this true? Has anyone here compared that?
Thanks,
Rick
It’s true but how much faster do you need? With 3.0 you get 1 gig download speeds with 3.1 you get 10 gig download speeds. I have my speed set for 100 meg because I didn’t want to update my Nic card to 1 gig, it just wasn’t worth it to me. If you go with 3.1 you will have to update all your NIC (Network interface card) for all your computers to get the full ability.
Andy
Well, the faster the better! I’m tired of clicking a link and waiting waiting waiting.
But updating NIC in all my computers?! I don’t know what that means or entails. Yikes. How would I know if it has to be updated? Does it depend on the age of the computer? So my 8 year old computer for sure. But I plan on replacing that with a new Dell. Would a new computer already have the updated NIC needed?
How about my 1 year old laptop? I sure don’t want to open the laptop to try to upgrade the NIC!
Ok but you can have a really fast link but when you get out on the internet it can really slow down depending on how many hops (networks) you have to go through. Have you ever done a speed test? Google this Speedtest. Then hit the run speed test button. Tell me how fast it says it is.
I doubt that any of your computers have a 10 gig nic. Some of them might have a 1 gig nic. But the 8 year old computer probably has a 100 meg nic. It isn’t hard to upgrade them and they are not that expensive for the 1 gig’s really. 10 gig in my opinion is ridiculous but maybe you play games for money? 
So do the speedtest and get back to us.
Andy
SpeedTest:
Desktop (hardwired to the modem/router): 598.97 download; 4.81 upload. Wow, isn’t that upload number ridiculous? Second test: 434 down and 43 up. Quite a difference on the up!
Laptop (wifi): 47.2 down; 41.86 up. Second test 42.92 and 38.38. Yikes, much slower than the desktop. The odd thing is, the laptop browses faster than my desktop in my subjective experience.
When buying a new computer, can I ask for upgraded NIC? I don’t see it in the choices, or I don’t know what to look for:
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/desktop-computers/new-xps-desktop/spd/xps-8960-desktop/usexpstpcto8960rpl18?view=configurations&configurationid=01e39ccb-659e-4f3c-a013-6075f04099bb
Thanks,
Rick
Generally your wifi connection will be much slower than a hardwired connection. But that Desktop speed is phenomenal. That tells me you have a 1 gig NIC card in your desktop computer. For most people the Download speed is what is important. Not to many people upload large amounts of data.
Yes you can, not sure if they will give you one but what you are looking at is a custom built one.
Ok it looks like it has a 1 gig ethernet card
It’s strange they would give you a 5 gig wireless card with it so I would make sure exactly what is included but Wi-FI 6E is 5 gig.
Andy
1 Like
If that download speed is phenomenal, why am I always waiting after clicking a link? So slow. Is that the memory?
So this computer I’m thinking of buying has 5 gig wireless card? What do you mean I should make sure exactly what is included? Just ask them to confirm that it will have:
Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6E AX1675, 2x2, 802.11ax, Bluetooth® wireless card
Netflix says 25Mbs will handle 4K movies easily and that 15Mbs is the minimum. Lots of people in our communinty are happy as a clam with numbers like 60 or 70.
Try rebooting your system generally -
Turn off the laptop. Un plug the router, modem and anything else associated with getting a web page to your laptop.
Next turn stuff on sequenctially starting from the wire that comes into your house. Wait at least a minute between starting each device.
To give you perspective on numbers – I have two 4K TVs with direct streaming. With 300 mbs I can and have recorded multiple TV shows at the same time – my TVs get a WiFi signal – not wired. I don’t know what the TV can record, but I have records a total of 9 programs at the same time and while that was going on had no issues with internet on my computer.
I suggest your “slow” internet has darn little to do with the 3.0 or 3.1 version of DOSIS – rather it has a lot to do with the server and systems at the source. My slowest uploading is from the local newspaper - while I have only rarely issuses with Washington Post or NYTimes.
Next time you have trouble with some web station, without even disconnecting open another browser window and perform a speediest.
Browsers are another common slowdown item. They just need to be closed and restarted.
It is most likely bandwidth issued from the server you are getting data from.
It’s probably your memory and your cpu. Or it could be your cache. Have you ever cleared your cache?
I would make sure it comes with the 1 gig ethernet card and the Wi-FI card.
Andy
Do any modern computers ship with less than 1Gb ethernet nowadays? I doubt it.
I am not sure Mark but it’s surprising to me that it comes with a 5 gig wifi card too. I find that amazing for the price he is getting it for.
Andy
What price do you see when you look at it? I’m seeing $1859.99. A bit high.
But that is with extra choices I’ve made.
2TB SSD. That adds $300 from the basic model.
64GB RAM, but I might save $300 if I go for the 32GB RAM. I haven’t decided. I want this computer to last 10 years!
$100 extra for the i7 processor. I was thinking this would help since I often have many programs open, and many tabs on the Chrome browser.
Rick (not Ralph :))
I was seeing it at 1559 but I didn’t try to price it out for extras
Sorry about that.
Rick, you have 4 computers right? Are all of them slow when going to websites?
Andy
No, not all of them. Two desktops. Older.
Besides that I have two somewhat newer computers - both with SSD drives. They are pretty fast.
SSD’s are awesome! I’ve been waiting YEARS for them to come up with drives similar to flash drives. They are similar in a way, right? I envisioned a long time ago, before I ever heard of SSD’s, of a drive like the thumb drives.
1 Like
Yes SSD’s are awesome. Sounds like a new computer would be the way to go.
Andy
I’m coming in so late here. Please forgive and ignore what has been covered already. Likewise, for what is irrelevant.
What my ISP (Cox cable) promises me is 500 Mbps down, 29 up. I have never wanted more than what they actually deliver, which is 600 Mbps. I get that from my ethernet-connected computer. What I got from my iPhone a moment ago is 579 Mbps, 28 up. (My WiFi is a Netgear Mesh system, and my phone was very near a node.) The only things using WiFi are my iPhone, iPads, Kindles and car.
I ran ethernet around my house to the computers, TV, stereo, and to each of the WiFi “mesh” stations. There are inexpensive 8-port gigabit switches at the modem router, computer and TV.
My two cents - possibly overpriced - is that gigabit rated equipment is all us regular folks need these days, BUT nothing less makes sense. Gigabit is cost effective.
Going farther astray from the main topic. . .
My computer is an LG laptop with 32 GB and TB SSD. CPU is an Intel i7, four cores. The one wire attached to it is to a Kensington Docking Station. This marvelous device handles everything connected to the laptop. When I travel I disconnect that one cable and bring the power supply that came with, which otherwise sits in the bag.
- Power to the laptop.
- Ethernet cable.
- HDMI connection to wide-screed monitor.
- Speakers.
- Two USB drive boxes, one SSD and one spinning.
- All the rest of the USB stuff, like keyboard and label printer.
Previously I had assembled my own desktops - actually towers - selecting motherboards, memory, drives, case, power supply, the whole works. My current laptop configuration gives up NOTHING to any such system I’ve used; computing power in its many aspects and components improved to the point where I could just buy a laptop at Costco, hook the right stuff to it, and be done.
The one caveat I must include is that I am NOT a gamer. I don’t even know what a gamer needs that I don’t have.
1 Like
Yeah, I think so too. Thanks.
I just need to decide on the “extras”. Processor speed, RAM. And find out about the NIC.
1 Like