 Review by verolom 
UPDATED: 48 days ago
member for 7.6 years, 1817 visits, last login: 1 days ago
 Norristown,Montgomery,PA
 $46 per month
 about 5 days
 "Reliable"
 "Slower than advertised, expensive"
 "Better than DSL, no other wired option"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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07724
My broadband choices were between Verizon's DSL and Comcast's cable modem. I opted for the cable modem due to higher speed, reliability and ability to "bundle" with cable TV. I did not want a land line telephone so no "bundling" was possible with Verizon.
I ordered the Performance Plus option with 8 Mbps downstream, 768 Kbps upstream including Powerboost, and analog standard cable. The contractors showed up late (no surprise), two hours after the appointment window after calling me twice, but were expeditious and were done in 20 minutes. I asked them to reuse my trusty old Motorola SurfBoard 4200 and they gladly accepted. Unfortunately, I let them install the Comcast spyware CD onto my main PC and I had to spend the next hour removing it.
I use a D-Link DIR-625 wireless router and connect 3 PCs, one through the 100BaseT LAN and two through the 802.11g WLAN. The cable modem and the wireless router stay up months at a time.
I mostly use the connection lightly for email/web browsing. Once a week I download a few hundreds of MB of software updates for my Linux box, the occasional iTunes album, Cranky Geeks podcast, or a couple of p2p warez  During the week the connection is largely unused, except the rare work at home VPN session.
I do not use any of the web services Comcast has, and not even their DNS servers so I have no experience with those.
Initially the throughput was as advertised and Powerboost did work, doubling the downstream throughput. These days the connection is slower, as my speed tests indicate, and is comparable to the standard 6 Mbps/384Kbps package. Powerboost seems no longer active. At least the connection stays up and I have not really had to reset the cable modem.
Eventually Verizon will deploy FIOS in this development, and as soon as it is available I will be switching.
2008-02-13
Started using the email service. It has 10 GB limit. The web access has advertisements. The other way to access is POP3. There is no IMAP support though the mail.comcast.net servers do support SSL.
2008-09-10
Moved to PA 19403. Performance package, kept my SurfBoard 4200. Installation was in person and went smoothly.
2009-10-03
Got a new Motorola Surfboard 6120 DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem ($99 at BestBuy) to replace my aging but still functional Surfboard 4200 DOCSIS 1.1 cable modem.
Activation over the phone went relatively smoothly as initially the service representative could not find the modem in the provisioning system. Eventually he did and activated it.
Even with the standard "Performance" package the connection seems a bit faster and more responsive. According to the modem web-based diagnostic four downstream 256-QAM channels are bonded (4 x 38.8 Mbps = 155.2 Mbps theoretical max.) and a single upstream 16-QAM channel at 5.120 Msymbols/sec which I assume results in 20.48 Mbps is used. The downstream power levels are between 1 and 2 dBmV, with S/N at 38 dB however the upstream requested level is a bit high at 51 dBmV. I suspect the presence of a passive return amp on my drop somewhere between the outlet and the node.
DSLR speed tests to NJ indicate almost 14 Mbps downstream and about 2.4 Mbps upstream. Comcast's speed test indicates similar results. Ping times are around 20 ms.
Followup comments:  Synbios
join:2002-05-18
Worcester, MA
 ·Charter Pipeline
| you need to update your modem Powerboost doesn't work because that modem is too old.
I have that same plan with comcast, 8mbps/768kbps.
I had that modem too, and powerboost didn't work. This is a wild guess but I'm assuming that modem is DOCSIS 1.1 and powerboost needs DOCSIS 2.0.
When I updated my modem to DOCSIS 2.0 (Surfboard 5201), powerboost worked fine! (about 16Mbps download and something huge upload!) | |
|  | JerryTimes
join:2002-01-09
Roseville, MI | Re: you need to update your modem Just so you know, Speedboost doesn't work when hooked up through a router. I was getting about 15mb before I got a router, then after hooking it up my service went to the normal 6mb. I removed the router and it went right back up to 15mb. | |
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rpcohen
Premium
join:2001-12-01
Stevenson, MD | Re: you need to update your modem I hook up to a wireless access point connected to a router and my speeds are up to 16Mbs down and 2Mbs up. The router is an old SMC 7004. I suggest you try a different router if your current one causes a drop in speed. | |
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verolom
join:2002-03-23
Eagleville, PA
·Comcast
1 edit | Re: you need to update your modem Thank you all, but PowerBoost did work with that modem and that router is pretty capable.
»www.comcast.com/Customers/FAQ/Fa···?Id=3703
It is possible that this particular head end has become over committed and that at some point, hopefully soon, Comcast will do something about it. I'll keep poking at it. | |
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