Can slow interent be a sign of a modem going bad?

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  1. Posts : 19
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
       #1

    Can slow interent be a sign of a modem going bad?


    My internet has been running slow for about a week, so I called up my ISP, and after doing a few things the rep told me everything was fine on their end. So I asked her, what then could be causing my internet to be running so slow? (On downloads I used to get 1.0 - 1.2 megs/sec, but am currently only getting anywhere from 50 - 250 ks/second). She told me it most likely is my modem going bad. It is about 4 years old now, which I suppose is getting close to its end-of-life. But I've never heard before that a slow running internet could be a sign of modem going bad (I always thought it would just conk-out when it dies). Does anyone know if that's true, or does this rep not know what she's talking about? Oh, and I should mention my computer is connected to the modem via a cable, not by wireless.
    Last edited by NobodyIsHome; 01 Jul 2015 at 21:10.
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  2. Posts : 9,746
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit sp1
       #2

    When an ISP rep tells you all is well at their end it often means they have no idea what they are talking about. I have had problems with mine & they always inform me that it's either my modem or something else, but as I have wireless broadband & I then inform then that my mobile phone won't work either they then start to look further & the most frequent cause has been their broadcast tower. In one case they actually supplied me with a new modem which was completely unnecessary as it was their problem again.

    It always amusing to hear them say it seems to a problem at your end & not at our end.
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  3. Posts : 2,047
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64-BIT
       #3

    It's either their tower communicating slow as hell or the traffic on the line is heavy. Were there times that your internet speed goes at desired?
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  4. Posts : 5,656
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
       #4

    Did you check speeds wih SpeedTest.net?

    You can try factory resetting your modem (and/or router). My 5 year old Motorola cable modem was working like a clock when I had to replace it with a Docsis 3 modem 1.5 months ago.
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  5. Posts : 19
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
    Thread Starter
       #5

    RoasterMen wrote:
    It's either their tower communicating slow as hell or the traffic on the line is heavy. Were there times that your internet speed goes at desired?
    No, it has never yet gotten back to where it used to be.

    GokAy wrote:
    Did you check speeds wih SpeedTest.net?
    Yes, twice. The first result I got was: download 6.64 | upload 0.43. Then I did it again after unplugging the modem, plugging it back in, and rebooting the computer, and then got: download 10.06 | upload 0.77. Then I tested a download, but it still ran very slow.

    I'm beginning to think it is the modem. Does it sound that way?
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  6. Posts : 5,915
    Windows 10 Pro X64
       #6

    What modem do you have? I would say you should be using a docsis 3.0 cable modem at least. If it is an older gen, it may be the issue. I had the same problem a while back, and upgrading the modem fixed it

    What's your Internet Speed? - Page 27
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  7. Posts : 19
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    It's an Actiontec, with the Quest brand name on the front. It's four years old.
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  8. Posts : 5,915
    Windows 10 Pro X64
       #8

    Who is your ISP? That modem sounds like a DSL modem
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  9. Posts : 19
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    It is a DSL modem.

    In my first post I wrote that my computer is connected to the modem by a cable, not wireless. Sorry if that caused confusion. I should have wrote "connected to the (DSL) modem by an Ethernet cable, not by a wireless adapter" to avoid confusion.
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  10. Posts : 5,915
    Windows 10 Pro X64
       #10

    No problem, it would help us if you added your system specs completely, look here

    System Info - See Your System Specs

    I have not used DSL in a long time so I'm not sure of what else to tell you
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