DOCSIS 3: What will it mean for cable customers?

OLDo · 18-03-2009, 17:13

With the ongoing rollout of 50Mbit broadband, and the move from DOCSIS 1.x to 3, what effect, if any, will this have on network stability? Sure, the increased downstream bandwidth will be nice to have when required, however my main interest is the increased upstream bandwidth, and QoS features that v3.0 (well.. v1.1 and above for that matter) can facilitate.

At present i note that my cable modem is using a Docsis 1.0 config file (a protocol that has been around since 1997), so i'm excited at the prospect of a stable connection with low latency and exceptional gaming performance. VM could once again be known a a gaming ISP (which they are far from in my book right about now) if they play their cards right and use the technology to the fullest.

I have a background in IT, and some networking education (such as CCNA), but i must admit that my knowledge of WAN infrastructure is somewhat lacking. I know there are people here who certainly aren't lacking in this area, so my question is... will DOCSIS 3 make a blind bit of difference?

Nicers,
OLDo

Welshchris · 18-03-2009, 17:16

it will to the 20mb and 50mb users, not to the 10mb users tho.

50mb users will be put onto docsis 3 and 20mb will start using docsis 2.0 so im told by an engineer who works for Virgin.

Ignitionnet · 18-03-2009, 17:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Welshchris

it will to the 20mb and 50mb users, not to the 10mb users tho.

50mb users will be put onto docsis 3 and 20mb will start using docsis 2.0 so im told by an engineer who works for Virgin.

Your engineer is not quite there, all customers will in time be load balanced between the legacy platform and the next generation CMTS, and all tiers will be moved onto DOCSIS 2 with the 50Mbit on DOCSIS 3.

---------- Post added at 17:21 ---------- Previous post was at 17:18 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLDo

With the ongoing rollout of 50Mbit broadband, and the move from DOCSIS 1.x to 3, what effect, if any, will this have on network stability? Sure, the increased downstream bandwidth will be nice to have when required, however my main interest is the increased upstream bandwidth, and QoS features that v3.0 (well.. v1.1 and above for that matter) can facilitate

Thusfar the move to DOCSIS 3 has done nothing, areas are already running on 1.1 upstreams (16QAM 3.2MHz width).

Virgin are apparently shortly to release ATDMA upstreams (max upstream moves from 8.8Mbit to 26.4Mbit usable bandwidth).

What it will mean for the services themselves, we'll see. Virgin may just take the additional downstream and upstream bandwidth and use it to pack more customers onto less hardware.

Turkey Machine · 18-03-2009, 19:35

What does it actually take to move customers from DOCSIS 1 (which currently the bulk of users on M, L and XL are connected via) to DOCSIS 1.1? It'd put a hindrance on cloning, and I reckon it's as simple as flicking a switch. If it caused any problems, customers would ring up and ask why their broadband isn't working.

Ignitionnet · 18-03-2009, 20:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turkey Machine

What does it actually take to move customers from DOCSIS 1 (which currently the bulk of users on M, L and XL are connected via) to DOCSIS 1.1? It'd put a hindrance on cloning, and I reckon it's as simple as flicking a switch. If it caused any problems, customers would ring up and ask why their broadband isn't working.

On properly compliant hardware not much, on the garbage VM purchase on the cheap and give to customers I'm not sure.

You do need to do some configuration on the CMTS, some changes to the modem configuration file:

Code:

Start BaseLinePrivacy
    AuthTimeout = 10
    ReAuthTimeout = 10
    AuthGraceTime = 600
    OperTimeout = 10
    ReKeyTimeout = 10
    TEKGraceTime = 600
    AuthRejectTimeout = 60
    SaMapWaitTimeout = 1
    SaMapMaxRetries = 4
EndOf BaseLinePrivacy

and not a huge amount else in theory.

Practise, God knows, VM are more interested in the STM functionality of the code than the BPI+ functionality

watzizname · 19-03-2009, 01:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Broadbandings

Virgin may just take the additional downstream and upstream bandwidth and use it to pack more customers onto less hardware.

Wouldn't have thought there was any "may" about it..

Methinks the mother of all broadband, seriously needs to start thinking about birth control options

Welshchris · 19-03-2009, 02:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by watzizname

Wouldn't have thought there was any "may" about it..

Methinks the mother of all broadband, seriously needs to start thinking about birth control options

i second that lol

Zhadnost · 19-03-2009, 09:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Broadbandings

Thusfar the move to DOCSIS 3 has done nothing, areas are already running on 1.1 upstreams (16QAM 3.2MHz width).

Sadly this isn't universal though. (not using that here on any channel).

Ignitionnet · 19-03-2009, 09:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zhadnost

Sadly this isn't universal though. (not using that here on any channel).

Which means that there's no requirement to. As VM offer such asymmetrical services in a lot of areas they have downstreams saturating well before upstream bandwidth becomes 'an issue'.

OLDo · 19-03-2009, 10:16

I can't host more than 8 player games on Call of Duty (PS3) on the 20Mbit service. My friend has 8Mbit ADSL with 448Kbit upload and can host 12. We don't use 1.1 either, but who says there's no requirement for it?

Ignitionnet · 19-03-2009, 11:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLDo

I can't host more than 8 player games on Call of Duty (PS3) on the 20Mbit service. My friend has 8Mbit ADSL with 448Kbit upload and can host 12. We don't use 1.1 either, but who says there's no requirement for it?

Wouldn't really help with that but certainly higher upstream caps would rock.

OLDo · 19-03-2009, 12:21

Why not? Clearly the upstream bandwidth isn't the limiting factor.. what is?

Stuart · 19-03-2009, 12:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLDo

Why not? Clearly the upstream bandwidth isn't the limiting factor.. what is?

Usually the routing of the network.. Ping times don't really matter to most people, but they do to gamers. Games do not necessarily send a lot of data down the network, but what data they do send needs to be at the server ASAP..