Old surfboard to new modem or cable wireless modem?

[Voluptuous]

I am currently running an old modem, Surfboard SB4100 with a linksys wrt54g router on 2mb virgin media. Last year I was sent a new modem, the ntl250 but for some reason it would not instal and after several phonecalls to tech dept they put me back onto the surfboard so I just put the ntl250 in a drawer.

Now virgin have said I can have a free upgrade to 10mb. I have registered for this online and it will be in my area in the next few months. When I registered it said good news your modem can take 10mb but I rang them to check if the surfboard would really take it in case they might have me down as having the 250 instead seeing as they had posted me one and they do have me down as using the ntl250. They said its probable that the surfboard will not support 10mb

What is the latest modem for ntl and is it worth trying to get them to give me a cable wireless modem combined this time rather than using a separate modem and my linksys? although my linksys has been good having a cable wireless modem combined might simplify things if theres any problem as its just 1 unit not 2 unless anyone knows any dissadvantages of having a combined unit?

Should I ask for a cable wireless modem or just the latest modem? Also as its not actually in my area for a little while yet is there likely to be a newer modem in the next few months so I should wait till then?

[Peter_]

We do not supply combined modem and routers but you could call 150 and get a router for £40 from Virgin which includes full Technical Support and a 2 year warranty.

This is the present modem supplied


Virgin Media 256 (from February / March 2008)

The 256 model will be yet again supplied to Customer specification by Ambit ( www.ambitbroadband.co.uk ). From the outside it is identical to the 255 model, but features a revised Broadcom chipset, the BCM3349KFBG


This modem is still in a black Ethernet only housing, and is still "Dual Mode", and will be deployed across the whole Virgin Media network, including the ex-Telewest platform.

Does support 10 and 20 Mbps Tier of Service, is capable of 40Mbps+

[Voluptuous]

Thankyou, my daughter did get hers free though but this might have been because she upgraded her services. If I have to pay then I will just stick to my linksys, its been ok anyway.

Is it likely that my surfboard 4100 will not support 10mb then as I'm just concerned because the 250 couldnt be installed before

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Voluptuous

Thankyou, my daughter did get hers free though but this might have been because she upgraded her services. If I have to pay then I will just stick to my linksys, its been ok anyway.

Is it likely that my surfboard 4100 will not support 10mb then as I'm just concerned because the 250 couldnt be installed before

Due to its age it will struggle so I would try getting the 256 from Tech Support.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tech Support is open 24/7 on the numbers below.

For help with your TV or Phone and for Broadband Technical Support:

Call Product Support/Faults on 151 option 3 from your Virgin Media Phone. It's absolutely free.

Or call 0845 454 1111 from any other phone line.
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[Lord Nikon]

And those of us on 50mbit are on the 300 series modem

[Jon T]

Originally Posted by Moldova

Due to its age it will struggle so I would try getting the 256 from Tech Support.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tech Support is open 24/7 on the numbers below.

For help with your TV or Phone and for Broadband Technical Support:

Call Product Support/Faults on 151 option 3 from your Virgin Media Phone. It's absolutely free.

Or call 0845 454 1111 from any other phone line.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

That may be offical Virgin guidance, but the Motorala specs rate the SB4100 as capable of 38Mb/s

Also, my SB4100's been giving me 9.4Mb/s(on average) with no problems at all since 4 went to 10.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Jon T

That may be offical Virgin guidance, but the Motorala specs rate the SB4100 as capable of 38Mb/s

Also, my SB4100's been giving me 9.4Mb/s(on average) with no problems at all since 4 went to 10.

It may be capable of 38Mb throughput on paper but it is very old kit and was released when the platform was only 512kb.

So that is a bit like expecting a Blueray DVD to look god on an old CRT television.

You want good quality of service then you get the latest kit as with all modern technology.

Information below taken from the chetnet site at www.chetnet.co.uk

Motorola 4100
From December 2000/January 2001 Customers started to receive the Motorola 4100. It is Docsis only (so will not work reliably if at all, on the parts of the network that use Eurodocsis). The 4100 models was Ethernet and USB, and Motorola soon introduced a model with USB as well, the 4100 (see below). Apart from the USB connector the 4100 also had a Standby button on the front. The 4100 remained in use until approximately October 2001.

Does not support 10 or 20Mbps Tiers of Service

[Jon T]

That contradicts one of the offical Virgin help pages where is says the SB4100does support 10Mb/s.

Either way, i've had my SB4100 for seven and a half years now, there will be a day that something is thrown at it that it can't handle. But when all said and done it copes with the 10Mb/s service admirably, giving me a constant near 10Mb/s connection most of the time.

I suspect it's cost more than anything that led to NTL ditching the SB4100's in favour of a cheaper and less functional model, remembering that Virgin/NTL only use a tiny percentage of what the Motorola's can do. Why pay for a Ferrari when you only need a Nissan Micra?

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Jon T

That may be offical Virgin guidance, but the Motorala specs rate the SB4100 as capable of 38Mb/s

Also, my SB4100's been giving me 9.4Mb/s(on average) with no problems at all since 4 went to 10.

I believe that virgin don't support the SB4100 on speeds of 10 meg because while some support 10 meg in some areas, they don't in all areas (there are still some differences in the way the various networks are configured which may cause problems for the modems).

[moaningmags]

Just to throw my tuppence worth in, my Motorola SB4100 did 20mb no problem. It got swapped out for an EPC2100R2 as it kept rebooting.
It can and does give 10Mb, possibly the reason for swapping them out is due to the new network and future proofing.