Equipment capability for 20Mb?

[dwm]

I have VM's 20Mb broadband and I'm just here to make sure that my equipment can handle the speed.

My modem is a 'Scientific Atlanta WebSTAR DPX100' with hardware version 2.1, and my router/switch is a 'D-Link DES-1005D 10/100 Fast Ethernet Switch' that I bought from Telewest years ago for console online gaming.

I can find plenty of information on both but I can't decipher all the information. So, am I OK?

Thanks.

[Artemis]

The main thing you want to be sure of is that your hardware can take the information from the cable and put it into your computer fast enough. Your connection is (at best) 20Mb, so you want to make sure all of your hardware runs as fast as or faster than that.

Your switch is a 10/100 speed, so it can run at 10Mb or 100Mb, so that should be OK. You might want to check that your computers network card runs at 100Mb though. If it runs at only 10Mb then your internet will come into the house twice as fast as your computer can receive it.

I'm not sure about your modem though. I thought VM had a list of compatible stuff for 20Mb connections on their site, but I can't find it anymore.

[r00t]

3COM CMX Fail
3COM Tailfin Fail
DPX100 HW1.0 Fail
DPX100 HW2.0 Fail
DPX100 Fail
Motorola 3100/4100 Fail
SB3100 Fail
SB4100 HW0 Fail
SB4100 HW1 Fail
Terayon TJ210 Fail
Ambit 100 Fail
Ambit 120 Fail
Ambit 200 Pass
Ambit 250 Pass
Ambit 255 Pass
EPC22100 HW1.0 Pass
EPC22100 HW2.0 Pass
EPC22100 HW2.1 Pass
SB4200 Pass
SB5100 Pass
SB5101E Pass

[dwm]

Originally Posted by Artemis

The main thing you want to be sure of is that your hardware can take the information from the cable and put it into your computer fast enough. Your connection is (at best) 20Mb, so you want to make sure all of your hardware runs as fast as or faster than that.

Your switch is a 10/100 speed, so it can run at 10Mb or 100Mb, so that should be OK. You might want to check that your computers network card runs at 100Mb though. If it runs at only 10Mb then your internet will come into the house twice as fast as your computer can receive it.

I'm not sure about your modem though. I thought VM had a list of compatible stuff for 20Mb connections on their site, but I can't find it anymore.

I think my network card is a 'Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC', or am I looking in the wrong place? I'm using a wired connection and this PC is only just over three years old so I'm pretty certain the hardware can handle the speed.

Originally Posted by r00t

3COM CMX Fail
3COM Tailfin Fail
DPX100 HW1.0 Fail
DPX100 HW2.0 Fail
DPX100 Fail
Motorola 3100/4100 Fail
SB3100 Fail
SB4100 HW0 Fail
SB4100 HW1 Fail
Terayon TJ210 Fail
Ambit 100 Fail
Ambit 120 Fail
Ambit 200 Pass
Ambit 250 Pass
Ambit 255 Pass
EPC22100 HW1.0 Pass
EPC22100 HW2.0 Pass
EPC22100 HW2.1 Pass
SB4200 Pass
SB5100 Pass
SB5101E Pass

Can you please elaborate more? So hardware version 1 and 2 don't support 20mb, then what about version 2.1?

Any other views on this?

Thanks for your replies.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by dwm

I think my network card is a 'Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC', or am I looking in the wrong place?

From what I can gather that is a 10/100 card too, so that should be absolutely fine.

Originally Posted by dwm

Can you please elaborate more? So hardware version 1 and 2 don't support 20mb, then what about version 2.1?

Any other views on this?

Thanks for your replies.

If the 2.0 firmware doesn't support it then I really doubt the 2.1 would. When I signed up with VM I got a shiny new Ambit 250, so you might want to give them a call and see if they'll exchange your old one for a compatible model.

[chickendippers]

This can dramatically improve your speeds: http://www.virginmedia.com/help/20mb...timisation.php

[evilmonkey]

Originally Posted by r00t

3COM CMX Fail
3COM Tailfin Fail
DPX100 HW1.0 Fail
DPX100 HW2.0 Fail
DPX100 Fail
Motorola 3100/4100 Fail
SB3100 Fail
SB4100 HW0 Fail
SB4100 HW1 Fail
Terayon TJ210 Fail
Ambit 100 Fail
Ambit 120 Fail
Ambit 200 Pass
Ambit 250 Pass
Ambit 255 Pass
EPC22100 HW1.0 Pass
EPC22100 HW2.0 Pass
EPC22100 HW2.1 Pass
SB4200 Pass
SB5100 Pass
SB5101E Pass

The DPX100 does work with 20Mb and the EPC2100 V1.0 does not work as it is limited to 5Mb via the firmware which has never been updated. Oh and I know the dpx100 does support 20Mb as I know who did the original testing and I also have a DPX100 and get 20Mb without any problems.

[smeagoly1]

Your modem will be no problem, I was supplied with that model after i found out my old surfboard was not capable of handling the speeds, I get ni on 20meg most of the day, going down to 11-15 during peek times.

The one thing I would suggest is the ethernet card, my old realtec could not handle anything near those speeds, max it could be set to was 10, but changed it to the MB's own ethernet connection and set it to 100baseT and it's been runing sweet as a nut since.

Any problems and instructions on how to test and change your card settings can be found on the VM/broadband page "fine tuning your 20meg cable connection"