spdMerlin Is this normal?

[JT Strickland]

I think my ISP has some issues. I just upgraded to 1Gps cable and it's all over the place, from 450-900.
Shouldn't it be about the 900 range? It used to be a lot smoother than that with 250 Mbps.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Verify the router results from an Ethernet attached PC.

 

[JT Strickland]

Verify the router results from an Ethernet attached PC.

I see similar on my PC. Maybe a little faster, maybe not. Fluctuates too much to tell.
I think they've got some node issues on the poles or something.

 

[CaptainSTX]

When you ran a test with the PC was it connected directly to your modem with an Ethernet cable? Test this way making sure to close all programs and windows on the PC except for the one needed for the speed test.

 

[JT Strickland]

When you ran a test with the PC was it connected directly to your modem with an Ethernet cable? Test this way making sure to close all programs and windows on the PC except for the one needed for the speed test.

No, it was connected directly to the router with ethernet cable, but not the modem. I have been checking it there from time to time for a comparison.

 

[heysoundude]

Switch to Logarithmic view, and zoom out to 30d (better?)
(You need to update your signature)
QoS should help...at 1Gbps, FlexQoS is the way. (and is the graph you posted Pre-QoS, meaning the raw connection speed, to keep your ISP honest? this can be selected in the spdMerlin options)
is your cable modem bridged? if it's from the ISP, there may be some QoS/SQM on it it already. To have full control of the WAN interface, you'll want to use the "modem" as a gateway (meaning a cable to ethernet adapter) and have your router do everything. Your ISP may or may not allow this...or help you to achieve it, but google/YouTube can be your friend in this case.

 

[JT Strickland]

Switch to Logarithmic view, and zoom out to 30d (better?)

Yea it looks better, but it still ain't right. I don't think it is normal.

(You need to update your signature)

Done

QoS should help...at 1Gbps, FlexQoS is the way. (and is the graph you posted Pre-QoS, meaning the raw connection speed, to keep your ISP honest? this can be selected in the spdMerlin options)

Yep, I can back it up when I tell them it's all over the place. Now as low as 200 Mbps.

is your cable modem bridged? if it's from the ISP, there may be some QoS/SQM on it it already. To have full control of the WAN interface, you'll want to use the "modem" as a gateway (meaning a cable to ethernet adapter) and have your router do everything. Your ISP may or may not allow this...or help you to achieve it, but google/YouTube can be your friend in this case.

I don't know how to bridge the modem. My router only is connected directly to it. Did a search but didn't find out how.

thanks for the comments.

 

[heysoundude]

I don't know how to bridge the modem. My router only is connected directly to it. Did a search but didn't find out how.

thanks for the comments.

It is probably worth the time on the phone with your ISP's tech support folks to do this if you're using their equipment. (it's a sexy piece of kit from first glance...in league with the TC4400)

According to https://www.go2mhz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/MB8611-DataSheet-MHZ_4-20.pdf they have AQM (or QoS) in place...bridge it and you can implement your own scheme on your router

Here's another link you should read https://motorolamentor.zendesk.com/...de-So-I-Can-Connect-Another-Router-behind-It-
It seems if your ISP has flashed an update to it, it may need some help returning to the default. You should look at how to disable their AQM if it is currently in the default setup. If its functioning as router/modem, you need to fix that so that your router is the one "in charge"

(In case you're wondering, I use the Brave browser with DuckDuckGo as my search engine...I tend to find better results, as demonstrated above: I simply searched for "bridge motorola mb8611" and they came up on the first page of results)

 

[JT Strickland]

It is probably worth the time on the phone with your ISP's tech support folks to do this if you're using their equipment. (it's a sexy piece of kit from first glance...in league with the TC4400)I

It's my own equipment, they want 10 bucks a month for a modem.

According to https://www.go2mhz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/MB8611-DataSheet-MHZ_4-20.pdf they have AQM (or QoS) in place...bridge it and you can implement your own scheme on your router

Here's another link you should read https://motorolamentor.zendesk.com/...de-So-I-Can-Connect-Another-Router-behind-It-
It seems if your ISP has flashed an update to it, it may need some help returning to the default. You should look at how to disable their AQM if it is currently in the default setup. If its functioning as router/modem, you need to fix that so that your router is the one "in charge"

I will look into it, thanks for the links.

(In case you're wondering, I use the Brave browser with DuckDuckGo as my search engine...I tend to find better results, as demonstrated above: I simply searched for "bridge motorola mb8611" and they came up on the first page of results)

I searched this board for bridged modem, should have hit the web. I figure the answer would be here somewhere, but didn't find it in a search here. I dont' have a lot of success searching here, haven't got the knack for it yet.
thanks again,
jts

 

[heysoundude]

It's my own equipment, they want 10 bucks a month for a modem.

I will look into it, thanks for the links.

I searched this board for bridged modem, should have hit the web. I figure the answer would be here somewhere, but didn't find it in a search here. I dont' have a lot of success searching here, haven't got the knack for it yet.
thanks again,
jts

I don't have much success searching this forum/board either...lots of hits of "related" and noise...tough to get straight to the meat.
Not sure if your ISP supports IPv6, but you should (IMO) give that a go (if you haven't already) when you reconfig your router to do the ISP authentication if youre successful with bridging the "modem"
I'd also set up unbound for your DNS rather than DoT encryption...but if it's important to your security/privacy, you can apply it there too.
Good luck!

 

[JT Strickland]

I don't have much success searching this forum/board either...lots of hits of "related" and noise...tough to get straight to the meat.
Not sure if your ISP supports IPv6, but you should (IMO) give that a go (if you haven't already) when you reconfig your router to do the ISP authentication if youre successful with bridging the "modem"

From what I have found, a bridged modem only applies to a modem-router combo. Since I have a Motorola modem and Asus router, is it not already in bridged mode?

I'd also set up unbound for your DNS rather than DoT encryption...but if it's important to your security/privacy, you can apply it there too.
Good luck!

I've been trying to muster enough testosterone to strap on Unbound, but I haven't made the move yet.

 

[heysoundude]

From what I have found, a bridged modem only applies to a modem-router combo. Since I have a Motorola modem and Asus router, is it not already in bridged mode?

I've been trying to muster enough testosterone to strap on Unbound, but I haven't made the move yet.

my recollection is that in the documentation, Motorola indicated that if your ISP made any kind of adjustments to it from their end, it could've become unbridged and started routing -> Double NAT. That's not a bad thing necessarily, but can add a few ticks of time to what youre trying to do, and eat up a tiny number of router processing cycles...a little speedbump, if you will. but the biggest thing is disabling the QoS on it (AQM, I believe they call it) and taking control of shaping ins to/outs from your network on the router itself...so rather than spiky spdMerlin charts, you'll see a much more consistent speed to your connection, and the user experience will be much more smooth/reliable. the 400-900 down speeds from the above chart will probably end up at the theoretical maximum, possibly or maybe above the top/best "speed" you've seen so far

You will probably like Unbound, when you make the time to install and configure it to your needs/wants: the config it installs with works wonderfully, and you can streamline/enhance from there. It's not as daunting if you keep things simple. In fact, there's an option in the advanced menu to spin up DoT. The benefit for me is that while page loads aren't technically any faster, they seem like they are because - for cached DNS - the round trip to your router and back to client is internal and at the speed of your network ( <= 1usec rather than msec to whomever youre using now), then non-cached queries bypass the googles, etc and go straight the the Authoritative servers they use without anyone paying any attention/noting what IP addy is looking up what webpage (if your ad blocking fails or gets disabled for whatever reason, you'll get strange ads, possibly from other countries)

 

[doczenith1]

Are you using the "automatic" server selection? If so you are probably just hitting a server now and then that isn't fast enough for gigabit connections causing your results to fluctuate.

 

[JT Strickland]

Are you using the "automatic" server selection? If so you are probably just hitting a server now and then that isn't fast enough for gigabit connections causing your results to fluctuate.

It is on auto, but I have been seeing similar results with random speed tests from the client app on my PC, and it always defaults to the ISP's server. I've just changed spdmerlin to preferred server just in case and will see how it goes.

Edit:
No, it's not that. It's just as erratic with preferred server as with random, or it has been overnight.