Do i need a new modem?

Question

im trying to speed up my internet connection and i was wondering how much of an impact does the modem make to the speed of the internet. will a quality modem speed up my internet or is it mainly just your isp that determines speed?

Answer 1

It depends. A modem has a speed limit. Your isp is the one that decides how fast your internet goes. If a modem was all you needed then the isp wouldn't be making any money. I've tried defragmenting my computer before and it game my internet a little speed boost.

Answer 2

I'm assuming that you (like most who don't specify) have broadband/high-speed internet via cable or DSL.

Your ISP determines the speed...unless your modem is actually so old it can't reach the speed you subscribed to or is failing.

Usually, the modem can go many many many times faster than you get - your ISP sends a signal to your modem (when it boots up and registers on the network) to tell it how fast it's allowed to run for your account.

Call your ISP and ask about it - especially if you aren't getting the full speed you're paying for.

To see your speed, go to http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest

Answer 3

I'm going to assume that means you have a dial-up connection. There is a very small chance that if you get a quality modem that it could help with your connection speed. The thing you have to figure out is if your ISP is providing you with digital or analog phone service. If you get digital phone service your max speed will be 56kbs but if you still have analog your max speed will only be 28.8kbs. Your only real option for getting greater than dial-up speeds is satellite internet.  

Answer 4

Your choice hinges on the following three factors: Availability, speed and price.

You might not have cable or DSL service in your area, so that can significantly limit your choices. Dial-up service over an existing phone line and satellite service are almost universally available.

Speed. You should choose the fastest connection you can afford. You may think you won't use the internet that much, but when Windows or your other programs need to download huge software updates, you'll be wishing you had a faster connection.

Price. Monthly service charges range from less than $10 per month for dial-up service (plus the cost of local phone service) to more than $60 a month for cable or satellite service. (Satellite also costs about $600 up front for the installation.) The modem is the hardware that your computer uses to send and receive data on the Internet-it's sort of like a telephone for your computer. The ISP functions as a communication hub between your computer and the Internet. Using  the modem, your computer connects to the ISP, and the ISP connects to the Internet. And good luck.