I have a primitive CenturyLink 7Mbps T1.413 ADSL connection that CL has no plans to upgrade! Since I don't have much bandwidth to work-with, my goal is to max-out my connection speed! I'm far enough away from the CO that I'm not going to hit 7168Kbps, but I'll take what I can get! For the past 6 months, I used a CenturyLink-branded Actiontec C1000A that has been gradually slowing down. For two months, this modem ran at 7072Kbps downstream, but now the best that it can do is 6592Kbps. Two years ago, I purchased a ZyXEL PK5001Z from CL, but it actually runs slower than the C1000A! When I have bad results with a product, I usually do my best to steer clear of the manufacturer in the future, which rules-out Actiontec and ZyXEL.
I found a handy chart in my CL account that lists the modems that CL supports! One of the supported modem manufacturers that I haven't tried is Technicolor. I tried to find a Technicolor C2100T online, but it appears that this modem isn't manufactured anymore! Aw, shucks! :(
This morning I went to a CL store to see what modems they are offering. The only choice is the ZyXEL C1100Z. I pointed-out to the the sales woman that I had bad luck with my PK50001Z, but she replied that I can return the new modem within 30 days, no questions asked! So I broke my rule and dropped $99.99 for a C1100Z!
After I got home, I checked the reviews for this modem and they are favorable. So I went ahead and connected and configured the modem, which is a snap to do! This modem is a 9" tall mini-tower that runs much cooler than my Actiontec C1000A does! During prime time, the modem connected at 6880/896Kbps, which my C1000A can't do! I might be able to get this modem to sync at a faster speed early in the morning. I'm not an intensive wifi user, but my Dell laptop connects at 72Mbps, which is the fastest speed that it supports.
So far, this looks like a good decision! :)
What do you think?
DeepDiver
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