Installing a SURFboard Cable Modem


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For anyone who is getting a restart during install and a BSOD on bootup:

Download the SB5100 USB drivers (works on older modems such as 4200 (mine))

http://broadband.motorola.com/downloads/5100_WHQL.exe

I didn't try it with the whole folder I just replaced the 4200 netmotcm.sys in system32\drivers with 5100's

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I've never had any problems running my 4200 Surfboard via USB, what's so bad about it?

I believe USB devices share bandwidth with each other. If youve got an open ethernet port then use it.

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Nothing wrong w/ USB. You get the same speeds that you would using Ethernet. BTW, Windows Update has signed drivers for the just about (if not all) Motorola SB Series cable modems (Motorola, I do believe, probably has newer/updated drivers on their site anyway).

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I believe USB devices share bandwidth with each other. If youve got an open ethernet port then use it.

Cable doesn't use anywhere near the bandwidth USB can provide.

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I believe USB devices share bandwidth with each other. If youve got an open ethernet port then use it.

You'd never use all of the available bandwidth anyway. Most ISP's cap the d/l speed to 3MB /S and the u/l to 128K.

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Wouldn't it be faster with ethernet (cat5e) than it is with usb? I couldn't use USB anyway since I'm hooked to a router but I always thought ethernet was the better way to connect.

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Wouldn't it be faster with ethernet (cat5e) than it is with usb? I couldn't use USB anyway since I'm hooked to a router but I always thought ethernet was the better way to connect.

imo, Ethernet is the better way to connect. Its standard complient, and doesn't rely on any more drivers than it has to. Personally, I would rather deal with NIC drivers which usually are included with Windows and most other OS's than some obscure USB cable modem driver. Bandwidth most likely wouldn't really be affected though.

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Only bad part with my 4200 is that I can't update the firmware and comcast said they won't do it...

Now I gotta drive to a comcast location to swap modems (I'm hoping to get a 5100 ;) )

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Only bad part with my 4200 is that I can't update the firmware and comcast said they won't do it...

Now I gotta drive to a comcast location to swap modems (I'm hoping to get a 5100 ;) )

How come you can't update the firmware?

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I dont think there is any bandwidth difference (might be wronge) but I do think ethernet is faster in response times IE Latency. I dont know exactly why but I feel that way :) (Better ping times ?)

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How do you figure that? I've ran multiple speed tests utilizing both USB & Ethernet connections & they have always came up the same.

You have. You don't have Optimum Online. kthxbye. (Y)

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myie2_user- Motorola used to have firmware updates listed on their sites... I wonder why they pulled 'em? If I remember correctly, I heard something about people hacking the firmware so that the ISP's d/l & u/l caps were broken. Can't be sure as it's been awhile though.

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WTF does that have to do with anything?

It has to do with everything and why your statement

There isn't ANY speed difference when using USB or Ethernet.

is false.

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I have the firmware update, it's just a matter of updating it, seems I can't do anything to it. I set-up this one program that was supposed to do it, but when I would click start nothing would happen.

There was another way of doing in which you update the config file of the modem, which could allow you to change the caps but sadly that did not work for me either :(

Not to mention comcast's lack of support with the issue which basically said that it can't be done by them (has to be server wide based?) and they aren't planning to update it.

(here is the site http://sbmodem.tripod.com/ with the info I tried following)

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So show me some proof as to why it is false. I think that after 100's of cable modem installs & testing, I would have a pretty broad knowledge of what works well and what doesn't.

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