Cisco DPC3825 Only Getting 54MBPS

Set it to N only and see if that helps. 54Mbps is Wifi G standard, so it is probably downgrading to that because of the laptop's card or because of some other older Wifi G device in the house.

BTW, what wireless adapter do you have?

VPNs tax the hardware alot. When it comes to high end performance, gateways stink. You could disable the bypass at the ALG level, but we would need to know what protocal her VPN uses. IPsec ot PPPTP? This would only be a work around too, since disabling them would disable certain features she/her work might use. Overall, if you can afford it, go with a separate modem and router. Soooo much better. I work from home too, and I polling and upgrading of firmware of commercial equipment all over the world. When a 5 hour upload to China fails 4 hours into it because the VPN does, TRUST ME, I know your pain. Mine is caused by ISP issues though, not gateway issues.

@kingkong

Do you have the encryption type set to TKIP?  If so you'll be limited to 54Mbps phy link rate.  You can try changing it to AES only and see if that works.

Good catch. I will be honest and say I didn't even consider that, but looking at page 30 of manual:

"Note: The factory default Wireless Security Mode is WPA or WPA2-Personal."

How can there be 2 defaults? If WPA2 is the default then AES is already enabled. +1 Good idea to check.

Hi everyone,

First off THANKS for the quick response and support. 

I am only using the Cisco DPC as the cable modem and wireless router. No other external device, even though everyone on the internet says go get one. I guess gone are the days when routers were built like the trusty Linksys WRT54G! =)

Anyway, I am on the WPA2 and AES; I have some other HW that may require 802.11G so I am not sure forcing it to N is the way to go. I guess I can upgrade those devices if need be.

Thanks again; really appreciate it.

-KK

kingkong said:
I guess gone are the days when routers were built like the trusty Linksys WRT54G! =)

The Asus RT-N66U is the Wifi N spiritual successor to the WRT54G. Build quality, performance, FULL 3rd party support, and modifiable. Unless you need AC, its the best router out there..period. I feel that strongly about it. And yes, I am one of those people on the internet that screams "NO GATEWAYS!". 

kingkong said:
I have some other HW that may require 802.11G

Yea, theres your problem. In compatibility mode the router will many times revert to the lowest standard connected on the Wifi network. Weakest link and all that. You "might" be able to force it in the advanced settings of your Wireless NIC properties, but this won't won't for tablets and non typical OS devices. 

What you could do is buy a new router and put it in AP mode. Then set the gateway to G only for compatibility and set the AP to the highest standard your devices can support. Just be sure the gateway and AP are as far apart as practicle and are using different channels.

Or even better yet, set the gateway to 2.4Ghz and the AP to 5Ghz. The only downside is then your still stuck with the poor routing performance and feature set of the gateway.

If you decide to go with a separate modem and router, then make sure it's a dual band, so you can use the 2.4 for Wifi G and 5Ghz for everything else. The only downside of this is 5Ghz isn't as good as wall penetration and the range can be less(depends).  No matter what, upgrading the Wifi G devices will help.

Thanks Tecknowhelp!

One last question.

My Cisco DPC3825 does not provide an option for Enable 5Ghz. The only thing in the drop down menu is Enable 2.4Ghz. Is this a problem with the Cisco or Firmware itself, or perhaps I do not have the correct settings???

Thanks very much.

@kingkong

The Cisco 3825 is a single-band (2.4Ghz) device only.  Upgrading to 5.0Ghz capability is going to be a hardware upgrade.

Thanks.

I have had good experience with a Motorola Surfboard DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem / wifi router. Is that an option for me to purchase that and use with my COX cable internet service? If so, are there instructions online on how to install and configure to be compatible with the COX service?

-KK

@kingkong

If you're looking for a simple solution that usually works right out of the box a gateway might be the device for you.  For those wanting a more customize-able solution however you may be happier with a separate modem/router solution.

Whats your price point? The SBG6900-AC is the newest model, but Motorola was bought by Arris. Any device listed here will work. Note that many of the functions of any gateway are disabled, like USB connection and VPN server.

Also, if you are willing to pay 250$ for a new gateway, that money could be MUCH better spent buying a 100$ modem and a 150$ router. Not only will you get better performance, but when DOCSIS 3.1 comes along, you don't have to buy a new gateway, just a new modem. Or if a new Wifi standard comes out, you just need to buy a new router. Also if you have ultimate, you can use a switch and have your desktop get it's own IP and a seperate IP for the router. This would be optimal for a VPN connection because it would be a NAT1 connection which has a lot less over head. On top of that, it allows you to move the router away from the modem, because sometimes where the cable connection is, isn't the best place to put the router for Wifi coverage. 

Sorry for the info overload. Just want to give you as much info as possible so you can make the choice best for you.

kingkong said:
My Cisco DPC3825 does not provide an option for Enable 5Ghz.

Apologies. When I was talking about the 5Ghz band, I was referring to any new router your might get. DPC3825 is a single band(2.4Ghz) gateway.