I’ve been noticing a decline in bandwidth over the past year using my Arris SCG2482AC modem (purchased in Aug 2020). I pay for 600mbps service with Comcast. The Comcast technician just visited and cleaned / replaced the external cable connections and confirmed there was no degradation in the signal.
A year ago, my test (using Ookla’s Speedtest) yielded 700mbps with a hardwire connection to the Arris modem (all WiFi devices disconnected, VPN turned off). During the past few months (same configuration), the bandwidth dropped to 300mbps even after performing a reboot.
The most recent tests (just before and after the Comcast technician’s visit) resulted in tests ranging from 450mbps to 500mbps. He couldn’t explain why I wasn’t seeing any better speeds and blamed it on the modem. I can’t imagine a two-year old modem is the cause, especially since it previously delivered excellent performance.
Do modems degrade over time? Mine is inside (68F-72F, low humidity) my house. Is the firmware the cause for degradation?
Looking for ideas other than just buying a new modem.