Cable Modem Boost with MidPoint

Cable modem speed boost with connection teaming
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Speed up your cable modem with Conenction Teaming!
(Advanced level article)
Chris Kaminski 3/16/2001
At NetWorld+Interop 2001 I found an interesting piece of software called MidPoint from MidCore Software. Midpoint has a feature called ‘connection teaming’. Connection teaming aggregates multiple connections to the Internet for increased bandwidth. Along with connection teaming, the software splits large files being downloaded into multiple smaller parts and downloads each part at the same time along each connection. Wow!
I came up with this idea for cable modem users. Cable modem companies sometimes allow you to purchase additional IP address’ for a monthly fee. @Home does this for $5 per IP address. @Home caps your bandwidth per account, not IP address - but at the very least, it might increase the efficiency of your conenction and allow your throughput to closer reach your capped maximum speed.... So I set off to test my hypothesis.
 
Planning the network
Because I would be testing the aggregation of 2 Internet IP address, I needed a computer that could handle 3 network cards – three for the WAN and one for the LAN. A stripped down Pentium 233 fit the bill nicely.
Problems with the testing
One of the biggest problems in testing this setup is finding a way to push the speed of the cable modem. To do this, I had to find some servers willing to let suck up a whole lot of bandwidth without running into something that would throttle my connection. This is VERY HARD to find. My best performance came from some TUCOWS.COM mirrors. Since TUCOWS is mirrored all over the country, I was able to locate some servers willing to let me suck up some bandwidth.
Measuring Bandwidth
The next thing I needed was a measurement tool. IE’s meter on the download is good for measuring speed because it averages things over a long period of time and does not allow you to ‘see’ what is going on. MyVitalAgent was a good solution because I could see how solid the connection was. If there were major connection pauses I could see them visually – plus the software is free!
Bandwidth measurement on the Internet is not an exact science. It is impossible to recreate the exact conditions across a public network. Because of this, I chose to measure bandwidth at its peak if sustained for 10 seconds or more. To do this, I chose files of no less than 5Mb to download.
How Fast?
For Reference, I tried pushed each if two IP address’ individually first. IP address A gave me about 840kbps sustainable bandwidth and IP address B could give me about 600kbps sustained bandwidth. I was surprised at the difference since they were from the same cable modem - They did however have different default gateways and were on different subnets. These speeds will of course vary betweed service providers. Notice that my speed is capped at 1.4~1.5 but my throughput is unstable and reaches only about 850kbps.
With connection teaming enabled, I was able to sustain speeds of 1300kbps, or 1.3Mbps when downloading multiple large files (note, the cap is still 1.5Mbps). This is not bad for a single cable modem! In addition, web page surfing seemed to ‘spring’ to life. A single web page might require 7 or more requests for text and graphics. When these requests are being done over two different IP address response time improves dramatically.  This does not push your 'throughput' but it does make web pages come up faster due to the increased network efficiency.
IMPORTANT: The Key is the Subnets
They key to my success seemed to be in the fact that the two tested IP address’ were on different subnets with different default gateways. I tried running the same test on two IP address’ that were on the same subnet / same default gateway and had almost no improvement. This is a VERY important note. These tests were done with STATIC IP address.
ATTN: @Home Users
When you sign up for multiple computers, you are getting multiple IP address' - STATIC ONES!  Instead of setting your computer name, set IP, Subnet, default gateway and DNS servers manually.  You can get all that information from this @Home networking site.  When you set your IP info manually, you do NOT need a specific computer name!
Reference:
Viacom's Bandwidth Aggregation Article
 
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User Comments
109 comments
Cable modem speed boost with connection teaming
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Thanks by David - 14/07/2001 08:36:00
Re: Thanks by Joe - 26/10/2001 12:17:00
Nice Speed by Ryan - 15/07/2001 18:56:00
@Home by Chris Kaminski - 17/07/2001 16:25:00
Unfortunately Chris is right by Dave - 20/07/2001 10:29:00
static IP listed by Pat - 01/08/2001 15:01:00
Re: @Home by Chris - 24/11/2001 19:22:00
2 hubs? by sam - 23/07/2001 21:45:00
i just discovered something REALLY WEIRD/AWESOME by sam - 24/07/2001 01:39:00
Great Connection by Chris Kaminski - 24/07/2001 10:06:00
Re: Great Connection by zero kill - 13/11/2001 19:48:00
Re: i just discovered something REALLY WEIRD/AWESOME by DDK - 11/12/2001 00:18:00
Re: i just discovered something REALLY WEIRD/AWESOME by empyr3al - 30/01/2003 01:05:00
Hey by IbZ - 13/07/2004 10:37:00
service violation by Sam - 24/07/2001 11:54:00
Don’t think so by Chris Kaminski - 01/08/2001 08:49:00
Re: Don’t think so by Nigel - 09/09/2005 00:02:00
Gaming? by Sam - 24/07/2001 13:12:00
My Speed by Sam - 24/07/2001 13:56:00
Re: Gaming? by Ol Jade - 25/07/2002 23:59:00
A request for help on this scenario by Clyph - 19/08/2001 09:32:00
Re: A request for help on this scenario by phenderson - 19/08/2001 21:19:00
Need some step by steps if possible by xman - 09/09/2001 18:20:00
Re: Need some step by steps if possible by pakcelica2k1 - 19/09/2001 21:05:00
I need step-by-step as well by fro - 02/10/2001 02:21:00
similar idea that dident work by dsmith - 26/09/2001 00:02:00
Re: similar idea that dident work by RabidDragon - 01/05/2002 21:05:00
Networking Assistance by Jim - 29/09/2001 18:45:00
Re: Networking Assistance by Jonathan - 12/12/2001 16:54:00
Re: Networking Assistance by Millimeter - 23/01/2002 02:01:00
problem with cable modem @home by Jon Campbell - 07/10/2001 20:41:00
Re: problem with cable modem @home by humm - 26/10/2001 09:30:00
what about this by wishpuppet - 14/10/2001 12:51:00
Re: what about this by Millimeter - 23/01/2002 02:25:00
something not-so-ethical by Feanish - 21/10/2001 03:27:00
upload speed by Zero Kill - 31/10/2001 21:16:00
Re: upload speed by Graham Spice - 31/10/2001 21:57:00
Corrections, Tips, Etc by Michael - 01/11/2001 14:54:00
Upstream and Teaming DSL by Pablo Martin - 05/11/2001 05:13:00
Re: Upstream and Teaming DSL by Millimeter - 23/01/2002 02:39:00
@home upload speed by mike - 07/11/2001 00:48:00
Re: @home upload speed by spockers - 10/11/2001 19:58:00
Re: @home upload speed by Mike - 17/11/2001 23:18:00
Re: @home upload speed by headnoize - 22/11/2001 17:16:00
Re: @home upload speed by FourthRome - 23/11/2001 12:59:00
Re: @home upload speed by IlJuniorlI - 26/11/2001 21:02:00
Power Pumper? by Mike - 17/11/2001 23:16:00
Double NIC by Willem - 20/11/2001 15:23:00
Re: Double NIC by FourthRome - 23/11/2001 13:05:00
I Want to use static IP by CyberMan - 29/11/2001 02:17:00
Drop @home and join AT&T by gap - 02/12/2001 15:51:00
2 nics by Myst3K - 01/01/2002 20:51:00
Re: 2 nics by Dan - 02/03/2002 03:50:00
Would this work with RoadRunner? by Tony - 24/01/2002 05:18:00
Re: Would this work with RoadRunner? by Bob - 10/09/2006 23:30:00
Posted by Bob
10/09/2006 23:30:00.
Re: Would this work with RoadRunner?
will this work with cablevision-optonline
i also have with it boost service
reply
More simple idea by vehf263 - 25/01/2002 12:37:00
Re: More simple idea by xrayallen - 04/02/2002 00:29:00
Re: More simple idea by n - 16/02/2002 16:35:00
Re: More simple idea by Ice - 25/05/2003 17:00:00
I tried another thing with at&t by Marti - 24/02/2002 04:33:00
Re: I tried another thing with at&t by Zak - 20/03/2002 19:18:00
eithernet cards by John McIntyre - 13/03/2002 01:53:00
Midpoint is dropped !! by giang tran - 19/03/2002 23:17:00
Thanks by pfunk - 23/03/2002 03:25:00
Twin cable? Anyone know how? by James Kim - 11/04/2002 16:42:00
True? by equate - 21/04/2002 13:42:00
another senario by uzer - 25/07/2002 01:11:00
Re: another senario by PhaseShift - 17/08/2002 18:11:00
MidPoint, Nextland Pro800 Turbo & Compex NP15 by Trader914 - 02/08/2002 19:20:00
Midpoint = Artera? by don andre - 22/08/2002 09:02:00
Re: Midpoint = Artera? by Rob - 04/11/2002 21:45:00
another wrench.....wireless by xracer - 22/08/2002 13:18:00
Cable/ Dsl Router to share 2 IPS by Jim - 19/09/2002 18:38:00
Cable/ Dsl Router to share 2 IPS by Jim - 19/09/2002 18:41:00
wont run? by sundeep - 23/09/2002 09:23:00
would dual modems work by mike - 17/11/2002 08:59:00
2 Modems/companies by Mike Mac - 19/12/2002 13:15:00
Re: 2 Modems/companies by Riv - 24/01/2003 19:53:00
Virtual by inhuman_4 - 11/06/2003 18:40:00
DSL Connection Teaming? by Kenneth - 27/06/2003 21:18:00
Re: DSL Connection Teaming? by Dan P - 12/07/2003 10:45:00
Re: DSL Connection Teaming? by rtr - 19/09/2004 05:26:00
Connection Cap by Steven Penny - 20/08/2003 17:12:00
Midpoint Mindcore Not There... by David - 26/11/2003 12:54:00
Re: Midpoint Mindcore Not There... by imkzru - 22/12/2003 00:27:00
Re: Midpoint Mindcore Not There... by Bill - 07/01/2004 20:40:00
Re: Midpoint Mindcore Not There... by RICH - 28/01/2004 07:06:00
Re: Midpoint Mindcore Not There... by sarge - 31/03/2004 18:26:00
Re: Midpoint Mindcore Not There... by Harry - 29/01/2004 14:52:00
Re: Midpoint Mindcore Not There... by Derald - 06/01/2005 16:30:00
Re: Midpoint Mindcore Not There... by Derald - 06/01/2005 16:29:00
Using 2 modems?? by Todd - 26/01/2004 23:02:00
Re: Using 2 modems?? by anon sysadmin - 18/02/2004 07:26:00
Re: Using 2 modems?? by T3ch0nly - 02/04/2004 22:47:00
Connection Teaming (Midpoint) by David - 02/05/2004 02:46:00
latency problem with caps by Amit Thapa - 24/08/2004 04:41:00
Nice speed by Mark - 09/09/2004 15:00:00
2 adsl lines!! by konores - 16/10/2004 11:01:00
Re: 2 adsl lines!! by Static - 21/10/2004 04:17:00
Internet connection by Charles - 19/11/2004 14:54:00
where to get by need_help - 29/12/2004 17:54:00
Re: where to get (Artera/Intergate) by Derald - 06/01/2005 16:28:00
2CM 2NICS, How boost my speed? by Covenant - 26/01/2005 05:00:00
ADSL Australia by Dave - 24/05/2005 00:20:00
Re: ADSL Australia by chris - 23/10/2005 07:25:00
Re: ADSL Australia by dan - 31/01/2006 07:23:00
Re: ADSL Australia by Tester - 06/02/2006 15:55:00
Re: ADSL Australia by Tester - 06/02/2006 16:02:00
Posted by Tester
06/02/2006 16:02:00.
Re: ADSL Australia
Sorry i made a mistake in that last Post, You DO NOT need static ip's for this to work,Dynamic ip's work just fine!!!
reply
packet acelerators by Bob - 10/09/2006 23:47:00
Posted by Bob
10/09/2006 23:47:00.
packet acelerators
i remember not long ago in las vegas their cable isp service were using modems from Com21...
these modems were particully fast.....

supposedly these cable modems of theirs were using software to speed up download and uplaods via packet accelerators..

anyone know an external packet accelerator one can attach to currant cable modems...
i believe the modem they had at the time was the DoxPort 1010 with the intergrated packet accelerator

also explain this to me please...
Downstream (receiver) Demodulation 64QAM, 256QAM.
Data Rate 30Mbps (64QAM), 43Mbps (256QAM).
Frequency Range 108MHz to 862MHz.
Bandwidth 8MHz.
Input Signal Level -15dBmV to +15dBmV

what is the difference of 64 QAM and 256QAM ?


currantly i am seeing nearly speeds of 28,000 downloads and 2,100 uploads

via cablevision/optonline with boost service added
(to take me from what was 12,500 download to 27,800 download speeds)...

also....can adding these multible nic cards work for my isp..


Thanks in advance
reply
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