Facing challenges with your network? Here’s a simplified breakdown of common problems and solutions.
Facing challenges with your network? Here’s a simplified breakdown of common problems and solutions.
Hey, I’ve got two quick questions you might find useful. I’m new to networking, so feel free if it seems a bit basic. I’ll walk you through my current arrangement then we can chat about them. I’m currently living in an apartment, and the setup was done by my internet service provider. I use an Arris modem, which I think is a cable model. It connects via Ethernet to a Plume pod. My wired devices and Wi-Fi signal both come from the Plume pod—so it’s definitely Ethernet, and probably also Wi-Fi. I have the HomePass app for managing things that connect through the pod. I can access the modem settings, but there aren’t many options to adjust. The internet speed is about 300Mbps down and 20Mbps up.
What I’m asking:
1. Whenever I plug an Ethernet cable straight into the modem, it doesn’t work. I can’t connect to other devices or browse the web. Why does this happen? Do I really need to go through the Plume pod? Shouldn’t just connecting to the modem fix it?
2. I also have a small NAS connected to a 1Gbps switch, which is linked to the Plume pod via Ethernet. My PC connects to the switch using Ethernet too. When moving files between my PC and the NAS (or vice versa), speeds rarely go above about 55MB/s—often around 30MB/s. This feels slower than I’d like, since I thought it should fully use the 1Gbps link. Any ideas why this might be? I’ve tried both Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but speeds are similar. The NAS drives seem fast enough. Could this slowdown be because of going through the Plume pod, or is it just a minor effect?
A modem simply transforms the coax or fiber signal into an internet connection. Plugging a PC directly into it should provide internet access. The Plume combines a router, switch, and Wi-Fi access point. Removing the router part means your computer isn’t connected to the network beyond the internet. You don’t need the full Plume unit, just a router to set up a local network. The modem assigns one public IP, while the router handles individual IPs for each device via DHCP. This setup can affect performance differences between Wi-Fi and wired connections. Getting consistent speeds on Wi-Fi is intriguing. Possible reasons include your PC’s hardware, whether you’re using an SSD, the NAS model, its storage drives, or firewall settings. It’s also worth checking if the devices share the same VLAN without a firewall in between.
The ISP modem can operate in a pass-through setting or function like a router, assigning your single IP from the ISP while allowing connected devices to get local IPs. It might block another device from getting an external IP since using two IPs simultaneously is not allowed on the same modem. If you swap the router for the modem and connect the plume pod to it, or switch the modem to router mode, you may need to adjust settings so devices get the right addresses. Understanding your home network layout is essential.
Thank you for this response. You asked the right questions that led to me actually figuring a few things out and understanding my setup more. 1: Understood. so the modem basically just gives me that internet connection. Then the Plume pod acts as a few things and actually creates my network. So I could technically buy a router/wifiAP and connect that to the modem and it'd work basically the same? So I'm not locked to the Plume pods (provided by my ISP)? Not that there are any issues with them it seems, just hypothetically. After understanding this and googling my modem model it seems that the 2nd ethernet port will just provide a 2nd public IP, so that's why it wasn't doing anything. I basically misunderstood the role of the modem. 2: So I basically understand the issue now. But, I do have some follow up questions on the best way to 'fix' the problem. So when using my laptop wifi I was getting 60-70MB/s, which being wifi (meaning slow) is probably expected. Connecting my laptop to ethernet I was only getting 40-50MB/s, and thats where the confusion came. Using my PC I was also getting the same speed. Basically I had 2 plume pods, 1 connected to the modem and a few things, the 2nd connected to my switch, laptop pc. Essentially the issue was the pods were connected through the power lines (or w/e they're called) which was massively throttling my connection, and that just wasn't something I thought about as it has never been an issue with even heavy internet use. Moving my nas to my other room so the ethernet from my pc and laptop was 'direct' is now giving me the 110-115MB/s, which with a 1Gbps limit, is expected. And obviously the wifi speed to my NAS will vary depending on which pod my laptop is connected to. So my follow up question to #2. My PC, laptop and shortly NAS will be in my office. But my modem coax comes into the apartment through my living room. (and that is the 2 places the pods are connected). I obviously want the faster/consistent connection to my connected devices in my office, am I able to just unplug my modem and replug it into a different coax plug in my office, or will that not work? If not, what is the best way to get ethernet in the office, without encountering the speed loss that I was encountering via going through the power lines. Thank you.
Your internet service provider likely restricts you to one public IP address, unless you opt for additional plans. The few cable modems I’m aware of that offer several Ethernet ports are some early Docsis 3.1 models. Most others have just one Ethernet port. Anything with multiple ports is probably a gateway device—either a modem or a router.