Why can't I get the speed I pay for?

TL;DR 

I upgraded from 200Mbps to 600Mbps, but still only get about 300Mbps down. Upload went from ~6Mbps to 17Mbps so obviously my speed has changed, but after 20 days I still can't get near 600Mbps with a CAT6 hard wired connection directly to my modem from a windows 10 computer with a gigabit ethernet jack. 

My chronological ordeal:

5/31/20 12pm

Place order for gigabit internet without issue. Order confirmation email arrives.

5/31/20 8pm

Receive a call from support saying there’s an issue with my order and I need to call support. The live agent talking to me can’t help me. I need to call in and go through the automated process to talk to a live agent again. When I get through they tell me they can’t change anything to do with my internet, the only thing I want changed, without also changing my TV package. I later come to find out this is because I have a bundle and it makes sense in hindsight, but the person on this day did not explain it well at all and we went around in circles about how he was going to cancel not only my TV package but my cablecards! I repeatedly told him not to do this as I needed them for my TiVo and HDHomerun boxes. He tells me he’ll send me a TV box and does not understand. Eventually he relents and tells me he figured it all out and he is getting me the same TV package that I currently have, the Economy pack, but it just has a different name. At no point am I told my modem will not work with the gigabit package.

6/1/20 9pm

Call support because my new TV package kicked in and I now get nothing but local channels as I was given the Limited Basic TV service, nothing like the package I had before.

Support laughs at me when I tell them I want my old TV package back because they say it doesn’t exist anymore. Now my bill with go up every year more than likely and HBO is no longer bundled. This is all because I wanted faster internet which still has not seen an increase to download. Download still shows at about 200-280Mbps down but now 15Mbps up compared to my old 5-6Mbps upload. Obviously something has changed, but I am not getting the gigabit speed or anywhere close. While I did not expect the full 1000Mbps since my Motorola MB7621 only shows a maximum wired download speed of up to 845Mbps according to the xfinity devices web page, I did expect faster than the ~200Mbps I was receiving with my old modem.

I am told changes may take 24 hours.

6/2/20 12pm

Contact support via chat and explain my issue with my internet speed as I now at least have more than local TV channels. I am told my modem is not compatible and I should replace it. I explain it should get up to 845Mbps based on what the xfinity device site states. Support agrees that it should support that speed, but I have 1000Mbps and need a different modem. I ask about not getting 1000 or even 845Mbps but something more than 200 and she suggests resetting the modem but my wife and I are working from home and cannot do that now. Scheduling this work for after 5pm is not possible.

6/2/20 9pm

Contact support via chat and explain my issue with my internet speed. Support immediately asks if I want a technical visit! No questions or troubleshooting have been attempted by her. I ask what leads her to believe that is necessary at which point she transfers me to a new CSR who I have to explain my issue to again. He tells my my modem can’t handle the gigabit plan, I need a DOCSIS3.1 modem. I ask about getting the 845Mbps max of my own modem since that’s what the xfinity site states next to the message, “This device is compatible with your service download speed of 1000Mbps.” I am told my modem can handle 845Mbps but not through wireless which I never mentioned, didn’t expect, and was not sure how my modem would even do wireless if it’s just a modem. I am told 200Mbps is likely due to how far I am from the servers. He suggests escalating the issue as it’s now 9:45pm.

9:52pm D connects to chat. He runs a system check on the modem and states that it is not getting the signal it is supposed to receive, but he will correct it. After 10+ minutes he comes back saying the modem keeps defaulting to the original signal meaning it cannot handle the speed provisioned. He also suggests replacing the modem. As it’s now 10:22pm I cannot go through another handoff to sales to talk about changing the plan to a lower speed and disconnect.

6/3/20 5:15pm

Contact support via chat with F. He tells me my modem only supports 400Mbps down despite what the xfinity and manufacturer’s information state. Upon closer inspection he agrees it should work with 600Mbps but not 1000. I ask to have it changed and he transfers me to billing.

D joins the chat at 5:30pm. He reviews the account and starts asking about cable boxes. We’re back to talking about TV. After asking about cablecards and DVR we’re back on the internet package and he sends me the change confirmation. 6pm we’re done.

6/6/20 11:40am

Contact support via chat with P and explain I’m still not getting anything near the speed I pay for with the 600Mbps package. Still in the 200-300 range. P says, “I have checked that that this modem is showing the gray status that means this modem is not getting the complete internet signal, so let me go ahead and send the power and provision signal to your modem.” They ask if i’m using a surge protector or power strip. I explain it is plugged into a UPS. They suggest plugging directly into the wall as a UPS or power strip might not provide full power. I have never heard this, but also don’t want to risk my modem getting fried in a storm, and find it hard to believe it is the cause of such a large discrepancy in download speed but not upload. They want me to disconnect the coaxial cable and power for a minute. After this i’m seeing even worse speeds with 99Mbps down! At 12:12pm P creates an open ticket so that the advanced repair team can check and work on it remotely and if they need to send a technician for outside wiring connection. I disconnect at 12:20 expecting a call from the advanced repair team to continue troubleshooting.

6/7/20 12:30pm

Receive a call from a tech saying he’s close to my house. Confused I ask why and explain I was waiting for a tech to troubleshoot not come to the house just yet. He reviews the issue and checks my modem remotely. He says that it appears to have the correct boot file for the 400 Pro which sounds wrong, but should be correct for the 600Mbps plan. He says he’ll send the ticket back to support as open and that they should call me to continue troubleshooting. Nobody calls me.

6/13/20 10:30am

Contact support via chat with A who refreshes the modem and has me run speed tests. 239 down 17 up like always. I’m reminded there’s work in my area. I ask if that means I may never get the speed I’m paying for to which she says yes, it may interrupt your services. With no hope that I’ll ever get faster internet she asks how many devices connected wired and wirelessly. I estimate 10 wired and maybe 30 wirelessly, but remind her that I have run speed test directly from the modem with no wireless involved and received the same results. She still insists that these other devices may be using data and reducing the speed. I remind her that i’m not expecting all 30 wireless devices to get 600Mbps I just expect the one modem to get somewhere near 600Mbps.

11am supervisor R joins the chat. He starts asking how many devices are connected. I go through the whole explanation again. One device. The modem. He states my modem can only provide up to 300Mbps, and suggests I upgrade my modem. I go through the explanation yet again of what the manufacturer and the xfinity devices pages state. How it clearly states “This device is compatible with your service download speed of 600 Mbps.” He goes to re-verify my details, but states that my signal is working fine, but maybe all the devices I have connected are slowing the speed down. I only care about one device, the modem. He also reminds me of all the work in my area. He states that an outside request is already raised on my account and I will get the confirmation soon. The ETA for this is within 14 days of the issue being raised which according to him is June 6th.

6/13/20 1:15pm

I called support - automated service restarted modem.

The automated service called me back asking if it was fixed I said no and they had support call me back. They state again that there is work in my area. They also tell me that the tech checked my line last week and problem with line. This is strange because I have security cameras pointed at my connection box so I would have received an alert about this. At any rate they are sending another tech to check line again.

6/14/20 6pm

Tech calls to let me know he’s almost to my house to check the line. After checking the line he calls and says there was a “rusted, unnecessary splitter and low signal from the pole.” Since he’s in a normal van he says a bucket truck has to come and boost signal at the pole. They’ll be here the same time tomorrow he says. After he leaves we realize our TV signal to the TV in our bedroom is no longer working. I go to check the connection box on the side of our house and notice not only is the plastic covering now broken and hanging off, but the second line going to my bedroom is unplugged and just dangling there. I plug it back into the splitter that was actually there for a valid reason and restore our TV service.

6/15/20 6:53pm

No bucket truck has arrived.

6/19/20 4:31pm

Still no bucket truck.

Contact support via chat and get S. Explain my issue, but he’s billing for some reason.

4:39pm Transferred to A. Explain my issue again. Checks with “dedicated team at the highest level.”

5:04pm Transferred to A2. Explain my issue again. He refreshes signals in order to book the tech who I was told last week was already booked. He needs to escalate to book.

5:52pm Transferred to R who I believe I spoke to last week. He tells me my modem doesn’t support the speed again as he tried to last week. I go through the explanation yet again of what the manufacturer and the xfinity devices pages state. It clearly states “This device is compatible with your service download speed of 600 Mbps.” He says that due to Covid restrictions he’s unable to schedule a tech then goes to send signals to my modem again before I disconnect because it’s been nearly 2 hours.

6/20/20 – 9:30am

Shut down modem and disconnected power for 1 minute.

Powered modem back on and waited for solid connection light.

Connected CAT6 cable to laptop gigabit ethernet port directly to modem.

Ran speed tests;

Xfinity – 338.9Mbps down 17.8Mbps up – 9:31am

DSLReports – 173.2Mbps down 13.62Mbps up – 9:31am

DSLReports – 153.3Mbps down 17.02Mbps up – 9:33am

DSLReports – 152.4Mbps down 16.96Mbps up – 9:34am

Xfinity – 381.1Mbps down 17.9Mbps up – 9:35am

DSLReports – 146.7Mbps down 16.11Mbps up – 9:37am

Google – 166.0Mbps down 16.9Mbps up - 9:39am

Speedtest.net – 161.82Mbps down 17.83Mbps up - 9:40am

6/20/20 - 11am call

Automated service mentions errors and restarts modem.

Call back after restart and talk to live agent J who confirms that modem should get 845Mbps based on what Xfinity site is showing.

Running tests. No timeout found. Responds to ping. DOCSIS integrity is green.

States that modem upstream channel power level very low. Yellow. Says that since it’s my own modem they don't control settings on the modem.

Asked about the signal from the pole and remind her that the last tech that was here said he needed to get a bucket truck here since signal from pole was weak. She said it could be and agreed somebody was here on the 6th and 14th. Person on 14th closed ticket it sounds like even though he told me he was escalating for a bucket truck.

J escalated to supervisor. Seems to be problem with connection from pole to house according to her and the supervisor she spoke to. Sending tech to check today before 8pm.

1:45pm tech shows up on my security cameras but has not called me before or after.

No idea what was done or found, but my service is as it has been for the last 20 days...