Broadband access has become so ubiquitous that you can get this high-speed Internet connection almost everywhere. Most users rely on a cable modem or a Digital Subscriber Line modem for obtaining this fast connection, and these modems are almost always external. That means that these modems will take up some extra desk space, but it also makes it easier to find out what’s wrong and troubleshoot the devices.

Cable Internet access typically offers transfer speeds of 1Mbps or more that’s at least 20 times faster than the speediest dial-up modem. As their name implies, cable modems connect to the same coaxial cable that brings you your TV signal. Most of them then connect to your computer either via an Ethernet or a USB connection, or going through network router.

On The Outside
You can glean a lot of information about your cable modem just by looking at it. For example, the manufacturer name and model number will be on the device somewhere, usually on a sticker on the back. This can come in handy when you’re searching online for updates or troubleshooting help.

The front of the cable modem usually features a series of indicator lights; the most commonly used ones say Power, Cable, Data, Ethernet, and USB. The Cable light might also be called an Online light on some modems, and the Data light is sometimes divided into two lights for uploads and downloads. These LEDs can also be quite helpful when you’re troubleshooting as they will flash (or not flash) differently as a way of delivering error messages.

The rear of the cable modem will have ports for the coaxial cable, a power supply, and Ethernet and USB cables. You’ll also often find a reset button.

When your cable modem is working as it should, most of the front lights will be illuminated. Either the Ethernet or USB light should be off, depending on which connection was used to hook the cable modem up to your PC. The Power light should naturally be glowing steadily as should the Cable light, which indicates you have a connection to your Internet service provider. The Data light or the upload/download lights will flash depending on your traffic. Even if you’re not actively browsing the Web or downloading a file, these lights may flash as an application on your computer might be sending small bits of data to a Web site or the cable provider might be broadcasting data across the network. Most of the time, this is innocent background noise, but make sure that you haven’t been infected by a virus by keeping your antivirus software up-to-date.

Problem Solving
Now that you know what your cable modem should be doing when it’s working properly, let’s talk about some scenarios where everything is not going quite as smoothly. Having an always-on connection usually means you’ll never have to worry about your Internet connection. But as anyone who’s ever had a broadband connection knows, always on can also mean sometimes off. Before you call your cable guy or gal, there are a number of do-it-yourself fixes you can try to keep your cable modem and broadband connection working at top speed.

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