Using Comcast broadband requires a certain level of capability from your computer
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Comcast is a supplier of broadband Internet service and services homes with Internet, digital phone and telecom services, such as cable television. If you are seeking to use Comcast broadband services as your Internet service provider (ISP), you may be curious as to what you need to make Comcast broadband a viable option for your home or business.
Cable Access
Your home must be in an area which Comcast services. Even the home has never been serviced for cable, Comcast will install your services for a small fee and run the cable is needed. If your home is not cable-ready, notify customer service that you will need cable run to your home as a first-time installation. The can take up to several hours, depending on where you want your cable outlet installed. Your installation technician will ask you for your preferences when they arrive to do the installation.
Signal Strength
For your broadband service to be a provider of Internet content, the cable relay installed in your neighborhood must be able to carry a strong enough signal to supply your household with the proper data exchange rate. Think of broadband service like water pressure: the more households that draw from a particular water supply, the lower the water pressure; broadband signals aren't any different. The technician that does your installation will check the quality of signal for your neighborhood and place a service assessment if your neighborhood relay needs updated hardware to strengthen the signal.
Modem
Comcast data signals must be translated for your PC. This is done by a cable modem which will be installed near your PC and will serve to translate the data signal from the neighborhood relay to your PC. Your cable modem will also help you monitor the quality of your service. A Comcast Internet modem will have a series of lights on the front which will blink on and off with the transfer of data and will blink at a particular rate if your cable signal is somehow compromised. Comcast will bill you monthly for the cable modem and the ISP service.
PC Capabilities
For broadband speeds of 20 megabits per second (Mbps) or 30 Mbps, you will need at least a 1 gigahertz (GHz) or higher 32- or 64-bit processor for Microsoft Windows 7, 300 megahertz (MHz) or higher for Windows XP, 1.5 for Vista or for a Mac operating system, at least a Power PC G3 or higher. Your memory must be at least a 1 gigabyte (GB) for Windows 7, 128 megabytes (MB) for Windows XP, 512 MB for Vista or 256 MB for a Mac OS. You must also have an Ethernet card installed. Your installation technician will check your PC for an Ethernet card during the install. Ethernet cards are standard on recent model PCs.
References
Photo Credits
- Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
