Should I Update My Internet Modem
Your modem needs to update its firmware whenever the manufacturer bug a new version of it. New versions of firmware will be released when your modem manufacturer fixes a issues or addresses a security business concern in your modem's software.
Past updating your modem'south firmware, y'all're improving both the security and performance of your modem.
And then how practice yous update your modem'south firmware?
The skilful news is, you're not responsible for updating your modem's firmware. Your isp (Internet access provider) will send firmware updates to your modem.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't pay attention to your modem'south firmware. In some cases, ISPs won't update your modem firmware every bit often as they should. Sometimes they won't update your firmware at all.
It's your job to brand sure that your Internet access provider is updating your modem's firmware.
In this mail I'll break down everything you need to know about updating your modem. We'll discuss:
- How your modem firmware is updated
- Where you can find your modem'south current firmware version
- How to determine what firmware version your modem should have
Allow's get going.
What is modem firmware?
Before nosotros go over the process of updating your firmware, let's offset from foursquare one.
What is your modem's firmware, exactly?
Your modem's firmware is the software that determines how your modem functions.
This includes:
- How information technology starts upward and shuts down
- How information technology connects to your Internet access provider to provide yous with an cyberspace connexion
- What the settings page looks like when y'all log in to your modem's settings
If y'all haven't noticed by now, it's a very important function of your modem. In fact, your modem won't work without it.
When you lot receive a modem, the firmware will come preloaded on it. That's because the manufacturer builds your modem with the firmware embedded on a calculator scrap in the device.
The only way your modem's firmware can be changed is by updating the firmware or installing brand new firmware on the device. Equally a user, y'all can't make any changes to how your modem's firmware functions.
Why should I update my modem firmware?
Making sure your modem'southward software is updated is very important.
Whatever time a software problems or security flaw is establish in your modem'southward code, the manufacturer will update the code for your modem and issue an update.
If your modem's firmware isn't updated, it won't receive any functioning or security updates that the modem manufacturer develops.
This includes new features likewise. If your modem manufacturer develops a new feature for your modem, you won't be able to use it unless you have the latest software.
Chances are, you paid expert coin for your modem. Even if yous're renting it and paying monthly. You want to make sure you lot're getting the best performance, features, and security to go with it.
Especially today with everyone emailing, banking, and shopping online, you want to make sure your net connection is every bit secure as possible.
How to update your modem firmware
When information technology comes to updating your modem, there'due south good news and bad news.
The good news is that the process for updating your modem doesn't require as much endeavour as updating your router does. In fact, updating your modem requires no activity on your function at all.
That's right. You read that correctly.
You aren't responsible for updating your modem. Your Internet service provider is.
Ok then if that's the practiced news, what'south the bad news?
Before nosotros go into that, permit's interruption down how the modem update procedure happens.
How does your ISP update your modem firmware?
Any fourth dimension your modem manufacturer issues an update to your modem's firmware, they send it to your Isp.
From there, information technology'south your Internet service provider'south job to make sure your modem gets updated.
Earlier the update is pushed to your modem over your net connection, there'due south more than to be done.
When an Internet service provider gets a firmware update for a specific modem, they accept to bank check and test it. Kickoff and foremost, your Internet service provider needs to make certain that the internet connection between the ISP and the modem possessor (you) however works properly subsequently the update.
Once the modem update has been tested and everything works properly, your Isp will event the firmware update.
This firmware update will only impact the modems connected to the Isp of that specific make and model. In other words, your modem will just be updated if your manufacturer issued an update for your specific model. All other modems connected to the ISP won't be updated.
When your modem receives the update, it'll automatically install it.
This'll all be invisible to you. The only way to know if your modem was updated is to cheque the firmware version on the device, which we'll get to later.
Ok. So before I mentioned there was bad news when it comes to updating your modem.
Now that I've described how your modem should be upgraded, let'southward take a look at the downside.
The bad news virtually modem updates
What's bad nearly your ISP updating your modem for you? It seems similar a pretty piece of cake process.
The problem with your Internet access provider being in charge of updating your modem is that your modem doesn't always get updated similar information technology should.
This can exist peculiarly true when your internet program isn't with a large provider. For case, I'm talking about the major players similar AT&T, Comcast/Xfinity, Verizon, or Cox Communications.
Allow'due south looks at it from an ISPs perspective.
They have thousands of customers, and their customers all have different modems.
Some modems are brand new.
While others are older.
Some are made by large manufacturers.
While others are made from smaller, less well known manufacturers.
The bottom line is that there could be thousands of different modems connected to a given ISP. As a event, it makes it really difficult to manage all of these modem updates.
Let's say you have an older modem that's non very popular.
Is your Internet access provider going to spend a lot of effort testing and checking modem updates for that modem if only a small number of their customers have that same model?
I don't remember so.
Another affair to go along in mind is that checking and testing modem updates costs your Internet access provider money.
Are they going to spend money to have updates tested for a modem that only a small number of their customers have?
Especially if you have an internet plan with a smaller ISP. They may non have a budget for testing that other, larger ISPs have.
Hopefully y'all can see the bigger picture here.
The bottom line is that yous don't have the same corporeality of control over your modem updates because your ISP is responsible for updating it.
As a result, all ISPs don't update modems like they should.
How to tell if your modem firmware has been updated
If your ISP isn't going to update yous modem when they should, you demand to know about it.
So how practice yous go about confirming that y'all take the most updated version of firmware on your modem?
The first thing to do is bank check what firmware version your modem currently has.
How to bank check your modem'due south current firmware version
In order to check what version of firmware is currently installed on your router, you'll need to access your modem'due south settings.
In gild to go to your modem's settings, you'll need to know your modem's IP address.
Decide your modem'due south IP accost
Don't worry if you're not sure what your modem's IP accost is. You tin usually find your modem'south IP accost listed on a sticker on the actual device.
For case, I accept a Netgear CM600 modem. On the bottom of my modem there's a sticker that lists its IP address.
Equally yous can encounter, my IP address is 192.168.100.one. Most modems should take a similar IP address.
If you lot don't know your IP address and your modem doesn't take a sticker on it, you should try looking online. Modems are shipped with default IP addresses, and at that place are many resources online that list what those default addresses are.
For example, this site details the mutual IP addresses for Netgear modem's like mine. Just do a Google search for the make and model of your modem and you lot should be able to find its default IP address.
Log in to your modem'due south settings
Once y'all've determined your modem'due south IP address, type it into your cyberspace browser'due south search bar.
This'll bring yous to your modem's login folio.
Log in to your modem with the username and countersign you created for information technology.
If you haven't created a username and password, yous can log in with the default values that come up with the modem.
How do you know what the default values are?
Luckily, this data is listed on your modem as well. Only take a look at the same sticker you looked at to find your modem's IP address.
If I hadn't changed my default password, I'd be able to log in to my modem using "password" as my password.
If you lot don't have these default values listed on your modem, you can most likely find them online. Similar to your modem's default IP accost, you should be able to find the default username and countersign for your make and model too.
Equally a security note, if you haven't changed the default password for your modem to a custom password, you demand to. Every bit I mentioned, the default countersign for your modem can be constitute online, which means anyone with access to your network would exist able to get to your modem's settings.
Changing the default countersign of your modem volition help keep hackers and bad actors from being able to mess with your modem'southward settings. Simply changing the countersign abroad from the default goes a long mode towards making your modem more than secure.
This is very important. Take the few minutes to modify your modem'due south countersign if you oasis't washed so already.
Check the firmware version installed on your modem
Ok, now you've logged in to your modem.
The next step is to see what version of firmware is installed on your device.
Thankfully, this is easy to find.
Right when I log in to my modem, the firmware version is listed right on the domicile page.
As you can meet, the firmware version installed on my modem is V1.01.22.
If you have a different brand and model of modem, your firmware version may not exist listed on the Habitation page. Equally a outcome, I'll show you another mode of accessing this information in your modem's settings.
Even if your modem is a different make and model, the steps to notice out the firmware version of your device should be similar.
In my case, I can find my firmware version simply by clicking the Advanced tab.
Once on the Advanced tab, my modem'southward firmware version is clearly listed.
Now you know what version of firmware is installed on your modem.
Detect the latest version of firmware for your modem
Ok so you know the firmware version of your modem.
The question is: is this the most contempo version of firmware that your modem's manufacturer has released?
There's only 1 way to observe out.
We demand to go to the source to see what the latest firmware version for your modem is.
In this example the source is your modem manufacturer's website. That should give united states the information we're looking for.
I'll use my modem as an instance. Every bit a reminder, my modem is a Netgear CM600 modem.
My modem's manufacturer is Netgear, so I did an internet search for Netgear's website.
I accessed the Back up section of Netgear's website and was able to access the back up folio for my CM600 modem. Within this page, in that location was a header for firmware and software downloads.
Here'due south what information was listed in this section.
This section says that firmware upgrades are provided past the Internet access provider. We're well enlightened of this at this point.
I wanted more information, and so I clicked the provided "Noesis Base" link.
The "Noesis Base" provided a list of the latest firmware for all of Netgear's modems. This was exactly what I was looking for.
Here'southward what information technology showed for my CM600 modem.
As you can see, depending upon your ISP you may take a different version of firmware.
My internet plan is with Comcast, so it looks like my modem firmware should be version V1.01.22.
What a relief.
As we determined in the previous steps, I saw that my modem has firmware V1.01.22 installed. This means that my ISP is updating my modem like they should.
As a effect, there'southward no further action at this bespeak. I simply need to cheque back in a few months to come across if a newer version of firmware has been released.
What to practice if your modem firmware is outdated
In my instance, my modem's firmware matches the latest version released by the manufacturer.
What if this wasn't the example? What can you lot do?
In that location are a few things you tin can practise if your modem firmware doesn't lucifer the latest version.
We'll have a expect at each one and then you accept a good idea of what your options are.
Reboot your modem
If your modem says it has an old firmware version, the first affair to try is to reboot your modem.
When yous restart your modem, it runs through multiple checks when information technology powers up.
1 of those checks is to run across if the latest firmware version is running on the modem.
If the modem isn't running the latest version of firmware, it'll get the updated firmware from your Internet service provider and install it.
Essentially what you're doing when you reboot your modem is forcing your modem to double check its firmware. If it'south out of engagement, it should update automatically as long as the ISP has issued the firmware update.
Once your modem has powered dorsum up, check the firmware version again by following the process I previously outlined.
If the firmware is still outdated, try contacting your ISP.
Contact your Internet access provider
When it comes to your ISP, sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
If your modem'south firmware is outdated and rebooting your modem didn't update information technology, give your ISP a telephone call.
On some occasions information technology may take them a while to issue a firmware update subsequently it'due south released. If yous phone call your ISP you can get a status of the firmware update. They should be able to tell you if they're working on the update or non.
If enough customers call looking for a modem update, it might motivate them to go the the update released sooner.
On the other hand, they may tell you that they won't be updating your modem'south firmware. If that's the case, y'all tin can either look into getting a new Isp or purchase a new modem.
Notice a new ISP or buy a new modem
Let's say you've tried rebooting your modem and calling your ISP.
Rebooting your modem didn't work, and your Internet access provider said they won't by updating your modem.
What do you do now?
I would advise taking one of ii actions. You tin:
- Try to notice a new ISP
- Buy (or hire) a new modem
It's non safe for you to accept a modem that isn't updated, because information technology can leave you open to some serious security concerns. You lot need to have activeness.
Detect a new ISP
If your electric current Isp won't update your modem, maybe there's some other 1 that will.
Depending upon where you live, you might have a few dissimilar ISPs to cull from. If your ISP says they won't update your modem, it might be worth calling their competitor to see if they'll update your modem's firmware.
For some people this won't be an option, as in that location'south simply one major cyberspace provider in the expanse. This is the example for me. There'southward only one ISP that provides coverage to my area, so my easily are tied on this front.
With that said, this isn't the case for everyone. It might exist worth taking a few minutes to run across if there's another Internet service provider that can both provide you with cyberspace and update your modem.
Buy (or hire) a new modem
If your ISP won't update your modem, it'southward well-nigh likely that:
- The Internet access provider y'all're using isn't a major provider
- Your modem is erstwhile or an uncommon make and model
If you don't want to modify your ISP (or there'southward no ISP in your area) and you desire your modem to receive updates, y'all don't have much of a choice. You'll have to alter your modem.
One option is to rent a modem from your ISP. Renting a modem will merely nigh guarantee that it'll receive firmware updates. That'south because ISPs won't rent out modems that they don't update.
This comes with some tradeoffs though. Rented modems from the Internet service provider are unremarkably modem and router combination devices, and they don't usually offer equally many features every bit standalone modems and routers do.
On pinnacle of that, renting a modem tin can be expensive considering y'all're paying for it every calendar month.
If you buy a new modem that'south a popular make and model, it'll about likely receive updates from the Isp because a lot of their customers volition accept the same model that you do. On superlative of that, buying your own modem volition be cheaper than renting a modem in the long run.
The bottom line here is that you desire your modem to go firmware updates when they go bachelor. Whether you find a new Isp or change out your modem, just make sure that your modem will become updated.
Wrap upward
I can't say it enough. Your modem needs to be receiving firmware updates.
Although at that place may exist less to do on your end when it comes to updating your modem, that doesn't hateful yous should plow a blind eye.
You all the same demand to cheque to make sure your modem is being updated. The risk is too corking from a security standpoint non to. On tiptop of that, you don't want your cyberspace operation suffering because your ISP won't update your modem.
If you lot have any questions or you would like to share your personal experiences with your modem updates, please feel complimentary to drop a comment below.
If you found this material interesting, check out some relevant posts I've previously written:
What is a Modem Router Combo?
Why Do Modems Need to Be Rebooted?
How to Update Your Router: The Ultimate Guide
Does Your Modem Bear upon Your Internet Speed?
Does a Modem Accept an IP Accost?
Source: https://network-from-home.com/home-network/how-to-update-modem-firmware/
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