Computers & Electronics

Class action lawsuit launched over Intel Puma 6 cable modem chipset

  • Last Updated:
  • Dec 6th, 2017 3:34 pm
Deal Addict
Feb 29, 2012
2654 posts
1461 upvotes
Richmond

Class action lawsuit launched over Intel Puma 6 cable modem chipset

The Intel Puma 6 chipset used in almost all cable modems of recent vintage suffers from a design defect that causes random bursts of high latency. Intel has tried to provide a partial fix in firmware, but manufacturers using the chipset (such as Cisco, Hitron, and Arris) have been slow to roll it out. Now Arris is being hit with a class action lawsuit over it:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/04/11 ... a_6_arris/

While it's easy to spot the defect with a simple test (e.g., see http://www.dslreports.com/tools/puma6), it actually doesn't affect routine internet surfing and downloading very much. It has more effect on applications sensitive to latency, such as gaming and voip communications. Nevertheless customers have been irritated at cable companies like Rogers and Shaw over their lack of urgency addressing the issue. It will be interesting to see how the U.S. lawsuit turns out.
1 reply
Deal Addict
Sep 12, 2017
2483 posts
284 upvotes
Just as I'm about to order an Ebox service, learn that the modems they provide also have the intel puma 6 chipset. Referring to the hitron cda3 modem they are providing among others. Seems the newer docsis 3.1 modems don't have this issue such as Technicolor TC4400.

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