If your internet has begun to act up or not seem to work as well as it once did, you will naturally be looking for a cause. Before you begin browsing the latest Spectrum compatible modems, you need to ask yourself: when was the last time that you updated your modem’s drivers?
Modem drivers are essential in allowing the operating system to work properly and, just as technology continually changes, you need to be sure that your modem’s drivers are keeping up with the times. Here’s how you can update your modem drivers in Windows 10.
What is a Driver?
Let’s take a quick look at what a modem driver is. A modem works by gathering data from your system and transmitting the data over telephone lines, fiber optic cables, or cable lines in order to deliver the data to another modem.
The driver itself is a piece of code that tells the data transfer to happen. The information is coded in between modems and unencrypted at the receiving modem.
Why Update Drivers?
Drivers need to be kept updated because of how much and how quickly technology changes. Drivers can include updates that correct any mishaps in code previously written, as well as helping keep your network safe from any new threats that could be headed your way. Updating your driver allows it to take in new information about any threats or malware that could be headed your way.
Updating your Modem Driver
In order to update your modem driver in Windows 10, to make sure that is using the latest technology, you need to do the following:
- Click on the Start button on the lower left-hand corner.
- Scroll down to Settings and click on it.
- Under settings, go to the Devices link.
- Here you should see Phone/Modem options.
- Select your modem and then the Driver tab.
- Click on Update Driver Software
- There should then be an update wizard to help walk you through the full updating process.
Alternatively, if you want to be certain that your modem has received all of its driver updates, you can go to the modem’s website and see what the latest update was and whether you already have it. You should also reboot the computer in order to make sure the new driver has succeeded.
Troubleshooting
Once in a while, a modem driver might not be working well itself. If you downloaded a new driver, recently updated your operating system, or if your driver isn’t working with new software provided by your ISP, then you might need to review your modem driver.
In the case that you just downloaded a new driver and it is not working correctly, the driver might have been corrupted or damaged during the download, but it could also be an indication of malware on your computer. In any of these cases, the safest course of action is to re-install the modem driver. You can do that by following the steps that we listed out above.
When all else fails, it is time to contact the manufacturer for your modem and do some troubleshooting with their customer service as well. They should be able to walk through it with you and figure out what is really going on.
About Nick
Nick is a Software Engineer. He has interest in gadgets and technical stuffs. If you are facing any problem with your Windows, feel free to ask him.