Tweaking A Cable Modem

Does anyone know how to tweak firmware on an NTL Cable Modem ? Ive been a 10meg customer for a year or so now, and all of a sudden over the past 4 weeks, my speeds have dropped to 3.5meg max downstream, .5meg max upstream regardless of time of day. an online tech advisor told me yesterday an engineer may be required, but im having trouble believing that one to be honest. Cant really afford to take a day off work when its a bandwidth problem and not a modem fault. Anyone any suggestions ?

dj

Cable can be heavily contended at the tap/UBR.

There are only really 3/4 templates used in the UK on cable modems and unless you have been given a 4meg template which they cannot replace over the wire (i.e. the modem has failed in some way and is not accepting the docsis profile push) then it really sounds like an area problem.

There are some sites explaining how to tftp a new profile to your modem, but most are related to trying to scab more bandwidth than you pay for hence if you find them, then good on you, but I am not going to publish them.