It helps to have a cable modem that somehow got souped up beyond the normal limits (I honestly don't have a clue why Road Runner is running at faster than T-1 download speed). Simplicity is also a key (no crazy graphics on my end; I'm a plain kind of guy :)
I got a cable modem recently and cannot believe the speed. I consistently run at 1.5 Mbs which makes my connection one of the fastest in the world. You can check your connection speed by going to any number of free speed tests on the web (just type "speed test" into a search engine or just
go here).
Which ties into this fundraising thread. By switching to cable, I was able to cancel my second phone line which was $30 a month. Now Free Republic is getting that money.