OT: tech nerds...need to buy a new modem/router
- Thread starter 1WVU
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What's your level of confidence in setting up devices, how much use will the Router get.
Don't get a Modem/Router combo. Get a separate Modem and a separate Router.
I install, sell, use a brand called Ubiquity. Commercial quality hardware and consumer level pricing. However, they are more difficult to setup and configure if you don't have much experience with Networks and hardware.
If it's just casual light usage, then pretty much any $100 router will do. Netgear, Linksys, etc.
I'm very limited in setup knowledge.
We use router for mobile devices mostly. Would like to be able to start streaming movies. I have a VUDU account that I currently don't use because movies always freeze up when watching.
What type of modem should I use if I separate the two devices? Don't want to rent one from Cox (current provider).
We use router for mobile devices mostly. Would like to be able to start streaming movies. I have a VUDU account that I currently don't use because movies always freeze up when watching.
What type of modem should I use if I separate the two devices? Don't want to rent one from Cox (current provider).
I have a router than I got long ago and I can't remember the logic for getting it. But my modem I got only a year or two ago because I got tired of paying TWC to rent one each month. On TWCs website it listed which modems would work so that's how I decided. Assuming Cox does the same I'd see what their website recommends and then maybe get a little nicer on than that so that it doesn't go obsolete too quickly.
That said, I don't know if a movie freezing up is a result of a slow modem or instead the results of an Internet connection that isn't fast enough. If your Internet connection isn't fast enough I don't think it matters what kind of modem you have.
The cable companies rely on people not paying a big chunk up front for a piece of equipment because it seems like a lot even though it saves money in the long run. So when I bought my modem a couple years ago I had to swallow a bit hard and shell out like $96 or so for it. But at $8-9 per month savings I'm probably already $100 ahead and getting more so each month.
I have TWC for Internet connection but for nothing else and I have no TWC equipment in my house. It feels freeing not having to rely on them or their equipment. As long as they keep my Internet juice flowing I can handle the rest.
The morning of the first full Saturday of college football season I got onto my Roku and ordered Sling TV (about 20 cable channels, including ESPN and ESPN2, for $20 per month). It took about three minutes and voila, I had the channels. After football season was over, it took three minutes to cancel I did it all right on my TV screen. No fees to start or stop Sling TV, just start it and pay $20 per month then stop it for no charge. It's liberating.
Prior to switching to Ubiquity I was going through routers like Candy. With 2 kids that play online games on the Xbox, wife and I watching Netflix, kids YouTube, my work, wife's work, residential grade routers were not able to handle all the traffic.
I've had a Ubiquity Edge Lite 3 Router running for the past year and haven't had to re-boot the device once. Combined with Ubiquity's Wireless Access Points, our speeds have never been rock solid. As most residential grade routers can't fully utilize some of the really high speeds offered by companies like Comcast.
I've had a Ubiquity Edge Lite 3 Router running for the past year and haven't had to re-boot the device once. Combined with Ubiquity's Wireless Access Points, our speeds have never been rock solid. As most residential grade routers can't fully utilize some of the really high speeds offered by companies like Comcast.
It may not be a router issue, could be your bandwidth from your service provider. Do you know your upload and download speeds? This has a lot to do with streaming beyond the router. A better router will help, but the bandwidth is a bigger issue.
If you only have 5 lbs of water pressure, a bigger hose won't help.
However, I have always had good luck with Netgear products, easy set up and very user friendly.
I thnk Arris is the brand of router I got. It works well. The TWC site tells you what kind of modem will work but I just went on the Cox site and it doesn't seem to tell you.
My service package is basic...up to 15 Mbps download speed, up to 2 Mbps upload speed.
I'll probably have to upgrade my service as well, I really want to try and cut the cord on satellite tv. But modem/router purchase is mainly because my internet drops at least once per day and my modem/router combo is old
Do this in stages to verify. Change out the modem/router first and see if it improves, small investment that will payoff either way. If it doesn't improve (service drops) you might want to put in a service call with your provider first to see if there is an issue. If that all fails then the upgrade would be a definite. Good luck.
lol I know. But I pay $60 for service now. Just kills me to pay that for internet. Upgrade service is $75. And now I feel old
I pay TWC $60 per month (total, taxes and all) and I get I think 50 or 60. 15 sounds really low. Maybe you just have an especially crappy provider but $60 for 15 sounds bad.
Spending the money for the equipment kinda sucks but if you get good equipment then you have it a long time. I just recently bought an Ooma. It's Internet phone. It cost $90 plus I had to pay $40 to have my phone number ported to it. So I'm out $130. But OTOH my phone bill now is $4.50 per month, taxes and all. And actually it's all taxes because using Ooma is otherwise free. I'm saving $15 per month compared to what I was paying for Vonage. So I'm in the hole now but after nine months I'll be even and forever after that I'll make money every month.
The same deal goes with a modem and a router. Get a good one, pay the cost up front, and down they road your costs will be recouped several-fold.