Cable Modem Suggestion?

[irev210]

After years of suckling the Verizon FiOS teat, I unfortunately moved to an area which is served by Time Warner Cable.

 

Thankfully they have upgraded most of their network, and are giving free speed upgrades like candy. I'm paying for "Turbo", which is 20 down/2 up, and getting close to 60 down/10 up, with my own Netgear N450 modem+wifi.

 

Unfortunately there is a lot of wifi interference in my building, and I'm looking to upgrade my modem with a dual band option, 5ghz/2.4ghz. I am not opposed to replacing the N450 with a standard modem and an external access point, but am trying to save money.

 

What modem + WIFI or modem + AP would you recommend? 

 

*edit*

 

To add, thanks to TWC's custom firmware, there is NO WAY to physically disable WIFI from the N450. The best you can do is disable SSID broadcast, but there is no toggle to disable.

 

I would go with:

 

SB6183 (not out yet, but will be out shortly)

+

T-Mobile cellspot (or RT-AC68)

or

R7000

 

OR

the Netgear C6300-100NAS

 

I wouldn't get anything but a 16 channel modem at this point, just wait it out until you can get one - especially on TWC where you can get the 300mbit service with 16 downstream channels.

[lilotimz]

I would go with:

 

SB6183 (not out yet, but will be out shortly)

+

T-Mobile cellspot (or RT-AC68)

or

R7000

 

OR

the Netgear C6300-100NAS

 

I wouldn't get anything but a 16 channel modem at this point, just wait it out until you can get one - especially on TWC where you can get the 300mbit service with 16 downstream channels.

Utterly breaks his $180 budget.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[irev210]

Utterly breaks his $180 budget.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

Missed the $180 budget part.

 

The benefit of spending $200 over $180 is pretty significant, though.  I couldn't imagine dropping the cash for a cable modem and not getting 16 channel.

 

I guess I would get a used RT-AC66 or something for the remainder.

[Deval]

Yeah then the N66 would be fine. I ended up upgrading because I have lan parties and there is simply a ton of network traffic during that time and my N66 just couldn't handle a bunch of dudes transferring ..stuff.. constantly while keeping the internet connection hiccup free. How do you like the Synology NAS? I have a Thecus NAS but the customer support is atrocious and if this unit fails again (2 RMAs so far) I will probably look elsewhere.

 

It's being delivered today. I picked up the DS214Play from Amazon for $350, and have a 3TB WD Red and 2TB WD Black that I'm going to put in there for...stuff...

 

I'll front end that with an Intel NUC hooked up to my TV to watch the NAS media, web streams, Facebook, photo albums, etc. 

[Deval]

Missed the $180 budget part.

 

The benefit of spending $200 over $180 is pretty significant, though.  I couldn't imagine dropping the cash for a cable modem and not getting 16 channel.

 

I guess I would get a used RT-AC66 or something for the remainder.

 

 

On Amazon the SB6183 goes for $130, which is still decent, but I'm wondering if TWC will "unlock" those speeds for me. With my existing N450, the highest I have seen on the downlink was 70mbps, nowhere near the 100/10 which is the upgrade for Turbo users.

 

I live in a 9 floor building with 53 other tenants, all using TWC because Verizon can't get into the door yet. Although I did get an email that they are negotiating with the owners now. They have fiber on the block, on the poles, but can't get an entrance in.

[irev210]

On Amazon the SB6183 goes for $130, which is still decent, but I'm wondering if TWC will "unlock" those speeds for me. With my existing N450, the highest I have seen on the downlink was 70mbps, nowhere near the 100/10 which is the upgrade for Turbo users.

 

I live in a 9 floor building with 53 other tenants, all using TWC because Verizon can't get into the door yet. Although I did get an email that they are negotiating with the owners now. They have fiber on the block, on the poles, but can't get an entrance in.

 

Yeah, I would take the extra 8 channels to spread the load.  My friend in CA just got upgraded to MAX and he is getting a healthy 250mbit now (up from 70-100mbit before) with his SB6183.  Nice modem.

[exadyne]

Can you turn the router part off and use the N450 as just a modem to a new router? The N450 already is DOCSIS 3.0, not much point on buying anything now since no one is selling DOCSIS 3.1 modems.

[ahecht]

The $99 cellspot is out of stock, and will be $199 when they restock.

[COZisBack]

Alright, that could work.

 

Checking Amazon, the N66 goes for $130, and the SB6141 goes for $88.

Please don't spend that much for either. You can get a RT-N66 for $80 on New Egg and the SB6141 was just $68 on Woot yesterday.

[Deval]

Yeah, I would take the extra 8 channels to spread the load.  My friend in CA just got upgraded to MAX and he is getting a healthy 250mbit now (up from 70-100mbit before) with his SB6183.  Nice modem.

 

If I were to pay $10 more a month from Turbo to Extreme, TWC would upgrade me to 200/20.

 

I honestly don't think it is worth it though. 

[Deval]

Can you turn the router part off and use the N450 as just a modem to a new router? The N450 already is DOCSIS 3.0, not much point on buying anything now since no one is selling DOCSIS 3.1 modems.

 

I don't think so, the firmware that TWC loads really dumbs it down. I had to find a backdoor settings page online just to disable the WPS PIN.

[Deval]

Please don't spend that much for either. You can get a RT-N66 for $80 on New Egg and the SB6141 was just $68 on Woot yesterday.

 

Alright, I'm not going to make the jump just yet, but I don't see the RT-N66 for $80, shows $100 after rebate here.

[COZisBack]

Alright, I'm not going to make the jump just yet, but I don't see the RT-N66 for $80, shows $100 after rebate here.

Give me a little while and I'll get you taken care of.

[Deval]

Give me a little while and I'll get you taken care of.

 

Good looks buddy!

[Ascertion]

I don't want to hijack - but is there a modem that's docsis 3.0 compatible with telephony support?  I need the landline to work. lol

[irev210]

If I were to pay $10 more a month from Turbo to Extreme, TWC would upgrade me to 200/20.

 

I honestly don't think it is worth it though. 

 

That's because your area hasn't been upgraded to MAXX yet.

 

When TWC upgrades you, you will be upgraded free of charge from 100mbit to 300mbit (like my friend just was).

 

You need the SB6183 to get those 300mbit speeds.

 

Read more here:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/twc

 

Getting a 16 channel modem is all about future proofing when you get the free upgrade to MAXX.

[COZisBack]

Good looks buddy!

 

Looks like NE is out of stock on the RT-N66R: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320154R

 

That was the best deal. But you can still pick it up for about $100 if you want it in white to match your modem: http://www.amazon.com/RT-N66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B006QB1RPY/ref=sr_1_1?m=A2L77EE7U53NWQ&s=merchant&ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=1-1&keywords=RT-N68

 

Here is the best deal on the modem right now: http://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-Motorola-SurfBoard-SB6141-DOCSIS/dp/B00AJHDZSI/ref=sr_1_1?m=A2L77EE7U53NWQ&s=merchant&ie=UTF8&qid=1411074006&sr=1-1&keywords=SB6141

[COZisBack]

I don't want to hijack - but is there a modem that's docsis 3.0 compatible with telephony support?  I need the landline to work. lol

 

Drop the telephony support and sign up for Ooma.

 

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/ooma.com

[exadyne]

Ah, I thought the N450 was yours. If you owned it outright, I couldn't see why you'd bother spending on a new one at this point, but since it is TWC's modem, yeah you're probably better off getting one of the surfboards list by others.

[gnoj]

For anybody who thinks they wouldn't benefit from an AC router if they don't have any matching clients, I'd recommend reading this. Much like the old debate between 720p and 1080p TVs, even if you can't make out the higher resolution of the latter from your viewing distance, picture quality may be improved with the pricier set due to other factors (i.e. contrast ratio, brightness). In the case of AC routers, they may have faster CPUs, higher PA current, or higher-gain antennas than their N counterparts. 

 

Asus routers are no doubt great, but they have gotten a bit expensive. If your budget is firm, then I'd give the TP-Link a good look. It is a well-reviewed AC1750 router that's under $100, less than the N66U, so I think it's worth a try. If it works well, it will also leave you a bit more future-proofed should you opt for anything faster than the 100 Mbps tier in the future. 2x2 40 MHz 802.11n ("N300") will top out at about 180 Mbps with a full signal, whereas AC867 could get up to around 500 Mbps of real-world throughput. As you can tell from SNB's review of that router, the range is not the best (but fine for your apartment), but throughput is good. Wireless performance will probably be slightly better with the new TP-Link Archer C8 (that uses a tried-and-true Broadcom SoC rather than QCA), but it's another $30 (same as the N66U), and I haven't seen any professional reviews for it yet.

 

As for the modem, the more channels the better, but if you're sure that you won't be upgrading beyond 100/10 anytime soon, then either 8x4 modem (Motorola SB6141 or Zoom 5341J) will serve you well until the first hybrid D3/D3.1 modems are released in 2016. I use an SB6141 (since there were no 16-channel standalone modems at the time I bought it last summer) and it works flawlessly with Comcast's 105/20 tier.

 

So I like Brad's combo for you: Zoom 5341J ($69.99) + TP-Link Archer C7 ($98.47) = $168.46. For another $17 you could get the SB6141 which may have slightly better build quality and offers more in-depth diagnostic pages, but either should get the job done up to 100/10. The modems should also theoretically support 200/20, but it appears TWC may only provision that much bandwidth to a 16-channel modem.

 

If you're getting 60/10 with your current N450 router or gateway, you've likely already been provisioned for the full 100/10. On the 2.4 band with lots of neighbors nearby, you're likely limited to a 20 MHz channel. That normally only offers 45-55 Mbps to 1x1 devices (72 Mbps PHY link rate), or 90-100 Mbps (144 Mbps link rate) to 2x2 clients in an interference-free environment, but will be less in your case. You should definitely be able to get your full 100 Mbps speed with a 5GHz network.

 

I don't want to hijack - but is there a modem that's docsis 3.0 compatible with telephony support?  I need the landline to work. lol

 

I think VoIP offers the best bang for the buck (I have Ooma myself), but if you really want to stick to cable telephony, then there's the 8x4 Arris TM822G, or the upcoming 16x4-24x8 TM1602 if you're willing to wait for it.

 

Disclaimer: I do not know TWC's owned EMTA policy. I know Comcast supports these devices, but TWC may or may not require you to rent an EMTA or gateway for telephone service, as most Comcast franchises did until recently. Check with your ISP's local office before springing for an EMTA.

[bmoses]

Just to add on the zoom modem, I have Mediacom internet on their 150 down 20 up package and I've seen speeds as high as 170 down. They will eventually offer a 305 down package and that modem will work with that as well.

[Oakley707]

All I have to say is that I have Extreme Internet from TWC in my hometown (just outside Columbus, OH) and get 30/5 speeds just as advertised.  I sure am jealous of your speeds from TWC... I wonder when our neck of the woods will get upgraded.

 

I agree with everyone above though.  I have the SB6141 and Asus RT-N66R combination which has worked flawlessly with my BuffaloNAS (LS421DE930).

[ab30494]

I don't want to hijack - but is there a modem that's docsis 3.0 compatible with telephony support?  I need the landline to work. lol

only one i know of is with the phone from cable. I have COX, and the phone/modem is docsis 3.0. Get good speeds from it.

 the phone/modem COX uses is a cisco. I believe it is wifi to, but i rather use a separate router 

this is the router i use

 

http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-AC1900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B00F0DD0I6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1411101671&sr=8-2&keywords=netgear+router

 

the highest i got so far was 199 mbps down and 50 up

[floorguy]

i have an asus router, and its pretty good...but i need a range extender.....my wires are all downstairs and so is the router...

 

but i should have better then fringe signal on the edges of my yard.....pretty basic yard.....

 

so whats a good extender???

[jonathanm1978]

i have an asus router, and its pretty good...but i need a range extender.....my wires are all downstairs and so is the router...

 

but i should have better then fringe signal on the edges of my yard.....pretty basic yard.....

 

so whats a good extender???

 

 

I would look at the Netgear. I personally used a WN3000RPv2. That particular one may not be for sale yet in retail outlets, but you should be able to find it online if it's not..The NDA expired back in July, so i can discuss how GREAT that thing performed...I've never seen wireless extend that far with a single device before. It's only got 2.4, but they do make some 2.4+5 options as well.

I'm not sure what chip is in the WN3000RPv2, but that thing puts out stronger than ANYTHING I have on my property. I extended about 200ft with it and it worked flawlessly for more than a couple months that way...without ever having to go in and do anything at all. From initial hook-up to time I unplugged it (only unplugged it so I could test another one in the same manner)...I never had to even log into the set-up page. It kept signal without fail, never lost internet...and just worked..

 

You might want to look into the powerline adapters also. I have a set of Netgear Powerline adapters...and also a TP-Link set of powerline adapters.

The netgear set I have doesn't have wireless and strictly does powerline, but the client PLA has a gigabit port + 3 10/100 ports on bottom (gigabit port is on the side).

 

The TP-Link set I have has wireless built in. So with it, you establish your powerline connection (connect 1 near router, run cat 5 to it..connect other where you need internet, then press the two security buttons so they "link" themselves to each other)...and once you set that up, you log into the device management page of the TPlink, and set your SSID for the wireless, if you so desire to have it. It does powerline + AP wireless on the client side...so you have more option than just hooking up wired clients in an area that may need wifi. If you'd like model numbers let me know. I'm sure the NDA is up for both the Netgear PLA and the TP-Link PLA + Wifi.