Cable modem - router questions

[gnmwilliams]

That's another good way to do it if you have a sprawling house. I have a few ethernet drops, and some machines are wired.

 

BTW... the Asus will also work as a print server for a USB printer.

And as a network attached storage device. Hello 2TB external hard drive! I heard that the Asus is also easy to set up port forwarding on. This would be beneficial for those who would like to have an internet connected security camera or webcam so they can dial in from outside so to speak.

Edited March 28, 2013 by gnmwilliams

[2.ooohhh]

Thanks on the suggestions so far.   That Asus router is more $ than I hoped to spend but if the signal strength super then it might be a cost wash by eliminating the need to get an extender for a less powerful router.   If I'm still looking at having to get an extender even for the Asus to get the signal outside to my porch, then is it really worth the extra cost in your opinion?   

 

with external antenneas that you can change out to better fit your application you shouldn't need any "extenders" in most applications.  I've connected to wifi networks from several miles away, all it takes is the right antennas. ;)

 

Longest distance I've sucessfully connected over was 4.1 miles with an off the shelf linksys router flashed with DD-WRT and the antennea setup below, a co-workers setup beat my best by nearly a mile. 

[Jesse]

Im on my second router in 13 years. They last a long time. $7 a month to rent x 7 years = $588

Spend $50 to buy one and be done with it.

[Sam1]

Thanks for the responses.  Based on this I will definitely be going with separate devices.  

 

I believe I'll be going with the Motorola SB6141 modem.   Still researching the router to buy.   I've put the Asus unit you guys have recommended above along with one recommended through a PM on my list so far.   Is it correct to assume units that have external antennas should provide more signal coverage/strength compared to internal ones?   Logic tells me this but that might not be true since it still comes down to power of signal being produced by the router.   Is there a specification term/number I can look for to help compare signal strength between routers?

 

 

Don't focus on internal vs external antennas, some internal antennas have a much stronger transmission signal.

[Oh Shoot]

The Motorola is fine. You just have to call them to get it activated

 

Don't have to call anymore.

 

I bought the SurfBoard 6141 back in Jan, and after hooking everything up, lights on modem and router seemed to indicate online status. Bemused, I opened the browser and it automagically routed me to Comcast activation service. Enter account number, MAC address and it provisions it. Kewl.

 

Got it on DeBay for $84 in hand, 'bout as good a price as I saw anywhere at the time. From this vendor (and it's even cheaper right now):

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Motorola-SurfBoard-SB6141-Cable-Modem-DOCSIS-3-0-Faster-than-the-SB6121-/330881667221?pt=PCC_Modems&hash=item4d0a159095

 

He's running auctions on them also.

 

Anyway, you start saving over the $7 month rental on the 12th month. I've never had a cable modem go bad, though they've had me swap one out twice, but of course I knew it wasn't the modem, and was right.

 

I'm still using a LinkSys 54G router for a long time now, haven't had any reason to upgrade.

 

- OS

Edited March 29, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[mikegideon]

Don't have to call anymore.

 

I bought the SurfBoard 6141 back in Jan, and after hooking everything up, lights on modem and router seemed to indicate online status. Bemused, I opened the browser and it automagically routed me to Comcast activation service. Enter account number, MAC address and it provisions it. Kewl.

 

Got it on DeBay for $84 in hand, 'bout as good a price as I saw anywhere at the time. From this vendor (and it's even cheaper right now):

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Motorola-SurfBoard-SB6141-Cable-Modem-DOCSIS-3-0-Faster-than-the-SB6121-/330881667221?pt=PCC_Modems&hash=item4d0a159095

 

He's running auctions on them also.

 

Anyway, you start saving over the $7 month rental on the 12th month. I've never had a cable modem go bad, though they've had me swap one out twice, but of course I knew it wasn't the modem, and was right.

 

I'm still using a LinkSys 54G router for a long time now, haven't had any reason to upgrade.

 

- OS

 

Doesn't work that way in Nashville. I had to call and give them my Mac address. SB 6121

[Oh Shoot]

Doesn't work that way in Nashville. I had to call and give them my Mac address. SB 6121

 

How long ago? Did you try browser first?

 

I've always had to do that in past, but things have changed here since, surely is same in big ole Nashville?

 

edit: here, I think you could have done it online, seems to be same for everyone now:

 

"You can activate your XFINITY services through a click of the mouse or by a simple phone call!"

 

"Online Activation

    Go online to www.comcast.com/activate to be connected to the XFINITY Activation Web page.
    For XFINITY Internet customers, you will automatically be connected to this page once you connect and power on your modem.

 

http://customer.comcast.com/help-and-support/phone/how-to-activate-your-self-install-devices/

 

They allow a pipe to that one place on an un-provisioned modem.
 

- OS

Edited March 29, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[Trekbike]

Don't focus on internal vs external antennas, some internal antennas have a much stronger transmission signal.

 

I was guessing that might be the case but don't know what numbers to compare.  Looking at the router boxes it doesn't appear to give a spec for transmission power the best I can tell.  

[2.ooohhh]

Don't focus on internal vs external antennas, some internal antennas have a much stronger transmission signal.

 

 

Sort of, but if you end up with a router with decent internal antennas and it still won't do the job you'll end up searching for a different router, or an extender.  Where as with external antenneas you can make the most of the router you have by otomizing it's antennea for the use you intend.

 

If you read my current setup above you'll see I have nothing against internal antennea (both my airport express routers use them exclusively) but if I was concerned with budget a set of high gain antennas on a lone router in the center of the coverage area would be the way to go over the cost of a router and 2 seperate WAPs to blanket the area more efficiently with signal.

[JeffL]

How long ago? Did you try browser first?

 

I've always had to do that in past, but things have changed here since, surely is same in big ole Nashville?

 

edit: here, I think you could have done it online, seems to be same for everyone now:

 

"You can activate your XFINITY services through a click of the mouse or by a simple phone call!"

 

"Online Activation

    Go online to www.comcast.com/activate to be connected to the XFINITY Activation Web page.
    For XFINITY Internet customers, you will automatically be connected to this page once you connect and power on your modem.

 

http://customer.comcast.com/help-and-support/phone/how-to-activate-your-self-install-devices/

 

They allow a pipe to that one place on an un-provisioned modem.
 

- OS

 

I replaced my modem a couple of months ago. I was prompted with the activation screen but it wouldn't actually work. Had to call them. Much to my shock, 10 minutes later without them fat fingering my MAC I was online.

[Oh Shoot]

I replaced my modem a couple of months ago. I was prompted with the activation screen but it wouldn't actually work. Had to call them. Much to my shock, 10 minutes later without them fat fingering my MAC I was online.

 

There was a good long delay when I did it, and it rebooted the modem at least twice, might well have taken 10 minutes or so.

 

- OS

[mikegideon]

How long ago? Did you try browser first?

 

I've always had to do that in past, but things have changed here since, surely is same in big ole Nashville?

 

edit: here, I think you could have done it online, seems to be same for everyone now:

 

"You can activate your XFINITY services through a click of the mouse or by a simple phone call!"

 

"Online Activation

    Go online to www.comcast.com/activate to be connected to the XFINITY Activation Web page.
    For XFINITY Internet customers, you will automatically be connected to this page once you connect and power on your modem.

 

http://customer.comcast.com/help-and-support/phone/how-to-activate-your-self-install-devices/

 

They allow a pipe to that one place on an un-provisioned modem.
 

- OS

 

A month of so. I tried the other way. Nashville isn't there yet

[piercedan]

You may have already seen this, but here is a page with some good router reviews.  The two Asus units that have been recommended are on there along with several other very good options.  It's CNET, so they've got a good reputation for information.

 

http://reviews.cnet.com/best-wireless-routers/

[Sam1]

Sort of, but if you end up with a router with decent internal antennas and it still won't do the job you'll end up searching for a different router, or an extender. Where as with external antenneas you can make the most of the router you have by otomizing it's antennea for the use you intend.

If you read my current setup above you'll see I have nothing against internal antennea (both my airport express routers use them exclusively) but if I was concerned with budget a set of high gain antennas on a lone router in the center of the coverage area would be the way to go over the cost of a router and 2 seperate WAPs to blanket the area more efficiently with signal.

It gets a lot more complex than that, an antenna helps reduce the resistance between the empty space and the devices, they don't actually gain power, it's only to help reduce the resistance (measured in various ways). Basically the only thing you can do with an antenna is shape the signal, and in a general home use setting, you want an isotropic configuration (unless doing a point to point from say the house to a cabin a few hundred feet away).

<edit> posted that while still half asleep sorry, it was meant to say that the majority of internal antennas are designed with isotropic mapping in mind only. Most external antennas have a variation, and that's why they allow you to move them around to try and adjust the map.

For generalizing it, the difference in internal/external antennas is a moot point because that's just the tip of the iceberg. I work with fairly low powered Cisco aironet 600's on a regular basis, that have much better coverage than my home router with nearly 8 times the transmission strentgh, and both with internal antennas. Edited March 29, 2013 by Sam1

[jgradyc]

I'm not an expert. Here's my experience. I have Comcast in Nashville (not the triple play). I bought the Motorola Surfboard SGB6580 from Best Buy for about $130 a year ago when my router went out. It works fine in the house and the signal will reach my RV roughly 130 feet away and through two non-brick walls, but the signal is weak.  It works fine on my deck about 50 feet away.  This modem will not work if you have Comcast phone service. If you get Comcast's phone service too you'll have to rent their proprietary modem for $7/month. 

 

FWIW: I just checked my broadband speed at speedtest.net. It's 25.28 Mbps with the laptop about 25 feet away through one interior wall.

Edited March 29, 2013 by jgradyc

[2.ooohhh]

It gets a lot more complex than that, an antenna helps reduce the resistance between the empty space and the devices, they don't actually gain power, it's only to help reduce the resistance (measured in various ways). Basically the only thing you can do with an antenna is shape the signal, and in a general home use setting, you want an isotropic configuration (unless doing a point to point from say the house to a cabin a few hundred feet away).

<edit> posted that while still half asleep sorry, it was meant to say that the majority of internal antennas are designed with isotropic mapping in mind only. Most external antennas have a variation, and that's why they allow you to move them around to try and adjust the map.

For generalizing it, the difference in internal/external antennas is a moot point because that's just the tip of the iceberg. I work with fairly low powered Cisco aironet 600's on a regular basis, that have much better coverage than my home router with nearly 8 times the transmission strentgh, and both with internal antennas.

 

 

Well yes you can certainly get much more complex when setting up wireless but it is rarely needed in the average sized home.  The Aironet 1140 APs we use here at work are stupendously efficient especially when mounted to the ceiling, but I doubt most wive's would approve of that type of use in the home. There are advantages to either design but it should not be the primary reason for choosing a particular AP. I was just trying to give an example of when someone may want to make use of a router with an external antennea. :2cents:

[xRUSTYx]

If you have the cash, go the dedicated route.  Get a V3 cable modem from Comcast's approved list.  Make sure it is the latest V3 to maximize your speed.  Next, get the Asus RT-AC66R.  This router is amazing.  I've got more than fifteen wireless signals coming from neighbors that are close enough to cause a problem.  My last router kept dropping the signal or it crawled.  We run netflix to three rooms, plus lots of multiplayer, and it was painful and frustrating.  I got the Asus, and it is powerful!  My signal is through the roof now.

 

This ...

 

I'd recommend either the Asus RT-AC66R or AC66U (I'd recommend the U over the R) -- For $30 more, you get quite a few more bell's and whistle's.

 

I myself run a Netgear R6300 -- Both the Asus and Netgear are dual band and ahead of the game offering 802.11AC ... Not many uses for it currently, but come Q3 or Q4 of 2013 - you'll be glad you went with an AC router earlier rather than later.

 

Both are around $200 -- Both can be picked up at Best Buy (not the AC66U - Newegg or Amazon for this one)

[Trekbike]

Just wanted to give you guys an update on my original post.  I ended up going with the Motorola SB6141 modem and the Asus RT-AC66R router.   Been running about a week and a half now and everything has been working well so far.   The wireless signal is strong enough to get it outside where I wanted which was my biggest concern.   I'm very pleased with the router.   

 

Thanks again for all the advice!   

[mikegideon]

You done good! :)

[JeffL]

Glad I could help!

[ironsniper1]

Sorry to hijack your thread op, but anyone know a good cable/telephony modem that will work with Comcast? I know renting one is not to bad but any chance to save a little bit of money would be great!

[piercedan]

Sorry to hijack your thread op, but anyone know a good cable/telephony modem that will work with Comcast? I know renting one is not to bad but any chance to save a little bit of money would be great!

It will take a year to start saving money over renting, and then you have to worry about obsolescence. If you rent upgrades are included.

[ironsniper1]

Sorry to hijack your thread op, but anyone know a good cable/telephony modem that will work with Comcast? I know renting one is not to bad but any chance to save a little bit of money would be great!


It will take a year to start saving money over renting, and then you have to worry about obsolescence. If you rent upgrades are included.

Not worried about upgrades at all and IMO every little bit counts!

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I got a linksys gigabit wireless router about a year ago that has worked good. The antenna is internal, most likely in a little plastic bar molded into the top of the box. There are lots of brands and maybe nowadays most of em good. Just wanted to report that the linksys has been quite painless. Actually, had linksys wireless routers, wireless access points, and switches for maybe 15 years. After about 7 years use, when the first linksys router wireless quit working, tried replacing it with a netgear, but the netgear just didn't want to work, so after a couple days trying to set it up so it would talk to the adsl modem, took it back and replaced with a linksys switch and wireless access point, that cranked up in about 15 minutes.

 

Recently finally replaced the ADSL with EPB fiberoptic, 50 mbps "basic" speed. The linksys works good with that as well. In fact, didn't have to change any settings at all on the router, just unplug it from the ADSL modem and plug it into the new EPB ethernet connector.

 

Another thing I like is that the linksys has a USB connector, theoretically you can connect a hard drive to the router and use it for network attached storage. Haven't had time to try that feature, dunno if it works worth beans. A few years ago was researching lots of NAS systems, and the overall user reviews for all the cheap ones was negative, and the overall user reviews for all the spensive ones was better. So maybe the NAS feature in the linksys doesn't work any better than the cheap dedicated NAS boxes, dunno.

 

I had persistent problems getting whole house wireless coverage, and had built a wood shelf between two floor joists, in the basement, near the center of the house, to try to locate the wireless "as close to everything as possible" but it still had problems at corners of the house or in the yard, and when I had to futz with the modem or router, it was inconvenient having to stand on a stepladder in the basement to do it.

 

So when they installed the EPB fiberoptic connection, I relocated the router in the basement, on the top shelf of one of those 6 foot tall, 4 foot wide, 15 inch deep wire shelving units, fairly close to the earlier location under the floor joists. A good convenient location for EPB to mount the "permanent" ethernet port from their outside box. Only a few feet away from the earlier location. It is puzzling because the new location kicks butt with coverage, strong wireless signal over the entire house and basement and a strong signal even out on our deck in the woods maybe 50 feet away from the house. Maybe the new location a few feet away from the old location is just "naturally better" for some reason, but I wonder if the wireless router sitting on that steel wire rack-- Wonder if it is at all possible that the big wire shelving unit is acting like a big passive antenna booster?

[Sam1]

Wanted to post up in here on this ASUS router, my N900 took a dump so I figured what the heck let's splurge and try one of the AC66R's out. Must say that this is probably the strongest signal of any home use router I've ever seen on both G and N.  On the N900 in the new house, I had an additional access point set up on the main floor (with the N900 on the top) and it would still lose signal 20-30 feet outside the house.

 

This ASUS one is sitting in the same spot as the N900 and not only does is get 65% signal strength (using a Fluke signal tester) in the basement - 3 floors down with all the doors closed, it gets 55% signal over 200 feet away at the end of our property line.

 

I wouldn't have expected this out of anything less than a 1000mw system, they really did a good job designing this unit.