Reccommendations for router/modem? calling overbear and all techies
 

Just signed up for xfinity blast internet service which advertises 50-105 mbps . I decided not to rent their modem for $10 a month.

They are coming to install Friday so I need to pick up a modem/router asap in person.

Any ideas will try to swing by best buy or frys today.

Will be used to stream tv/movies/browsing/gaming/pr0nz

This is the modem ive been running for a little over 3 years

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-SB6120-SURFboard-eXtreme-Broadband/dp/B001UI2FPE/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1434482880&sr=1-6&keywords=motorola+surfboard"]Amazon.com: Motorola SB6120 SURFboard DOCSIS 3.0 eXtreme Broadband Cable Modem: Electronics[/ame]


this is the router ive been using for about 2 years now
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005SAKW7S?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00"]Amazon.com: Asus Dual Band Wireless-N 600 SOHO Router, Fast Ethernet, 8 Guest SSID, Parental Access Time Control (RT-N53): Electronics[/ame]

Yes on the motorola that stupid listed

NO NEVER on the asus dual band. Far too old, far too many problems

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-AC3200-Tri-Band-R8000/dp/B00KWHMR6G/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1434486402&sr=1-2&keywords=blackhawk+router&pebp=1434486385485&perid=1SR4BNEVBMHF2P3NZESR"]Amazon.com: NETGEAR Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band Wi-Fi Router (R8000): Electronics[/ame]

Delivery Estimate
Wednesday, June 17, 2015 by 8:00pm
ARRIS / Motorola SurfBoard SB6121 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem - Retail...
ARRIS / Motorola SurfBoard SB6121 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem - Retail... $64.99
Qty: 1
Sold By: Amazon.com LLC
TP-LINK TL-WR841N Wireless N300 Home Router, 300Mpbs, IP QoS, WPS Button
TP-LINK TL-WR841N Wireless N300 Home Router, 300Mpbs, IP QoS, WPS Button $19.68
Qty: 1
Sold By: Amazon.com LLC


Ended up ordering these 2 with free next day delivery. Hopefully they don't suck.

Router blows, the 6121 is ok but has a few limitations. You really get what you pay for in network stuff.

So the router you ordered will limit you to a MAX of 30mbps download speeds.

Motorola surfboard extreme wireless cable modem and gigabit router, 802.11n, docsis 3.0. Works great for streaming 2 TVs, 3 iPhones and a laptop.

[QUOTE=Overbear;3604675]Router blows, the 6121 is ok but has a few limitations. You really get what you pay for in network stuff.

So the router you ordered will limit you to a MAX of 30mbps download speeds.[/QUOTE]

300mbps

This is what I did to my router due to the neighborhood interference lol. I now dominate the channel I designate.

[url=http://www.surfboard.com/products/sbg6782-ac/]SURFboard DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem & Wi-Fi Router SBG6782-AC - Arris Surfboard[/url]

Eh?

[QUOTE=joltdudeuc;3604687]300mbps[/QUOTE]

No, that is the wireless speed, that is NOT the speed it transfers across the bridge from the WAN to the LAN.

Think of it like this, big wireless pipe, goes down to a little pipe and out to the cable modem. See you have to remember when you use wireless, you do not get all 300mbps, you get a chunk of it, given to you by the wireless bridge. This kind of "divides" up the available bandwidth. So in reality, you will get 30-50, of that down will be 3/4 and up will be 1/4. Then it hits the WAN port, and the process takes a bit of a change (NAT) and out, limited to how many processes the WAN is capable of.

So as example, the high end routers like what I use, are limited on WAN side to around 190-220Mbps. The sonicwall I use to have in place had a cap around 1000Mbps but that was on 3 ports shared.

[QUOTE=Overbear;3604697]No, that is the wireless speed, that is NOT the speed it transfers across the bridge from the WAN to the LAN.

Think of it like this, big wireless pipe, goes down to a little pipe and out to the cable modem. See you have to remember when you use wireless, you do not get all 300mbps, you get a chunk of it, given to you by the wireless bridge. This kind of "divides" up the available bandwidth. So in reality, you will get 30-50, of that down will be 3/4 and up will be 1/4. Then it hits the WAN port, and the process takes a bit of a change (NAT) and out, limited to how many processes the WAN is capable of.

So as example, the high end routers like what I use, are limited on WAN side to around 190-220Mbps. The sonicwall I use to have in place had a cap around 1000Mbps but that was on 3 ports shared.[/QUOTE]

Well, end result is always a different story.

Wow that thing is beyond overkill. How about a bet, if I buy it and there is no speed over my increase you pay for it?

[QUOTE=slow04wrx;3604941]Wow that thing is beyond overkill. How about a bet, if I buy it and there is no speed over my increase you pay for it?[/QUOTE]

Its not overkill if you use the features. Most of that cost is getting far better wireless coverage and the ability to set up a guest network that is DMZed from your house network.

Besides that, you wouldn't balk dropping $2000 on a set of wheels for your Subaru, but $250 bucks on a router you will have for the next 3-5 years you do?

Dudes installing my internet now. Will test speed with xvideos.com

[QUOTE=Overbear;3604974]Besides that, you wouldn't balk dropping $2000 on a set of wheels for your Subaru, but $250 bucks on a router you will have for the next 3-5 years you do?[/QUOTE]

Not a great example, I think a lot of people on here will balk at dropping $500/wheel unless they are HerraFrush or chasing .001 at the track. Especially since a lot of those wheels will be a lot less reliable during daily driving.

[QUOTE=LxJLthr;3604987]Not a great example, I think a lot of people on here will balk at dropping $500/wheel unless they are HerraFrush or chasing .001 at the track. Especially since a lot of those wheels will be a lot less reliable during daily driving.[/QUOTE]

But you get what I mean. Its a router, you will have it 3-5 years before its time for a upgrade. $250 bucks ain't much when you really consider the lifespan.

[url]http://***************/f/7926985-netgear-nighthawk-ac1900-dual-band-gb-router-docsis-3-0-modem-200-free-shipping[/url]

damn should have got this. oh well

I'm using:

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Certified-Comcast-XFINITY-CM500-100NAS/dp/B00R92CEVU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1434815796&sr=1-1&keywords=netgear+cable+modem]Amazon.com: NETGEAR DOCSIS 3.0 High Speed Cable Modem Certified for Comcast XFINITY and Time Warner Cable (CM500-100NAS): Electronics[/ame]

and

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-AC1900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B00F0DD0I6/ref=pd_sim_147_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1E8EZQZAY0WWVTN8CR5Z"]Amazon.com: NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 Dual Band Wi-Fi Gigabit Router (R7000): Computers & Accessories[/ame]

So far super solid performance and I stream full HD through a decent size house. Main server gets up to 16MB/s on torrents which I never got before with the modem I was renting from comcast. I wanted the nicer router, but for $100 less, this one seems to work great for everything I've thrown at it so far.

-- Ed

I use the Surfboard 3.0 and Nighthawk for my home network

I would checkout Linksys's Quad

Routers are going toward band AC, most phones have them. Older laptops won't have it, but it can still be compatible with older ones, B and G.

[QUOTE=pho_shizzle;3604689]This is what I did to my router due to the neighborhood interference lol. I now dominate the channel I designate.[/QUOTE]

Woah, what antennas are those?

[QUOTE=joltdudeuc;3605215]Woah, what antennas are those?[/QUOTE]

Well, they were 9dBi external antennas with U.FL connectors that I purchased online to do the mod since my router had internal antennas. It was for better coverage around the back yard.

Over the weekend I ran a speed test with my wifi connection and its remarkably low compared to before. Guess some neighbors caught on and upgraded their routers too! Lol. It was a really cheap mod at only 14 bucks for a pair. Now because of this thread, Im looking to upgrade to a 5GHz router with more channel flexibility and higher data transfer rate.

Was looking at the Nighthawk....... :nod: Not that I need something like that, But I would like for my next purchase to not be obsolete the second I pay for it lol.

[QUOTE=pho_shizzle;3605231]Well, they were 9dBi external antennas with U.FL connectors that I purchased online to do the mod since my router had internal antennas. It was for better coverage around the back yard.

Over the weekend I ran a speed test with my wifi connection and its remarkably low compared to before. Guess some neighbors caught on and upgraded their routers too! Lol. It was a really cheap mod at only 14 bucks for a pair. Now because of this thread, Im looking to upgrade to a 5GHz router with more channel flexibility and higher data transfer rate.

Was looking at the Nighthawk....... :nod: Not that I need something like that, But I would like for my next purchase to not be obsolete the second I pay for it lol.[/QUOTE]

you can do VPN back into your house with one :D

[QUOTE=EQ Tuning;3605059]I'm using:

[url=http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Certified-Comcast-XFINITY-CM500-100NAS/dp/B00R92CEVU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1434815796&sr=1-1&keywords=netgear+cable+modem]Amazon.com: NETGEAR DOCSIS 3.0 High Speed Cable Modem Certified for Comcast XFINITY and Time Warner Cable (CM500-100NAS): Electronics[/url]

and

[url="http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-AC1900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B00F0DD0I6/ref=pd_sim_147_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1E8EZQZAY0WWVTN8CR5Z"]Amazon.com: NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 Dual Band Wi-Fi Gigabit Router (R7000): Computers & Accessories[/url]

So far super solid performance and I stream full HD through a decent size house. Main server gets up to 16MB/s on torrents which I never got before with the modem I was renting from comcast. I wanted the nicer router, but for $100 less, this one seems to work great for everything I've thrown at it so far.

-- Ed[/QUOTE]

Hey Ed,

Just curious what package download rate you get on a land line and what is your download speed while on Wifi? Im thinking about picking up this router, want to compare what the drop on Wifi transfer rate is.

[QUOTE=pho_shizzle;3605555]Hey Ed,

Just curious what package download rate you get on a land line and what is your download speed while on Wifi? Im thinking about picking up this router, want to compare what the drop on Wifi transfer rate is.[/QUOTE]

honestly not sure... my mediacenter is wired directly to the router and it does all the downloading. But I believe I've transferred files wirelessly much faster than my download speeds.

-- Ed

[QUOTE=EQ Tuning;3605571]honestly not sure... my mediacenter is wired directly to the router and it does all the downloading. But I believe I've transferred files wirelessly much faster than my download speeds.

-- Ed[/QUOTE]


If you don't mind doing a quick speed test on any mobile device later when you have time, Id greatly appreciate it! Just to give myself an idea.

Theres up sides and downsides to every router out there, just trying to find one with better reliability also. Ive had units over heat before due to poor circulation on the circuit board and radio architecture.

[QUOTE=pho_shizzle;3605602]If you don't mind doing a quick speed test on any mobile device later when you have time, Id greatly appreciate it! Just to give myself an idea.

Theres up sides and downsides to every router out there, just trying to find one with better reliability also. Ive had units over heat before due to poor circulation on the circuit board and radio architecture.[/QUOTE]

Pho take a look at the one I linked on the first page. Yes its on the upper end of price, but its one of the best ones out.


Also remember folks, most routers are EOL (end of life) inside of 3 years, so plan on replacing it every 3-5 years.

[QUOTE=Overbear;3605627]Pho take a look at the one I linked on the first page. Yes its on the upper end of price, but its one of the best ones out.


Also remember folks, most routers are EOL (end of life) inside of 3 years, so plan on replacing it every 3-5 years.[/QUOTE]

So what makes a router end of life?

[QUOTE=LxJLthr;3605673]So what makes a router end of life?[/QUOTE]

IMO Electronics like that experience some heat, at least in my home office lol. I stopped stacking units and have open space for all of them now. If you've ever taken apart a router, they are rather pretty simple as in its a flat circuit board with attachments and wires to external antennas. Chips and circuitry like that wear out over time just like the caps will wear out on a computer monitor or on a mother board. I've seen cheaper caps inflate and of course deem motherboards defective. I think the longest running router Ive had was the Cisco Linksys WRT54G, my other ones always had some type of issue or signal drop over the years of usage. And typically when electronics get hot, they malfunction or experience issues.

Heat is just one factor for deficiency; theres plenty of other factors such as quality control and quality of components. Chips and capacitors all have a performance shelf life. You're never going to keep one router (at least not a consumer retail one) for the rest of your life. I've seen people mod routers by adhering GPU heatsinks and at times, even fans. :nod:

[QUOTE=LxJLthr;3605673]So what makes a router end of life?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=pho_shizzle;3605679]IMO Electronics like that experience some heat, at least in my home office lol. I stopped stacking units and have open space for all of them now. If you've ever taken apart a router, they are rather pretty simple as in its a flat circuit board with attachments and wires to external antennas. Chips and circuitry like that wear out over time just like the caps will wear out on a computer monitor or on a mother board. I've seen cheaper caps inflate and of course deem motherboards defective. I think the longest running router Ive had was the Cisco Linksys WRT54G, my other ones always had some type of issue or signal drop over the years of usage. And typically when electronics get hot, they malfunction or experience issues.

Heat is just one factor for deficiency; theres plenty of other factors such as quality control and quality of components. Chips and capacitors all have a performance shelf life. You're never going to keep one router (at least not a consumer retail one) for the rest of your life. I've seen people mod routers by adhering GPU heatsinks and at times, even fans. :nod:[/QUOTE]


Also support, most companies stop doing firmware upgrades past the 3 year mark. Zero point to having a hardware router if you are not getting the latest updates and security packs.

I'm using an old Juniper 5GT-WLAN but will probably pick up an used SRX one of these days. Or not. I (like most people) have zero need for 1G ports on my internal network, or WiFi that is faster than my cable connection. I got this used off eBay several years ago and have never had to reset it. You can do several SSIDs, internal networks/VLANs, IPsec VPN tunnels (if you need that sort of thing). Currently using 2 SSIDs for guest and home WiFi. I used a Netgear thing for a while and it was not bad, but it needed to be reset occasionally. Using the same Motorola modem that a few people have posted in here. No complaints.

[url]http://***************/f/7947525-staples-com-perhaps-in-store-40-99-motorola-sb6141-cable-modem-price-match-to-radioshack-free-shipping?v=1&src=SiteSearch[/url]

Better get it fast! Can't go wrong with the modem for 40-50 bux

Whoops, slickdeals is running a sale on their site if you can find it in the "Hot Deals" area

[QUOTE=iLoqin;3605972]

Better get it fast! Can't go wrong with the modem for 40-50 bux
[/QUOTE]

were you not paying attention when I talked about obsolete technology and EOL equipment?

Overbear, which is better?

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-Motorola-SurfBoard-SB6183-DOCSIS/dp/B00MA5U1FW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436462132&sr=8-1&keywords=sb6183"]Amazon.com: ARRIS / Motorola SurfBoard SB6183 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem - (SB6183) Retail Packaging - White: Computers & Accessories[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Certified-Comcast-XFINITY-CM500-100NAS/dp/B00R92CEVU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436462237&sr=8-1&keywords=cm500"]Amazon.com: NETGEAR DOCSIS 3.0 High Speed Cable Modem Certified for Comcast XFINITY, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Charter & more(CM500-100NAS): Computers & Accessories[/ame]

Looks like Comcast pushed the new speed upgrades to my modem, just did a speedtest and got 181 Mbps / 12 Mbps. Glad I upgraded to the SB6141 (aside from the blinding blue LEDs on the thing).

Maybe a little late to say this, but don't bother with an SB6121 if you are buying a modem and you are on Blast! (or whatever they're calling they're equivalent tier now). Get a modem with at least 8 downstream channels (~350 Mbps max) vs 4 (~175 Mbps max), especially if you are planning on keeping it for several years.

I am holding off on my next modem upgrade, the new ones coming out next year will start to have 10gigibit Ethernet ports on them. I already have my 10gb switch in, so just need the routers and modems to catch up.

A good read and good info on new/current routers. was also featured in the NY Tmes[url=http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-wi-fi-router/]The Best Wi-Fi Router (for Most People) | The Wirecutter[/url]

[QUOTE=En3D;3606942]Overbear, which is better?

[url="http://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-Motorola-SurfBoard-SB6183-DOCSIS/dp/B00MA5U1FW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436462132&sr=8-1&keywords=sb6183"]Amazon.com: ARRIS / Motorola SurfBoard SB6183 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem - (SB6183) Retail Packaging - White: Computers & Accessories[/url]

[url="http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Certified-Comcast-XFINITY-CM500-100NAS/dp/B00R92CEVU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436462237&sr=8-1&keywords=cm500"]Amazon.com: NETGEAR DOCSIS 3.0 High Speed Cable Modem Certified for Comcast XFINITY, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Charter & more(CM500-100NAS): Computers & Accessories[/url][/QUOTE]

I got the Netgear and its been working flawlessly.


-- Ed

Yup, I got the Netgear one and it's been been working as expected.