If you can't tell already, I'm computer stupid...

I just went TiVo and was told by the TV guy to get rid of my comcast wifi router thingy because 1) it sucks 2) I'm paying a rental fee on it 3) it is sending my wifi out to assist in the cities/comcasts "free wifi for the poor" program which eats off my "band with"

Yea...ok...

So... I have my tv...I like to stream "movies" .... Pandora etc etc...my current wifi signal sucks when I get to either end of my house so I need something with good range...

What else do you need to know? 1 lap top, 2 iPads, 2 iPhones.... Etc etc etc...

What should I get to replace the Comcast thing?

 

By the way...I tried google and went to cnet and a couple other sites...and my brain now hurts from words that I don't understand...

 

Correct. I am surprised he gave you that information, but he is spot on. Your best bet is to purchase your own modem from amazon, I have provided you with a link to the one I bought about 2 years ago, and I haven't had any issues with it:

If you look closely at your bill you'll be paying a rental fee for your modem/wifi which comes around $8 or more dollars a month, which in a years time you will have come close to buying your own.

Buy purchasing your own modem you'll have to purchase a router as well. I haven't looked at the router market recently, however I know the higher end Netgears and ASUS routers have been solid for everyone that has gotten one.

All in all, you are looking at $200, however you will have much better service and won't be spending unnecessary money down the road.

 

I also have a surfboard. It's pretty solid.

I have an ASUS router that sucks. But it's the bottom end model. I have an ASUS card that seems to be fine. House is running with a Linksys router that one of my roommates got.

I usually just go to Newegg and see what's got the highest rating.

 

You can also get a cable modem router combo which will do everything you need in one unit. This one should be all you need, depending on what speed you want, and will send out a 2.4gz and 5gz signal. The 5gz signal is great if you live in an area with a lot of interference from neighbors etc.

http://amzn.com/B00IF0JAYE

 

Surfboard here too. It costs you more to get one and a router, but you're ending up with a much better setup in the end AND you aren't paying the rental fee for the router and they belong to YOU. I use an AC66U ASUS router and it works great, I still get some signal in my garage 3 floors down.

All in one is basically what comcast is renting you so switching to another one isn't really an upgrade.

 

As far as signal strength, if you can, try to get the model/router in the center of your house (or as close as you can get).

Ive got both of mine in my main entrance coat closet. Its almost dead center to my house and I get an even signal everywhere including my backyard.

 

If signal still sucks... Get some antennas.

 

By far the #1 best home grade router on the market, I have one. It even allows VPN and DMZ setup.


And as someone else posted...


That is really the top of the line cable modem out.

 

Ordered the surfboard and the nighthawk....

 

I will come down on a weekend and configure that stuff for you if you want dude.

 

yeah, that will work out well for you. I have a surfboard SB6141 and Asus AC66U.

now here what no one has told you thus far:

cable from the wall goes into the surfboard. ethernet from the surfboard goes into WAN/Internet port of the netgear router.

you will need to call Comcast to tell them you don't want the rented modem anymore and then give them the numbers they ask for off the surfboard you bought. this adds it to your account.

now take your laptop near the router. connect that with Ethernet into the LAN port of the netgear router.

this is the hardest part for you, but you will want to set the router up to have your own login passwords instead the default. you will want to set your own WiFi passwords instead of the default. read the manual, look at YouTube videos or have a buddy who's good with this stuff to help you. you only will need to set it up once.

 

there you go

 

I have a Suftboard and Nighthawk, haven't had any issues. If I would go back again and the Linksys Quad has reduced price, I'd roll with that.

Just some background, some ~10 years ago I was suggested to get a WRT router, now I didn't know wtf I was doing and I was like wtf $200 dollar router. However, you go through the years and I never had 1 problem, NONE. I went with the recommendations of my tech dude (friend I knew from high school) and it's held up all the way until the recent AC routers (now we're talking B-Slow, G-faster-but-getting-outdated, R-where-everything-is-at, AC-fast-most-new-tech-has-it.)

Totally worth the money to stay ahead of the curve, I like not needing to switch technology every 5 years, but that near 10years was so worth.

I just moved, so I ended up giving my router to my brother and went with the Surfboard+Nighthawk, but if I did it again I'd go with the Linksys Quad. Get the surfboard for sure, Router is up in the air, but the quad Linksys is my choice. No issues with Linksys, and really no issues with Netgear Nighthawk.

 

While I am sure the Quad is a good router. On a personal note I just can't bring myself to trust anything Linksys, I have had 3 routers and 2 switches by them go bad for no reason over the last 10 years.

By the flip side, I have never had a Netgear unit go bad on me. However...I suspect I use my network in a much more robust way than most folks do. I have each gaming computer in the house set on its own VLAN on the switch, so it gets directed packets. Then I have the router set to give priority to each Vlan's packets depending on what game is running (So, FPS>MMO>RTS).

I also run a streaming service that lets me access my movies/tv shows from my phone/tablet, and I cut a DMZ for the guest wireless so they can't access any of my network, or active directory objects.