Dumb ? about spending on a router modem thing

[KBecks2]

OK, so looking at our internet bill, I see we pay $6 for modem rental.  What?

So I tell my husband we should buy a modem.

He tells me that the best modem/router is $220 or something like that.   It will make our network faster with a bigger reach (right now I can't connect from our bedroom.)

But maybe, I don't care about internet surfing from bed.  In our basement, maybe we will want that service.

Would you get the more expensive router/modem, or buy a cheaper $60 ish modem only and keep our regular router?

I told DH that if we get the fancy new router I would sell our older one on CL.

Thanks for talking to me about this.  Still learning.

[madage]

Do not get an expensive all-in-one. Follow the wisdom of Daley:
http://www.techmeshugana.com/theguide/networking-equipment/

[Cromacster]

Do not get an expensive all-in-one. Follow the wisdom of Daley:
http://www.techmeshugana.com/theguide/networking-equipment/

+1 Just what I was going to recommend but madage beat me to it.

You can get away with a quality router and quality modem for 120 or less.  They will last your for years.  I'm still using a modem and router that I purchased in 2007. (84 months * 6$/month = 504$)

[neo von retorch]

I did this about ten years ago. I bought one (a DOCSIS cable modem) for ~$37 when it was on sale. Worked wonderfully. More than paid for itself... quickly. My girlfriend is on cable, so I just picked out a $45 one for her to buy. If you need a router, you can spend another $30-50 on that.

[Imustacheyouaquestion]

Don't buy a new all-in-one device. Keep your old router, buy a new modem so you don't have to rent one anymore. You can buy a second used router (like a cheap D-link) on Craigslist and have your husband program it as a wifi signal repeater, which will allow you to use the internet in bed or wherever. That's a much better option than buying a $220 device.

[taekvideo]

Yes they're cheaper when separate.
And if you change service providers and need a new modem you don't have to buy a new router too.
I got my ADSL2+ modem as an amazon warehouse deal for $14.50... much better than the $6.99/month they charge to rent one lmao.

[Daley]

Do not get an expensive all-in-one. Follow the wisdom of Daley:
http://www.techmeshugana.com/theguide/networking-equipment/

+1 Just what I was going to recommend but madage beat me to it.

You can get away with a quality router and quality modem for 120 or less.  They will last your for years.  I'm still using a modem and router that I purchased in 2007. (84 months * 6$/month = 504$)

What these guys said. *clears throat*

[JSeaBass]

Many people are upgrading their cable modems to the latest 16x4 spec to get on the highest speed tiers, and their old 8x4 modems are on the market. I did a quick eBay search for my provider’s supported modems, and found a used Cisco DPC3010 for under $20. It had a 30-day guarantee, so I was not taking much risk on the used modem.

Cox recently increased all of their speed tiers for free, but you need a DOCSIS 3 modem to access the extra bandwidth. Since I am not on the highest speed tier I upgraded my old DOCSIS 2 modem to a mid-level DOCSIS 3 for 1/4^th the price of a new 8x4 modem ($80).  Check your cable provider's forum on http://www.dslreports.com/ to see which brand works best on their network.

[FarmerPete]

I fully support buying your own modem and keeping the modem & router separate.  I feel like the all-in-ones seem to crap out a LOT more frequent than separate devices, but maybe that's just my limited experience.  I bought a DOCSIS 3 motorola modem for $50 from Amazon.  I got a fancy router that is better than 99% of people need.  Total cost was under $200.  I could easily get both for under $100.  Make sure the modem you buy is on the supported list for your carrier.  Google "CompanyName modem compatibility" and you should get an official document from them with what models they currently support.  You may be able to get something cheaper that will work, but if you have any issues, they will blame it on your modem.

On a side note, not every ISP will allow you to buy your own modem.  If you have VOIP, they will often force you to use their rental, even though there are VOIP modems you can purchase.  ATT UVerse would not allow me to buy a modem.  I had signed up for TV and Internet initially, and they will not allow TV & Internet users to buy a modem.  I did it to avoid a $150 install charge and I got a $300 gift card for keeping TV for 2 months.  To buy my own modem, I would have had to cancel service, wait 30 days, and then resign up with a dry-loop internet account.  They would then charge me $150 for an install that was already installed.  I decided to just go to cable.  I highly recommend that if you are looking at buying a modem, make sure you price shop the competition, as this might be a good time to switch providers.

[BlueMR2]

I typically advise separate devices too, but I'm running on an all-in-1 that I got 5 years ago.  I couldn't pass it up.  $60 for wireless, router, and modem all together on one box...  I figured I'd replace it as soon as it died.  Still waiting...  :-)

[alsoknownasDean]

The advantage of having a separate router is that it's easier to change carriers/technologies if necessary.

I've got an Airport Extreme (purchased pre-MMM), and a cheap ADSL modem I got used for a six pack of cider.

If, down the track I change from ADSL to cable or fibre or even mobile broadband, I can simply get another cheap modem :)

[KBecks2]

Thank you all for your great help.  I ended up getting the recommended modem from Amazon. (I should have looked 2nd hand, but I will try to remember that for next time.)  We will stay with separate devices.  I appreciate your knowledge and support!