More Charter Questions since their chat folks don't seem to have a clue (lease, houses)

[grannynancy]

One - if I buy analog service and the conversion comes will the convert the signals in such a way that I don't need a box.

Two - If I buy digital service, anticipating a digital TV [the house comes with a big screen TV but I don't know if it is digital or analog] do my analog TVs need a box, and will a digital to analog converter box work or will the analog tvs work on a digital service line?

Three- will a digital tv work on an analog service line? is there a digital to analog converter? I know it is all digital come Feb but are they actually going to convert the signal to analog at the distribution level or at the set level using a cable company supplied box when Feb comes?

--basically, TV is not a big deal to us -- I would probably go antenna but my mother lives with us [stroke survivor] and she watches a lot of TV and I want her to have basic channels + discovery etc --- the digital music is ---- well , we don't care.

Four - When they bring over the modem for the computer does a computer need to physically be in the house? I intend to install my own router and will be going back and fort between houses. Or is it worth if for them to install the home wireless networking [I can "do" a simple router install] - I want the wireless router to have at least two ports for non-wireless devices and MUST have a router with VPN pass-through. Not sure whether or not I would just be better doing it myself or not.

Five- 5mps vs 10mps - I don't do gaming but do have netmeeting and vonage running simultaneiously - does the extra bandwidth seem to make a difference for anyone? How is quality of signal [e.g., testyourvoip.com][I know quality of "service" - more than just dropping packets - how is noise and jitter [typical - home jerry rigging with splitters can really degrade a signal]

Thanks for any help.

[grannynancy]

Also how do I tell if a TV is digital or analog

It came with the house and works but we have not put in service - we did not pay for it and it was not a major part of the deal for us. We figured if they were throwing it in it was an older generation big screen tv and not worth much but it is neater than our old 19 inch analog TV.

The screen is about five feet wide and is widescreen but because of size I don't think it has a CRT. The back [behind the screen] however is pretty big - this is no flat panel unit. There is no projector. It is BIG - and deep [not as deep as our standard TV but not a flat panel by any stretch] - maybe 18 inches deep and heavy.

[grannynancy]

We figured out the TV so it is digital but can take either digital or analog signals. So my questions are about Charter. It seems no one can answer simple questions about the routers they use.

[jbar1]

Originally Posted by grannynancy

We figured out the TV so it is digital but can take either digital or analog signals. So my questions are about Charter. It seems no one can answer simple questions about the routers they use.

You say you have your own router so I'm assuming you meant modem. The kind of modem they use should not make a difference to you. Simply connect it to your router and that's it.

5 or 10mb.... I opted for the 10mb I think it was only $5 more a month so I went with it. I think I get pretty good speeds with it. About 8900 kb/s download and 950 kb/s upload. That was checked on speedtest.net and compared with other speeds they show on the site. It's pretty good. I would consider the 10mb service with 2 computers and VOIP phone...

And no I would not think the computer actually has to be in the house for them to deliver your modem. They can't actually install it because you have nothing to install it to. But they can leave it, and you can connect it later it's quite simple.

Now remember I am not an actual cable technician, I only play one on the internet...

It is also my understanding that no matter how old your TV is if you connected to cable now you will have nothing to worry about once the conversion takes place in February.

[grannynancy]

Thanks - actually I was looking at having them provide a wireless router and setting us up for wireless but they can't seem to tell me anything about the specs of the router they are using.

I currently have a wired routers but with 3 computers in one room we are ton top of each other and I don't want cable runs all over the house.

But I need to be able to hook up 2 devices [ a computer and a vonage box] to the router with network cable and have the other two computers be wireless. Also must have VPN passthrough and an assurance I can get a signal throughout the house.

But for all I know, they may provide routers with old technology [e.g., a vs g] and not all routers have VPN passthrough which is essential for me. Also want security features to keep neighbors from piggybacking on my signal.

All I really wanted from them was to tell me what specific router they would use.

[paullySC]

I don't use the charter router or modem.

I have a linksys cable modem and a linksys wireless router. Haven't had any issues.

[myrc60]

The way I understand it is that if your TV is connected to cable whether thru a converter box or the wall u will get a signal once digital takes over.

We have a motorola cable model that we lease from Charter. Yes it's dumb but if it breaks all I have to do is go to the office to exchange it. I highly doubt that Charter is going to give u a router that has VPN pass-through so I'd start researching and buy one yourself. When you order Charter online you have the option for self-install; sounds like what you should do.

[grannynancy]

Sounds like it, thanks - I have never done wireless before but I will research to get a good router - may just buy a modem too, but for $3 a month...............may use theirs.

[NoodlesKnowles]

Originally Posted by grannynancy

Sounds like it, thanks - I have never done wireless before but I will research to get a good router - may just buy a modem too, but for $3 a month...............may use theirs.

I would recommend using your own modem and router, it saves almost 10 bucks a month. They will give you whatever equipment they have on their truck at the time, sometimes used stuff, sometimes good sometimes bad I've had bad experiences with "renting" equipment from the cable company, thats my two cents.

[grannynancy]

Ok so with Charter, I don't need to pay $9.99 a month for home networking if I use my own equipment? I don't need to pay more to run multiple simulteaneoius computers with a "gateway"? I am reading on this and am a bit confused.

I don't have any thing like that with my current ISP [not charter, different town] - I just hava a modem connected to a router connected to my computers. I am not even sure what a gateway is? I set everything up and it works fine.