Modem & Router Vs Single Gateway Unit?? (how to, work, digital)

[Pruzhany]

There are those of us who are the 5% who can do almost anything technological on auto mode. Then you have the other 95% who have varied ability to deal with technology. So having the 5% chiming in and giving TMI to the other 95% does not always make it easier. Just keep that in mind before typing a response.

Originally Posted by NeilVA

There are those of us who are the 5% who can do almost anything technological on auto mode. Then you have the other 95% who have varied ability to deal with technology. So having the 5% chiming in and giving TMI to the other 95% does not always make it easier. Just keep that in mind before typing a response.

What on earth are you talking about?

You're trying to make using your own modem sound like some incredibly complicated, frustrating, time consuming prospect. It just isn't. Buy modem, connect cables (3 - 1 power, 1 coax, 1 ethernet). Call up cable company and tell them you have a new modem. Done. It's about as complicated as replacing a landline phone.

You're proposing that people waste hundreds - potentially thousands - of dollars for no good reason.

[Pruzhany]

Originally Posted by JasonF
You're trying to make using your own modem sound like some incredibly complicated, frustrating, time consuming prospect. It just isn't. Buy modem, connect cables (3 - 1 power, 1 coax, 1 ethernet). Call up cable company and tell them you have a new modem. Done. It's about as complicated as replacing a landline phone.

You're proposing that people waste hundreds - potentially thousands - of dollars for no good reason.

This response has nothing to do with the original query of the OP. This is the 5% giving Too Much Information. As to my response in #8, it is a statement in relation to rental vs. purchase and not a proposition that has nothing to do with the query of the Original Poster.

BTW, since you are too young to remember(or even know), numerous people at one time rented their landline phones from the phone company. Why? Because they didn't want to deal with the time/money spent to replace it. Same thing goes for cable modems. It fails, its easily replaced and life goes on.

[Asheville Native]

Originally Posted by NeilVA

Dollar wise you are correct But time loss is another item to contend with. With a rental, one can usually drive to the nearby office and trade it out within an hour and the MAC address is already in the system. The other option to own it requires one to go out shopping and spend a few hours to go and buy a new one. Then come home wire it up, call your cable company, wait on hold for support in India to pickup (because you know the setup will happen at night), give them your new MAC address and then be told it may take a few hours to upload the change. So time is also a consideration.

BTW how many people actually keep a spare cable modem or spare router just sitting around?

So you also rent your router for "speedy replacement" protection?

If I felt "imminent failure" was upon me, I just might have a spare. (I do have a spare router as the result of upgrading routers to dual band a while back)

And if you find that your modem is dead on Saturday morning, and the cable office is closed until Monday, or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday? (Things never seem to fail on my schedule, how about you ) I looked on line and found a DOCSIS 3.0 modem in a brick and mortar store about a mile or so away, one that is open 7 days a week, and evenings.

OBTW, the when I did replace my router, after hooking it up and calling Charter with the MAC, the agent entered the info and I was online in 5 minutes tops. Don't know who answers for your provider but Charter agents have always been US or Canada.

But after having cable ISP for about 18 years now, and had 1 modem and zero routers actually "fail", I'm going with the odds and own my own.

[Pruzhany]

And if you find that your modem is dead on Saturday morning....

Hotspot.

[Asheville Native]

Originally Posted by NeilVA

Dollar wise you are correct But time loss is another item to contend with. With a rental, one can usually drive to the nearby office and trade it out within an hour and the MAC address is already in the system. The other option to own it requires one to go out shopping and spend a few hours to go and buy a new one. Then come home wire it up, call your cable company, wait on hold for support in India to pickup (because you know the setup will happen at night), give them your new MAC address and then be told it may take a few hours to upload the change. So time is also a consideration.

BTW how many people actually keep a spare cable modem or spare router just sitting around?

All this defending a costly way to ensure quick swap out of a failed modem, which isn't really due to cable office being closed on evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Originally Posted by NeilVA

Hotspot.

Then throw out an alternative that would allow you to never be more than a few minutes from your FB account.

So tell us, do you own or rent your modem? router?

[Pruzhany]

Originally Posted by Asheville Native
So tell us, do you own or rent your modem? router?

I rent the modem, since the Comcast office is 15 minutes away. And for some reason, even though it is connected to a UPS and the cable is grounded outside to a 10' rod jammed into the ground, we seem to blow out one modem per year. I tend to blame it on external brown outs (lights dim rather than go dark) since items that can cause internal power surges (frig, HVAC) have been replaced through the years and the issue persists. The cost of rental is currently $84/yr but the cost of the Motorola D3 that all the stores seem to carry is $99. So even if I buy one with a replacement plan, I still would have to wait for the gift card to come in the mail (its not like the old days with CompUSA who replaced it same day). I'm the only person in my home who is HW literate. My wife is SW literate so she can outprogram me, but has problems changing a laser cartridge. As to the router, that I own. Since I can go to a B&M and buy a replacement for $25. As to my hotspot, I need that because I travel on business and not everywhere I go has WiFi.

Then throw out an alternative that would allow you to never be more than a few minutes from your FB account.

I'm not a kid. So I actually use Linkedin. I rarely use FB as its the same as texting except it has GUI. To me I see FB going in the direction of AOL chat. But that discussion is for another thread.

So was that enough info to answer your question??

[Peregrine]

I've never had a modem, Cable or DSL, that broke on me.
I am currently renting a modem but that is only until I am sure I want to stay with Time Warner. Then I will purchase one.
It drive me crazy that I have to rent equipment. They should give it away. Free. Period. And replace it when it breaks. Free. Period.
But they don't.
So then buy a Modem from Best Buy Nevia, and pay extra for the 3 year service plan. That will save you money if you lose a router every year.

Don't get pissed at us... we are just trying to save you money. How horrible of us!!!!

[Peregrine]

PS Both cable companies in my area (Cox and Time Warner) don't require you to call them with a MAC address change. The system just attaches itself to the one it "sees" at the end of the cable. So it's beyond easy to set up.
If my sister can do it on her own: anyone can. Trust me.

[Pruzhany]

I am currently renting a modem ..

PS Both cable companies in my area (Cox and Time Warner) don't require you to call them with a MAC address change.

They are not required to be called in because the bar codes are scanned in before they mail or hand it over to you.