Broadband cable router and wireless?

S

Sid Post

Joined
Oct 14, 1998
Messages
4,725
I need a DOCSIS 3.0 cable router and a wireless router/switch that will handle HD television. Is there much of a difference in cable routers to be concerned with?

I have a 15Mbit connection so, I'm wondering if a 1000TX "gigabit" Ethernet connection will really support a high end wireless router/switch. TIA!

Best Regards,
Sid
 
When you say "cable router" do you mean a box with cable modem and broadband router combined? Most cable manufacturers supply something like that and I have something like that with my Verizon FIOS. Previously I had real old Time Warner service and they provided a cable modem that I plugged my broadband router into.

15Mbit cable may or may not live up to its maximum speed rating. Cable companies are notorious for overloading their networks so your actual speed is a lot less, plus whoever you are connecting to may not have much speed anyway and they may be your bottleneck. I've read that GigE usually only gives you 300Mbit but still this is very much higher than your cable connection.

I'm not sure what the router requirements are to drive your HD TV. I would recommend going to the forums on dslreports.com and looking for a forum specific to your cable provider, then ask your question there.
 
Thanks! I expect to buy separate units. The only combined units I see do not support enough bandwidth to drive 1080P HDTV. Also, I realize the service provider at the web connection destination must be able to support the bandwidth load at their website. The local service provider can provide that level of bandwidth service or higher if you are willing to pay for it.

I agree that a lot of the entry level "teaser" rate based broadband services probably only offer their advertised rates while most people are asleep and not using the "party line". While not a problem for general web surfing, high bandwidth 1080P HDTV won't work on those service plans.
 
Hey Sid

I recommend checking out the wirecutter site for recommendations - he is recommending the motorola sb6141 - I have no experience with this unit but have used his site for other items and been very happy and impressed with his recommendations

Good luck
 
A 1GB/second local connection is overkill for a 15Mbit/second Internet connection. But, as I'm fond of saying, nothing kills like overkill. Also, if you use the router to network several computers within your house, then a gigabit network will be better assuming that both computers have gigabit ports.

But, just because a computer has a Gigabit port, don't expect gigabit transfers. The computer may not be internally capable of gigabit rates.

Anyway, gigabit doesn't cost much more these days, maybe a buck or two a port, and is a good future-proofing thing.
 
I would recommend the Motorola SB 6180 for a cable modem. They have very low failure rates and excellent longevity overall. As for a wireless router, my recommendation is a Linksys E1200 or EA3500. I've installed close to 30 of each in the last year, and again very low failure rates and consistent performance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top