Cutting the Cord from Cable company

[Zundfolge]

I've never had good luck with Comcast home service (although to be fair, their business service worked fine) and I've never had a problem with CenturyLink ... but then again I'm one of a dozen people world-wide that had a perfectly running copy of Windows ME back in the day so maybe I'm just an outlier

[Fentonite]

I've had excellent service from Motorola routers.

On the list

Go with an ARRIS, which is one of the largest suppliers to a lot of cable co. Who, if you look at the similarities (IMO) also does the motorola modems

Looks like they’re just modems or modem/router combo. I won’t need a modem if I go with the radio internet, but if I end up staying with Comcast, I’ll probably look into these so I can stop payin the monthly rental.

...
You need to figure out what's important to you and then find the solution that provides the solution that you're looking for.

I probably won’t need a mesh system (my house is tiny), but I do want good coverage. I’ll probably go with something similar to the Linksys you mentioned, or probably a similar Netgear.

thanks for the input!

[Gman]

... but then again I'm one of a dozen people world-wide that had a perfectly running copy of Windows ME back in the day so maybe I'm just an outlier

The More Errors edition. I bought 2 copies and ran them without a problem as well.

[Grant H.]

Good idea - I’ll see if I can find some referrals.



Good insight, as usual - thanks! Gonna probably give it a try.

Next step - I need to provide my own router. Any strong feelings or recommedations?

Two recommendations here, one more involved but way faster, one simpler, slower, and not as great of wifi coverage.

1. (More involved and noticeably faster)
Router Option 1: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unif...70_&dpSrc=srch
Router Option 2: [/url]https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-ER-X-Router/dp/B0144R449W/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1534528276&sr =1-5&keywords=edgerouter&dpID=41GEBnLIf4L&preST=_SY30 0_QL70_&dpSrc=srch[/url]

WAP Option 1: https://www.amazon.com/Cambium-Netwo...ywords=cnpilot (My personal choice)
WAP Option 2: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unif...70_&dpSrc=srch

I run the slightly older version of the Edgerouter X and the Cambium e400 WAP at home, and it's noticeably faster than my ASUS AC router was. I personally prefer the Cambium e400 over the Ubnt AC WAP, and I've tested them all, because they perform better on the RF side. I have the one WAP for my whole house, and I use it from the truck in the cul de sac all the time.

As for choosing between the UBNT USG and the Edgerouter X, that depends on if you want to have a web interface on your router, or use the (free) UBNT Unifi Controller Software. I personally prefer having a Command Line Interface, and the broader option set that I get with the Edge router line. One upside to using the USG is that you can control both the USG and UBNT WAP from the same controller software.


Option2, Less involved and probably less wifi coverage:
https://www.amazon.com/Dual-Band-Sup...pSrc=srch&th=1
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-ac...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

Basically any of the "Nighthawk" branded ASUS or Netgear routers are a decent all-in-one option. I personally prefer the ASUS options.


Pretty much boils down to cost vs performance, and what you want.

The UBNT routers are faster than the ASUS/Netgear type of options, because they are designed to be enterprise grade gear, brought to the "prosumer" at a reasonable cost. When I swapped from my ASUS AC router to the UBNT Edgerouter lite, I saw a ~200mbps increase in speed tests on my fiber connection (~750mbps to 950+mbps).

I'm happy to help board members with configuring and setting up a UBNT router and either a cambium or UBNT WAP.

[Fentonite]

I didn’t even know those more complicated routers were a thing. Probably over my head. I ordered a simpler one before I saw your post, the “Linksys Max-Stream AC2200 MU-MIMO Tri-band Wireless Router”. If it doesn’t work well enough, I may take you up on your offer to help set up the complicated one...

[Jer]

If a network overhaul is in the plans all you need to know is: Unifi.

Invest a little more time & money and do it right the first time with all Unifi gear by Ubiquiti & call it a day.

Enterprise gear at residential pricing w/o any subscriptions.

This should be the starting point for most all home networks these days regardless of cord-cutting or not IMHO.

[Erni]

If a network overhaul is in the plans all you need to know is: Unifi.

Invest a little more time & money and do it right the first time with all Unifi gear by Ubiquiti & call it a day.

Enterprise gear at residential pricing w/o any subscriptions.

This should be the starting point for most all home networks these days regardless of cord-cutting or not IMHO.

This. Seriously.

[Jer]

I like ASUS AC56U (or R) routers that have been flashed to DD-WRT. You can flash them directly in the firmware upgrade part of ASUS's interface, without any of the normal complications that goes with DD-WRT. They are... $50-60 ish for a refurb, AC1200 which suits many applications just fine. I use them for bridge routers (6 Mile bridge). Much more secure with dd-wrt and the options turns them into a much more expensive router.

I get the thinking because I did this route for a number of years (n66u hardware and run various versions of firmware) but there's a learning curve and you could brick your router flashing firmware and be out in the cold as far as a warranty goes since that went out the window when you chose to overwrite the factory firmware. Small risk I know but it's not just plug and play so IMO you might as well invest that time into learning how to set up & interface with the Unifi platform. Comparing new to new you're talking an extra hundred bucks or so but in the end you'll have a much more capable network that benefits from more robust hardware and firmware with a better interface and the ability to add devices easily as your needs expand. To me when you consider how long you will have this setup and how much use it is and how important these are these days it seems like a trivial amount of money to try to save. I guess I feel like several years ago your suggestion was about my favorite but now that you can get a USG & a Lite AP for less than $200 that's a killer way to get going on something that's much more robust and capable.