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Cable Box w/ Router & Modem

2K views 29 replies 9 participants last post by  mrvideo 
#1 ·
So my wife works for a cable company and we get the cable very cheap. They use a cable box with a modem and router all in one. Anyone have experience with these? Been using it but not sure if I should have a stand alone router. Asking because I'm pre-wiring our new home and would for home automation and thinking I'd need a separate router. Not sure how this all ties in together....the all in one cable box and a separate router. Thank you.
 
#2 ·
Moved to technical for the moment.

It's help to know the make and model of the Cable TV device. The more information, the merrier.

That said, I believe the general consensus would be that the routers the cable companies hand out aren't that great, no offense to your spouse. Spend the coin and get something decent that supports 80211 ac at the least, has MIMO capability, can handle VPNs on its own and enough wired ports to connect everything you need wired. I'm sure others will add to the specifications. Those top-of-the-line Asus and Netgear routers are pricey, but you'll be wondering how you ever lived without them.

Personally, I'm also a fan of owning your own cable modem for the same reason. You can often get more recent technology. The downside is if anything goes south with the modem, you're on your own to replace it. They'll usually only rebate $5 month for having your own meaning it could be a couple of years before you make back the investment in savings.

Doc
 
#3 · (Edited)
I am not aware of a "cable box/router/modem" device.


One router is all you need. If the modem and router is a combo... no problem.
If you're "hardwiring", the router doesn't really matter.



If you need a better "wireless" solution, that's another issue.


FWIW... my FiOS router is a modem/router combo (Actiontec). Works great for both wired and wireless.


If your spouse works for the cableco and get subscription service and hardware inexpensively, I wouldn't spend an additional dime.

Hardwire/prewire to your heart's desire. That won't need to change no matter the router. ;)
 
#4 · (Edited)
If ur wife works for the company, should get a plain modem for free right?

Absolutely, definitely, a big Y-E-S, get a DUMB MODEM, then build the rest of the stuff on your own, you may already have some of those pieces.

Carriers' provided all-in-one boxes is very convenient, for the noobs, a small place, no problem for WIFI coverage, but the second you ask, "can I do this, can I add this..." you run into brick walls.

Paragraph ^two... carrier, just gimme the signal, then you will have total control of everything else, AND you get to keep those boxes under your control when u move, upgrade blah-blah.

The only time you should work with the carrier is... you want some sort of business service, failsafe backups, single carrier or backup carrier, multi-gigabit service etc.

TO ADD: If you require digital phone service from the carrier, u may not have choice but to use their box.
 
#5 ·
Use a separate cable modem and a separate router. Guaranteed, your cable box, which is most likely where your TV is, is not where you will have all of your network cabling pulled to. The coax comes into the house to a 2-way splitter, with 1 leg going to your TV distribution system (TVs), and the other leg going to the cable modem. A CAT5e or CAT6 patch cord goes from the cable modem to the router, then through your network.

If you're going to have a mesh network for your WiFi, make sure you pull in the CAT6 cables to those locations.
 
#6 ·
Use a separate cable modem and a separate router. Guaranteed, your cable box, which is most likely where your TV is, is not where you will have all of your network cabling pulled to. The coax comes into the house to a 2-way splitter, with 1 leg going to your TV distribution system (TVs), and the other leg going to the cable modem. A CAT5e or CAT6 patch cord goes from the cable modem to the router, then through your network.

If you're going to have a mesh network for your WiFi, make sure you pull in the CAT6 cables to those locations.

I agree. We have Comcast in conjunction with a Motorola DOCSIS 3.1 modem and the Negtear Orbi Mesh WiFi system (router and satellite). The satellite that came with it (which has an additional 4 ethernet ports) is hard wired to the router downstairs with solid core CAT-6 (non-CCS/CCA and not pre-terminated ethernet) cabling. I added a plug-in satellite for the very back upstairs room (that can't be hard wired so it connects via the back channel) which works extremely well. The home theater systems are hard wired as well (using the same solid core CAT-6) and everything else is WiFi.
 
#7 ·
So my wife works for a cable company and we get the cable very cheap.



Asking because I'm pre-wiring our new home and would for home automation


Use a separate cable modem and a separate router.
Even if they're substantially discounted?

Whether your own router/modem or provider supplied.... doesn't change ethernet "hardwiring" to desired location(s).
 
#10 ·
Spectrum doesn't allow you to use your own modem. They are stupid enough to think that the customers are idiots and they they will get into the configuration and screw it up to the point where it will no longer connect to the system, requiring a service call. So, even though you get a modem router combo, you can't get into the router. Every other cable system allows for personal modems. Don't hear much about them having service issues. When I got my service, I had to borrow a friend's spare router until I got mine.

The modem actually sucks. It requires a power reboot every month or so because internally it screws up and the down/up speeds go to hell. It is a common problem because I had called tech support to complain about the speed going to hell. That is when the tech said that it was a common problem and that I needed to reboot. Sigh!
 
#11 ·
Spectrum doesn't allow you to use your own modem.
When Comcast first introduced their Gig service here, they wouldn't let you use your own modem, either. They said that they hadn't certified other cable modems yet, and until it was certified by them, they wouldn't allow it. After several months, they allowed my SB8200, so I signed up for their Gig service.
 
#18 ·
You get a discount. don't sweat it!

Again!

Pre-wire (hardwire) for ethernet/home automation. It Definitely is the best option.


If you have a need to save more money with spending more money, get the wife to work for an employer that provides everything for free. (joke)
 
#27 ·
^^^^^^ that's basically what we've done, only we supplied our own modem. If you have no choice but to use an ISP-supplied gateway (modem/router combo) then you can just place the router portion in bridge mode and pass the data to your router to handle those functions. We too use the Netgear Orbi Mesh WiFi router and it has been rock solid.
 
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