Do I need a router? what are suddenlink's modem/router specs?

[ragnarok94]

I just signed up to get suddenlink internet installed next week (**** dish) and as i was checking out with a TP LINK C50 AC1200 router, the cashier tells me that suddenlink provides a combo modem/router with fairly hi speeds.

Can anyone vouch for this?
or should i stick with my purchase?
note: i chose this router to work with my Rosewill RNX-1200 WLAN card in my PC as well as my laptop and phone.

 

[Herc08]

Well when I was at Fort Sill, I had suddenlink's 15mbps service. Did not have a combo, but most combos from major ISPs support DOCSIS 3.0 which is the latest standard. Most have 802.11ac. I have Cox (a repsectable ISP) and they give me a combo. They told me it was the latest and greatest, but I still got my ASUS router because I like to customize my network. Not to mention, it was already paid for.

I would use the combo for a week. If you are getting the speeds Suddenlink promised, then keep it. However, wired connections are always better.

 

[Pooneil]

The gateway provided by your ISP should be good enough. I'd wait until you have a chance to try it out before spending any money.

All wifi equipment is interoperable. Routers from any one company will work with cards and devices from all manufacturers.

 

[ragnarok94]

The gateway provided by your ISP should be good enough. I'd wait until you have a chance to try it out before spending any money.

All wifi equipment is interoperable. Routers from any one company will work with cards and devices from all manufacturers.

I know they're compatible, but what i really need to know is at what speed and frequency. Both the card in my PC and the router I purchased are 802.11n/ac rated and dual-band. If the combo modem im given is a N300 standard 802.11n Ill just use what I bought.

 

[Herc08]

The gateway provided by your ISP should be good enough. I'd wait until you have a chance to try it out before spending any money.

All wifi equipment is interoperable. Routers from any one company will work with cards and devices from all manufacturers.

I know they're compatible, but what i really need to know is at what speed and frequency. Both the card in my PC and the router I purchased are 802.11n/ac rated and dual-band. If the combo modem im given is a N300 standard 802.11n Ill just use what I bought.

Sounds about right. Again, most routers are 802.11ac, but are you in a area to get their 1Gbps?

 

[Herc08]

The gateway provided by your ISP should be good enough. I'd wait until you have a chance to try it out before spending any money.

All wifi equipment is interoperable. Routers from any one company will work with cards and devices from all manufacturers.

I know they're compatible, but what i really need to know is at what speed and frequency. Both the card in my PC and the router I purchased are 802.11n/ac rated and dual-band. If the combo modem im given is a N300 standard 802.11n Ill just use what I bought.

Sounds about right. Again, most routers are 802.11ac, but are you in a area to get their 1Gbps?

 

[ragnarok94]

Sounds about right. Again, most routers are 802.11ac, but are you in a area to get their 1Gbps?

Most likely not. I live in a small town with a pop. of ~1200. Suddenlink cable, Dish and HughesNet satellite, and local telephone co. DSL are the only options available here, and I chose suddenlink because DSL is way too slow and satellite is ridiculously expensive and unreliable due to TX weather.
Im starting with their Internet 50 package (50Mb down/5Mb up with 250 gb data per month + modem rental )

 

[Herc08]

Sounds about right. Again, most routers are 802.11ac, but are you in a area to get their 1Gbps?

Most likely not. I live in a small town with a pop. of ~1200. Suddenlink cable, Dish and HughesNet satellite, and local telephone co. DSL are the only options available here, and I chose suddenlink because DSL is way too slow and satellite is ridiculously expensive and unreliable due to TX weather.
Im starting with their Internet 50 package (50Mb down/5Mb up with 250 gb data per month + modem rental )

Not bad, forgot that started thorttling. Luckily, I was grandfathered in to no capping. I mean 15mbps isn't fast (well it was coming from AOL), but still. I hope you enjoy, and hopefully others will lay down some wiring.

 

[ragnarok94]

Sounds about right. Again, most routers are 802.11ac, but are you in a area to get their 1Gbps?

Most likely not. I live in a small town with a pop. of ~1200. Suddenlink cable, Dish and HughesNet satellite, and local telephone co. DSL are the only options available here, and I chose suddenlink because DSL is way too slow and satellite is ridiculously expensive and unreliable due to TX weather.
Im starting with their Internet 50 package (50Mb down/5Mb up with 250 gb data per month + modem rental )

Not bad, forgot that started thorttling. Luckily, I was grandfathered in to no capping. I mean 15mbps isn't fast (well it was coming from AOL), but still. I hope you enjoy, and hopefully others will lay down some wiring.

yeah, I would direct wire my PC but because of the location of my room/workspace and where Im sure they're gonna come in withe the co-ax cable, i can't, hence the hi end card + router. Unlimited data/higher speed plans are available but cost 20-40 dollars more, and since its just me im gonna wait and see if i want to go that route.
Laying wire shouldn't be a huge issue. If it does become one, well, I am an experienced electrician lol

 

[bill001g]

I would run a ethernet from where the router is installed to your pc and be done with it. There is no way to predict wireless. In general you should be able to get 50mbit even on the older single band 802.11n 300. Still you could have the best 802.11ac router and nic card and it might not even be able to connect in some houses. This is completely and totally unpredictably and it mostly related to the house construction and the neighbors around you competing for wifi. There are difference between routers but they tend to not be huge compared to the huge difference in house construction. If you were in the same room you could compare them....but then you wouldn't have a issue in the first place.

 

[ragnarok94]

I would run a ethernet from where the router is installed to your pc and be done with it. There is no way to predict wireless. In general you should be able to get 50mbit even on the older single band 802.11n 300. Still you could have the best 802.11ac router and nic card and it might not even be able to connect in some houses. This is completely and totally unpredictably and it mostly related to the house construction and the neighbors around you competing for wifi. There are difference between routers but they tend to not be huge compared to the huge difference in house construction. If you were in the same room you could compare them....but then you wouldn't have a issue in the first place.

If I had them in the same room I would do just that, but I don't.
My computer setup is in an awkward spot in my room and the best place for the router supply cable to come through (will consult the installer about this) is in the next room over on an exterior wall. I can't just move my rig either because there's no room for it in that room. And as Herc08 pointed out, router setup and interface is nice too, so depending on what im provided with, I may use it anyway.
If it were my own house, and a newer one at that, I wouldn't mind running catVI ethernet in the walls, but it's my parents' house and its about 90-100 years old, so that's out too. Wireless makes sense.

 

[Pooneil]

The gateway provided by your ISP should be good enough. I'd wait until you have a chance to try it out before spending any money.

All wifi equipment is interoperable. Routers from any one company will work with cards and devices from all manufacturers.

I know they're compatible, but what i really need to know is at what speed and frequency. Both the card in my PC and the router I purchased are 802.11n/ac rated and dual-band. If the combo modem im given is a N300 standard 802.11n Ill just use what I bought.

Since you don't know what equipment will be provided, I'd still suggest doing as I said and , "wait until you have a chance to try it out before spending any money" on new equipment. Anyway most ISPs provide adequate modern equipment.

Referring to Bill's comment about hard wired. You might be able to get a wire run by an installer for not much more than the cost of a new router. If you know or can find someone that installs telephones, home alarm systems or even video cable wiring, they can probably run a single eithernet cable in a short time.

 

[ragnarok94]

The gateway provided by your ISP should be good enough. I'd wait until you have a chance to try it out before spending any money.

All wifi equipment is interoperable. Routers from any one company will work with cards and devices from all manufacturers.

I know they're compatible, but what i really need to know is at what speed and frequency. Both the card in my PC and the router I purchased are 802.11n/ac rated and dual-band. If the combo modem im given is a N300 standard 802.11n Ill just use what I bought.

Since you don't know what equipment will be provided, I'd still suggest doing as I said and , "wait until you have a chance to try it out before spending any money" on new equipment. Anyway most ISPs provide adequate modern equipment.

Referring to Bill's comment about hard wired. You might be able to get a wire run by an installer for not much more than the cost of a new router. If you know or can find someone that installs telephones, home alarm systems or even video cable wiring, they can probably run a single eithernet cable in a short time.

Ill try it out, but Ive already bought the router. If circumstances determine i dont need it Ill either return it or give it to a relative who has an old Linksys G unit. And the ISP is only running a coaxial cable for the modem. Wireless alone is fine for what I need. As I mentioned, this is my parents' nearly century-old house, which itself needs a great deal of renovation. As I mentioned to Herc08, I am a former electrician who has run such cables but Im not going to bother considering i plan to move out within a year, so im definitely not going to pay someone else to do it.

 

[ragnarok94]

Ok, so the results are in:
The unit I received is an ARRIS DG2470 Cable Modem/Router combination unit.
It is Dual Band, and supports up to 1Gbps (which my isp doesnt offer). Works perfectly with my dual band receiver in my PC, my phone, and my laptop.
The only thing I don't know is how to change the router name and password, which is a random code that comes with it.
For now it works great, and I have returned the router I bought.

Other notes- the unit has 4 LAN ports on the back, A WPS button and a USB access on the front, as well as lights for both 2.4 and 5ghz signals.

 

[bill001g]

I actually like that router my brother has it. It supports moca by default which makes it nice if you have coax in another room and need to get network in that room. You just buy 1 moca adapter rather than 2.

There is a menu that lets you change the SSID and they password for the radios. I would disable the WPS on the same screens it is large security exposure.

 

[jsmithepa]

Come in late to this thread, I always suggest you get a plain modem from the ISP, rather than an all-in-one, because the ISP provided usually sits in a corner and not, ideally, have the WIFI radio in the middle of the house. Another thing is, ISP provided is usually locked in some fashion, not allowing you access to all its features and am so against that.

But oh well, looks like it's now a done deal, if no complaint, I guess stick with it.