Wireless Modem NOT wireless. Need options! Modem help please!

JacWhisper

Commendable
Feb 24, 2016
31
0
1,530
Hi guys! Okay, I'll get right into it.

I have Xfinity. Comcast.

I got a modem from Amazon that advertised the following.

~Modem that acts as a wireless router.

I have two receivers set up around the house to grab the signal and amplify from there. <Large house, running 50 foot cat5's all around the house is annoying as hell, honestly.>

But I've now received my THIRD modem that, on Amazon, says it's a modem that hosts a wireless signal that can be sent out to my receivers. Basically, the modem description said it acts as a router too. But it doesn't. It's not what it says it is.

So what I would love from you gurus here at TomsHardware, is a couple of the good options that work with Comcast and ARE modems that DO act as wireless routers for my receivers to grab a signal from WITHOUT needing a completely separate router plugged into the modem. I honestly would do it myself, but I'm currently healing from eye surgery, and it's a bit outside of my capability at this time. So I look to smarter men and women than I! You all!

Thank you for reading. I hope you're all having a great day and I look forward to the wisdom of the masses on this.
 
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vmfantom

Notable
Nov 28, 2017
181
0
860


"Wireless" means a lot of different things (since some routers use SIM cards, others are cellular MiFi hotspots, etc.), so let's just say "Wi-Fi" instead. Not sure what you mean by "receivers," hopefully that just means the devices connected to a wifi router. And it's not advisable to buy an integrated DOCSIS modem/wifi router because 1. DOCSIS and wifi standards aren't updated at the same time, 2. these don't necessarily receive security updates as often as discrete standalone wifi routers, and 3. the wifi transmit power on these is often much lower.

But you should really be looking this up at https://mydeviceinfo.xfinity.com/customerinfo or https://wikidevi.com/ rather than trying to figure out from Amazon (or Tom's Hardware) what a device might do. If I enter a Comcast zip code there and select a download speed for the plan subscribed to, I see the modem options. Then I click "WiFi enabled" to see the ones that are both DOCSIS modems with the right bonding profile for my subscribed plan as well as wifi routers. For instance, https://mydeviceinfo.xfinity.com/device/netgear-c7800-611 would be a combo modem/wifi router for Comcast's gigabit plan, and back to the earlier point, it's about $200 more expensive than I'd pay for a standalone modem and standalone wifi router. You could just get a compatible Zoom Telephonics modem (which should have NAT disabled) and a decent wifi router (I'd be happy to recommend one based on your budget) to avoid being double-NATed.

Maybe you can post the listing on Amazon for the item that claims to be "a modem that hosts a wireless signal" as that sounds like an epic mischaracterization of whatever you bought.
 
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