(Part 3) Top products from r/Comcast

I work for Comcast and take part in pushing these new wireless gateways on our poor customers who have perfectly good, stable modems in place. My advice is to steer clear. If everything is working fine then why mess with it? Comcast has us pushing them so hard because they want to build their Xfinity Wifi public hotspot network. Not really that big of a deal considering that the bandwidth for strangers connecting to the hotspot is so limited that it has negligible performance impact to your actual in-home network and there really isn't any additional security risk at all. The problem is that our wireless gateways are built cheap and have a much higher failure rate than any modem we've leased in the past. There was even an alert sent out to employees a couple weeks back about a design flaw where the coax cable can become loose from the back of the modem and cause an ingress signal leakage which severely harms both upstream and downstream bandwidth and the solution offered by Comcast is to advise that "tightening the coax connection a quarter turn should resolve the issue."

As far as purchasing your own modem, I say go for it. At $10/month for your Comcast rental, it'll pay for itself in time. The SURFboard SB6141 you posted is a fine choice, though I personally prefer the Arris CM820 or if you have phone service with Comcast then the Arris TG862G (you'll notice the modems with phone ports are quite a bit more expensive but what can you do?) The only reason I prefer these over the SURFboard models is that they're built like fucking tanks. I guarantee either of those two would keep working until they've become obsolete and then even some time after that. I picked up the Arris TM722 new off Amazon more than 5 years ago and haven't had an issue with it yet. One other thing to note is that if you do pick up a modem that has built in wifi, expect to disable the wifi on it because I can almost guarantee that your dedicated wireless router will have a stronger signal strength anyway.

Lastly, this may not happen to you, but when I made the switch to my own, purchased modem and called in to Comcast customer support to have it added on and activated on my account, it took four or five calls before getting a rep that was competent enough to know how to even enter the serial number onto my account. More than one agent told me after trying for some time that they don't support that model, but it's the same fucking model they were actively leasing to their customers at the time and is even on the list of Comcast supported internet modems so don't get discouraged if you hit some static while going through that process. You will eventually find an agent that knows what they're doing. Anyways, best of luck with your ongoing relationship with Comcast :)

Hey, I was talking with a user in another thread and he mentioned something about a puma 6 chipset which some models use which apparently have problems. They may have partially fixed it with a firmware update but I don't think it's fully fixed. There may be lag issues with that model modem you are getting (SB6190).

If they haven't shipped it yet I would cancel the order. It MAY work okay but honestly I would just return it so you don't have any headache.

It seems like the better choices are the model below it, which I actually just bought used for $34, or the new model with DOCSIS 3.1 which is a bit expensive but is very future proof and about $160 after coupon right now on amazon.

I thought I'd alert you before you set up that modem! It's crazy they're still selling it like hotcakes. Maybe the issue isnt that bad but I personally wouldn't use it. It should be an easy return because its amazon.

edit: If you want a model in between the model below it and the very new model, this $99 Netgear is about the same price and is comparable to the one you bought (though a few less channels) and doesn't have any of the puma 6 problems.

Well, one way you can determine which cable is the one you want is with a toner.
Something like this
https://www.amazon.com/Klein-Tools-VDV512-058-Explorer-Tester/dp/B004CHVOBG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1505149010&sr=8-3&keywords=cable%2Btoner&th=1
put one of the remote end at the jack, then use the other part of the device at the other end of the cable. If you get a good light, you found it.

Now, if you dont get any lights at the termination end, then there is a break somewhere in the run.
First thing to check is remove the wall plate and make sure the wire is secured to the back of it.
If that checks out, then the fun begins of tracing that wire.
Generally, if this is up on the second floor, I bet it goes up into the attic before heading down to where the rest terminate.

We will be getting the Blast 75Mbps data plan with Comcast
I am quite literally studying for the Network+ exam so I can do all this myself in the future, heh.

Anyway, so, I looked under their supported modems, and I have chosen this modem.

For the WiFi router I have looked at this particular one. Does it appear that this WiFi router will support my needs? 4-7 laptops all connected to the internet at one time, some streaming video, some doing schoolwork, some playing online games, ect.

If it all looks in order, I will definitely place my order tonight, as Comcast is supposed to send me my 'setup kit' Thursday so I can do it myself.

edit: some of the reviews for this specific wireless router are sketchy. Perhaps I should shell out the extra 50$ for a better, more reliable wireless router?

That's typical enough that almost anything will do - it's actually pretty hard to buy a really BAD router these days :)

I've used and like Asus and Linksys routers before, so one of those ought to do pretty well. Unless your house is large enough that you can't cover it all with one AP, something like one of these should work fine:

https://www.amazon.com/Asus-Dual-Band-AC1750-Gigabit-RT-AC66U-B1/dp/B01N08LPPP/

https://www.amazon.com/Linksys-EA6350-Wireless-Dual-Band-Anywhere/dp/B00JZWQW4C/

OPTION1:

I would use a 3rd party router with high gain antennas.

OPTION2:

If that doesn't work, but a router that can be configured as a range extender and that has 2 antennas. Replace one of the antennas with a direction antenna and point it straight at where the downstairs router is located.


FYI I've used option 2 to extend a network through 3 walls and 200 feet across the street.

Here is the hardware I used for option 2

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008F9QXE0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008F9QXE0&linkCode=as2&tag=bluewbusinpro-20&linkId=80fe54eaf54bed75b6b99329467134cd


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EXXOU06/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00EXXOU06&linkCode=as2&tag=bluewbusinpro-20&linkId=6c217edd584ddf67df9a0a1ac07b9e44

I too was looking for a clear answer. I did my research so here you go. This can support your 75 Mbps

 

Router:

NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1750 Smart Dual Band WiFi Router (R6700) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R2AZLD2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_EvpozbE2JTKBN

 

Modem:

• This modem is not listed on the Xfinity website but I am 100% sure it is compatible because I have Xfinity and I am using it right now
  
  NETGEAR DOCSIS 3.0 340Mbps Cable Modem for XFINITY, Time Warner, Spectrum Cable, Cox, Charter, Cablevision (CM400-1AZNAS) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0111MRLES/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_2ldZ2UP91pfj2

you need more than just a splitter, you need like a 10dB pad. Either have a tech come out and check the signal coming into the house and have them either adjust the amp or install a pad, or get something like this and install it yourself

https://www.amazon.com/Whirlwind-IMP-Pad-10-dB/dp/B0006Q9ATK/

https://www.amazon.com/Steren-201-410-10dB-Inline-Attenuator/dp/B000O5MS3S

I have a Cisco DCP 3008. It works fine for now.

As long as you have a DOCSIS 3.0 modem with at least 8x4 I'd hobble along with what you got until DOCSIS 3.1. At least that's my plan.

Edit: I see your modem only has 4 DS channels. You can hobble along with that (though you might not get full speeds) or pick up the cheapest 8x4 DOCSIS modem you can find (something like this)

Alternatively, you can go balls to the wall with DOCSIS 3.0 if you really want to.

I don't own one, but this would be a good place to start: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IF0JAIU/ref=pd_aw_sbs_5?pi=SY115&simLd=1

The name you're looking for is "Wireless gateway." That's what these boxes are called.

Comcast fucking around update 2.0ish.


First off I made a typo its 15 hours of calls with Comcast.

As for you keep filing FCC complaints I'm going that route tonight. My internet speed was fuckered but is fixed now but I didn't mention that I don't have certain channels that I was paying for on my Tivo. Comcast said 100% Tivo's fault after about 15 hours of fucking around which involved a lot of resetting shit. I Called Tivo and they said nope it's comcast but lets 3 way call to solve this issue. Holy fucking shit a company that knows customer service. Hold for 20+ minutes and 2 minutes into comcast picking up and, boom, literally the problem was solved.

Legally again ianal but contracts are meant to be beneficial to both parties. You are paying for a service that is supposed to, at a bare minimum, notify anyone that an entrance has been opened. You can buy window and door alarms from amazon for about $5 a peice that will do more than your $30ish per month.

unfortunately the US world is set up to protect corporations. Honestly I'd break contract and immediately start the small claims court process to protect your credit.

The DPC3941T should support MoCA (verify you can access it in the settings menu). In this case, I'd strongly recommend using a MoCA bridge with a second WiFi access point over an extender. If you have 8 or less cable outlets, you shouldn't have any problem with MoCA, and it will deliver a stable 100 Mbit/s to the extender via the coax in your house. What you'd do is place the extender by an existing cable outlet and it'd transmit data over the cable outlet to your modem. That way there's no interference to worry about on the wireless signal side (the WiFi only extender has to both receive from the DPC3941T over WiFi and then re-transmit, so it's a slower process since it can't TX and RX simultaneously). If you're able to set it up (have the technical aptitude), get a router with good range from here (location F is far away) and a MoCA bridge like this. You'd set the new router up in bridge mode, give it a new IP, set the MoCA bridge up, connect the MoCA bridge and new router in the new location. The simpler alternative is a combo device here that does MoCA + wifi in a single box, or a straight up wifi extender here.


IME you'll be much happier with the MoCA bridges. I consistently get 100 Mbps when using those. The powerline adapters are poor (20 Mbps typical w/ 5+ ms latencies on occasion) and the WiFi extenders (in relay mode) are also poor performers (see that SNB chart) because of the TX/RX collision.

Have you considered installing a small USB powered fan on the back of the unit to pull hot air out? I got one of these for my old ARRIS SB8200, which would also get really hot.

Hmm.. Well I have Amazon prime and can return it, so I'll give it a shot. I'll do anything to get my full speeds in my room at this point. Would this work? It says "ethernet over coax" but most things in the description allude to using it with a TV.

How much are you looking to spend? Having said that..

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unixwizzard's Recommended Home Routers

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ASUS :

$200 - ASUS RT-AC3200 Wireless-AC3200 Tri-Band Wireless Gigabit Router *

$130 - ASUS RT-AC1900 Dual-Band Wireless Router

$70 -- ASUS RT-AC1200 Dual-Band Wireless Router *

-----
D-Link :

$200 - D-Link AC3200 Ultra Tri-Band Wi-Fi Router

$120 - D-Link DIR-879 AC1900 EXO Wi-Fi Router

$60 -- D-Link AC1200 DIR-842 Dual Band Gigabit Wireless Wi-Fi Router

-----
Netgear :

$220 - Netgear R7500 Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Dual Band WiFi Router

$110 - Netgear AC1750 Dual Band WiFi Gigabit Router (R6400)

$75 -- Netgear Wireless Router - AC 1200 Dual Band Gigabit (R6200)

-----
^*Disclaimer: ^I ^currently ^own ^and ^use ^these ^devices, ^also... ^the ^prices ^are ^subject ^to ^change.

>So I've been trying to ask whether this means that they won't put the cable modem in one room, and the HD DVR in a different room. If this is the case, then the installation offer won't solve my needs. I have a hardwired network printer that requires that it be physically plugged in to the Ethernet hub, and this is in a different room than the TV.

You just need to buy a wireless bridge, and place it near whatever devices need to be physically plugged in. The bridge will communicate with your modem/router (wirelessly) and allow whatever is connected to it to communicate with the interent.

This is an example of a bridge.

You can login to your modem and check to see the levels. If they are above 50 or hovering you will see disconnects. They need to be in the mid 40s dBmV range.

You can login to your modem at 192.168.100.1 and then scroll down to see.

Relevant link

My modem screenshot

Only real way to fix the issue is to remove splits or replace your splitter(s) and add this active "zero-loss" splitter to connect them. Keeping your upstream power levels low.

The 6141 can't use moca connections for data. You can use a MoCA adapter to do what you're looking to do:
http://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Ethernet-Adapter-without-Routers/dp/B008EQ4BQG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1449590086&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Certified-Comcast-XFINITY-CM400-1AZNAS/dp/B0111MRLES
https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Dual-Band-Wireless-Router-RT-AC56U/dp/B00DES2FQW

In all likelihood it's fine. The idea behind the bond is to equalize the electrical potential between your coax system and your home's electrical system. It won't make any difference in the case of lightning strikes. You want a 75ohm lightning arrestor for that.

Sounds good, as long as you're not trying to sell one of these pieces of shit. I ordered one for $30 and downloaded the android app and it wouldnt even let me login, had to return that puppy asap.

I pay $59.99 for http://imgur.com/ubNp9bg
I pay for the modem rental, I never have throttle issues I have a 300GB Data Cap but it doesn't count for the first three months so you can use unlimited.

As of next month ill pay $30 more for unlimited data.

I would opt to not rent the modem if you have your own or plan on getting one.

If you need a suggestion this one
http://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-SURFboard-SB6141-DOCSIS-Cable/dp/B00AJHDZSI/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458157585&sr=1-1&keywords=Modem

Paird with

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JZFG6QS?psc=1

I don't pay for cable TV nor plan on it now that Playstation Vue is in my area and cost way last for exactly what I want and need.