Are cable company supplied modems really that bad mine just seems really good

So I have twc and I am comfortable with my supplied modem. Its DOCSIS 3.0 and has been running fine for 2 years. I was able to change the ip address,enable WAN blocking and other standard security features on it. My customer support from twc is screwed up though in rare cases though. For instance I changed the password to get into the modems config. I forgot the password and lost the files in multiple devices the password was noted on once and twc could do nothing so I had to manually reset the modem to fix a problem since neither of us could get into the config to see what was wrong, most customers don’t change the config password so they usually have the config password on hand nothing they can really do with out it which is a good thing if you ask me. It works 24/7 the few times it was down was a full blown twc outage. Also not sure if WAN blocking is not enabled by default I may have had to apply that or maybe I disabled it by mistake not 100% sure on that 1. Even though I just use it for bridging and have my own routher the built in one has 2.4ghz and 5 ghz and wireless AC which for something from summer of 2013 is pretty good. It also has 24x8 channel bonding

It even has a vpn feature which I am not exactly sure how to use. Because I never really messed with a VPN.

I honestly plan on just running off with it when I move and keeping it with my current set up where I use it as a router and wireless bridge. The monthly fee for it is around five bucks most btw and its easy to run of with twc hardware in this area then when you move tell them you have your own hardware to avoid the monthly fee.

Making this thread because after looking at the specs I am realizing having a separate router is pointless because this thing is really good and looking for advice. The specs are comparable to NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 sorta just went with the whole 2 in 1 cable provided modems suck so it sucks with out testing it fully.

1 Like

The main worry with ISP provided routers is that you did not buy it from a shelf where it is far less likely to be up to some thing funny as they don't know who is buying it.

The ISP could have done or installed something in the router that is silently doing something you may not want it to, but they are sometimes a blackbox with no user serviceable parts.

That I think is one of the reasons people are weary of ISP routers, especially when you can get one off a shelf that can be made custom with firmware or even build your own hard ware and PFsense which you have complete control over.

I did think like that also till the whole password incident happened then I realized everyone at those cable companies don't know jack about technology. Their response was wait how did you change that password no one normally changes the modems site portal password and username you can change that ?...Like why would I not change it if you had the default password no telling who else does.

2 Likes

Well, if you have been renting that router for 2+ years then you could have probably bought your own or built your own with the specs and software of your choice for less than what you've spent on router rental. I always advise people to buy their own hardware and avoid all in one solutions. If their is a security flaw or hardware failure in any piece of an AIO gateway (modem, router, or wifi) then you have to scrap the whole thing. I personally use a dedicated docsis 3.0 cable modem that I've had for 3 years and has more than paid for itself, a PFSense router/firewall that I built out of spare parts, and a separate wifi access point.

WiFi standards have been changing rapidly so it makes sense to have a separate appliance for that if you want to have it up to date. Modems, on the other hand, don't change that often. DOCSIS 3.1 hardware is on the verge of being released in response to the growing demand for gigabit internet speeds but this will be the first update in years. But if you want to have one, then you'll have to scrap your AIO gateway with all the settings you've made and start over with a new unit. All I'll have to do is pop one in between the outlet and my router/firewall. All my custom routing and firewall settings are retained on my PFSense box.

An all in one gateway is really just for people who don't have the inclination to learn how to properly setup their own home network. If that describes you, then its your best bet. But I would still suggest buying one independently from your ISP so you know that you have complete control over it.

Still would cost more to by my own. The only modem almost equal to this costs 270 it would take five years of renting to cost that much.

http://www.ubeeinteractive.com/products/cable/voice-gateways/dvw32g-advanced-wireless-voice-gateway

Tho it kind of pisses me off all my wireless adapters are n and I can't afford anything beyond the 38mbps download I have. Why are they supplying equipment like this and giving internet at my speed. They can literally just flip a swith and give me gigabit. I mean it not expensive what they charge me but still they could offer better packages.The charge me like 30-40 for the internet. The cable cost the most brings the bill to 147 due to having every movie package. Grandmom uses it not me I merely pay for internet. Btw thats the lower rate I constantly have to negotiate with them for having the service so long or threatening to switch to Verizon.

This makes no sense though they have 2013 equipment and the top speed in this area has been 50mbps download since 2009. Verizon is no better charging more but having 100 mbps be their max. The upload speed consistently hits 7mbs how ever with twc so Ill take it the two extra mbs are from the modem.

But it won't cost that much to buy as separate cable modem and a separate router depending on the hardware you select and you keep spending more on rent as time goes by. My cable modem cost $50 and my AC1200 router was $100 that I bought 2 years ago. I could buy the same router now for $60 or an AC1900 for $100. Comcast would have charged me $10 a month for modem/router WiFi combo with the same performance. Again, those all in one gateways are for people who want an easy solution, don't want to go through the trouble of selecting their own equipment and learning how to set it up. I like to be able to control and administer every aspect of my network and I can't do that with an all in one unit.

Most modern smartphones, tablets, and laptops have wireless AC adapters so if you get anything new it will have an AC adapter in it. The biggest advantage you'll have with AC over N is improved local transmission speeds and less interference from multiple devices. So a wireless AC connection won't improve your internet speed if you are already hitting your peak bandwidth provided my your internet package with wireless N. But you could improve performance of a local media server that streams content to several wireless devices on your local network. In my case, I have a media server with a 10gbs fiber link to my network. The wireless AC gives me plenty of bandwidth to stream HD content to multiple wireless devices like laptops, phones/tablets, and the FireTV in the bedroom.

Most everybody in the US is in the same boat when it comes to internet service unless they happen to be in a city with Google Fiber or a fiber network run by the municipality. Most people have few choices and the companies avoid competing with each other by dividing up the market between themselves. I subscribe to Hulu Plus and Netflix but it's still not as expensive as a HD cable package with DVR. I gave up cable TV years ago, cut my cable bill from $160 to $80 with 105 mbps service through Comcast.

but that breaks the idea of capitalism. do whatever you can to make as much money as possible and if they have to sell internet at a 100/1 ratio then they will.