cancel
Showing results forย 
Search instead forย 
Did you mean:ย 

WiFi Router Recommendation

BMCM
Explorer
Explorer
Daughter is in need of a router and sent me a link to this one, asking if it was ok. Since I know squat about anything associated with computers, thought I'd ask here.
Any help appreciated.

Amped Wireless AC1900 Wi-Fi Router (B1900RT), extender bundle. $90 at Costco/Sam's, not sure where she fount it.

Thanks,
Robert
F-350, Scorpion, QC, Dually/Alpenleak


All Gave Some,
Some Gave All.
12 REPLIES 12

BMCM
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks all.
The company is coming in the morning, and the tech said they would get her through this.
Trying to help her out and being 600 miles away and not knowing this stuff makes it difficult .
Thanks, again, for your input.
Best,
Robert
F-350, Scorpion, QC, Dually/Alpenleak


All Gave Some,
Some Gave All.

turbojimmy
Explorer
Explorer
BMCM wrote:
What's the difference between broad band and dual band?


The terms aren't really related to each other. Broadband is a telecom term that describes transmissions beyond the old, low-speed telco frequencies. So by definition, all routers are broadband.

Most new routers are also dual-band, meaning they operate at both the 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz frequencies. The 2.4 Ghz frequency band is a bit crowded and on paper provides lower bandwidth. WiFi standards also allow for transmission at 5 Ghz which is theoretically faster but also does not penetrate obstructions or reflect as well as 2.4 Ghz. I shut off the 5 Ghz option on my dual band routers because I've found it more frustrating than anything else. 5 Ghz-capable devices will continue to try to connect and drop off. By disabling 5 Ghz at the router, dual-band capable devices will connect at 2.4 Ghz which in my experience is more reliable in my application.
1984 Allegro M-31 (Dead Metal)

BMCM
Explorer
Explorer
What's the difference between broad band and dual band?
F-350, Scorpion, QC, Dually/Alpenleak


All Gave Some,
Some Gave All.

jcpainter
Explorer
Explorer
turbojimmy wrote:
jcpainter wrote:
BMCM wrote:
Signal is coming in via optic fiber.
Someone at the company said any modem would be fine.. (probably related to the RV salesman that says 'your 1/2 ton will haul it fine!)


She will need a router/modem that meets the specs of the company providing the fibre optic service. It will have to have a proper input port to accept the fibre optic cable.

If she has had service with them for a while and her current device is old and cannot produce the speeds she's paying for, she might contact the company and ask if they will provide a new one. Many companies will upgrade old devices for free. It's worth a phone call.


Let's not confuse a modem (which is an outdated term) with a router. The ISP typically provides the "modem" which in this case translates pulses of light to electricity. There will be a standard Ethernet port on it into which you can plug any *router*. There are standards. They will not leave it up to you to provide a modem.

It's true that in some cases your ISP-installed hardware can be out of date, but they will not (cannot) sell you service unless you have an Ethernet port to plug into. In my case my fiber optic terminal (ONT) was outdated and Verizon wanted to charge me $200 to upgrade it once my contract was up. Bye bye Verizon. I switched to the cable company who provides a modem and also a WiFi router. Funny thing is that I am now a "new" customer to Verizon and they will upgrade that ONT for free.

In this situation any router will work. The question now is whether hard-wired ports are required. Most WiFi routers have 4 hard wired ports in addition to the WiFi. Others, like Google's WiFi only have one LAN port which means you need to add a switch for hard-wired stuff. Since most devices nowadays are wireless, I would think that there wouldn't be a need for hardwired ports.


This is true. However, some ISP provide an "All in One" device, complete with 3 or 4 ports.

turbojimmy
Explorer
Explorer
jcpainter wrote:
BMCM wrote:
Signal is coming in via optic fiber.
Someone at the company said any modem would be fine.. (probably related to the RV salesman that says 'your 1/2 ton will haul it fine!)


She will need a router/modem that meets the specs of the company providing the fibre optic service. It will have to have a proper input port to accept the fibre optic cable.

If she has had service with them for a while and her current device is old and cannot produce the speeds she's paying for, she might contact the company and ask if they will provide a new one. Many companies will upgrade old devices for free. It's worth a phone call.


Let's not confuse a modem (which is an outdated term) with a router. The ISP typically provides the "modem" which in this case translates pulses of light to electricity. There will be a standard Ethernet port on it into which you can plug any *router*. There are standards. They will not leave it up to you to provide a modem.

It's true that in some cases your ISP-installed hardware can be out of date, but they will not (cannot) sell you service unless you have an Ethernet port to plug into. In my case my fiber optic terminal (ONT) was outdated and Verizon wanted to charge me $200 to upgrade it once my contract was up. Bye bye Verizon. I switched to the cable company who provides a modem and also a WiFi router. Funny thing is that I am now a "new" customer to Verizon and they will upgrade that ONT for free.

In this situation any router will work. The question now is whether hard-wired ports are required. Most WiFi routers have 4 hard wired ports in addition to the WiFi. Others, like Google's WiFi only have one LAN port which means you need to add a switch for hard-wired stuff. Since most devices nowadays are wireless, I would think that there wouldn't be a need for hardwired ports.
1984 Allegro M-31 (Dead Metal)

jcpainter
Explorer
Explorer
BMCM wrote:
Signal is coming in via optic fiber.
Someone at the company said any modem would be fine.. (probably related to the RV salesman that says 'your 1/2 ton will haul it fine!)


She will need a router/modem that meets the specs of the company providing the fibre optic service. It will have to have a proper input port to accept the fibre optic cable.

If she has had service with them for a while and her current device is old and cannot produce the speeds she's paying for, she might contact the company and ask if they will provide a new one. Many companies will upgrade old devices for free. It's worth a phone call.

BMCM
Explorer
Explorer
Signal is coming in via optic fiber.
Someone at the company said any modem would be fine.. (probably related to the RV salesman that says 'your 1/2 ton will haul it fine!)
F-350, Scorpion, QC, Dually/Alpenleak


All Gave Some,
Some Gave All.

turbojimmy
Explorer
Explorer
Mortimer Brewster wrote:
She needs to check with her internet provider first to see if they have a list of approved WiFi modems.


Yes and no. The ISP will provide the modem, which in the past has been a box with an ethernet port on it so that she can then connect her own router (be it wireless or not). But a lot of ISPs now have combination modem/wireless routers. She may not even need a separate WiFi router. So yes, I would ask the ISP what she needs - if anything at all. I switched from Verizon to the cable company last year and they tossed in a wireless router with the service (which is collecting dust in my basement because I like mine better).
1984 Allegro M-31 (Dead Metal)

Mortimer_Brewst
Explorer II
Explorer II
She needs to check with her internet provider first to see if they have a list of approved WiFi modems.
If ethics are poor at the top, that behavior is copied down through the organization - Robert Noyce

2018 Chevy Silverado 3500 SRW Duramax
2019 Coachmen Chaparral 298RLS

joebedford
Nomad II
Nomad II
I bought a Dlink AC1200 and eventually threw it out. Kept dropping connections. I like Dlinks, but not this one.

My DSL is only 5Mbps so I don't need much speed.

jcpainter
Explorer
Explorer
What is her internet source? Cellular, DSL, cable company, etc.

GordonThree
Explorer
Explorer
They're all the same on the inside, using Broadcom chips. Get the fastest, cheapest one she can find.

Ac1200, AC1900 etc are just marketing gimmicks. As long as its dual band that's all that counts.

Speaking of which, Amazon has one for $30 on woot.com
2013 KZ Sportsmen Classic 200, 20 ft TT
2020 RAM 1500, 5.7 4x4, 8 speed