"cheap" is a relative term.

Nobody should be buying a DOCSIS 3.0 modem these days. They are obsolete and for some reason still being sold.

A decent DOCSIS 3.1 modem is at least $200. A Next Gen like S34 is at least $220. At least at the big blue big box store. And then you have to get your own wifi.

(However, that big blue store also will give you a 15% discount on any networking purchase if you recycle an old network device...I traded in an old modem but you should be able to find a switch or router at a thrift store and still come out ahead)

It pays for itself pretty quick (by not paying rental fees), but that doesn't necessarily make it cheap.

I absolutely prefer using my own equipment, and do...but it's also worth mentioning that in many markets, Xfinity removed data caps if you have a rented modem.

"cheap" is a relative term.

Nobody should be buying a DOCSIS 3.0 modem these days. They are obsolete and for some reason still being sold.

A decent DOCSIS 3.1 modem is at least $200. A Next Gen like S34 is at least $220. At least at the big blue big box store. And then you have to get your own wifi.

(However, that big blue store also will give you a 15% discount on any networking purchase if you recycle an old network device...I traded in an old modem but you should be able to find a switch or router at a thrift store and still come out ahead)

It pays for itself pretty quick (by not paying rental fees), but that doesn't necessarily make it cheap.

I absolutely prefer using my own equipment, and do...but it's also worth mentioning that in many markets, Xfinity removed data caps if you have a rented modem.

Well yeah. That’s what their tech does. And it’s why I have my ISP’s WiFi offering disabled and the antennas removed and run their router in bridged mode, hooked up to equipment I own that doesn’t call out to the Internet.

I used docsis 3.0 and it worked just fine. So why not?

Is your ISP know for robbing customers when they’re not home?

Well sheeit. What about Spectrum?

Can you use your own modem? I thought you had to use theirs?

I’m on Spectrum and have tons of friends that always complain they’re shit. Spectrum itself isn’t shit, it’s the garbage equipment they set you up with.

Make sure whatever you get works well with IPv6. For whatever reason IPv4 can go out at random but their IPv6 has never failed me (in the Los Angeles area at least).

You need to use their modem quite often, but you don’t need to use their router. They’re usually “all in one” modem/router things these days, but they’re legally required to provide you with a modem in bridge mode if you ask — at that point, an Ethernet cable attached to their modem is effectively attached to the Internet, and you can put your own hardware inside (firewall, Wifi router, etc.).

While you need to connect to their IP gateway, you don’t need to use their DNS services or anything but their IP gateway service.

I have always had my own router. What is bridge mode? Can I do that?

Because docsis 3.0 standard is nearly 20 years old at this point and 3.1 is significantly faster. Docsis 3.1 is only 15, but 4 (which is still 8 years old) probably isn't supported by your ISP yet. But the speed difference is quite noticeable. 3.0 will theoretically do 1gbps down, and 100-200 up, but 3.1 could do 10 down and 1gbps up. In the age of symmetrical fiber internet those upload speeds are dire. 3.1 realistically gets you a symmetrical gig connection.

I don't really understand how this works, so struggle to see any benefits (only drawbacks). It does make me thankful my provider is a small local company. Not the fastest, but probably no spying.

Well yeah. That’s what their tech does. And it’s why I have my ISP’s WiFi offering disabled and the antennas removed and run their router in bridged mode, hooked up to equipment I own that doesn’t call out to the Internet.

Can you use your own modem? I thought you had to use theirs?

Bridge mode disables the router in the modem; if you have an admin account on the modem you should be able to enable it yourself; otherwise you need to get your ISP to enable it. It will turn off all the firewall and WiFi features on the modem.

Well yeah. That’s what their tech does. And it’s why I have my ISP’s WiFi offering disabled and the antennas removed and run their router in bridged mode, hooked up to equipment I own that doesn’t call out to the Internet.

It doesn’t really matter… the data is managed by a third party in another country. I have no real control over who gets access to it, intentionally or otherwise. Better that the data just doesn’t exist in the first place.

If you are interested I can try and find the article on it but a few years ago an article came out where they were able to use wifi signals with enough accuracy that they could see a password that you were typing on your keyboard!!

But basically they use the way the wifi signal bounce off things to make an image in much the same way that echo location works

If a DOCSIS 3.0 modem still can't be saturated by the tier of internet someone is paying for, what advantage would 3.1 have?

"cheap" is a relative term.

Nobody should be buying a DOCSIS 3.0 modem these days. They are obsolete and for some reason still being sold.

A decent DOCSIS 3.1 modem is at least $200. A Next Gen like S34 is at least $220. At least at the big blue big box store. And then you have to get your own wifi.

(However, that big blue store also will give you a 15% discount on any networking purchase if you recycle an old network device...I traded in an old modem but you should be able to find a switch or router at a thrift store and still come out ahead)

It pays for itself pretty quick (by not paying rental fees), but that doesn't necessarily make it cheap.

I absolutely prefer using my own equipment, and do...but it's also worth mentioning that in many markets, Xfinity removed data caps if you have a rented modem.