Please help me choose a router/modem
June 11, 2018 10:03 AM Subscribe
Which modem/router will fit my family's special circumstances?
I am with an ISP that only has 2 modems. After excruciating struggles for 2 months, they've suggested I replace my Telus 3200M with a modem (or accompanying router) of my choosing, at my cost. They only have 2 modems and the 5g one is not compatible with my Disney Circle parental controls. And their other modem only does 2.4g, which their tech has shown will never get more than 10-20 mbps in my neighbourhood, due to the level of traffic. They said use 5g with SmartSteering turned off.
I need to find a router/modem on this list: Circle specs
It needs to be at least as good as my current modem, which I think is this: modem
I am on Telus and I don't know how I know if any given modem (or router?) will work with this.
I cannot work without Circle. I must have this. Just using the modem/router settings is not enough.
Bonus points if Circle is built in, but I do have Circle standalone.
I cannot go to a store to look. I cannot make phone calls during the day. I don't have an extra person to help me with this. And I basically need something available on Amazon.ca. I have some tech knowledge, but not enough to choose a modem from Amazon that is going to be compatible with both Telus and Circle.
Can anyone help me? Thanks.
I am with an ISP that only has 2 modems. After excruciating struggles for 2 months, they've suggested I replace my Telus 3200M with a modem (or accompanying router) of my choosing, at my cost. They only have 2 modems and the 5g one is not compatible with my Disney Circle parental controls. And their other modem only does 2.4g, which their tech has shown will never get more than 10-20 mbps in my neighbourhood, due to the level of traffic. They said use 5g with SmartSteering turned off.
I need to find a router/modem on this list: Circle specs
It needs to be at least as good as my current modem, which I think is this: modem
I am on Telus and I don't know how I know if any given modem (or router?) will work with this.
I cannot work without Circle. I must have this. Just using the modem/router settings is not enough.
Bonus points if Circle is built in, but I do have Circle standalone.
I cannot go to a store to look. I cannot make phone calls during the day. I don't have an extra person to help me with this. And I basically need something available on Amazon.ca. I have some tech knowledge, but not enough to choose a modem from Amazon that is going to be compatible with both Telus and Circle.
Can anyone help me? Thanks.
Response by poster: Thanks for your reply. Yes, the point of my post is that I need to buy a new router/Wifi. I want to know which product on the list I provided will be comparable to what I have and be available on Amazon and work with my ISP.
I already have the above working modem. I need to get it to work with parental controls. So, if it's a router I need, I need to know which one on the list will work with Circle and Telus and give me 5g.
I have multiple barriers that prevent me from just going to a store or calling stores to find out. So I'm hoping someone here can tell me what I need to order, please.
posted by acoutu at 10:49 AM on June 11, 2018
I already have the above working modem. I need to get it to work with parental controls. So, if it's a router I need, I need to know which one on the list will work with Circle and Telus and give me 5g.
I have multiple barriers that prevent me from just going to a store or calling stores to find out. So I'm hoping someone here can tell me what I need to order, please.
posted by acoutu at 10:49 AM on June 11, 2018
The modem is the link between your network and your ISP. The router knows nothing about your ISP and doesn't care. So all you need to do is find a router that supports Circle and you should be fine.
I usually go to WireCutter for these sorts of tech questions. They aren't the only word on the matter, but they'll do. Their recommended router is the NetGear R7000P Nighthawk. Their previous budget pick was the TP-Link Archer C7 (although it's a couple of years old and doesn't have all the new sexiness. I feel that way about myself sometimes...). Both of these have Circle support built-in.
I don't have experience with either one of these, so can't tell you how hard they are to set up. I also don't know your level of technical geekitude. But, you wanted suggestions.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 11:11 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
I usually go to WireCutter for these sorts of tech questions. They aren't the only word on the matter, but they'll do. Their recommended router is the NetGear R7000P Nighthawk. Their previous budget pick was the TP-Link Archer C7 (although it's a couple of years old and doesn't have all the new sexiness. I feel that way about myself sometimes...). Both of these have Circle support built-in.
I don't have experience with either one of these, so can't tell you how hard they are to set up. I also don't know your level of technical geekitude. But, you wanted suggestions.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 11:11 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Most routers have a "WAN" ethernet port, that essentially connects to the modem as though it is a computer -- the modem is only aware of the router's existence, not the computers on the network, and the computers on the network are only aware of the router, not the modem. Does the modem your ISP provide have a ethernet port? If so, then just focus on getting a router.
So, I think you're thinking too hard about the modem part: if you get a Wifi router that's compatible with Disney Circle, you connect ethernet between the Wifi router's WAN/ISP port and the modem's ethernet port, and all your users connect to the Wifi router, which handles the access control, not the modem.
If the modem only has Wifi, a "wifi bridge" will be a sufficient replacement for the ethernet part -- then you make the wifi settings for the modem a secret, and force people to connect to the router you purchase which is compatible with Circle, and, boom, same effect.
I've had good experience with ASUS routers, but I don't have direct experience with the ones on your list.
posted by AzraelBrown at 11:11 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
So, I think you're thinking too hard about the modem part: if you get a Wifi router that's compatible with Disney Circle, you connect ethernet between the Wifi router's WAN/ISP port and the modem's ethernet port, and all your users connect to the Wifi router, which handles the access control, not the modem.
If the modem only has Wifi, a "wifi bridge" will be a sufficient replacement for the ethernet part -- then you make the wifi settings for the modem a secret, and force people to connect to the router you purchase which is compatible with Circle, and, boom, same effect.
I've had good experience with ASUS routers, but I don't have direct experience with the ones on your list.
posted by AzraelBrown at 11:11 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
What is your budget? There's a wide range of available routers that Circle reports working with. They range from this highly regarded (and rated) router for $250 to this one for $213 to this more affordable one ($110).
If $250 feels OK to you, I'd just get the first one.
posted by Betelgeuse at 11:12 AM on June 11, 2018
If $250 feels OK to you, I'd just get the first one.
posted by Betelgeuse at 11:12 AM on June 11, 2018
Your modem handles the signal coming in to your house. Your router takes this incoming signal and assigns access to all of the devices in your home. Only the modem needs to be compatible with your ISP. Only the router needs to be compatible with Circle.
Ask your ISP which WIRED ONLY modem they have available. Then pick a router from the Circle list.
I have had good luck with ASUS routers. The built-in firmware is pretty decent. Check the models, whatever you get, to make sure the administration account for the router is saved ON THE ROUTER and not via some cloud service. There is absolutely zero reason for your router administration to be accessible from outside of your network, let alone to be managed from a server owned by the manufacturer.
posted by caution live frogs at 11:17 AM on June 11, 2018
Ask your ISP which WIRED ONLY modem they have available. Then pick a router from the Circle list.
I have had good luck with ASUS routers. The built-in firmware is pretty decent. Check the models, whatever you get, to make sure the administration account for the router is saved ON THE ROUTER and not via some cloud service. There is absolutely zero reason for your router administration to be accessible from outside of your network, let alone to be managed from a server owned by the manufacturer.
posted by caution live frogs at 11:17 AM on June 11, 2018
Response by poster: Thanks. Will all these still work with 5g? Thanks.
posted by acoutu at 1:50 PM on June 11, 2018
posted by acoutu at 1:50 PM on June 11, 2018
If you mean 5Ghz WiFi, yes, that NetGear router (and wifi access point) does both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz Wifi.
posted by mrbill at 2:01 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by mrbill at 2:01 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
To elaborate a little bit on what everyone else is saying:
You'll get a router (takes bits and puts them on your local network, with firewall and whatever else capabilities) + access point (takes your local network and puts it on WiFi) combo that does what you want (I've had good luck with Asus laptops, so kinda have a bias towards them). You'll also get the modem best suited to your VDSL connection.
You'll then plug the WAN port of your router into the network port of that modem. You'll configure the modem to either be in "Bridge Mode" or, if it's not capable of that, on the modem, you'll configure the router to be the "DMZ" or similar host.
It looks like the ActionTec has a bridge mode, so it may even be the case that you can just continue to use that as the modem, but only for the modem part of its functionality.
But once you get the new router, the phrase you're looking for on your ActionTec device is "bridge mode", and you'll plug the router into that.
posted by straw at 3:17 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
You'll get a router (takes bits and puts them on your local network, with firewall and whatever else capabilities) + access point (takes your local network and puts it on WiFi) combo that does what you want (I've had good luck with Asus laptops, so kinda have a bias towards them). You'll also get the modem best suited to your VDSL connection.
You'll then plug the WAN port of your router into the network port of that modem. You'll configure the modem to either be in "Bridge Mode" or, if it's not capable of that, on the modem, you'll configure the router to be the "DMZ" or similar host.
It looks like the ActionTec has a bridge mode, so it may even be the case that you can just continue to use that as the modem, but only for the modem part of its functionality.
But once you get the new router, the phrase you're looking for on your ActionTec device is "bridge mode", and you'll plug the router into that.
posted by straw at 3:17 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I have an Actiontec 1200H sitting here. Would it work as a router and still let us do 5G, though?
I ordered one of the routers above, but if the Actiontec could work with the existing modem to do what I need, please let me know! :) I think it can only do 2.4G, so my guess is the answer is no. Thanks.
posted by acoutu at 7:35 PM on June 11, 2018
I ordered one of the routers above, but if the Actiontec could work with the existing modem to do what I need, please let me know! :) I think it can only do 2.4G, so my guess is the answer is no. Thanks.
posted by acoutu at 7:35 PM on June 11, 2018
Yes. The Actiontec 1200H can only operate in the 2.4 GHz (i.e. 802.11n) band.
However, I have a question: how sure are you that you're going to be able to take advantage of the extra speed that a router using the 5 GHz band (i.e. 802.11ac) will give you? 802.11n (2.4 GHz) tops out typically at 150 Mbps (450 Mbps is the theoretical top, but you rarely see that). 802.11ac (at 5 GHz) is quite a bit faster - typically 450 Mbps (theoretically over 1 Gbps). However, many people will never see the benefit of the faster 802.11ac speeds to the outside world because their external connection is the bottleneck. You say, "their other modem only does 2.4g, which their tech has shown will never get more than 10-20 mbps in my neighbourhood, due to the level of traffic. That suggests to me that your wireless connection is not the bottleneck, but rather your connection to your ISP. Going from a wireless connection speed of 150 Mbps to 450 Mbps isn't going to matter if your connection to your ISP is 20 Mbps.
posted by Betelgeuse at 6:14 AM on June 12, 2018
However, I have a question: how sure are you that you're going to be able to take advantage of the extra speed that a router using the 5 GHz band (i.e. 802.11ac) will give you? 802.11n (2.4 GHz) tops out typically at 150 Mbps (450 Mbps is the theoretical top, but you rarely see that). 802.11ac (at 5 GHz) is quite a bit faster - typically 450 Mbps (theoretically over 1 Gbps). However, many people will never see the benefit of the faster 802.11ac speeds to the outside world because their external connection is the bottleneck. You say, "their other modem only does 2.4g, which their tech has shown will never get more than 10-20 mbps in my neighbourhood, due to the level of traffic. That suggests to me that your wireless connection is not the bottleneck, but rather your connection to your ISP. Going from a wireless connection speed of 150 Mbps to 450 Mbps isn't going to matter if your connection to your ISP is 20 Mbps.
posted by Betelgeuse at 6:14 AM on June 12, 2018
So the Actiontec will work as a modem, and you can get a router that can also act as a 5G access point (I'm being pedantic about the (at least) 3 different functions at play here because I think it's useful to think about all of those things separately).
Betelgeuse, I took the "their tech has shown will never get more than 10-20 mbps in my neighbourhood" to mean that they have a lot of other people with WiFi networks in their area and are up against WiFi channel limits, but you raise a good point: Is there further confusion between the issues of access point vs router vs modem?
posted by straw at 9:50 AM on June 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
Betelgeuse, I took the "their tech has shown will never get more than 10-20 mbps in my neighbourhood" to mean that they have a lot of other people with WiFi networks in their area and are up against WiFi channel limits, but you raise a good point: Is there further confusion between the issues of access point vs router vs modem?
posted by straw at 9:50 AM on June 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: The tech showed me I can get 80 on a 75 plan with a 5G, but no more than 20 on a 15 to 50 plan with a 2.4G.
posted by acoutu at 12:43 PM on June 18, 2018
posted by acoutu at 12:43 PM on June 18, 2018
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I don't know what the nature of your problems are with your current router/modem combination, but perhaps they could be solved by just replacing the router (and turning off the routing capabilities of the Telus 3200M)?
posted by Betelgeuse at 10:26 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]