Modem advice

I'm wondering about advice people might have about modems.
After several years with the same Netgear I thought maybe it's
time to update, did some research, and got a TP-Link Archer
AX-10. It's got wifi6, which allegedly provides better wifi. The
wifi has been good... at good as I need, at any rate.

No serious problems, but it's been just cutting out
periodically. Twice this week. I restart it and it's fine, but...

Have I got a lemon? Are there brands people think are
especially good? I've only owned maybe 4 routers, so I
don't have much experience comparing them. Though I
would say the old Netgear had much better settings,
including things like the option to block sepcific IPs, while
the new router has minimal controls.

In alt.windows7.general Mayayana wrote:
I'm wondering about advice people might have about modems.
After several years with the same Netgear I thought maybe it's
time to update, did some research, and got a TP-Link Archer
AX-10. It's got wifi6, which allegedly provides better wifi. The
wifi has been good... at good as I need, at any rate.

No serious problems, but it's been just cutting out
periodically. Twice this week. I restart it and it's fine, but...

Have I got a lemon? Are there brands people think are
especially good? I've only owned maybe 4 routers, so I
don't have much experience comparing them. Though I
would say the old Netgear had much better settings,
including things like the option to block sepcific IPs, while
the new router has minimal controls.

Reset back to defaults and see if it still has the same symptoms? Is it
under warranty?

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On Wed, 25 Nov 2020 at 15:20:02, Ant wrote (my
responses usually follow points raised):
In alt.windows7.general Mayayana wrote:
I'm wondering about advice people might have about modems.
After several years with the same Netgear I thought maybe it's
time to update, did some research, and got a TP-Link Archer
AX-10. It's got wifi6, which allegedly provides better wifi. The
wifi has been good... at good as I need, at any rate.

Three ways a modern router _might_ appear better wi-fi:

1. If it's dual-band, your computer (etc.) is also dual band, your old
one isn't, and you have now lots of wi-fi equipped neighbours. All four
of those have to be true, otherwise no advantage from dual-band.

2. It can (and your computer) manage a higher speed than your old one
_and_ you have a connection speed (connection to the exchange) that can
use that. (If both of those are true, you should have noticed a step
change in speed when you changed it.)

3. Going through walls better (or worse - which could still improve
matters). Again, should have been immediately noticeable.

If you _didn't_ notice much change when you switched to it, then either
the wifi _isn't_ better, or some part of your system isn't _using_ the
improvement.

No serious problems, but it's been just cutting out
periodically. Twice this week. I restart it and it's fine, but...

I'm assuming you mean it loses connection with the exchange (on most
modern ones, in UK at least, that means the light on it ceases to be
steady blue).

Difficult to tell with that infrequent a dropout, but: do you still have
your old MoDem? If so, put it back in and see if it still happens. (If
it does, you have a deteriorating line. Good luck getting that fixed -
your ISP and BT Openreach will blame each other, and you have a vale of
tears in store. [Allegedly if your ISP is Zen, they're better.]) If the
cutouts stop ...

Have I got a lemon? Are there brands people think are
especially good? I've only owned maybe 4 routers, so I

From what I've read, you can't say one make is consistently better, if
you only change every few years, as the different makes switch between
different factories in China; it may be possible to say certain _models_
are particularly good (or, though less often, particularly bad).

don't have much experience comparing them. Though I
would say the old Netgear had much better settings,
including things like the option to block sepcific IPs, while
the new router has minimal controls.

Reset back to defaults and see if it still has the same symptoms? Is it

Certainly worth a try - if you've changed any settings from default
anyway.

under warranty?

Does your ISP provide one? Might be worth asking them for one. (In UK,
they usually provide them "free" to new customers [but make the customer
pay over the odds for "post and packing" for them]; I don't know if
they'll do so for an existing customer who's been using their own,
though.) Or, if you bought it locally and it _is_ under warranty, might
be worth seeing if the store will exchange it.

I'd say putting your old one in for a couple of weeks, if you've still
got it, is a first step, as long as that wouldn't take the new one past
its warranty or something.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Self Test for Paranoia: You know you have it when you can't think of anything
that's your own fault. - "The Real Bev" in comp.mobile.android, 2019-1-1

On Wed, 25 Nov 2020 15:56:41 -0500, Mayayana wrote:

I'm wondering about advice people might have about modems.

I have bought many an Arris modem; but methinks you mean routers.

After several years with the same Netgear I thought maybe it's
time to update, did some research, and got a TP-Link Archer
AX-10. It's got wifi6, which allegedly provides better wifi. The
wifi has been good... at good as I need, at any rate.

Do you have an Android mobile device?
o If so, you can test the signal strength at any point in the house

That way, you can compare two "routers" (actually their radios).
o You can test a whole bunch of things in the real world with Android

See, for example:
o What freeware graphical Wi-Fi debugging tools do you use on Android & iOS to graph signal strength for available APs over time?
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.comp.freeware/8hjHJzuLM3k

No serious problems, but it's been just cutting out
periodically. Twice this week. I restart it and it's fine, but...

My WISP insists I need to boot the rooftop transceiver every once in a
while, so maybe there is truth to the need for a periodic reboot?

Have I got a lemon? Are there brands people think are
especially good? I've only owned maybe 4 routers, so I
don't have much experience comparing them. Though I
would say the old Netgear had much better settings,
including things like the option to block sepcific IPs, while
the new router has minimal controls.

I give routers (and modems!) as gifts, particularly to college kids who
move into an apartment for the first time in their lives.

I asked my WISP that exact same question, where he uses almost exclusively
Ubiquiti (and some old Microtik) equipment - but he's commercial.

His answer for home use is they're all the same when you ask in terms of
brands, where his only "branding advice" is to use the name brands, which
you seem to be using already.

Another thing he claims is that it matters to match equipment, but again,
he's commercial so it matters more for him that setup is similar (e.g., on
repeaters) where they talk to each other best when they're the same brand
(or so he claims).

Hope this helps.

On Wed, 25 Nov 2020 21:56:16 +0000, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

you have now lots of wi-fi equipped neighbours.

Hi JP Gilliver,

I think the OP meant "router" and not "modem", where noise is critical.

Look at this from my Android phone (which admittedly is in the boonies):
o https://i.postimg.cc/4xgmTTgm/wifi01.jpg

It will be far (far) worse than that in a congested non-rural area.

On that one topic of noise alone, the way my WISP explained it to me was
that the radio is receiving all the signals on the frequency it's "tuned"
to (e.g., let's take channel 1 in the 2.4GHz band).

If you have, oh, say, five strong signals in that same band, then the radio
receives all five but the router CPU has to discard every single packet
that isn't the one intended for your network).

That slows everything down.

It's less of a problem of course, if you live in the boonies.
o Or if you move to an unused (usually 5GHz) band.

How can you tell?
o You need a tool which will tell you.

For example, here's an "AirView" tutorial (Airview is free with my radio):
o https://youtu.be/b9qtYFDrb98

My rooftop tranceiver (it's equivalent to your cable "modem") has a built
in free spectrum analyzer which looks at the entire frequency band,
(note this is _more_ than just the legal Wi-Fi channels; it's everything,
including all the microwave ovens and baby monitors in your vicinity).
o Airview Spectrum Analyzer (built into my rooftom tranceiver)
http://www.ubnt.su/downloads/UBNT_DS_airView.pdf

In summary, noise will change over time, and it could kill your throughput.
o Luckily, the tools to check are free (if you have Android &/or Ubiquiti)

On 11/25/2020 1:56 PM, Mayayana wrote:
I'm wondering about advice people might have about modems.
After several years with the same Netgear I thought maybe it's
time to update, did some research, and got a TP-Link Archer
AX-10.


What kind of modem are you asking about? Cable? DSL? Telephone?



It's got wifi6, which allegedly provides better wifi. The
wifi has been good... at good as I need, at any rate.


If it's got wi-fi, it's not a modem. It's a router, with a modem built
into it.


I never like combo units of any kind, so I have a separate router and
modem. I have a Netgear cable modem and a D-link router. I've had both
for many years and both have been fine. If one of those died I would
almost certainly replace it with the same brand.

--
Ken

On 11/25/2020 3:56 PM, Mayayana wrote:
I'm wondering about advice people might have about modems.
After several years with the same Netgear I thought maybe it's
time to update, did some research, and got a TP-Link Archer
AX-10. It's got wifi6, which allegedly provides better wifi. The
wifi has been good... at good as I need, at any rate.

No serious problems, but it's been just cutting out
periodically. Twice this week. I restart it and it's fine, but...

Have I got a lemon? Are there brands people think are
especially good? I've only owned maybe 4 routers, so I
don't have much experience comparing them. Though I
would say the old Netgear had much better settings,
including things like the option to block sepcific IPs, while
the new router has minimal controls.


I've had most of the major branded modems over the decades, but the most
reliable, flexible, and durable ones have always been the Netgear modems
and extenders, which I still use to this day.

--
best regards,

Neil

"Ken Blake" wrote

|
| If it's got wi-fi, it's not a modem. It's a router, with a modem built
| into it.
|

It's a router. I was mixing it up when I posted. There's
a cable modem from the ISP and I got a TP-Link router
plus a network switch.

I think I found out what I needed for now. TP-Link is
reasonably well regarded.... I updated the firmware....
I'll see what happens. Maybe that will clear it up. The
symptoms just seemed so random that I wondered if
it might be a known problem.

"Neil" wrote

| I've had most of the major branded modems over the decades, but the most
| reliable, flexible, and durable ones have always been the Netgear modems
| and extenders, which I still use to this day.

Good to know. Thanks. I had a Netgear N600 that
was fine, but it was maybe 6 years old, so I figured
it might improve the speed and wifi connection to
get a new one.

"Mayayana"

Good that you updated the firmware but if the problem persists could you
provide a line diagram to show your connection's.

WAN Port TP-Link
LAN Ports
| ISP Modem |-----------| TP-Link |---------|1|----|2|----|3|-----|4|
Router Mode |
|
_______|_____________________
|Switch Port 1
Port 2 Port 3 Port etc..|
|_____________________________|

| | |

To other wired devices


Hopefully the above diagram looks the same as I made it. This is how your
cabling should be connected.

The Ethernet cable from the ISP's modem goes to the WAN port on the TP-Link
router and the Operation Mode is "Router" and not in "Access Pont Mode (AP)"

Then a cable from anyone of the routers LAN ports goes to your switch which
has other wired devices.

If the cable from the modem goes first to your switch and it's smart switch
(IP addressable) as someone else noted, the ISP will grab that MAC address
and then a whole lot of weirdness follows and it will even connect up. You
can make all sorts of cabling mistakes but if your TP-Link is in Router Mode
then the modem must connect to the WAN port on the router.

If it is in "AP Mode" that would make it a secondary router on your network
but you didn't say any other router is on the network.


--
Bob S.

On Thu, 26 Nov 2020 20:04:38 -0500, Neil wrote:

I've had most of the major branded modems over the decades, but the most
reliable, flexible, and durable ones have always been the Netgear modems
and extenders, which I still use to this day.

Speaking of modems, here's PSA advice to those of you with cable modems.
(I don't have a modem; I have a transceiver since I'm on WISP.)

Usually in about their third year of college, kids tend to move to
off-campus apartments, which is the first time they _need_ a modem.

I generally gift them the Arris modems that Costco sells, which simply need
to be Docsys 3.x compatible to work with most cable companies).
a. You call the cable company (to find out the Docsys version they support)
b. You buy the modem at Costco (which always supports the current version)

Then I help the kids tell the cable company to not charge them fifty bucks
for installation (since the cable company can do that over the cable).

Note: In "some" cases the cable company has a "filter" on a dual-line
cable with a&b so they do have to come out physically to remove the filter.

The great thing is that in less than a year the modem has completely
paid for itself, and, after that, it saves them ten dollars a month rental.

The cost of a good cable modem at Costco is about $100 to $130 (or so).
o The savings on the first day is the $50 installation fee is waived.
o The cost savings each month is $10/month (forever)

It's a no brainer.

What always amazes me is that more people don't buy their own modems.
o They would save ten bucks a month forever if they did.

Why do they rent that which they can get for free?
o I don't know why.

It's not like you have to do anything with the modems either.
o You just put it on the shelf and plug it in to the cable.

The modems I bought five or so years ago are still being used by the kids,
even after they've moved quite a few times (and saved that fifty bucks
installation fee each time); they save $10/month forever (or until
the cable company changes the docsys standard they support).

BTW, has the docsys version cable companies support _ever_ changed?
--
Anyway, that's my PSA for today.
o Happy Thanksgiving!

"n/a" wrote

| Good that you updated the firmware but if the problem persists could you
| provide a line diagram to show your connection's.
|
| WAN Port TP-Link
| LAN Ports
|| ISP Modem |-----------| TP-Link |---------|1|----|2|----|3|-----|4|
| Router Mode |
| |
|
_______|_____________________
| |Switch Port 1
| Port 2 Port 3 Port etc..|
|
|_____________________________|
|
| | | |
|
| To other wired devices
|
|
| Hopefully the above diagram looks the same as I made it. This is how your
| cabling should be connected.
|

Yes, that's how it's set up. There was no trouble
in the past, and this is only an occasional problem,
so if the wiring came into it at all I would expect that
to be just a case of a loose connection.

On 11/26/20 11:51 PM, Arlen Holder wrote:

[snip]

BTW, has the docsys version cable companies support _ever_ changed?

When I first got cable internet (about 2006) the cable company used
DOCSIS 2 modems. Now those are unacceptable, only DOCSIS 3 modems will work.

BTW, DOCSIS = Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification.

--
28 days until the winter celebration (Fri, Dec 25, 2020 12:00:00 AM for
1 day).

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"To prove the Gospels by a miracle is to prove an absurdity by something
contrary to nature." [Diderot]

In microsoft.public.windowsxp.general Mark Lloyd wrote:
On 11/26/20 11:51 PM, Arlen Holder wrote:

[snip]

BTW, has the docsys version cable companies support _ever_ changed?

When I first got cable internet (about 2006) the cable company used
DOCSIS 2 modems. Now those are unacceptable, only DOCSIS 3 modems will work.

BTW, DOCSIS = Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification.

When I first got cable on 3/10/2001, it was not DOCSIS compliant. It was
crap. Lots of outages, slow, etc. in the city. And then, Adelphia redid
its cable infrastructure to DOCSIS and digital which made everything
better!

--
Life's so loco! ..!.. *isms, sins, hates, (d)evil, z, tiredness, my old body, (sick/ill)ness (e.g., COVID-19 & SARS-CoV-2), deaths (RIP), interruptions, issues, conflicts, obstacles, stresses, fires, out(r)ages, dramas, unlucky #4, 2020, greeds, bugs (e.g., crashes & female mosquitoes), etc. D: Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
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/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
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Ant wrote:
In microsoft.public.windowsxp.general Mark Lloyd wrote:
On 11/26/20 11:51 PM, Arlen Holder wrote:

[snip]

BTW, has the docsys version cable companies support _ever_ changed?

When I first got cable internet (about 2006) the cable company used
DOCSIS 2 modems. Now those are unacceptable, only DOCSIS 3 modems will work.

BTW, DOCSIS = Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification.

When I first got cable on 3/10/2001, it was not DOCSIS compliant. It was
crap. Lots of outages, slow, etc. in the city. And then, Adelphia redid
its cable infrastructure to DOCSIS and digital which made everything
better!


To be fair though, at launch, cable distribution of Internet was a
mess. For example, in the city I'm in, they tried to run way too
many users off a central router. The result was at 9PM, people
were getting 1.5Mbit/sec??? or so. At the mall, Rogers had a booth,
attempting to get people to sign up for the service. An "angry mob"
circulated around the booth, mumbling about the speeds they were
getting. Looked very much like angry bees :-) I happened to step
too close to the bees, and one of the bees told me what
kind of speed I could expect. I flew off and continued on my way.

Rogers responded by closing the booth, so the bees had
nothing to buzz around. That takes all the fun out of it.

They've put more infrastructure into it since then.

Paul