How and Why You Should Replace Your ISP’s Router or Modem

With a little effort you can replace your ISP modem — Comcast, AT&T, Cox, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and Charter Spectrum, among others. Below we will explain the the benefits and drawbacks. But firstly let’s quickly explain what exactly you have got from your ISP so you can better understand your options.

Understanding Different ISP Devices

Two devices are necessary for internet and Wi-Fi connectivity in your home: a modem and a router. The modem directly communicates with your ISP over the Internet line to get data. Whereas the router connects to the modem to create a wireless network enabling your devices to get the right data. These devices are either separate or combined into a single unit as a gateway. For example, the Comcast Infinity Gateway.

Why Replace Your ISP Modem?

1) Are you paying a rental fee for your ISP modem? If so, you can save that money by buying your own device. Of course, you have to buy the device, but on average, you will recover the cost in about a year. Moreover, a modem has a three to five year lifetime which means a great long term saving.

2) More control over your own network — ISPs often restrict access to some settings. If you are interested in doing some customization your own modem will give you greater flexibility.

3) Faster speeds and more stability — There are a host of companies out there whose business model is to make great modems, not sell Wi-Fi packages; understandably their quality and selection is better than the ISPs. You might not be a power user, but still as an average user you may benefit from a new modem if your ISP product is getting bad reviews. As each ISP has a different quality record on the gateway or modem product they provide, the best thing is to do a web search. When you read the reviews think about whether they ring true for you. For example, do you need to reset your modem often or if you don’t feel you are getting the speed provided in your package.

4) In the case of Comcast using your own modem means you can disable their public Wi-Fi hotspot.

Router/Modem Combo versus Individual Modems and Routers

When you decide to replace your modem or your router you can do so with two devices or another combo device. The advantages of another combo device is that it takes up less space, but two devices enable you to have the best in their field and also going forward means you only have to replace one device if one breaks.

Why Change My ISP’s Router?

You don’t pay a rental fee for a router whether standalone or part of a combo, but there are very good performance reasons why you may want to get a better router. As I mentioned above the router is making sure all of the devices in your home get seamless Wi-Fi coverage, but coverage is often not smooth. This is because a number of things affect and weaken your Wi-Fi signal:

• How big your house is and your distance from the router.
• How busy the airwaves are carrying the data.
• The objects in the path of the signal and the materials used to make up those objects. For example, walls and chicken wire in the walls.

How to Improve Signal Strength around Your Home

Routers are categorized by speed and standards, for example, AC 1700. AC is the latest standard which enables much faster speeds, and works on the 5GHz band compared to the previous standard N which works primarily on 2.4 GHz. Check the specifications of the router from your ISP. Is it dual band with AC functionality or an older N router? What is its Mbps speed? If it is an older router then a new one will definitely improve signal strength.

But a new router only solves part of the problem. If you have a larger house with thick walls the problem will only be solved by getting a device that can extend the Wi-Fi signal — either a range extender or a whole home Wi-Fi system. In the former case, you don’t need to replace your original router, but in the latter case you do. Whole home Wi-Fi systems are a new concept where several devices work together. They create a mesh network for your home and better distribute and spread Wi-Fi. For more information on the advantages and disadvantages of these devices see this article …).

The Best Solution to Get Rid of Wi-Fi Dead Spots

To summarize: even if your ISP is providing you with a device with dual band AC functionality, you may still have Wi-Fi dead spots and need additional devices. Of the choices, range extender and whole home Wi-Fi system, the second offers the most comprehensive solution.

How To Replace Your ISP Devices

This depends on your own requirements and the devices you have got from your ISP. Let’s look at some scenarios below.

Replacing your ISP Gateway with another One

Perhaps you want to save the modem rental money, but you have a fairly small apartment. Perhaps, you didn’t opt for the fastest broadband package, and you don’t need to do any customized settings. The result is that you have decided to replace your ISP gateway device with another gateway (router/modem combo) device.

If so follow the steps below:
1) Check compatibility with your ISP — Most ISPs will have a page on their website with a list of verified modems or gateways. If you don’t find this page contact your ISP to ask why not. It is possible they don’t provide the option to change your gateway, but most do. For example: Comcast — http://mydeviceinfo.xfinity.com/

2) Check your special package conditions — In some cases, if, for example, you have the voice package it may be necessary to use the modem from your ISP

3) Follow the instructions included with your new gateway to set up.

4) Once you have set up your new gateway you will most likely have to give your new MAC address to your ISP. This is actually very easy because it is clearly labelled on the underside of your new device. Once you have registered it you are finished.

5) Finally, pack up your old gateway to send back to your ISP so you don’t need to continue paying the rental fee.

Replacing your ISP Gateway with a Standalone Modem and Standalone Router

• When deciding on this solution, you may have had the following reasons:
• You don’t want to rent anymore.
• Your house is small but you feel that you just want the best possible devices.
• You enjoy learning as much as possible about customizing routers.
• Your house is big with areas of poor signal so you have decided the best way is a whole home Wi-Fi system.

Replace Your ISP Modem

Follow the steps above to make sure you have:

1. Verified it is a modem compatible with your ISP and package.
2. Registered the MAC address with your ISP.
3. Checked with your ISP how to send the gateway back to them so that you no longer need to pay the rental fee.

Replace your ISP Router

With the router the issue isn’t compatibility with your ISP but compatibility with the modem. Check with your router manufacturer to verify if it works with the modem you intend to buy.

1. Set up your modem first. Next setup your router. As you now have two devices so you have to connect the router to the modem with an Ethernet cable. Once this is done follow the instructions provided with your device. Note: There is no need to register your router with your ISP.
2. If you are opting to buy a whole home Wi-Fi system, after the initial setup of the first device, continue with the instructions to set up the rest of the devices around your house

Keeping your Gateway but Choosing another Router

Perhaps you are unable to change your ISP gateway because the modem functionality is essential for its service. Perhaps you are happy to rent. That is OK. If you want to improve your Wi-Fi it is still possible to improve router functionality by adding a new router or a new whole home Wi-Fi system to your ISP gateway.

1. Connect the router or Whole Home Wi-Fi system to the modem with an Ethernet cable. Once this is done please follow the setup instructions provided with your device.

2. Once setup is complete you may also need to put your ISP gateway into bridging mode. This is necessary because you now have two routers functioning and that will most likely result in a double NAT (Network Address Translation) problem. Just think of the problem like this: When you get internet service, you get a public IP address for your network. Thereafter, the internet sends all your requests for data back to that address (think of it as your home address). Your router then takes that information and translates it into addresses it has created for the devices on your home network. If you have two devices duplicating the same job at the very least it means wasted time. At worse it can wreck uPnP (Universal plug and play) and any other service which assumes the router attached to it is communicating directing with the Internet.

3. Still. Don’t worry. Changing it to bridging mode is quite easy. Every ISP device has a different user interface, so do a Google search for ‘bridge mode’ and the model name of your gateway. In Comcast’s and Verizon’s cases they make it super easy, explaining exactly how to do it on their website (Here…) and (Here…).

4. The final thing to do is attach your devices to your new network. Not just your phones and computers, but if you have a printer or NAS, you will need to move it to the new network.

Conclusion

To set up a new router and modem takes a little bit of work, but it is a well-worn path with lots of great material available from ISPs, manufacturers and bloggers. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but for anyone looking to improve their home Wi-Fi, a router or modem from a specialist manufacturer will invariably be better quality than your ISPs.
If you would like any more information or have specific questions around your ISP device, please contact our helpdesk.

Originally published at Securifi Blog.