Best modem and router for 1gb service w. Spectrum internet

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stormyknight

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Need suggestion for high speed internet setup. I'm moving to a 2500 sq. ft. house 2 stories. Will be getting spectrum 1gb high speed internet, the only service available in my area. Can you recommend what is the best modem and router setup for me to use. I'm very noob at this, usually I just use what the ISP gives me with my service, but I want to try and get my own modem and router this time. Also all my my computers are macs. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
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Check your billing after initial setup .. my wife works for Spectrum/Charter in the retention department ... she gets a lot of calls from people asking why they are being billed for this or that when they didn't request this or that .. They get work on commissions and there are those that will add services to your account and hope you don't notice for at least 60 days so they can get the commission off of that "sale" .. my wife seems to see this more with elderly and "english is not my first language" customers .. make's her real mad that not only are customers getting screwed .. but she gets screwed on her pay fixing these accounts (you touch the account you are accountable for money made from additional services and money lost from cancelled services).

...anyways .. just a heads up.
 
Spectrum doesn’t let you use your own modem, I asked them a few months back. They make you I use theirs but at least they don’t charge for it.
 
5150Joker said:
Spectrum doesn’t let you use your own modem, I asked them a few months back. They make you I use theirs but at least they don’t charge for it.
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I used my own modem for quite awhile until I upgraded my service and it wouldn't handle the faster speeds (Spectrum/Charter)
 
ThreeDee said:
I used my own modem for quite awhile until I upgraded my service and it wouldn't handle the faster speeds (Spectrum/Charter)
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I asked to use my own for 1 gb service when I was looking into it and they were adamant I couldn’t.
 
5150Joker said:
I asked to use my own for 1 gb service when I was looking into it and they were adamant I couldn’t.
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Hmm .. maybe it's just for services under a gb that they don't care then ?.. or they are being lazy and don't want any perceived hassle of whatever it is they do to configure their stuff to work with your stuff so handing you a line of BS... if your modem can handle the speeds, it shouldn't matter or be "speed specific" when allowing or not allowing customers to run/use their own. .. but I digress, I'm using their equipment now so I don't know ..
 
BlueLineSwinger said:
Under FCC regulations cable ISPs must allow you to use your own modem:
http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-id...81a35fb&mc=true&node=se47.4.76_11201&rgn=div8)
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2016/db0510/DA-16-512A1.pdf
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Maybe it's just me but I don't see anything about using your modems in those.

Comast business w/ static(s) doesn't let you either. From what I've read it's because their router uses an actual routing protocol (something most small business/consumer business modems don't support) to advertise ip/subnets upstream.
 
/dev/null said:
Maybe it's just me but I don't see anything about using your modems in those.

Comast business w/ static(s) doesn't let you either. From what I've read it's because their router uses an actual routing protocol (something most small business/consumer business modems don't support) to advertise ip/subnets upstream.
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Well probably more with the fact they guarantee 99% up time with their business plan and don't want the problems that come with people using their own stuff.
 
/dev/null said:
Maybe it's just me but I don't see anything about using your modems in those.

Comast business w/ static(s) doesn't let you either. From what I've read it's because their router uses an actual routing protocol (something most small business/consumer business modems don't support) to advertise ip/subnets upstream.
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Did you get past the first paragraph of the PDF? Because It's in the second:
Section 629 of the Act, as implemented by Section 76.1201 of the Rules, prohibits MVPDs from “prevent[ing] the connection or use of navigation devices” on their network... “Navigation devices” include cable modems, which are used to access “other services” (namely, broadband Internet access) offered over a cable system.
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The business w/static I can kinda understand (but still don't really agree), as it's about the IP routing setup and not the modem itself. They're selling to SMBs with little-to-no IT staff, which even if it exists may not know how to set up the routing, and Comcast techs can't be expected to know how to config every brand of router out there. Also, and I'm not sure on this, it's possible maybe that business ISP offerings operate under different FCC rules than consumer?
 
If you want to order Gig it says equipment will be provided - however for 100/400MBit service you can use your own.
 
5150Joker said:
I asked to use my own for 1 gb service when I was looking into it and they were adamant I couldn’t.
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I never had any issue getting them to let me use my own, that said I didn't get their gig package because they wanted an extra 40$/mo, 400/40 was enough for me.
And since they were providing new arris models that I probably would have bought the same of myself, I just used theirs.

Spectrum actually provides decent modems if you get their gig service and you don't have to pay a fee if you get the wired only model (wifi is +10$/mo).
That was my complaint about suddenlink they wanted $10/mo regardless (I was in a wierd annexed area and got suddenlink, spectrum, and ATT, I loved that area).

As long as you get a model that doesn't have the intel latency bug I'd just go with whatever Spectrum provides you since it should be no additional cost.
 
I got Spectrum's Gig service last month and was able to use my own Netgear CM1000v2. Upgraded from 400/20. I am in Dallas.

this thread at DSL Reports has a list of currently supported Gig modems and other useful info.

With regards to routers, I am more of an Asus guy but I have a Netgear Nighthawk X10 and only because the equivalent Asus router was still months away from release at that time but have been happy with it. I also recently purchased a Nighthawk AX12 and had so many problems with and took a lot of tinkering to get it to work. I had slow wifi, it would lose internet even though the modem was fine. It got so weird that even adding a new wifi or ethernet device would cause the router to drop internet. I fixed it all but still temperamental. I got it as an "upgrade" to my X10 but decided to keep the X10 for my ATT fiber and delegated the AX12 to the Spectrum modem since it sees less activity and only serves as a backup internet source for when the fiber conks out a few times a year and for a good amount of time.
 
I've dealt with Charter/Spectrum for a few years now (decades actually as Charter) in both commercial and residential and in two different states. So areas allow a user modem and some areas don't. But it really doesn't matter as the cost is the same either way, so I always get their modem since it's one less thing for me to worry about.
 
I just got a brand new EN2251 installed (Spectrum Modem) and i have a 2.5gb ethernet wan port connected at 2500-baseT and my speed test are still limited to 940 -965 down and 40-50 up not sure if it's my area but it appears their not using the ODFMA channels yet ? Anyways my latency is way down i went from 17 ms to 12-14ms ! I can't seem to get the 1.2gbps provision that i'm allowed to get?
 
Make sure to check out the model on to avoid any Puma chips. They tend to be higher in jitter and latency.
 
veronaz said:
Make sure to check out the model on to avoid any Puma chips. They tend to be higher in jitter and latency.
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I don't think the version of the E2251 that I have has PUMA chipset. I don't have any latency spikes or issues. In fact this modem lowered my latency ! I did do the puma test and it passed. I think it's the RTL8125 NIC I'm using i switched back to intel at 1000baseT and getting consistent 950mbps down 50mbps up and lower jitter and cpu usage. Could be a driver issue with pfsense and freebsd? I'll wait for intel to come out with a freebsd driver for their I255-LM NIC
 
I had to come back and give an update with the new EN2251. So you guys were right this modem has the intel Puma 7 chipset and it's total trash. It worked for a couple of days but then out of no where i would get latency spikes and drop outs ! This modem is trash I'm on my 2nd one . I decided to use my Bestbuy discount and orderd the Netgear CM2000. I will see how this goes. Right now the modem lost it's OFDMA channels and i only get 500mbps right now. I have Spectrum Manager tech coming to my house. They won't just send me a ET2251 or EU2251 that has the Broadcom chipset.
 
veronaz said:
Make sure to check out the model on to avoid any Puma chips. They tend to be higher in jitter and latency.
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This is false. I run have a nailed up ipsec tunnel across the country using 2x sb6190s that were obtained from different sources (one I bought at BB and the other I got used from someone who was dumping it because of the 'puma scare'), and I run latency sensitive applications across this link. The only time I've had any issues with extra jitter or latency is when the isps themselves are having issues. I have 4x different isp accounts I monitor and the 2x with the sb6190 are no different in jitter or latency than the others.

Both my modems pass the dslreports puma test and generally have been rock solid. If there was any real issue it was fixed by an isp update a long time ago--like day one.
 
123Lanoix said:
I had to come back and give an update with the new EN2251. So you guys were right this modem has the intel Puma 7 chipset and it's total trash. It worked for a couple of days but then out of no where i would get latency spikes and drop outs ! This modem is trash I'm on my 2nd one . I decided to use my Bestbuy discount and orderd the Netgear CM2000. I will see how this goes. Right now the modem lost it's OFDMA channels and i only get 500mbps right now. I have Spectrum Manager tech coming to my house. They won't just send me a ET2251 or EU2251 that has the Broadcom chipset.
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I'm willing to bet this is a signal issue with the isp or just simply a modem that failed shortly after being put in service. Another reason to just stick with isp modems when they're free.
 
SamirD said:
I'm willing to bet this is a signal issue with the isp or just simply a modem that failed shortly after being put in service. Another reason to just stick with isp modems when they're free.
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Nope, I had 3 techs come with in 3 days of each other and tested the line quality. The SNR was perfect. The gave me a ET2251 and it performs similar to a CM2000. The CM2000 is what I'm using now and I really like this modem alot. I'm getting fantastic peformance out of it. Avoid the EN2251 at all cost.
 
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