topic Re: Do I Really Need a New Router? in Electronics

Do I Really Need a New Router?

Sweetbay magnolia — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 00:09:17 GMT

I know this has been discussed before. However, my ISP has sent me a new one. Yes, I am one of the fools that lets them charge me for that every month. I live in an older home and well . . . you don't need all the details.

I am hesitant to unscrew the old one, which is working fine, BTW. I have an old analog TV (aiong with some newer). It's never easy as they say, in my experience. I have two macs, one that runs wirelessly and on that sits next to the router, so I plug it in. Of course, we have cell phones as well.

Apparently my speed has been increased. Fine. Then, the ISP notified me that my "old" equipment had been received, returned, and acknowledged as such. I have not unpacked the new router, nor plugged it in. What does this signal, and is it really worth screwing around with a new device, if I don't really need it?

We have underground cable to the house, though there are some people in my neighborhood who rely on overhead, if that makes a difference.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Re: Do I Really Need a New Router?

Mz iMac — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 01:53:29 GMT

I am confused by your following statements:

"I am hesitant to unscrew the old one, which is working fine, BTW."

"the ISP notified me that my "old" equipment had been received, returned, and acknowledged as such. I have not unpacked the new router, nor plugged it in."

Either you still have the old router or you don't? If you are still using the old router, which router is your cable co claiming that you returned?

Re: Do I Really Need a New Router?

Sweetbay magnolia — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 03:42:11 GMT

I still have the old router plugged in, @Mz iMac. I am confused, as well - they sent new equip and told me I had 30 days to return the old device, but then notified me that they had received a return, even though I have not sent it back. Nor even opened the box.

And the company said I had to do nothing else, in the e-mail I received.

I guess, ethically, I should call to find out what is going on, but considering the time it took me to get through the last time I called . . . why bother?

Seriously, I am a good paying customer and I just hate jumping through these hoops. And I have not "attached" the new one, for fear that something will run amuck. Now, consider that I worked on computers in the DOS age, and before the mouse, and before a modem worked independently of a telephone line, but this has me confused.

I must be making a mountain of a molehill. I'll just hook the darn thing up (unscrew the co-ax and hope for the best).

Re: Do I Really Need a New Router?

hckynutjohn — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 05:34:20 GMT

@Sweetbay magnolia wrote:
I know this has been discussed before. However, my ISP has sent me a new one. Yes, I am one of the fools that lets them charge me for that every month. I live in an older home and well . . . you don't need all the details.

I am hesitant to unscrew the old one, which is working fine, BTW. I have an old analog TV (aiong with some newer). It's never easy as they say, in my experience. I have two macs, one that runs wirelessly and on that sits next to the router, so I plug it in. Of course, we have cell phones as well.

Apparently my speed has been increased. Fine. Then, the ISP notified me that my "old" equipment had been received, returned, and acknowledged as such. I have not unpacked the new router, nor plugged it in. What does this signal, and is it really worth screwing around with a new device, if I don't really need it?

We have underground cable to the house, though there are some people in my neighborhood who rely on overhead, if that makes a difference.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

@Sweetbay magnolia

You lost me with the above "bolded/underlined" comments. Not sure if you have a router hooked up or what is what by your statements.

Don't say what your ISP is: Cable:/Satellite/Phone Company. I have Centurylink which is our telephone service, thus have have DSL. Like you, some of our cables run underground and some above about 30' off the ground.

When they upped our Internet speed from 1.5mbps to 15mbps, I had to install a new router to be able to handle this speed. It is still an 802.11N, but evidently it has different internals than the old one. Beats me.

I plan on buying an 802.11AC router when I learn more about if they work "backward compatible" or not. My new TV set has the AC built inside of it. I am thinking that most new devices that work wirelessly will also be of the AC variety.

Once I am sure that any new cell phone/tablet and so on have an AC, or AC is "backwards compatible" with 802.11N devices, I plan on shopping around.

If someone here knows the answers to my above, please speak up, and I thank you.

hckynut(john)

Re: Do I Really Need a New Router?

Sweetbay magnolia — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 06:38:17 GMT

Thanks. I didn't even know how to phrase that question because I didin't know where to begin! I'll forge ahead.

Thank you kindly for responding. I guess I don't have to be a technical genius to proceed. We shall see. It's Verizon, BTW. And I still do not know why there has been acknowledgement of a return that I have, presumably, not done - of the old router. Probably just a "clerical error". I'll hook it up and send the old one back.

Re: Do I Really Need a New Router?

gardenman — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 09:02:24 GMT

@hckynutjohn wrote:
@Sweetbay magnolia wrote:
I know this has been discussed before. However, my ISP has sent me a new one. Yes, I am one of the fools that lets them charge me for that every month. I live in an older home and well . . . you don't need all the details.

I am hesitant to unscrew the old one, which is working fine, BTW. I have an old analog TV (aiong with some newer). It's never easy as they say, in my experience. I have two macs, one that runs wirelessly and on that sits next to the router, so I plug it in. Of course, we have cell phones as well.

Apparently my speed has been increased. Fine. Then, the ISP notified me that my "old" equipment had been received, returned, and acknowledged as such. I have not unpacked the new router, nor plugged it in. What does this signal, and is it really worth screwing around with a new device, if I don't really need it?

We have underground cable to the house, though there are some people in my neighborhood who rely on overhead, if that makes a difference.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

@Sweetbay magnolia

You lost me with the above "bolded/underlined" comments. Not sure if you have a router hooked up or what is what by your statements.

Don't say what your ISP is: Cable:/Satellite/Phone Company. I have Centurylink which is our telephone service, thus have have DSL. Like you, some of our cables run underground and some above about 30' off the ground.

When they upped our Internet speed from 1.5mbps to 15mbps, I had to install a new router to be able to handle this speed. It is still an 802.11N, but evidently it has different internals than the old one. Beats me.

I plan on buying an 802.11AC router when I learn more about if they work "backward compatible" or not. My new TV set has the AC built inside of it. I am thinking that most new devices that work wirelessly will also be of the AC variety.

Once I am sure that any new cell phone/tablet and so on have an AC, or AC is "backwards compatible" with 802.11N devices, I plan on shopping around.

If someone here knows the answers to my above, please speak up, and I thank you.

hckynut(john)

All of the AC routers I've seen are backwards compatible all the way back to a/b/g/n tech. With a top speed of 15 mbps I'm not sure you'll see a big difference using an AC router. The AC routers are designed to work with some of the quicker connections (100 mbps+) and for households with multiple devices accessing the Internet at the same time. Pretty much any old router can handle 15 mbps to just one device. Now if you've got two adults, a couple of kids and a visitor all trying to stream video on a really fast Internet connection, an AC router would be a good investment.

Re: Do I Really Need a New Router?

glb613 — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 09:23:18 GMT

A new router needs the security enabled. Otherwise the wireless signal will be broadcasted and anyone within range will be able to use your internet. It's a reall security threat to your computers and home network. Are you willing to learn how to do this?

Re: Do I Really Need a New Router?

Nuttmeg — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 10:01:15 GMT

@Sweetbay magnolia

You should call Verizon and have a tech come to your home and install the new router.

Re: Do I Really Need a New Router?

ValuSkr — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 11:41:22 GMT

I have Verizon FIOS. This summer I was experiencing problems - often losing the internet connection in the middle of a session and having to reboot the router. I spoke with Verizon and they noted my router was old and offered to send a new one. They said I didn't need to return the old one, that it was essentially worthless. I received the new one a day or two later and things did seem to improve after that. And, by the way, I don't pay a monthly rental fee for the router.

Re: Do I Really Need a New Router?

Sweetbay magnolia — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 14:36:43 GMT

Thanks for all the advice. I have opened the box, so far. Still mulling this over. @glb613, the security issue is a concern and I find treading those waters to be a little murky.

@Nuttmeg, back in the "good old days", the company would automatically send a tech to do stuff like this. I would rather have someone with skill make sure the thing works correctly.

I have bad memories of the "digital conversion" days - I had old tvs and it took one very long day to get the new set top boxes to work (prior to that, we only needed a coax connected to the set). When we moved here, I hadn't yet brought one of my new tvs to the "new" house, and even though I did have a tech come set us up, when I did get everything moved, setting up the new connection on the tv by myself took several hours on the phone with Verizon.

Thanks again. I appreciate the responses. Our internet response time is perfectly fine and I just may bag this whole thing. I'm having some problems with my iPhone (probably user error) and I hate to throw this new device into the mix. Nuances, nuances. I am a plant person, not a computer person.

@ValuSkr: I felt like the fact that notified me they had "received" my return (which has not happened in actuality) meant that really, they do not care about getting the old equipment back. Good insight - thanks. AND WHAT THE HECK? I have no idea why my font size just got dramatically smaller and I can not fix it. All things pointing to my distrust of current technology.

Re: Do I Really Need a New Router?

hckynutjohn — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 21:51:16 GMT

@gardenman

All of the AC routers I've seen are backwards compatible all the way back to a/b/g/n tech. With a top speed of 15 mbps I'm not sure you'll see a big difference using an AC router. The AC routers are designed to work with some of the quicker connections (100 mbps+) and for households with multiple devices accessing the Internet at the same time. Pretty much any old router can handle 15 mbps to just one device. Now if you've got two adults, a couple of kids and a visitor all trying to stream video on a really fast Internet connection, an AC router would be a good investment.

Thanks "gardenman" for the info. Gonna be buying a router soon and figured I might as well spend a few bucks more for the AC. Just me and my wife here so not like there is a lot of things operating at the same time. Maybe her cell and me using a tablet, or now maybe our new AC TV set.

Still got old copper telephone wires(I probably made some of them)running into our home. To get a higher than 15mbps speed we at least will need fiber optic cables, but I am sure something new is around, or will come around, before they even think about getting fiber optics to our area.

Might be picking up a new tablet for my wife. Hers is the Samsung SII and I want one with at least a quad core and much more RAM. Gonna check around and see what prices are there for an 8" or something in that size range. Ain't interested in any table bigger than that size. We use the Easy Handle, or whatever it is called as it makes it much easier to use, at least it does for me with small hands.

Thanks again for the info,

hckynut(john)

Re: Do I Really Need a New Router?

gardenman — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 11:38:26 GMT

@hckynutjohn wrote:
@gardenman

All of the AC routers I've seen are backwards compatible all the way back to a/b/g/n tech. With a top speed of 15 mbps I'm not sure you'll see a big difference using an AC router. The AC routers are designed to work with some of the quicker connections (100 mbps+) and for households with multiple devices accessing the Internet at the same time. Pretty much any old router can handle 15 mbps to just one device. Now if you've got two adults, a couple of kids and a visitor all trying to stream video on a really fast Internet connection, an AC router would be a good investment.

Thanks "gardenman" for the info. Gonna be buying a router soon and figured I might as well spend a few bucks more for the AC. Just me and my wife here so not like there is a lot of things operating at the same time. Maybe her cell and me using a tablet, or now maybe our new AC TV set.

Still got old copper telephone wires(I probably made some of them)running into our home. To get a higher than 15mbps speed we at least will need fiber optic cables, but I am sure something new is around, or will come around, before they even think about getting fiber optics to our area.

Might be picking up a new tablet for my wife. Hers is the Samsung SII and I want one with at least a quad core and much more RAM. Gonna check around and see what prices are there for an 8" or something in that size range. Ain't interested in any table bigger than that size. We use the Easy Handle, or whatever it is called as it makes it much easier to use, at least it does for me with small hands.

Thanks again for the info,

hckynut(john)

hckynut. I can't even get 15mbps here and the old copper wires here have deteriorated to the point where thunderstorms completely knock out Internet access. Just to annoy us, Verizon strung their fiber optic lines past our house, but won't connect us to them since we lie outside the city lines of the county seat. So, even though the fiber optic lines are there, and we're besieged with ads to sign up for FIOS, and our copper wire service is a mess, they won't connect us to the fiber optic lines. They say we'll have that option at some point in the future, but it's been years now.

Re: Do I Really Need a New Router?

hckynutjohn — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 20:46:41 GMT

@gardenman wrote:

hckynut. I can't even get 15mbps here and the old copper wires here have deteriorated to the point where thunderstorms completely knock out Internet access. Just to annoy us, Verizon strung their fiber optic lines past our house, but won't connect us to them since we lie outside the city lines of the county seat. So, even though the fiber optic lines are there, and we're besieged with ads to sign up for FIOS, and our copper wire service is a mess, they won't connect us to the fiber optic lines. They say we'll have that option at some point in the future, but it's been years now.

gardenman. Yep, we live outside the city limits also, but!! We have to pay city taxes, and another BUT! We cannot vote for any City Officials or Bills. Now I thought the old: "No taxation without representation" was illegal, but! One of my hockey players is a lawyer and he specializes in working for big companies against class action lawsuits etc.

He lives in the city and he told me that the city has the right to claim X number of miles outside their "city limits proper", and tax those of us that can't vote. Don't seem right to me.

Anyways. Since we are out of the city limits and use the City's Gas/Water/Electric, they won't spend any money on eroding cables or sewer lines. Our water pressure is virtually nothing, but they came out and tested it and said it is within their 40psi(or however they measure water pressure)so they could do nothing.

We weren't teased by Centurylink, they just don't have any fiber optic even close to our home and I ain't gonna live long enough to ever see it.

Thanks again for you help,

hckynut(john)

Re: Do I Really Need a New Router?

feline groovy — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 07:44:45 GMT

7 Ways to Improve the Wi-Fi Signal In Your Home

All kinds of issues can prevent you from connecting to your wireless network, from the construction of your house to interference from your neighbors and even just old equipment:

1. Router placement is key

Where you place your router in your home makes a huge difference in signal quality, Entrepreneur.com says. Avoid placing the router in corner rooms, or worse yet, your basement. The more walls, piping, or ducting the signal passes through, the weaker the signal is going to be. The router should be placed as close to the center of the room as possible for optimal radio performance signals should be able to make it through walls without much problem, but if you’re in a room with thick walls, expect to have trouble connecting even with a router close by.

2. Dual band router? Use it!

Many routers come with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi connectivity. USA Today recommends you use the 5GHz band whenever possible. With so many wireless networks out there, and Bluetooth becoming more common (it, too, operates in the 2.4GHz band), there is a lot of interference for your router to overcome at times.

We recommend you use the 5GHz band for video streaming and gaming, as data speeds are slightly faster. The 2.4GHz band should work well enough for everyday web use though.

3. Does everybody need to be wireless?

As more and more Wi-Fi enabled devices are added to the network, your router will slow the connection speeds of everyone to ensure all devices have enough bandwidth to connect, B&H Photo & Video says. If this is happening, consider networking the old fashioned way.

Devices closest to the router should be connected via ethernet cable rather than through Wi-Fi. Almost all Wi-Fi routers include at least two — and usually four — wired ethernet jacks. Yes, it’s not as pretty, but your wireless speeds should improve, not to mention those jacked-in devices will be cruising.

4. Lock it down!

B&H also brings up another good point, and that’s wireless security. Lock your wireless network down with a password. Anyone can connect to a password-free network, and mooch off of your Internet (i.e., clog up your bandwidth). It’s also a security risk, as hackers may be able to access data on improperly secured devices, PCWorld warns. If you have the option for “public access” (i.e., an open access version of your network that allows guests to connect without a password, but not access the main network), turn it off. Just give your trusted guests your password when they need to connect to the Internet.

5. Consider linking routers together

Even with proper placement, large homes or older buildings may have trouble with getting Wi-Fi to reach everywhere. MakeUseOf recommends linking two routers together in order to increase range. There are a few negatives of doing so, such as the fact that you may need to connect the second router via ethernet cable to the original one, but if you’re having problems getting Wi-Fi signals to your entire home, it may be the only option.

6. Maybe it’s time to upgrade

Wi-Fi routers are real workhorses, often operating almost continuously for years without issues. But like any electronic device, they’ll eventually wear out and begin to fail. ITProPortal points out that there’s other benefits to getting a new router: new wireless technologies. Especially if you’ve upgraded a lot of your gadgets and computers recently, there’s a good chance that a years-old router isn’t able to take advantage of the newer wireless technologies that are available.

Of course, sometimes all you’ll need to do is reset the router to fix slowness — but if that doesn’t work, maybe you’ve outgrown the capabilities of the router itself.

7. Try a better antenna

Some wireless routers allow you to replace the stock antennas with better ones, Yahoo reports. There are a variety of options for those routers that can, just make sure they’re compatible with your router. Buyer beware: Try to buy these better antennas from the companies themselves rather than ones made by a third-party that are “compatible” with your router. Sometimes the quality of these antennas found on eBay and other sites are quite low.