cable modem Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Can you use two cable modems in the same house?

Posted on December 7, 2021

Question from Michael: I’ve rented a room in a private home and I’ll be moving in next week. I have a question about my options concerning Internet access.

The room I’m moving into is already wired for cable and they have Internet through Comcast/Xfinity, but the landlord won’t let me use his Wi-Fi connection.

He said I’ll have to have to sign up for an account with Comcast and get my own cable modem.

Which brings me to my question: Is that even possible to have two cable modems in the same house? [Read more…]

Why you shouldn’t accept a used modem from your ISP

Posted on May 20, 2021

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who subscribe to broadband Internet service through Xfinity, Charter or another Internet Service Provider (ISP), you most likely rent your modem from them.

And there’s nothing wrong with that.

While I think it’s usually a wise move to buy your own modem, renting one from the ISP isn’t necessarily a bad move if you live in an area that gets hit by frequent electrical storms.

When a modem needs to be replaced, most customers simply accept whatever device the technician pulls out of the truck and installs for them without giving it a second thought.

Well, that can be a very big mistake. Why? Read on and I’ll explain… [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I use a Powerline Networking Kit to connect my modem to my router?

Posted on April 18, 2021

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from David K.: My wife and I just bought a two story house that’s pretty large and the WiFi signal won’t reach all the bedrooms on the second floor.

I’m certain that moving the cable modem and wireless router from the den to someplace near middle of the house would do the trick, but that would require having the cable company come out and run a new wire.

I’d rather not do that if I can possibly avoid it.

I read your post about powerline networking kits and I was wondering if I can use one of those to connect the modem to the router. That way I could leave the modem in the den and place the router somewhere in the middle of the house.

Your advice on on this matter will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Is an outdated modem slowing down your Internet connection?

Posted on January 2, 2021

Comcast, Time Warner and other cable Internet providers periodically raise the guaranteed download and upload speeds for their various Internet service tiers in order to remain competitive in the marketplace.

And when they do, they usually email their customers to let them know they’ve received a bump in their connection speeds.

When necessary, they’ll also let the customers know that they’ll need to order a new updated modem in order to actually take advantage of the faster data transmission speeds provided by their plan.

The problem is, many customers either don’t receive the notification emails about the needed modem upgrades or the emails get lost in their junk folder.

As a result, those customers often continue using their old, outdated modems because they don’t know they’re supposed to request a new one. [Read more…]

Q&A: Lightning destroyed my cable modem. Should I replace my router too?

Posted on May 21, 2020

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Kendra D.: Hi Rick. We had a pretty bad thunderstorm last night that caused a lot of damage in my area.

Once I noticed the lightning I turned everything off like I always do when it’s storming and then went on to bed.

This morning when I turned everything back on I couldn’t get the cable box or the modem to light up at all. They’re completely dead.

I called the cable company and they’re sending a technician out to replace the cable box and modem.

What I need to know is do you think I need to buy a new router too? It lights up like it always did and it appears to be working.

I’ll take whatever advice you give me because I trust you. Thanks for helping me.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]