Buying my First Router - I Have Questions!

[Sierra57]

I'm not a geek, so please reply in English, thanks!

Things that may be relevant: My internet is Comcast. I have "Xfinity" ... that's all I know. I live in an 850 sq. ft. apt. I have a laptop, a potentially-wireless printer, and a smartphone; someday I will have a tablet.

I just got back from Best Buy. I had expected to leave with a router, but there were too many choices and even the sales dudes couldn't agree on what I need, so that's why I'm posting here.

I own the modem. It's a Motorola SB5101U. DOCSIS 2.0. One of the reasons I didn't buy the router this morning was because one of the sales dudes said my modem needs to be DOCSIS 3.0.

QUESTION #1: Does my modem NEED to be DOCSIS 3.0? Will my 2.0 modem work with whatever router I buy today? If not, why not? Can you tell me anything else about what DOCSIS is/means?

QUESTION #2: Salesdude #1 recommends the Netgear N600; he said it was a "good entry-level modem." That sounds like it may need to be upgraded sooner rather than later, so I'd just as soon buy something a little better now, if that's the case. I seem to recall someone warning me against buying Netgear anything. This one is about $80

QUESTION #3: Salesdude #2 recommends the Belkin AC750DB. He says it's the newest technology. Price is $90, and I've heard Belkin is a good brand.

Thank you!!

 

[Phantomaniac]

DOCSIS has to do with the theoretical speeds of your internet connection established by your modem. Absolutely nothing to do with the router at all (unless you have an internet connection faster than your LAN connection).

It sounds like they are trying to sell you something more than what you need. If you are only going to be connecting 4 wifi devices, this router would be more than good enough: http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-E1200-Li...dp/B004T9RR6I/

It would help if we knew the actual speed of your internet connection in megabits though.

 

[Sierra57]

Thank you for the reply, Phantomaniac.

I checked my speed at two different places. One says it's 11mbps download and 5 mbps upload. Another said it was 29 mbps download and 5.1 upload. Kind of a difference on the download, so I just checked it on the "faster" site again and it's still about the same.

The router you suggested isn't dual band, and everything I'm hearing says that's the ONLY way to go. Could you tell me why I don't need dual band?

 

[lif_andi]

Dual band.

Guess it depends on what your client machines support. If you have older machines you don't need it, but if you plan on upgrading soon it might be worth it. Also if you have 802.11/n capable devices it might be a good idea. Essentially most things in home networking depends on your current needs and likely ´shorter term´ future needs.

Also as phantomaniac implies, your actual internet speeds will limit everything you have going on the internet, regardless of your client and router capabilities. For example, if your internet connection is 11Mbps then your internet speeds will never exceed this regardless of your equipment, and dual band is not necessary as you would never exceed the 802.11/g (max 54Mbps) standard and would never need dual band. Locally (as in all your devices at home connected to each other) however it would make a difference if your devices are /n capable.

 

[Sierra57]

lif_andi, thank you for replying. Unfortunately, I don't have a clue what you're talking about. As I said in my first post, I don't speak geek. SERIOUSLY.

I am now the proud (???) owner of a Netgear N600 Wireless Dual Band Router (WNDR3400v3).

My current question is how or when does the laptop become wireless? I'm sure this is a stupid question to the rest of you, but there's still an ethernet cable stuck into the laptop. When I take it out, I can't connect to the internet. I think something is missing, but I don't know what it is.

 

[lif_andi]

haha... congrats on your new router, if you got the cash it doesn't matter and better is better than worse. I assume you've plugged your router in, connected it to the right cable into the right port and your laptop is working fine through the cable. Now's the time to learn some geek

What you need to do is go into your new router and configure it so that it will work as you want it to. I assume there was some sort of an instruction manual that came with your new gear. Read it and follow the instructions and you should be good. What you need to know should be covered in something like "how to create a wireless network/WLAN".

Accessing your router will usually require you to know its IP address, normally (but not always) something like 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.254. Type this into your browser (Internet Explorer is most likely compatible with almost any router), and you will get the user interface for your router. From there you and your instruction manual need to become friends.

 

[Sierra57]

The router & modem seem to be set up correctly. It's just that the laptop has this damn umbilical (ethernet) cord coming out of it.

Several people have told me that I should have a CD that sets it all up for me. Even the online manual for this router says there should be a CD!!! Here it is if you want to see it: http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/WNDR3400V1/WNDR3400_SM_23MAR2010.pdf

The only instructions that came with the router is a brochure with a whopping 6 steps. The 5th step says to connect the computer to the router with an ethernet cable. Step 6 is to go to routerlogin.net. Took me awhile to figure out how to get logged in there (finally found THAT info on the bottom of the router!). There was a message there to update the firmware, so I did. But it didn't continue any sort of wireless set-up process. Sigh.

There is a pre-assigned network name and network password, so I guess the security part is ok? I think I did find a place where I should be able to change that, but as long as the security is good for now, I'm ok with it for the time being.

Ok, gonna try something here. I entered the pre-assigned password on the laptop and it seems to be connected wireless now. So if this message posts, then it's working!

 

[Sierra57]

Hot damn, I think it worked!

 

[John Connor]

**Trying to be as non geek as I can**

I would make sure you are using WPA2 encryption on the WIFI and create a 64 random hexadecimal characters password key. Use this website to create that. https://www.grc.com/passwords.htm

Copy and paste the password to your laptop's WIFI card connection software. You should ALWAYS change router setings via a LAN cable and not via WIFI.

To change the WIFI password you have to log into the router. To do this go to http://192.168.1.1/ or http://192.168.0.1/

The username might be admin and the password might be password.

 

[Sierra57]

John, thank you for trying to be non geek, I do appreciate it!

I've seen the acronym WPA2 as I wander thru this wireless maze, but I'm not sure what it is or why it's important ... or how I find out if that's what I'm using.

I don't know where to find my laptop's WIFI card connection software. Is that in the wireless settings, where I entered the password that came with the router yesterday?

What is a LAN cable and where do I get one? Is that the ethernet cable? I've got that.

* * * * * *
TODAY'S PROBLEM #1

I tried to set up the printer as wireless this morning. That was easy, and the printer even spit out a page congratulating me on accomplishing the task! But then I tried and tried and tried for 2 hours to print out a $1.69 postage label from PayPal. I finally gave up and de-wireless'd the printer and literally as soon as I'd done that, out comes the postage label. So the print request had made it to the printer (via the router), but it didn't/wouldn't print out. Any thoughts on this? The printer is in the corner of my dining room (due to the electric outlet situation here); I would like to move it to the corneer of my studio (i.e., out-of-the-way) IF it would play nice as wireless.

* * * * *
TODAY'S PROBLEM #2

Time after time after time, with nearly every web site I've tried to go to today (Facebook, Etsy, eBay, PayPal, and a few others), I've gotten a message saying "This webpage is not available" (Chrome is my default browser). Usually, after one or two or sometimes three clicks of the "reload" button, the page will eventually appear. I don't know if this is a wireless problem or if Comcast is under the weather today. Guess I'll have to call Comcast and see if I can get hold of someone there.

 

[john3850]

Last week my ip ool started using 2 channel bonded uploading which increased the up speed from 8Mbs to 24Mbs for free.
My download speed was 50Mbs on 4 a channels and is now 101Mbs on 8 channels thanks to DOCSIS 3.0.
Anyone using DOCSIS 2.0 had upgrade to DOCSIS 3.0 to get the required bonding.
Many people are getting the higher speed using wireless.

 

[John Connor]

I've seen the acronym WPA2 as I wander thru this wireless maze, but I'm not sure what it is or why it's important ... or how I find out if that's what I'm using.

WPA stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access. It is an encryption used to protect yout network. You are responsible for what is downloaded on the network and if someone gains entry to your network and downloads child porn you will be held responsible. If your using WEP I guess it's better than nothing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Protected_Access

You can find out if you are using WPA2 by loging into the router as explained above and look under the wireless section. Or you can install InSSIDer and see what you are using by seeing your network's name ( the SSID) SSID stands for Service Set Identifier. http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider/

I don't know where to find my laptop's WIFI card connection software. Is that in the wireless settings, where I entered the password that came with the router yesterday?

Where did you get "the password?" In the task bar on your computer you should have a wireless icon. Click that and that is where you enter the password.

What is a LAN cable and where do I get one? Is that the ethernet cable? I've got that.

Ethernet cable is the same as LAN cable so yes. Use that to configure the router, never configure a router wirelessly.

TODAY'S PROBLEM #1

I tried to set up the printer as wireless this morning. That was easy, and the printer even spit out a page congratulating me on accomplishing the task! But then I tried and tried and tried for 2 hours to print out a $1.69 postage label from PayPal. I finally gave up and de-wireless'd the printer and literally as soon as I'd done that, out comes the postage label. So the print request had made it to the printer (via the router), but it didn't/wouldn't print out. Any thoughts on this? The printer is in the corner of my dining room (due to the electric outlet situation here); I would like to move it to the corneer of my studio (i.e., out-of-the-way) IF it would play nice as wireless.

Was the printer connected with an Ethernet cable? At the time you de WIFIed the printer? Make sure you enter in the right password into the printer.

TODAY'S PROBLEM #2

Time after time after time, with nearly every web site I've tried to go to today (Facebook, Etsy, eBay, PayPal, and a few others), I've gotten a message saying "This webpage is not available" (Chrome is my default browser). Usually, after one or two or sometimes three clicks of the "reload" button, the page will eventually appear. I don't know if this is a wireless problem or if Comcast is under the weather today. Guess I'll have to call Comcast and see if I can get hold of someone there.

What operating system are you using? In Windows 7 go to the start orb and in the search box enter cmd, hit enter. In the black DOS box type ipconfig/all. Right click in the box and select all then press control + C to copy. Paste the results here it's text.

 

[Sierra57]

Turns out the problem is that the WiFi card is dead. Dell tech was here on Friday and installed a "new" WiFi card. Laptop wouldn't recognize the new card so he's got a "new" motherboard on order. He'll be back on Tuesday or Wednesday to install it. That will be the 3rd or 4th motherboard this machine has had in just 2 years. Thank goodness for extended warranties!!

 

[John Connor]

You could have bought a PCI WIFI card or a USB WIFI card...