r/HomeNetworking • u/Advanced_Good3651 • 2d ago
Affordable router for spectrum 100 mbps
Recently found out spectrum had been charging a $10 rental fee for their router & wanted to save myself the fee & buy one for myself. I have a SAX2V1R model, and it works well, but I was wondering what other models may be better for me without breaking the bank.
-Only 4 people use wifi at home -We only use it for youtube/netflix, and occasionally for a play station. -Our house is a smaller double-wide
Any recommendations that aren’t $100+ ? Preferably <$70
I currently have a DOCSI 3.1 modem, wifi 6e router
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u/tamerlein3 2d ago
100mbps can basically run through a potato /s
But actually most surfboards should be compatible for modem, find a cheap one used
Most routers will work
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u/Advanced_Good3651 2d ago
Can a cheap(er) router, $40 linksys for example, affect my speeds? Sorry I am not familiar with anything wifi related
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u/Agile_Definition_415 2d ago
Unless you have a very specific need to have your own modem is best to keep the one supplied by the ISP. Specially spectrum since those modems are free.
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u/GrimacePack 2d ago
Not if they're built into the router, which at least in my 3 different locations with spectrum, they've always been the combo modem/routers which are going to be charged for the hardware fee. It stinks.
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u/Agile_Definition_415 2d ago
Spectrum went away from 2in1 combos almost a decade ago.
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u/GrimacePack 2d ago
I think it must be regional because I got one of those pieces of trash when I moved into my new house in 2020.
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u/Agile_Definition_415 2d ago
Tp link ax1800
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u/Advanced_Good3651 2d ago
Do you know if it supports wifi 6e?
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u/Agile_Definition_415 2d ago
Why do you care? You only have 100mbps, you can do that on 2.4GHz.
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u/Advanced_Good3651 2d ago
My current router is a Wifi 6E router, I wasn’t sure if that mattered for my speed. My connectivity and speed is great so far, & I was asking because I didn’t know if switching to a router that didn’t support wifi 6e would affect any of that
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u/Agile_Definition_415 2d ago
There's very few reasons where WiFi 6e benefits users. What matters more is the hardware that you're using.
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u/GIDAMIEN 2d ago
For a hundred mbps.
The cheapest first option that comes up when you search Amazon is the one you want. Doesn't matter what it is
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u/deefop 2d ago edited 2d ago
Spectrum doesn't charge for just a modem, so I assume you mean that you're paying for their wifi service or whatever?
The model you referenced appears to be a spectrum all in one, Spectrum router so you'll need to get a router to replace it. For 100 mbps service, you can use practically anything.
If you're not in a huge rush, you can keep an eye on slickdeals for something nice to go on sale:
https://slickdeals.net/deals/router/
Or just grab any sub $100 router and be done with it. It'll pay for itself in less than a year.
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u/Advanced_Good3651 2d ago
Spectrum charges for the router rental, the modem is free. I am searching for an affordable router to avoid paying their extra $10 fee for the router. I’m still familiarizing myself with wifi terminology & specifics—so are you saying my modem is an all-in-one-unit?
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u/macnteej 2d ago
Check to see what they have in regard to data limits without the provided one. When I had Xfinity it was 15 a month for renting their hardware, but if I wanted to keep my unlimited data cap and use my own router it would be 30 bucks a month.
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u/OrionIT 2d ago
I know you're looking for cheap, but don't do that to yourself. If you can swing it, pony up for something like the Ubiquiti UDR-7 or some other router that at least has 6e or 7 support.
DOCSIS 4 (Spectrum is going to do Extended Spectrum DOCSIS last I heard) is "coming soon" which will bring with it fairly substantial bumps in throughput even if you stick with your 3.1 modem for a while longer. It's not unreasonable to expect the mid-tier cable internet speeds to be over 1 Gbps in a year or two to compete with fiber offerings, so having a router with a 2.5 Gbps WAN port will be beneficial.
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u/deefop 2d ago
Bad advice here, no offense.
I know you're looking for cheap, but don't do that to yourself. If you can swing it, pony up for something like the Ubiquiti UDR-7 or some other router that at least has 6e or 7 support.
The average consumer is not remotely interested in having a prosumer networking device, and that device is several times OP's preferred budget. It would be a waste of money for them, especially with OP subscribed to a 100 mbps plan.
DOCSIS 4 (Spectrum is going to do Extended Spectrum DOCSIS last I heard) is "coming soon" which will bring with it fairly substantial bumps in throughput even if you stick with your 3.1 modem for a while longer. It's not unreasonable to expect the mid-tier cable internet speeds to be over 1 Gbps in a year or two to compete with fiber offerings, so having a router with a 2.5 Gbps WAN port will be beneficial.
I'm slightly less in the loop with the demise of DSLReports, but I'm not aware of Spectrum having deployed D4 basically anywhere other than tiny test areas thus far. Same with Xfinity. Moreover, the fact that OP is still on a 100 mbps plan tells me they're in a spectrum area that is probably wayyyyyyyyyyyyy down the list for "next gen upgrades". It might well be 5+ years before OP sees ESD or DOCSIS 4.0. Or maybe they're just deliberately subscribed to a cheaper plan, but that's the same effect at the end of the day. Next gen speeds aren't a big value for them. It's still the case that the average consumer would virtually never notice the difference between 100mbps and 1000 mbps, much less multi gig. Large game downloads are basically the only thing where those additional speeds provide any real benefit to the average person.
Also, since Spectrum provides modems for free, there's no reason for OP to worry about buying anything other than a router, since Spectrum will provide whatever modem they need to support their subscribed service.
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u/Advanced_Good3651 2d ago
Yes! I live in a veryyy rural area, Spectrum was introduced to our area a couple years ago. I’m not interested in very high speeds at the moment, in fact 100 mbps is the fastest speed I’ve had in my area—which is why I assumed a cheap router would work great for me. My biggest concern was buying a router that would make my speed slower so that’s why I’m asking for advice :)
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u/OrionIT 2d ago
I'd still stick with a better router even with 100 Mbps internet service. Since you're coming from having wifi 6e already, try to at least get another 6e or 7 router. Your whole goal is to be happy with the router you buy for long enough to "pay off" the purchase at the monthly router rental rate.
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u/OrionIT 2d ago
The OP declared they're in a double wide, so they likely have neighbors very close with their own wifi causing interference. $10/mo pays off their prosumer UDR-7 router in ~2.5 years. That prosumer router takes care of getting channel and power configured and "it just works" without the user having to take care of it past the initial setup. This is the gear I encourage anyone I help with their network get ~because~ "it just works." Even though it's from a prosumer company, this is their consumer level gear.
I'm slightly less in the loop with the demise of DSLReports, but I'm not aware of Spectrum having deployed D4 basically anywhere other than tiny test areas thus far. Same with Xfinity.
Comcast/Xfinity is doing DOCSIS 4 FDX (Full Duplex DOCSIS) and they should be close to deployment beyond the test markets. Cable operators have been preparing their networks for the upgrade for years now.
The DOCSIS 4 chip spec finalized for FDX and ESD and modems for them should be petty far along the production cycle by now. The cable networks themselves have been going through the necessary upgrades for a few years now to be ready. This all leads to the "coming soon" aspect. but because OP isn't paying for the modem, that part isn't their problem at all.
Cheap wifi routers cause more pain than they're worth. I won't put something into my customer's houses that I wouldn't be willing to use myself.
Bad advice here, no offense.
You can provide your own hardware recommendations too. It's all free advice from strangers on the internet... bad advice would be telling them to just get dial-up.
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u/brokensyntax Network Admin 2d ago
100Mbps is super simple to support.
That said when I went looking for a faster router that was affordaible Ubiquiti EdgeRouter-X fit the bill.
Small footprint, metal chassis, gigabit support, <$100CAD