New router?

[Noah Emke]

Our current router is from the isp and the WiFi cutts out and its just not cutting it.  I have two siblings always watching  YouTube plus me playing games online and watching YouTube and the fact that we have 15 mb internet from frontier is bad enough i would at least like a working router but don’t know what to get. I’m the tech of the family so I was given $70 US and I was tasked with fixing the internet cus everyone hates it

also any recommendations for better internet ( I live in pittsford New York ) for sameish price would be nice too

 

thanks 

[BecauseRussia]

So there is a little more to the question than getting a new router:

1. The router your ISP gave you is most-likely a modem, router, AP combo (Unless you have two boxes from your ISP then one will be the modem and the other the router)

1a. The modem is what translates the signal from your ISP into usable internet for you

1b. The router assigns IP address to all devices on the network and routes network traffic to those IP's

1c. The Access Point is what transmits the wireless signal to your mobile devices. (Most routers in the consumer space have built in AP's)

I have AT&T and I have such a combo unit. I tried to replace the unit they gave me but it uses a proprietary connector for their combo unit making it impossible to get ride of it entirely for another modem. Which in itself is not a problem but AT&T also disabled the bridge function which would turn the combo unit into just the modem and then let me use a separate router. I am not sure how frontier does it but if you only have a single box form Frontier then it is a combo unit. I would look up the model number of and see how to put it in bridge mode. As for actual routers NetGear makes nice ones, I would suggest you look at MicroCenter they usually have pretty good deals on electronics including routers

 

[BecauseRussia]

Here are some possible routers:

NETGEAR AC1000

NETGEAR AC1200

[Noah Emke]

Yea we just have phone line to router to everything so I’m assuming wireless router/modem is what I need I just wasn’t sure which one.    Thanks

[Donut417]

8 minutes ago, Noah Emke said:

Yea we just have phone line to router to everything so I’m assuming wireless router/modem is what I need I just wasn’t sure which one.    Thanks

In that case, are only WiFi devices affected or wired as well? You need to figure out if its an issue with the WiFi or an actually issue with the modem part, or just Frontier being shit. As DSL is normally shit, unless its Fiber to the Node DSL like Uverse from AT&T, then its bearable. 

 

On a side note, Im still wondering how Frontier is still around, I remember a few months back, they were going to be de listed from the stock market, due to how shitty they were doing. 

[mynameisjuan]

1 hour ago, Noah Emke said:

Yea we just have phone line to router

Thats good ol DSL for you. 

 

15mbps is def a problem when both are streaming and playing. You might have a good connection but there also might be an issue with interference on the line. How long do the connection cut out? 30-60 secs? 

 

With DSL there are error corrections done. Too many at once and it triggers a retrain on the modem because it thinks the connection is bad as the margin plummets and attempts to restore a better connection. Youtube and netflix being huge culprits of loading in batches can cause these spikes that could drop the connection. 

 

I would call your ISP to check the pair before buying a router as that is most likely not the problem.

[Noah Emke]

it’s usually just the WiFi that cuts out.  Sometimes until we reset it sometimes for a couple of minutes 

i generaly don’t notice because I have my Xbox wired until the others reset the router when I’m in the middle of something 

 

ive recognized that 15mb is a problem for us but look up options in pittsford New York and the only other option that doesn’t have data limitations or something is spectrum but my mom won’t even try it cus it may be 100mb and no contract but others are saying it sucks

i beg her to at least try it but nope

 

sorry for late response I just woke up lol

[Donut417]

7 minutes ago, Noah Emke said:

it’s usually just the WiFi that cuts out.  Sometimes until we reset it sometimes for a couple of minutes 

i generaly don’t notice because I have my Xbox wired until the others reset the router when I’m in the middle of something 

 

ive recognized that 15mb is a problem for us but look up options in pittsford New York and the only other option that doesn’t have data limitations or something is spectrum but my mom won’t even try it cus it may be 100mb and no contract but others are saying it sucks

i beg her to at least try it but nope

 

sorry for late response I just woke up lol

All ISP's suck. Though Cable internet is a shit load better than DSL. 

[Noah Emke]

4 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

All ISP's suck. Though Cable internet is a shit load better than DSL. 

Like I said I’m begging her to at least try and I’m not gonna stop begging her