Actiontec Q1000 Upgrade

Mike Soda · January 20, 2018

I'm looking to upgrade my possibly dying Actiontec Q1000 modem/router soon but need some unbiased network advice. Naturally the Centurylink rep recommended we just buy one of their Zyxel C1100Z's which supposedly would allow me to set device bandwidth priority. Since right now my existing model appears to favor any wireless device over a hardwired one with no ability to change it. Also this modem/router, gateway or whatever it's technically considered is a few years old & isn't the best at separating traffic for a smooth flow. The Zyxel C1100Z is priced at $140 on Amazon & I think my ISP's pricing may only be $20 below if that, so whatever brand/model I go with has to be under the $150 budget I'm setting. In addition, it also has to be VDSL2 capable since that's what they said is required for the best possible compatibility. He also recommended Actiontec as another brand but the only VDSL2 offerings I've found so far are the C1900A & C2000A. On a final note, we're paying $83 a month for 7.5Mbps down & 1.5Mbps up, I know that's horrible but we're still on contract until December 2018 & the infrastructure of the only Cable offering out here would result in ping skyrocketing into the 1000's during peak hours which is unusable for me.

1: Should I just buy the newer model my ISP offers?

2: If not, which better brand/model do ya recommend for my budget & connection?