Need New Modem/Router under $200

mysticturtle on 27/06/2015 - 21:23

So my family has been using this piece of poop Netgear Wireless Cable Voice Gateway CVG824G Router/Modem Optus gave us for the longest time. It's been acting out even more recently, dropping connections to the whole house at least 3 times a day. Complained to Optus but they said all they could do is offer a new Netgear modem at half price which I suspect to be another piece of poop, even though we've been a loyal costumer for more than 10 years!

There is a about 7 people in the household, so expect plenty of devices. There is heavy streaming/gaming so expect a lot of lag. Also, we live in a double story so would need a good range. Was considering this for $167 but realised it was only the router. Should I buy my modem/router separately or it okay to stick with a 2-in-1?

Internet

Comments

  • scrimshaw on 27/06/2015 - 21:30
    +1

    You could try the D-Link DSL 2890A, which is going for $199 in most places but Futu_online has jacked it to $220 because they are part of the 20% promotion
    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/D-Link-DSL-2890AL-Dual-Band-AC175…

    After discount it's 176 delivered.

    However it looks like the Archer D9 may have better range, but will cost you more. It's $227 from Officeworks if you price match NetPlus. I got mine for $199 about 3-4 months ago.

    • pjetson on 28/06/2015 - 23:21

      Doesn't the OP need a cable modem/router?

      • scrimshaw on 29/06/2015 - 00:09

        Ohh, skimmed that part. Thought he was on ADSL.

        In which case you'd be better off asking on Whirlpool. As I recall, Optus needs to provision (setup and configure) the modem in order to link it to your account. In which case you'd have little choice but to buy the modem from optus, buying one from eBay will not work.

  • mysticturtle on 01/07/2015 - 14:14

    Oh noooo. I went out and bought the Archer D9 before reading the posts. Is there any way I am still able to use this modem?

    • pjetson on 01/07/2015 - 14:18

      It depends on where your problem is - with the wired side, or with the WiFi side. If it's with the wired side, the answer is unfortunately no.

      If the problem is with the WiFi side, you may be able to disable the WiFi in your existing modem and connect the Archer to the existing modem.

      • mysticturtle on 01/07/2015 - 16:54

        Would that defeat the purpose of forking out $220 for Archer D9 or should I return it and get a proper cable modem/router?

  • pjetson on 01/07/2015 - 16:54

    Sorry, I'd assumed it was not returnable. Yes, return it.

  • mysticturtle on 01/07/2015 - 17:12

    What cable modem/router should I be looking at then? :o

    • scrimshaw on 01/07/2015 - 18:54

      you don't have much choice, cable modems cannot be bought off the shelf, they are only supplied via the ISP directly to the customer.

      What choices have optus given you? Maybe you can google and compare each model and see which has the best specifications e.g routing table size and wifi range etc.

  • pjetson on 01/07/2015 - 19:24

    I think Optus have a Netgear unit and a Cisco unit. I think you'll find people complaining about both, so I'm not sure what you should do.

    However, if you've had your current unit for "the longest time", then any current unit might be better than what you have now. And you said they're offering you a new Netgear for half price.

  • pjetson on 01/07/2015 - 19:29

    I note that you haven't actually said what's wrong with your current unit. When you say it's dropping the connection three times a day, what connection is it dropping? Is it your wifi connection, or the cable connection? How do you fix the problem?

    If it's the wifi connection, do you have a cordless phone that might be on the same band? Or a microwave oven that is on when the connection drops? Are there other access points fighting for the same channel that you're on?

    • mysticturtle on 01/07/2015 - 20:06

      I'm not 100% sure. I'm pretty sure it's the wifi connection. We usually just wait a min or so for it to get back up. It's been just really bad lately we all just assumed the modem is acting up due to old age.

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