Quote:
Originally Posted by starfish
I have considered getting a modem in the past.
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I am not being pedantic dude but modems and routers and two completely different things and I just want to clear that up for you so you don't look like a twit when you speak to anyone on the phone. Have a quick read of this article and you will understand what the difference is:
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/b...dem-vs-router/
To cut a long story short, VM (and NTL etc previously) had a big problem when BB started becoming a big thing. They supplied the modem to allow customers to connect to their network (internet) and also supplied a 3rd party router or the customer bought one. The problem is that many many people were ringing up saying their internet connection was broken when it wasn't and this was due to customers not knowing how to configure the router and/or adjust wifi settings for optimal coverage. It was a nightmare for technical support because they can't possibly know the features and gui options for every router ever made and competently advise customers on what to do.
The shubs came about because VM wanted a combi modem-router (all in one device) so that if there are any problems, tech support (I am not going to get started) are fully trained on the device and can accurately diagnose whether the fault is a router configuration issue or an actual internet connection issue. The problem with this is that the shubs are provided free of charge and are thus as cheap as chips to make. They lack the features and performance of a third party router e.g. Asus where you are spending money and investing in quality.
I won't get into now but although the shubs have come along way since their first iteration they are still sorely lacking compared to paid-for routers. Fortunately there is a feature in the shubs called "modem mode" and when you enable this feature it disables router functionality and allows the shub to function solely as a modem and allows you to use your own router. This is highly advantageous. I can't tell you how many hundreds of posts I have seen in this forum over the years where users have complained of numerous issues with the shubs which have resulted in their internet connection being unusable until VM come up with a fix. Those of us with "proper" routers (using a third party router with the shub in modem mode) were sat here scratching our heads and wondering what is going on because we were immune to those problems and completely unaware of them as we weren't using the shub as a router. I could write a massive long list of examples but suffice to say that when you buy a router it is tried and tested (and shubs aren't) and it sounds stupid saying it, but it actually works. Plus there are the added benefits of extra features (or ones which haven't been stripped out) and performance gains.
I won't go on anymore. You can read the article above so you understand the basics in terms of what equipment does what. All I will say is that if you aren't comfortable with it and it is too much for you then I suggest you let VM give you a shub5 first to see if it cures your wifi problem (or at least improves it) before you delve into the routing world.