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Terry0327
20th Anniversary celebration
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Rousing Reactor

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215 Messages

Saturday, January 28th, 2023 2:16 PM

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Buying your own Router/Modem Combo

To save the $15 a month charge what is a good Xfinity compatible unit to buy. My combo router is in the Den in the basement of a three story home. The one I have now has a little weak signal to the top floor but we rarely use the internet there.  Is it hard to set up using the Xfinity App. Thanks for any advice.

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2 years ago

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EG

Expert

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108.2K Messages

2 years ago

I prefer not to recommend specific brands but here is a link to their compatible devices page. Be sure to choose a device that is compatible with your subscribed to speed tier. You may want to go even higher to allow for future speed upgrades. Good luck !

P.S. I would stay away from those combo modem / router gateway devices and go with a separate cable modem and a stand-alone WiFi router ! 

[Edited to include link, sorry]

https://www.xfinity.com/support/devices#auth 

Enter your speed tier info.

(edited)

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Andyr1

Gold Problem Solver

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7.9K Messages

2 years ago

I also would STRONGLY suggest using a separate modem and router. This gives you 100% control of the router setup. Comcast controls the firmware in a modem, and also in a gateway (modem/router combo.) A firmware update could mess up custom router settings. By keeping your router separate, you have total control of the settings and updating it. You could put a gateway in "bridge' mode where it then acts like a regular modem. You can even do that with your current Comcast gateway if you want, and use your own router which may have better WiFi, or can be put in a better location, or work with a mesh system.

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EG

Expert

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108.2K Messages

2 years ago

@Terry0327 

Just a thought. Why pay a rental fee for their gateway to be used in bridge mode when your own retail-purchased cable modem will pay for itself in fairly short order ? !

4

GUS_GuyUsingSystem

Visitor

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44 Messages

@EG​ Because for some owners, the hassle of the Moto MB8611 debacle tells us that Comcast will never be part of the solution to any issues that involves 3rd party equipment & will only blame the same business partners that they 'recommend'.

(edited)

2 years ago

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NoNoBadPuppy

Problem Solver

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515 Messages

@GUS_GuyUsingSystem​ You are basing y9our response on the basis of a single modem?  I have used my own hardware for decades.  Never had a problem.  Not sure why you think they do not support third party hardware.  In addition to no longer having a 'rental fee', by buying your own you regain total control over *YOUR* network, something you will never have with their hardware.  You also will be giving up the hotspot that they force their hardware to broadcast; please do not not reply that you can turn it off; it will be turned on again on the next WAN IP Release/Renew cycle. You will also gain a network that is more robust and powerful than their supplied hardware provides.  There is absolutely no reason to stick with the hardware supplied by the ISP.  As others have stated, owning your own has advantages. 

2 years ago

GUS_GuyUsingSystem

Visitor

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44 Messages

@NoNoBadPuppy​   You & @EG misinterpereted my statements.

No lecture needed.

Comcast is the bad guy here.

2 years ago

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EG

Expert

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108.2K Messages

I didn't "lecture" you.... 

I am not a Comcast Employee.
I am a Customer Expert volunteering my time to help other customers here in the Forums.
We ask that you post publicly so people with similar questions may benefit from the conversation.

Was your question answered? Please mark an Accepted Answer!tick

2 years ago

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EG

Expert

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108.2K Messages

2 years ago

@GUS_GuyUsingSystem 

Be that as it may, I still say that owning your own has its advantages. I've owned many many modems over the years and never regretted it ! The current issues with the 8611 are an exception and are not the rule.

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NoNoBadPuppy

Problem Solver

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515 Messages

2 years ago

@GUS_GuyUsingSystem​ I also did not lecture you.  Stating facts and giving you alternatives to renting hardware that comes with layer upon layer of issues and problems is all that I did. I really did want to convince you that going with their hardware is not the way to go.

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GUS_GuyUsingSystem

Visitor

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44 Messages

@NoNoBadPuppy​ Nowhere did I say that I was NOT recommending 3rd party modems & routers.  

Done it all my life.

Have even bought a replacement S33 Arris while this Moto 8611 issue sits in suspended animation.

My original comment was to state that some people  who don't want or can't afford downtime will look for the path of least resistance.

If Comcast keeps blaming 3rd party partners & not provide remediation & other modem issues popup, guess what?  They will keep saying it's the other guy's fault.

Your average joe & margaret will not want to deal with the hassle of unsupported 3rd party equipment nor do they have any easy other options for a broadband alternative.

(edited)

2 years ago

NoNoBadPuppy

Problem Solver

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515 Messages

2 years ago

@GUS_GuyUsingSystem​  My response was in regards to your defense of the OP keeping the supplied hardware; if that happens, the problem has no hopes of being fixed.  Stating that anyone should just 'give up' is just not an appropriate answer. You can order the hardware online and in many cases have it delivered the very next day.  The process of activating the new hardware is nothing more than a temporary bother, which results in a far better network that would ever be possible with the supplied hardware.  Activation in most cases can be done by anyone, even someone who has no idea of what the process does.  Happens every day.    It is up to us to watch out for those who are 'bullied' into accepting the status quo with inferior hardware and even more inferior control over their own network.  We owe it to them to show them that they do not have to accept the far less than optimal situation that many find themselves in.  If we do not, then the corporate entities win, and nothing will ever change.  If everyone simply gives in and complies with their incompetence, that will never change, either.  The more that people can learn and see that they in fact *DO* have options, the more likely it is that ISPs will take notice. 

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GUS_GuyUsingSystem

Visitor

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44 Messages

@NoNoBadPuppy​ 

Not sure you have been following all the Moto 8611 owners on here & Reddit not sitting on the sidelines but they are certainly not your average consumer - who make up the majority of Comcast's user base.

The point again was that if Comcast continues to cast 3rd party equipment as the issues & Comcast don't do anything about it - like when a Netgear, Arris modem start acting up - then a large portion of those users have no other recourse than to rent the Comcast equipment or look for an alternative internet provider.

The villain is Comcast not me for suggesting to people to do what is in their best interest, knowlege & budget.

I think you are overthinking it way too much.

2 years ago

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CCSelena

Problem Solver

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892 Messages

2 years ago

Hi there @Terry0327! Thank you so much for reaching out to us here via Forums today! To get a list of compatible modems, please visit https://www.xfinity.com/support/devices/#unauth. Setting up your own modem via the Xfinity app is very easy to do. Visit https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/xfinity-app-activation for step by step instructions on how to get this done.

 

If you have any other questions or need further assistance, let us know, we are here to help! 😊

6

Terry0327

Contributor

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215 Messages

@XfinitySelena​ Thank you !!

2 years ago

XfinityDilary

Official Employee

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1.9K Messages

You are very welcome! If you need anything else, don't hesitate to create a new public post. We are available to assist 24/7.

I am an Official Xfinity Employee.
Official Employees are from multiple teams within Xfinity: CARE, Product, Leadership.
We ask that you post publicly so people with similar questions may benefit from the conversation.
Was your question answered? Please, mark a reply as the Accepted Answer.tick

2 years ago

0

Terry0327

Contributor

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215 Messages

@XfinitySelena​ OK,I bought a Netgear Nighthawk c7000 AC1900 Modem/Router Combo. My understanding to set up are as follows:

1. Unplug Coax Cable and Power from Xfinity Modem/Router and place aside.

2. Attach Coax Cable and Power to the new Netgear Modem/Router

3. The Netgear Site will come up where you create a password as administrator for Netgear.

4. Once wifi comes up login to wifi with the default password on Netgear Router

5. Go to the Xfinty App and select Activate New Equipment and select activate owned router.

6.Follow prompts and enter Netgear Mac address and wait for activation.

I tried to call Xfinity Saturday to speak with someone to confirm steps but I could not get past the Xfinity Assistant to speak to a live person.

Thanks for any help and I will activate next week when I am off work.

2 years ago

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CCHeather

Problem Solver

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1.1K Messages

@Terry0327 Yes, that is correct. Don’t forget you can visit support.xfinity.com or My Account app for answers on how to activate as well! 

I no longer work for Comcast.

2 years ago

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EG

Expert

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108.2K Messages

@XfinitySelena​ 

I posted that link 8 days ago.......

I am not a Comcast Employee.
I am a Customer Expert volunteering my time to help other customers here in the Forums.
We ask that you post publicly so people with similar questions may benefit from the conversation.

Was your question answered? Please mark an Accepted Answer!tick

2 years ago

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