I'm a n00b at this broadband stuff, so please don't laugh too loudly!

How many of you have installed your own wired or wireless home networks to use with Comcast or WOW cable? Is a wired system any faster or more reliable?

Comcast, of course, strongly recommends their own installation, products and services for home networks.

Just how easy is it to get a store bought system together to use with cable companies internet services?

And... is all email they offer web-based?

Last question. Getting a home wired for new cable services: Our home is 100 years old, and AFAIK, it is gonna be a b.i.t.c.h. to wire the homestead for this. Any recommendations to have the cable service do this vs. hiring a 3rd party to get the job done? Pros and cons.

Thanks!

Pulling wire through walls is not fun, especially when you do something stupid like break the wire half-way through the process and have to start over.

I have WOW cable and internet, and went out and bought the simplest wireless network boxes I could find (Linksys I think). The wireless connects to the cable modem (in my basement where the WOW line comes into the house). I had WOW install the modem and cable connection - they had a special on that, but I installed the wireless network with no problem. The instructions were actually in English!!

My recommendation: get the cable company to install their stuff and then go wireless. Install the wireless yourself if you feel up to it. My experience with WOW was that they would not touch a wireless network. Be prepared that if you ever have a problem they will want you to get off the wireless and onto a wired connection for troubleshooting. I do that by connecting a laptop to the wireless router directly. Fortunately I haven't had many problems.

Speed is about the same for both wireless and hard wire, at least in the couple of non-scientific tests I have done.

Hope that helps.

If we go the cable route (the cost is close to extortion, IMO), then I may have them run the cable right to the outside wall where the desktop is. If we want to go wireless in the future, I'll probably try to set up the network myself from that location. Costs are still going down on the wireless routers and the speeds are doubling every two years. Neither one of us is really interested in cable TV service whatsoever - but the cable companies have that "gotcha" in their plans.

The Mrs. has a Centrino based laptop. When she wants to update XP, an every two week headache, she just walks it over to the library. In fact she DL'd Open Office 2.0 a couple days ago. 50Megs, 13 minutes. Not bad!

As for me, I do photography, and need to upload those 22MB .TIF files (each!) every week or so, so the dialup has got to go.

DSL is just sooooo slow for uploading. Otherwise, I'd look at that as another option.

I don't understand why it can be $45/month just for hi-spd internet beyond the TV (or $55/month without TV) - for the lower speed service.

::Rant Mode On::
Why in the world can't there be a village-wide owned and operated service that is for all residents at a far better cost? Seems like lots of towns are doing that. Or is everyone just perfectly comfy paying $70-95 per month without batting an eyelash?
::Rant Mode Off::

Wireless Router -

I have one that I don't use. Let me know if anyone wants it.

quote:

Originally posted by GE fan:
Wireless Router -
I have one that I don't use. Let me know if anyone wants it.

Speed and encryption type?

Not a clue. Let me look. It is the standard purchase from Best Buy.

Oh yeah, it's blue.

GE, don't knock yourself out on that just yet. I'm not yet able to make a hardware decision. It could be that the machine will be 6 inches away from the router/modem when it is installed, in which case a wired version will work better and with less security issues.

I'll need to get an estimate for the service and install first I guess.

Man, I hate this crap. I'd sooner have the car guy tell me that the repairs are going to be $2,000. Wait, that already happened today.

quote:

I don't understand why it can be $45/month just for hi-spd internet beyond the TV (or $55/month without TV) - for the lower speed service.

Slower than what? My Comcast service runs 3 to 4 times faster than DSL amd is SIGNIFICANTLY more stable than my DSL service was here or in Wheaton.

I don't mind the cost so much to be honest. I just call Comcast and threaten to cancel all my service whenever my current promotion they have me on runs out. My TV with two premium channels and HD service, internet, and phone with 800 service run me just under a hundred bucks a month currently. Which when you figure cable tv w\ dsl+phone line to carry it is very competitve.. and the features I get with Vonage and the much faster speed of the cable modem are gravy