Can anyone recommend a good modem/router combo unit ?

[Ralph Kramden]

I want to buy a modem/router combo unit to avoid paying TWC's lease fee and Wi-Fi fee.

Budget about $125. Can anyone recommend a good one?

Thanks.

[duncantuna]

I want to buy a modem/router combo unit to avoid paying TWC's lease fee and Wi-Fi fee.

Budget about $125. Can anyone recommend a good one?

Thanks.

I would not recommend a wireless router/modem combo unit.

The benefits of having one box instead of two are outweighed by the idea that to fix or upgrade one in the future will be a PITA.   Cost-wise, there's very little savings to get one box instead of two.

Approved Modems:
http://www.timewarnercable.com/content/dam/residential/pdfs/enjoy/better-twc/bettertwc_approvedmodems.pdf

To future-proof yourself, I would select one on the list that's either 300 or 100 speed.  Truth is, 100 is a TON of bandwidth, and even if it was offered in your area, you may never have a reason to have that much.   If you think that's wrong, great .. go with a 300.  It's only + $30, but no need to spend it.

For 300 .. I'd select the SB6183 Motorola .. $100 at Amazon ..

For 100 .. Go with the SB6141 Moto .. $70 at Amazon.

You can likely find these used on eBay for half cost.. and really, cable modems will last a long, long time.  No moving parts, low energy usage, 24/7/365 device.

As for 802.11 routers .. I'd advise an 802.11ac router as it's been out for a couple years now, and many devices support it.  

I do not recommend buying cheap wireless routers.  Chances are, you'll be in your back yard, upstairs, downstairs with your phone or tablet and be ****ed that you can't get to your network.  

I'd shoot for an Archer C7 for $90.  Lots and lots of other good choices, although mostly over $110+.

[Ralph Kramden]

Thanks for the info, but we want a combo unit.

To be able to stream 4k video in the future, what specs should I be looking for?

Can anyone recommend the best choice from TWC's approved list linked to above?

[LoadStar]

I too don't recommend a combo unit, so therefore I don't really have any knowledge of one that is better than another. That said, I've always been partial to the Surfboard modems, so I'd probably begin by looking at the Surfboard SBG6782-AC, which adds a 802.11ac WiFi router to the mix. I haven't looked at the Time Warner list, but it should be compatible.

[ddeerrff]

Compatible or not, any modem has to be 'on the list' or there is a good chance you will not be able to get it activated.  

I'll also enter my suggestion to keep the modem and router as separate devices.

[Ralph Kramden]

Thanks guys.

Loadstar, the SBG6782-AC is on their list. It's lists speed up to 100 Mbps. Will that work well for 4k streaming, or should I buy a 300 Mbps unit?

[duncantuna]

I don't think you're going to have luck getting a recommendation on a combo unit, as .. they are mainly owned by people who didn't ask around, as this thread suggests, there is near universal discouragement on buying combo units.  Obviously, somebody buys them.

As for streaming 4k .. depending on the compression, it can take between 10-20 megs of bandwidth, 10-15 being most likely, 20 being the highest end.

So it's not so much an issue about choosing a 100/300 modem, as the only questions at that point is how much bandwidth did you buy, and how many streams do you want to support.

People go crazy on buying bandwidth from their ISP, no doubt.  Even if 4k was 20 megs, you'll likely never have more than 1 stream going, and even if you did, you'd likely be able to buffer enough of the stream .. or drop to "3.5k" and your human eyes would never know the difference.

[Ralph Kramden]

Thanks. I don't stream 4k yet. We don't even have a 4k set. I just want to be set for when I do.

It sounds like I would be fine with a 100 Mbps unit.