Cable modem & router upgrade questions

Hi, I am a Comcast customer and just got a new deal and included in it is the upgraded Blast internet. Supposedly this goes to 50mbps download speeds where currently I have either 15 or 20mbps. But they told me to get the faster service I need a Docsis 3 modem. I currently have Motorola modem which I think is Docsis 2 and is about 6 years old. I also have a Netgear b/g router which goes to 54mbps and is about the same age as modem. So my questions are; Is it correct what Comcast told me about needing the Docsis 3 modem? I think my current modem goes to 100mbps so I want to check as I am not confident in what they tell me. Do you think I would notice a big difference getting the Docsis 3? Also, I was planning to upgrade my router soon anyway and I see that there is a combo Motorola modem and router that is Docsis 3. But is it better to have modem and router separate? I don't mind upgrading either router or both if I will see a noticeable increase in speed but in some ways I hate to as I never have any problems with my current setup. So I just want to try to avoid going through upgrading and not really making any real difference.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

This is what I recommend you get.

I am not affiliated with these companies whatsoever.

I can recommend it with confidence since this is what I have.

Motorola SurfBoard SB6141 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem.
ASUS RT-N66U Dual-Band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Router


http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-SurfBoard-SB6141-DOCSIS-Cable/dp/B007IMPMW4

http://www.amazon.com/RT-N66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B006QB1RPY

There's a newer version of the Asus router that adds 802.11AC support.

http://www.amazon.com/RT-AC66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-AC1750-Gigabit-Router/dp/B008ABOJKS/

But that's optional.

Regardless of which Asus router you get be sure to install Merlin's modified version of Asus's firmware.

http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?t=10212
http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?t=7846

With this setup you will be set for the foreseeable future.

It will also make all your friends and family members jealous. =)

 

5 months ago I went through this for Time-Warner, I got a new SB612411 DOCSIS 3 modem which is supposed to be good for 300mbps. When I got a postcard from Time-Warner everybody had the SB6121 DOCSIS 3 modem which I bought first, only Amazon had the SB6141 and which was the only DOCSIS 3 modem Time-warner had on the Approved list so I bought that modem also, 2 months later Time-Warner put the SB6121 on the Approved list for DOCSIS 3 modems.

 

+1 for the asus rt n66u, i use this one at my house and havent had any problems with it and it has great performance.

 

You should install the merlin firmware.

 

I have two Asus RT-N66U routers with Merlins firmware.....both running like a champ.

 

Great.

did you snag the newest 25b update?

 

never heard of it, i usually use ddwrt but with the asus firmware i didnt feel it was necessary. ill definitely look into merlin, thanks for the heads up

 

I have it now...thanks!

 

First, thanks for all the replies. Since many of you are recommending the Docsis 3 modem I assume that does mean you think I will see a noticeable increase in speed over my current Docsis 2?

And I was not planning to spend as much as that Asus router as I was considering more of a dual N router that I see advertised for around 50-$60 most weeks. But would that Asus really provide much faster and better service?

I am still a little confused as how all this works as even my older current B/g router is capable of 54 mbps and the router 100mbps so with Comcast service only going to 50mbps I am not clear how the speed improves even though the devices recommended are capable of way more speed. Doesn't the broadband speed itself limit it? Or does it not work that way?

Lastly, when I test my current older setup at speedtest.net I usually get around 13mbps download speed. But lately I have been downloading several linux distros to try out and the fastest actual download speed I have got is around 5-600kbps and some of the time the actual was less than 100kbps. Is that normal and what some you experience? And if so is that mainly due to the site you are downloading from? Do any of you get actual download speeds of several mbps?

Thanks again.