True Cable Modem Aleternative

[RioMist]

I have True Cable Internet in my house. The problem is the modem they supply does not work very well in my house and the coverage is patchy to say the least. Moving the modem to another location is not an option and I was wondering if I can purchase another modem which is more powerful. If you can advise I would be grateful and which modem is my best option.

[Pib]

You must use the True-provided "modem" as that modem is married to the cable system. However, your wording seems to imply you have a True-provided Wifi router/modem...that is, an integrated/combo modem and Wifi router. If that is the case, then you could buy yourself another Wifi router, run a standard Ethernet cable between the True-provided device and your new Wifi router and use the Wifi signal from your new router.

But this makes the big assumption the new Wifi router will provide a better/stronger Wifi signal throughout your residence, which may or may not be the case. I'm on a True cable 20Mb/2Mb plan and have had two different True-provided Wifi router...one a Cisco model and my current Thomson model and both were 802.11g models (i.e., Wifi signal up to 54Mb). True seems to provide 802.11g Wifi routers for speed plans 20Mb and below; and 802.11n Wifi routers for speed plans 30Mb and above. While I will admit that generally a 11n router will provide better coverage than a 11g router, this is only a benefit if your client devices/laptop/smartphone/etc., are a 11n capable. My laptops are only 11g capable but my smartphones 11n capable....and with the 11g router they get full 20Mb speed from my cable 20Mb/2Mb plan.

But here's the acid test, do my laptops/smartphones get good signal from my True-provided cable Wifi router? The answer is yes. Both of these Wifi routers provided good Wifi signal strength/quality throughout my two story concrete structure home and out into the yard. In fact, my Wifi router is located in the upstairs master beddrom and the laptop I use most of the time is downstairs on the other side of the house....the signal from the router to my laptop has to get through two concrete/brick walls and the concrete floor and I normally have 4 or 5 bars out of 5 bars strength on my laptop....and I pull the full 20Mb speed like shown below.

So, yes, another Wifi router "may" give you better signal strength/coverage/speed; or, it may not.

[muratremix]

Use a repeater to increase coverage in your home or setup a new wireless router connected to your cable modem if you know how. (static ip conn to cable modem, set dmz to that static ip you use etc.)

[Pib]

Use a repeater to increase coverage in your home or setup a new wireless router connected to your cable modem if you know how. (static ip conn to cable modem, set dmz to that static ip you use etc.)

That will definitely work, but a note on the repeater approach, the repeater will cut the bandwidth/speed in half since the Wifi repeater is spending half its time talking to the cable Wifi router and the other half to the client/laptop/smartphone/etc. The repeater would definitely increase signal strength but cut the max bandwidth/speed in half.

[rakman]

I don't know the model router you have, but if the antennas are removable, you can buy some higher gain antennas to improve the range.