-Where is your router located relative to where the wireless devices are used? (should as close to center of house as possible, mid-wall height, and located to minimize the number of walls the signal passes through between where wireless devices are located and where the router is). Is there a water heater tank in the middle?

-Are any of your interior walls cinder block or concrete?

Along with the above, I'm wondering if your signal is suffering from interference because of too many houses using the same Wifi channels? If on 2.4, while the channels run from 1-11, the only usable ones because of signal overlap become 1-6-11. Download a Wifi Analyzer app to your phone and see how many signals are coming in from other houses and what channels are being used. Log into router, change channels if there's a concentration, that might fix the problem. Try this before buying new hardware because if that's the problem and you buy a new router without changing the channels, your bad reception will continue.

Absent that, I recommend a separate modem and a separate router, not combined in one. For cable modems, get a standalone Arris Surfboard (produce line formerly owned by Motorola). Be sure it's Docsis 3.0. No need to spend more than $75.

For routers, the better names are Netgear, Asus, DLink. I've heard good things about the Google router, one of my kids has one. Don't know the one you mentioned but a few models have good reviews in the attached ratings article. No need to spend more than $130 but be sure it's dual band - 2.4 and 5.0

Perhaps not in your area, but Comcast is golden around here as far as internet service is concerned. Best signal, highest capacity/speeds (except for fiber optic), most consistent, etc. My service (and signal through a Surfboard modem and Linksys and now Netgear Orbi routers in a largish house) has been rock solid for a long time, maybe almost 10 years since I dumped DSL.

Router reviews

I prefer the Netgear Nighthawk routers. Never any problem with them.

Be sure that your modem is "certified" for Comcast. Our problems cleared up when we switched to a Docsis 3.0 modem. FWIW - I was advised to buy a separate modem and router made by the same company. And, like WCZ, I have Netgear equipment - modem, router and extender.

If yours is a cable (not fiber) signal, a modem that works to the Docsis 3.0 standard, and more particularly a Surfboard product (considered one of the better ones), will work - that's why there are standards in the first place, for ease of interoperability.

It doesn't hurt to check but I don't think it's necessary.

Thank you for the replies.

The Modem is in the living room which is center of house. The living room does have walls on three sides, but is open on one side which should reach the other rooms.

Comcast told me to go to Best Buy and buy an extender. My computer is in a den and one tech felt a half wall could be blocking the signal. I doubt that.

I don't believe that because my phone, at times, has trouble connecting even if I stand in front of the modem/router.

Something is wrong. If not the modem, then something else. I had Verizon for years, then Frontier. Both of them were fiber, never had connection problems. Comcast is wire.

I will look for the Docsis 3.0 modem and hopefully can try it to see if it clears up our problems.

Thank you all again,

Jane

Between the modem function and the router/wifi function of your Comcast all in one, I think it's more likely to be the second one that causes the problem.

So you need to buy a separate modem AND a router/wifi unit. I'd hold off on the range extender, wait and see if the new router (and attention to seeing if channel usage for the neighborhood signals you get suggests you need to change your settings) fixes the problem.

If I were you, I’d just start with a wireless access point or router where you can disable the routing/dhcp portion as the built in router of your modem is likely working fine and is all you need (unless you want to stop renting it.) then just urn off the wifi portion of the comcast unit.

If you use the comcast phone too, a normal off the shelf bradband modem will not work, it has to support thei voice functions. Thats anther reason I recommend starting with just an access point or wifi router.

Okay, Steve. I don't use Comcast for phone service so I didn't know that was an issue. I wonder if Jane does?

I have Ooma phone service through my Comcast connection (with my oldish but Docsis 3.0 Surfboard modem labeled as incompatible for their telephony) for $4 per month.

Thanks Steve.

We do have their phone service, but it doesn't work! Another thing wrong with our set-up.

We rarely use it so I have no idea when it went out. I'll have to call them...again!

If possible, I'd like to replace the modem and router so I don't have to pay for Comcast's every month. It might be easier for me to just replace the whole thing.

What do you think? I'm not good about these things and was hoping I could just plug in the new modem and everything would work! Maybe not.

Might be better for me to hire someone to come in and set it up. What a expense and a pain.

Thanks again,

Jane

Comcast has a list of compatible modems, someone may have already mentioned. They show what has support for voice. You can buy one of those.

I have been using Asus RT-N66U for quite some time already

Thank you, Amy.

I apologize I took so long to get back. A lot of personal family issues took priority

I really do not know a lot of what you mentioned. I don't understand wireless terms and modems. I just know when they work or not.

Prior to Comcast, we had Verizon (now Frontier). We had no problems at all with our signals, everything worked well. We switched from them because they kept jacking up our price and for basic cable and internet we were paying close to $200.00. No movie channels, just basic cable, but the wireless worked perfectly.

We live in a suburban neighborhood in Florida. There is good space between houses and Florida is flat as a brick! We have two tv's one freezes or gets scrambled frequently. The other tv works fine. Comcast has been out at least five times. Each tech stays at least an hour, tracing the cable and going into the attic. They seem to work hard.

The last tech said they have been having similar complaints from people in our community and thought it was a problem having nothing to do with individual homes.

I called them to complain our landline phone wasn't working. She had me plug it into the modem and it worked. Therefore, she said it was a problem with our wiring and they had nothing to do with that. I said we never had a problem with the phone until the last tech was here and changed some wiring in the attic and garage.She said we would be charged if they had someone come out to check our wiring.

Anyway, I told her to forget it. We didn't want the phone and to take it off our bill. She said we weren't charged for the phone so there was no deduction from our bill.

Today was really bad. Pages took forever to load on my laptop then my iPhone had problems loading pages. I had to shut off wireless to the phone to use it. So, the main problem is the wireless connection. I am thinking of going to Best Buy for the Router and have them install it. I don't know how else to handle this but it has to be fixed. I use my laptop for work and I can't live with the situation I have here.

Thank you for your help,

Jane

Do you have any friends neighbors in the area with the same service you can ask if they are experiencing the same problems? Sounds to me like it's their service since you didn't have these issues until you switched. Mary

You are right. I asked neighbors I know and they all have Frontier (Verizon). All complain about cost but don’t have problems with WiFi.

I guess I should have stayed with Frontier, but now I’m locked in a 2-year contract with Comcast. I don’t know of anyone in my neighborhood who has Comcast. I know people in other areas and they have no problems and are happy with the service.

My guess is it’s just in my area.

If they can't deliver the service they promised they should let you out of the contract. So glad there are no contracts with who we have. We started with adelphia cable 30yrs ago then after the big fiasco with the corruption and bankruptcy time Warner took it over and a few years ago they sold to spectrum. There was a few hiccups after the change over but now everything is just as good as time Warner and our bill went down. Mary

The incoming service is likely fine, it's her wireless performance thats suspect which has no bearing on incoming service speed. Try connecting a few things with a wire. Does that work ok?

That's what I mean if a wired connection is not working good then there ya go. Why would one need best buy to install a modem? Mary