Router and Cable Modem - Install both at the Same Time?

Both your existing router and modem are rated for at least 50Mbps so I would check with Time Warner first to make sure you are supposed to be getting faster service. I'm on Cox and they have three tiers rated at various speeds. Tier 1 is 20Mbps, Tier 2 is 50Mbps, and Tier 3 is 150Mbps; I have Tier 2. I recently replaced both my modem and my router because they were over seven years old and the router was dying. However, I had to do some tweaking with the piddle poor cabling job Cox's contract installers did to get the full speed I was supposed to get (the biggest improvement came from putting a terminating cap on the unused leg of the data tap). Also, you most likely share the same cable connection with several of your neighbors and that can slow down the speeds you can get. During high volume traffic times, my speeds can drop to as low as 30 Mbps. What position you are on the line can also affect the maximum speed you can get; the farther away you are from your ISP's hub, the less speed you will get.

If you do decide to replace both, I would get and install the modem first, then, if necessary get and install the router.

When I first signed up with Cox, Tier 2 was only 20 Mbps so the old modem wasn't undersized. About a year or two ago, they increased tier 2 to 50Mbps for no additional cost. I still was unable to get more that 5-6Mbps down. I later figured out it was because of the eejit contractors Cox sent out (not properly terminating the unused terminal on the data tap). I had to help the maroon because he wanted to bury the cable only an inch or two and run the cable up the outside of the wall of my mobile home and put a hole in the siding. When I insisted that he run it inside the wall, he tried to weasel out by saying he didn't have a fish tape. I just smiled and said I did.

I would try just replacing the modem first and connect to a computer by way of an Ethernet cable to see what kind of speeds you can get, then try it with the existing router. If the router throttles your speed, then consider replacing it.

I've had many issues with my SBG6141. I replaced it with a SB6121 and thought my speeds might suffer. I was wrong. My speeds are the same or better. For my router I use the Netgear WNDR4300. These are my speeds using my MacBook Air (802.11n 5GHz). I no longer have intermittent drop outs and my speeds are consistent.



Wired connection to my desktop.