[geeks] Cable modems/routers

[Joshua Boyd]

On Wed, Jun 16, 2004 at 11:39:15PM -0500, mrl wrote:
> Just got cable installed at the house (after slogging along for 2 years
> with dialup and 6 months with 90$/mo ISDN), and the cable modem they
> give us sucks (at least it's a no-extra-fee "loaner", tho). Looking to
> replace the thing, but I want to make sure that it's not something that
> I have to power cycle all the time, a la the ISDN modem, some
> "consumer-grade" switches, the DSL modem at work, etc. Does anybody have
> any recommendations?

I had an RCA model when I had cable before I moved (I'm now back on
dialup, ick).  I never had to power cycle it.  I couldn't tell you the
model, it was just the one that Comcast gave me.
 
> Oh, and if I purchase a PCI cable modem, are there any gotchas? My dad
> is of the opinion that just because it's PCI, that doesn't mean that it
> won't require a power-cycle every once in the while (which of course
> means rebooting the entire machine), although that doesn't make much
> sense to me (as in, there's no way a card-manufacturer would put the
> thing on the market if it had a flaw like that, right?). Anything,
> related or unrelated, to look out for?

Wouldn't a PCI modem most likely be Windows only?
 
> On a related note, one of our switches may be failing. Any suggestions
> on what to replace it with are welcome (in the 4-8 port range, nothing
> huge).

NetGear is cheap, and people seem to think highly of them.  That's what
I use for my FastE switch.  However, one of my machines doesn't get
along with it.  I forget the brand of FastE card in that machine, but it
has trouble negotiating correctly with the NetGear.  But then, it also
has trouble downgrading to 10mbit (when plugged into a 10mbit hub), and
it also had trouble negotiating with my Linksys router/switch (which was a
piece of crap).  Dlink is working fine for my parents.  Both of them
were under $30 retail.