Need new Modem Help Please

[suzanne]

I have an AT&T 2 wire Gateway Modem. It supports high speed DSL for my wired desktop computer via USB and both of my wireless laptops. The modem keeps dropping the internet signal. Its around 2 years old. AT&T says thru their line checks that the modem is working fine. They also checked the browser and found nothing wrong. Yet the signal keeps dropping. I think the modem is going bad. If it was just one computer I would look to connections etc but its doing it on all 3 computers. I have unplugged and replugged it, tried putting it into an electrical outlet all by itself, rebooting computers, nothing has worked. I even gave AT&T tech support permission to take over on their end to see if they could figure it out. Nothing happened other than I lost the signal while they were online working on it. They have no answer for problems.

I want to purchase a new reasonably priced modem but have no idea what I need to look or ask for. I asked at Best Buy and they asked who my internet carrier was and when I told them AT&T they said I need to contact them for a new one they could not help me.

So as usual I am turning to my TUG Family for help. I need one that will allow wired thru USB for the older desktop and wireless for the 2 laptops. Since I have know idea what to get not concerned with brand unless you all think one is better that the other. I have Windows 7 on desktop and one laptop and Windows 8 on other laptop. I use Internet Explorer for browser.

Suzanne

 

[DeniseM]

You have to get the modem from AT&T - it's part of your pkg. with them.

BTW - mine loses the signal all the time too - it connects with someone else's unprotected signal in the neighborhood!

 

[Passepartout]

Best Buy has nothing to gain by sending you to AT&T for a modem if they can sell you one. So take the old one to AT&T and exchange it. Of course AT&T's test showed it was working. It was. It didn't drop off while they were testing it.

 

[suzanne]

Thanks for the info. This is my 2nd AT&T modem. The first one died after about 2 years. This is 2nd one at a cost $68.00 from AT&T. I had no idea that I had to buy one from AT&T. Thought as long as I was buying it I could buy modem from whom ever I chose.

Denise, maybe that's the problem. I live in a condo building and basically everyone in the building has internet service. From the number of times I see Xfinity service trucks in the complex I think most of the residents must have Xfinity.

Suzanne

 

[IngridN]

AT&T has other brands available. The 2wire is a piece of c**p based on reviews and discussions I've had with IT experts. Not being a techie, I bought another 2Wire modem/router after the first one went bad. Still had problems that AT&T insisted wasn't at their end. Broke down and bought a separate modem and router. Bought AT&T's Motorola modem and went elsewhere with the router. I'm a happy camper now.

Ingrid

 

[linsj]

I have AT&T DSL. Last year my modem died, so I needed a replacement the same day. The only compatible one I could find was an Actiontec at Best Buy. Don't know if they still sell them in the store though.

 

[Sandi Bo]

At the risk of sounding crazy, I will post about my modem experience.

I use a 32 character password. The cable guy, who had to come out numerous times said to use at least 16 characters (I figure 32 is twice as good). I had other issues (squirrels had chewed the line and it had water in it - they had to replace the drop to the house, they put a dedicated line into the house that I use only for my modem, and they put a booster on it).

I had terrible issues with my internet and now it works great. I was constantly resetting my modem. Who knows if the 32 character password is doing anything, but it doesn't cost me anything extra to use all those characters and I have the securest line in the neighborhood.

 

[Ken555]

Maybe it's a good time to consider alternative service, such as from your cable provider. And if that isn't a good option for you, try another DSL provider. There's no reason to stay with AT&T unless you want to, and the likelihood is that another provider will provide a free box.

Note that I'm not sure which models are still available for USB connections.

 

[ricoba]

Maybe it's a good time to consider alternative service, such as from your cable provider. And if that isn't a good option for you, try another DSL provider. There's no reason to stay with AT&T unless you want to, and the likelihood is that another provider will provide a free box.

This is basically what I am thinking of doing. We have an AT&T DSL @ our LA house and cable here in Vegas. The DSL is terrible compared to the COX internet cable. I am thinking of dropping the DSL (which has dropped like the OP describes) and getting cable in its place. I tried the new modem, checked the line filters etc and called AT&T more than once. It's time to get something new and more reliable, which for us would be cable (Time-Warner, which I hope is a good company).

 

[Passepartout]

If you can get cable internet, it will always be faster than DSL. Which means smoother video, higher def Netflix, less jumpy Skype, better sounding VOIP phone. But if you don't already have cable, it's another bill you may not want. A trade-off like everything else.

 

[tompalm]

This is basically what I am thinking of doing. We have an AT&T DSL @ our LA house and cable here in Vegas. The DSL is terrible compared to the COX internet cable. I am thinking of dropping the DSL (which has dropped like the OP describes) and getting cable in its place. I tried the new modem, checked the line filters etc and called AT&T more than once. It's time to get something new and more reliable, which for us would be cable (Time-Warner, which I hope is a good company).

I have been using Time Warner for years and been very happy. However, I do need to get a new router every couple years. After two years, the internet will go out and we need to unplug the modem and router, wait 30 seconds, plug the modem in, wait about 30 seconds and plug the router in. After that, everything works. That will start to happen about once every couple months after two years, than it will happen every month and later every week. Finally, you get tired of that and buy a new router. I had a router for four years and kept resetting it because I thought it was a problem with Time Warner. However, the problem was with the router. Now, I just buy a new router as soon as problems start. I just bought an Apple router and it has been great for setting up the airport express in other parts of the house to get extended range. I hope that Apple will last longer than the others, but Netgear was pretty good at half the price of an Apple. The Netgear has a lot longer range than Apple. My house has a lot of solid concrete walls and problems with extended range, so the airport express in three locations makes a difference.

 

[Blues]

tom, there's probably a page somewhere in your router web interface that allows you to check for and download firmware updates. I'd try that first before buying a brand new router.

-Bob