Looking for a router? Here are some options.
Looking for a router? Here are some options.
You're planning to upgrade to a new router while keeping your current Xfinity setup. You're considering turning on bridge mode on your existing Xfinity box to support a separate router. You're looking for a budget-friendly option under $200, capable of gigabit speeds, and with the flexibility to change both MAC and IP addresses as needed. Public IP is what you want, not a private one.
Perhaps another person might suggest a different router, but for IP addresses, your service provider assigns one, and you can't decide on a public IP yourself. You might be able to pay more with certain providers for a fixed address, but in reality you still can't pick the exact number and would need to ask the ISP to change it. For MAC addresses, most routers let you modify them through the settings.
The WAN IP can shift when the MAC address of the main device connecting to the modem or gateway changes. If you only need MAC address cloning, most modern routers support this feature, though it’s less common on budget models. You might consider contacting your ISP to request a fresh dynamic IP address—a free solution. They’d likely handle it easily, especially if you’ve experienced a DDoS attack or something similar; they wouldn’t want their network impacted.