Need internet support for your first college exam!
Need internet support for your first college exam!
I just moved into my first apartment away from home and had to set up an ISP. The only provider nearby is Xfinity, but their router uses a coax port in the living room, which means the Ethernet in your house isn’t working. I’m trying to figure out if I missed something or need a different solution. I was thinking about getting a new router—maybe to avoid paying for Xfinity’s service—or finding an alternative way to make Ethernet work without running cables from my room to the living room. Any suggestions?
I noticed the Netgear AC1600 is available on Amazon, though it lacks a coaxial port, which might affect your setup.
So your modem, with the coax connected to it, should have 1 or 4 ethernet ports. If it has 1, you'll need to connect that to your router. If it has 4 you can use the modem as a router, or connect on of them to your router and use that. If you decide to get your own modem with a coax port, you would need to call them to register it.
Your home may already have Ethernet installed, but it could be improperly connected. For instance, if you connect an Ethernet port in your living room near the modem, it might not deliver internet throughout the house unless it’s properly linked. Usually, cables end up in a closet or laundry room, and they need to be directed from there to reach every part of the house. This is just one possible situation.
There should be a location where all Ethernet connections converge, connecting to a switch you might need to install yourself. After setting it up and adjusting it, you can connect the router’s LAN side to a wall port, giving the rest of your home internet access.
Xfinty offers an Internet Gateway such as a modem or router. You can either purchase a gateway or buy a separate modem and router, but I suggest getting the latter. Their website lists compatible devices for modems and gateways—choose one to ensure compatibility. With cable modems, you need to match your subscription speed tier with the number of downstream and upstream channels the device supports. Alternatively, opt for a Docsis 3.1 modem, which handles most tiers; just note that newer models may support up to 2.5 Gbps, which aligns with their Gigabit tier (though it's actually 1.2 Gbps).