Santa Cruz Techies

Most houses/business are getting their network equipment from their ISP.

Usually, there are about three parts: a modem, a router, and an access point (AKA wifi, or sometimes being referred to as a router).

Frequently, two or three of those components are "2-in-1" or "3-in-1". In other words, you can have one physical box that has a modem, a router, and an access point (AKA wifi), all within the same box.

You can also have all those three components (modem, router, wifi) in three different physical boxes.

Both options can work well. With that, higher-end equipment usually comes as "separate components" (modem in one box, router in another, and wifi in another), but not always.

Many people rent the equipment from their ISP for a monthly fee. Some ISPs allow you to bring your own equipment and by that to waive the monthly fee.

We recommend consulting with us before purchasing, as different people/businesses have different needs.

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One of the modems we're working with supports up to 2.5 Gbps and works with Xfinity (Comcast) and Spectrum:
 

NETGEAR Nighthawk Multi-Gig Cable Modem CM2000 - Compatible with all Cable Providers incl. Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox | For Cable Plans Up to 2.5Gbps | DOCSIS 3.1

https://amzn.to/3s4MtuK (PAID link)

 

If you believe that you won't need those high speeds, you might be able to use a 2 Gbps modem:
 

NETGEAR Nighthawk Cable Modem CM1200 - Compatible with all Cable Providers including Xfinity by Comcast, Spectrum, Cox | For Cable Plans Up to 2 Gigabits | 4 x 1G Ethernet ports | DOCSIS 3.1, Black
https://amzn.to/3kwxi9J (PAID link)

 

Or even an 800 Mbps modem:
NETGEAR Cable Modem DOCSIS 3.0 (CM700) Compatible with All Major Cable Providers Including Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox, For Cable Plans Up to 800 Mbps
https://amzn.to/3vAMsko (PAID link)

 

After you got (or already have) a suitable modem, you'll need a router/wifi.

Recommended wifi systems usually include the word "mesh" in them ("mesh" systems have some important advantages over wifi "extenders"/"boosters", which improves roaming between different mesh nodes around your house/business).

On top of that, as a rule of thumb, we recommend purchasing a "tri-band" (or a quad-band) mesh system and not a dual-band mesh system.

If budget allows, we recommend purchasing a mesh system running 802.11ax (AKA wifi 6), and not only 802.11ac (AKA wifi 5).

 

We have a great experience with the mesh system (the number of satellites needed might vary between different houses/businesses, etc):

 

NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home Tri-band Mesh wifi 6 System (RBK853) – Router with 2 Satellite Extenders, Coverage Up to 7,500 Square Feet, 100 Devices, AX6000 (Up to 6Gbps):
https://amzn.to/374VWen (PAID link)

 

We also have a great experience with (the following link might require purchasing of additional components):
Ubiquiti UniFi 6 Pro Access Point | US Model | PoE Adapter not Included (U6-Pro-US):
https://amzn.to/3ktWYDZ (PAID link)

 

If you're not sure if and what to buy - please get in touch with us, and we'll provide you with a free consultation!