Should I upgrade my Xfinity Router?

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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It's been here for a while. I am thinking about upgrading my computer and Xfinity Router. Currently my computer receives a signal from my router which is then transferred vi USB cable to my DAC.
Top ten Xfinity Routers

Link
 

ecwl

Well-Known Member
Mar 20, 2021
213
177
113
Winnipeg, Canada
I'm a bit unclear as to why you want to upgrade your router. I have so many questions.

1. Is your computer a desktop or a laptop?
2. If it's a laptop, is it plugged into the wall or running on battery when you're playing music?
3. If the computer running on WiFi or Ethernet?
4. Are you having drops in your WiFi (or Ethernet) signals?
5. Or were you wondering if upgrading the router would improve the sound quality?

If you're running your desktop/laptop on WiFi, upgrading the router won't improve sound quality. But it might improve signal stability. Most people don't know they have bad wifi. Because even when they do, they stream Netflix at 480p resolution and never realized they're not watching 4K. Moreover, most devices have caches for unstable WiFi so unless you're streaming music and there are drops, most people don't realize their WiFi is bad. Basically, if you're streaming anything and it doesn't start instantaneously, your wifi is probably bad. If the problem is bad WiFi, the optimal solution is not to immediately buy a new WiFi router but to figure out why there is a WiFI stability problem in the first place and then decide whether to buy one of the routers you listed or to buy a WiFI Mesh Network.

If your computer is wired via Ethernet, sometimes, the ground loop leakage current noise can go from your router's power supply through to the ethernet cable into your battery-powered laptop into your DAC (which doesn't run on batteries, hence the ground loop), affecting the sound quality. One solution to that problem is to buy a linear power supply for the router (e.g. HDPlex 300W). But if you run your laptop with the charger or run a desktop, then you can still have other ground loop leakage current noise going from your desktop to your DAC, independent of the router. That's why people buy audiophile grade network switches, e.g. Uptone EtherRegen.
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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1. All in one desktop,
2. n/a
.3. Wi-fi
4. Yes. Minor but annoying.
4. I was hoping there would be an improvement.
 

ecwl

Well-Known Member
Mar 20, 2021
213
177
113
Winnipeg, Canada
So my take is 100% you should change your WiFi setup. Because there shouldn't be any drops on your wifi off any of your devices. Although I doubt there'll be any sound improvements.

Usually, most people have WiFi issues for one of two reasons:
1) Your current router is too far from your computer so your computer is getting very weak signals.
2) You have too many neighbors whose WiFi is interfering with your WiFi so you're getting drops.
Rarely, you have both issues at the same time.

You can see if you have issue #2 by just taking out your cellphone and stand by the desktop and see how many WiFi networks you can easily see. If you're seeing your neighbor's WiFi network name, you're almost definitely having interference. If you can't see your neight's WiFI network's names, you probably still have a WiFi interference issue. If you're super tech saavy, you can download the free version of InSSIDer for PC or Netspot for Mac to see what kind of interference you have on which WiFi band.

One solution that doesn't cost anything is that you can re-program your router to separate your 5GHz WiFi band from your 2.4GHz WiFi band and then have your desktop specifically log onto the 5GHz WiFi band because usually, the 5GHz WiFi band is less congested and less likely to have interference. 2.4GHz Wifi tends to have a longer range but your neighbor's 2.4GHz wifi tends to interfere with yours while 5GHz WiFi tends to travel less distance and be blocked by wall more often but fewer of your neighbors are likely to be using the same 5GHz band as yours.
In fact, if you live in a small apartment like me, you can actually just turn off 2.4GHz WiFi band completely and put all your devices on the 5GHz WiFi band to optimize WiFi performance. There is a small possibility that your router is so old that your 5GHz WiFi antenna is very weak in which case replacing the router would be helpful.

If your router is very far from the computer and the only way to get good signal strength is through 2.4GHz WiFi, then what you really need is a tri-band mesh network so that one of these boxes replaces the main router and then you place another one of these boxes near your computer or midway between your computer where the current router is so that the signal can hop from one box to another. And you essentially need enough boxes to cover the whole home to get good.
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,515
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
Yes, my neighborhood is congested.
My room is upstairs on the front.
The router is downstairs on the rear. About 90-100'.
What I have not done is contact Xfinity for a solution. They maybe willing to give me a new router. Stranger things have happened.
 

ecwl

Well-Known Member
Mar 20, 2021
213
177
113
Winnipeg, Canada
if you’re not very tech savvy, you’re probably better off calling Xfinity and getting their xFi Gateway router for $15/month and then getting an xFi pod for $120 probably plugged into somewhere near the top of the stairwell? 100’ is quite far actually so you might need two xFi pod. Not totally sure

if things don’t work, you can call Xfinity.

otherwise if you buy your own mesh network, and you run into issues, not sure who you can ask for help.

the only “scam” you have to avoid is that if you’re already getting more than 50-75Mbps download speed from Xfinity, you technically don’t have to upgrade your internet speed. Because almost all of your problem is related to wifi and not how fast Xfinity is pumping data into your home. Of course if you have multiple people streaming 4K videos at home, then maybe you need a faster speed. But I’ve seen so many of my friends upgrade their internet speed to 1gbps but their wifi is actually the main problem so the signals are still dropping.

that said, sometimes cable companies don’t offer the better routers like xFi Gateway unless you’re on a higher internet speed. In that case, you’re a bit stuck.
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,515
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
I may have overestimated the distance. I'll get the tape measure out later.
 

Powerman

Active Member
Feb 15, 2023
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I have xfinity and put in an extender, but not really important... Is wifi a good solution. I was wired. I went to wifi just to see if it was better. I didn't notice anything. I like my router upstairs in my office, and figured it was helping getting all of that away from stereo... No LPS on router. I just use my phone or tablet to control app and don't need my PC for music. Some say wifi sounds better, some wired. I can't really tell.
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,515
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
Are repeaters and extenders identical?
 

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