Modem/Router Combo

[Josh]

Well, a lot of gamers are streaming whatever it is they're doing on Twitch (which chews up a fair bit of upstream), and then they're playing games where every bit of latency counts... so they can actual benefit from a 2.5G uplink to their 1G/30M connection, for example.

It’s the everyone can be a movie star. I have a friend who decided he was going to be the next big thing in gaming. He recently hit around 1k viewers last I talked to him. He makes around a dollar a month for that. He spends at least 100 on the net and add several necessary subscriptions and of course beautification items for his streaming station… he is spending so much money and is horribly depressed. I can’t get through to him what the source of his marital strife and general problems he has actually is. He listens but it goes in one ear and out the other.

Well, I suppose I could assume that Ernie didn't want to be a movie star, and recommend him equipment that won't quite be suitable for streaming. -BUT- a lot of people do use Zoom, etc. who don't want to be movie stars... I would prefer to leave my webcam off, but some of my colleagues and clients expect it to be switched on. So I am an "unwilling" movie star, I guess.

[Soloist]

Well, I suppose I could assume that Ernie didn't want to be a movie star, and recommend him equipment that won't quite be suitable for streaming. -BUT- a lot of people do use Zoom, etc. who don't want to be movie stars... I would prefer to leave my webcam off, but some of my colleagues and clients expect it to be switched on. So I am an "unwilling" movie star, I guess.

No criticism meant for you or Ernie. More of a comment on Gaming culture.

[ken_sylvania]

I agree with the recommendation to rent rather than buy in the case of a cable modem. Sure, over the course of several years you might pay more, but compared with the hassle of making sure the ISP gets their modem back, fighting the charges that they put on your bill because they charged you for renting theirs anyway, arguing with tech support when they claim that your modem is the problem when you have internet issues. Then about two or three years down the road, just when you've saved enough rental payments to cover the cost of the purchased modem, they decide that your modem is too old and no longer supported, and they force you to upgrade if you want to keep the "discount" plan, otherwise you have to stay on this legacy plan that they charge you an extra $20/month for.

[Ernie]

I agree with the recommendation to rent rather than buy in the case of a cable modem. Sure, over the course of several years you might pay more, but compared with the hassle of making sure the ISP gets their modem back, fighting the charges that they put on your bill because they charged you for renting theirs anyway, arguing with tech support when they claim that your modem is the problem when you have internet issues. Then about two or three years down the road, just when you've saved enough rental payments to cover the cost of the purchased modem, they decide that your modem is too old and no longer supported, and they force you to upgrade if you want to keep the "discount" plan, otherwise you have to stay on this legacy plan that they charge you an extra $20/month for.

Ok. I'll look into this. Thanks.

[Ernie]

Well, I suppose I could assume that Ernie didn't want to be a movie star, and recommend him equipment that won't quite be suitable for streaming. -BUT- a lot of people do use Zoom, etc. who don't want to be movie stars... I would prefer to leave my webcam off, but some of my colleagues and clients expect it to be switched on. So I am an "unwilling" movie star, I guess.

No criticism meant for you or Ernie. More of a comment on Gaming culture.

understood.