<p>That one “computer people” already defended his jargon post a few posts ago! And the explanation did not include a few dozen cousins who would laugh hysterically at our cluelessness. </p>
<p>It is precisely because OP is a newbie that I am providing the information so OP could avoid getting screwed by lazy or incompetent service people from ISPa with service scripts which still assume obsolete wireless encryption standards current in the late '90s/early '00s are the standard. </p>
<p>“Oh, it’s so simple now you can rely on the service people to do it all for you” was exactly the line several older neighbors and some clients assumed before I brought it up while being hired to check on some other computer issues or they found their home/small business networks were compromised because those ISP folks did a poor job in setting up their wireless network when the ISP issued cable/dsl modem/router combo device was issued. </p>
<p>Another thing is this is more of an issue in more densely populated areas like cities and suburban areas. If you live out in a rural area where your nearest neighbor is a quarter mile away from you or more, then maybe you can be more blase about using weaker wireless encryption security standards like WEP…or not bother with it at all so anyone within range can access the wireless network/internet access*. </p>
<ul>
<li>I don’t recommend this at all, especially considering “wardriving” where folks will actually drive around with laptops and specialized software cracking tools looking for weakly secured or unsecured wireless networks to sign onto/crack and do who knows what on them.<br></li>
</ul>
<p>We use a dsl modem from Clear wire which connects to our Apple 1st gen Time Capsule. ( like the airport express, but with storage)
Super easy. Our Canon wireless printer is synced too, although it prints better from the ipad, than my 7 year old Macbook pro.
It is getting quirky in its " old" age.
This might help set it up.
<a href=“Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points - Apple Support”>http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4199</a></p>
<p>Cobrat,she told us she has ATT. We told her to check to see if she can get UVerse. Uverse will send a combination modem/router to her house. ATT’s modem, with instructions. I promise you, it’s a new modem. </p>
<p>If she can’t get UVerse, she can still buy equipment from the ATT web site. Or she can go to Best Buy, and ask the person to sell her the router she needs. They will know which one to give her and they will sell her a new one. They don’t sell old stuff any more. </p>
<p>I mean, if she wants to buy the equipment off of ebay or craigslist, then a warning might be in order … but fortunately she didn’t post something along the lines of, “I need a router but don’ want to spend more than $20… where can I find cheap equipment?”</p>
<p>“Iis precisely because OP is a newbie that I am providing the information so OP could avoid getting screwed by lazy or incompetent service people from ISPa with service scripts which still assume obsolete wireless encryption standards current in the late '90s/early '00s are the standard.”</p>
<p>But she said she was a newbie. You didn’t provide any kind of clear explanation as to what you meant. It’s gobbledygook to a newbie. It’s that kind of clueless advice that is what gives computer geeks their bad reputation.</p>
<p>(And no, we don’t really care that the clueless computer geeks “think poorly” of us because we’re not interested in the finer details.)</p>
<p>I have Comcast. I don’t have a clue what the encryption is, nor do I care one bit. I want some nice man to come in my house and set up something so that when I open my computer, I’m online. The. End. That’s what most normal people want. They don’t want to become experts, any more than they want to know how combustion engines work in order to drive a car. </p>
<p>
No, but of course one would know what systems some older neighbors just installed, like this of course was something they just happened to do, that happened to come up in conversation and one would be intricately involved. And of course the techs are lazy, stupid, incompetent or conniving in some way. Sounds like a rather negative fantasyland to live in.</p>
<p>Agree with all the helpful posters- you have AT&T. Start there. They will probably try to get you to get a package deal (phone/cable/internet). You may or may not want to do that. If you still have a landline (we do) if the cable goes out, you lose it all. We have a separate provider for cable/internet vs landline.</p>
<p>Good luck. It will be simple. They are used to helping people who are not technologically skilled.</p>
<p>To the OP…we have ATT. We have a bundle that includes DSL, cell phones and a wall phone (don’t make fun of me, folks). You may find that doing a bundle saves you some money…and I’ve found that the ATT folks are very helpful.</p>
<p>Just go to Walmart, Target, or Best Buy and pick up a Netgear 600 dual wireless router for about $75. Plug a wire into your DSL modem, plug a wire into your computer and you should be good to go. It’s easy. You’ll be able to use daughter’s laptop, smartphones, Roku to stream, etc…wireless routers are real workhorses. Hopefully your house isn’t as big as ‘Weird Al’ Yankovich’s and your new wireless setup will work in your kitchen too.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/WNDR3400V3/WNDR3400v3_EN_IG_07Apr2014.pdf”>http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/WNDR3400V3/WNDR3400v3_EN_IG_07Apr2014.pdf</a></p>
<p>I had the opposite experience. Dumped AT&T and save 50% by switching to a cable company. Plus, the internet speeds are considerably faster.</p>
<p>I used to work for a major PC company and I would say lizard’s advice is best. Netgear makes solid equipment that is universal and easy to use at a great price. </p>
<p>I also agree with pizzagirl about the jargon (though I think her tone was a bit rough). I know the jargon, but it can really be a beating. If someone started talking to me about car engines I would be lost once you get past oil filter. </p>
<p>Cobrat, the technical side of the encryption might be spot on, but still not relevant to the OP. You think it is extremely important. Chances are she was hoping for something simple and helpful.</p>
<p>Fwiw, how many people do you think have a strong password, forget it, and find it blissful to have a reset password based on the standard … admin/password? </p>
<p>I’d venture that 90 percent of the responders here have such basic setup. Actually, I think some might check their setup after reading this! ;)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The issues I saw wasn’t usually with old equipment though. It was the service personnel from ISPs like Comcast* who set up the wireless router portion to use the weaker older wireless encryption standards when the equipment provided most likely should be able to support the newest standards.</p>
<p>Then again, the issuing/usage of old obsolete equipment is an issue with some cable/DSL ISPs. Had a few friends/acquaintances who had internet issues which were traced to the modems becoming too obsolete due to technological upgrades to the level of service they were getting. One of the worst cases was encountered by someone whose modem was replaced as recently as 2008 and yet, the replacement was the same obsolete 2001 model he initially received when he signed up with them in 2004. And even if he had been aware of this, some ISPs insist on replacing the modem with the same obsolete model until their stocks run out. </p>
<ul>
<li>Comcast is so notorious for poor customer service going back to the early '00s it’s become a running joke even among my non-techie friend/acquaintances with some familiarity with cable service issues. It’s also a reason the upcoming TWC/Comcast merger is being watched with much serious trepidation by folks in my area.<br></li>
</ul>
<p>My modem is about 8 yrs old, I initially used it with an Ethernet cable to the laptop. Couple years later I began using the time machine as a wireless router.
My connection isn’t super fast, but it serves my purpose. ( I can stream with no quality issues) Comcast is predominately in my neighborhood, but I hear so many people complain about it, I have the impression it is slower than my connection with Clear.</p>
<p>Perhaps it isn’t the age of the technology so much as it is the number of people who use it in the same area.( Clear has been acquired by Sprint/ Nextel)</p>
<p>We have a Netgear set up exactly as posted above. Works beautifully with all of our wireless devices…PCs and Apple products.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>AT&T has two different programs. They have Uverse (super) for those who are in areas that have that available. They have DSL for those who are in areas that arent yet ready for Uverse.</p>
<p>You may not have had the Uverse provided internet. There are several speed choices, but (I think) all choices are better than the DSL choices. </p>
<p>AT&T Uverse internet is amazingly fast.</p>
<p>We have plain old AT T DSL service. We cannot get Uverse in our rural area. I would choose DSL over the stinking cable companies around here at this point. I can not stand dealing with Comcast or charter cable companies. They are awful. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Old cable modems…especially over 4 years old can also be an issue, especially considering there has been upgrades in the standards used in the cable internet infrastructure/modems. For instance, since the late '90s, cable internet/modem infrastructure standards has gone from Docsis 1.0 to the current common standard…3.0. </p>
<p>The current standard was introduced in 2006 and yet, many cable ISPs didn’t start replacing their stock of Docsis 1.0(late '90s) and 2.0(early '00s) cable modems until a few years back. If your cable internet service tier is 20 Mb/sec or greater, using modems with the older standards means you’re not likely to get the full speed for which you are paying. </p>
<p>And the insult to injury is piled on if you’re unfortunate to have a cable ISP who “leases” your obsolete modem for a monthly fee and refuses to upgrade your model so long as their stocks of the older modems hasn’t run out. </p>
<p>Unless you’re using the slowest tiers of cable internet service(Declared service stating 15 Mb/sec or less), using a cable modem more than around 3-4 years old will mean you’re not likely to get the full speeds you’re paying for. </p>
<p>Use Direct TV for that portion of the equation. Must have my NFL Sunday Ticket. Living in Texas I cannot see real NFL team unless I have that. U-Verse is a scam IMHO, but if y’all are happy, enjoy.</p>
<p>I’m using Charter at the moment and they are just fine for Internet. The speeds are the best for the price. I have not had any issues with them at all. Of course, I don’t use the cable service, so your experience may vary.</p>
<p>??
How is Uverse a scam? </p>
<p>I have AT&T Uverse (TV) and AT&T Uverse (internet) in one home, and DirecTV and AT&T DSL in a vacation rental. The former is superior. In my other vacation rental I am putting in Uverse. No question. </p>
<p>Dont get me wrong, we have loved DirecTV for many years (brother is a recently retired VP), but weather interference is a pain in the tush. Uverse isnt affected by weather…a big PLUS!</p>
<p>Of course, AT&T is now buying DirecTV…so…</p>
<p>Our cell phone service & internet services are separate.
No cable, no landline.
$25 for internet.
People that bundle may get a better deal, I haven’t asked. Then again I don’t have to call Comcast every year and threaten to switch so I can continue my introductory fee.
Fast enough to watch Netflix, and web surf. I don’t use it for anything fancy.</p>
<p>Why is this contentious? </p>
<p>I suggested Apple because it’s easy to set up and because I don’t have ATT and thus don’t know anything about Uverse. But beyond that … why?</p>