+11 votes
by (220 points)
Looking to set up a unifi network at home after seeing the good reviews in here. What has everyone done with there modem? Do they set up the ISP provided router into modem only or have you purchased another product? Keep thinking it's going to be the bottle neck point in the whole network!  
Looking to set up a unifi network at home after seeing the good reviews in here.

10 Answers

+3 votes
by (1.9k points)
Here in the US, the ISPs have a monthly lease fee for their gateways, so you may as well just buy your own. Also, they can, and do, push firmware to their modems that can take them back out of bridge mode and screw everything up. And whatever you purchase is likely better quality than what they provide.  
+4 votes
by (6.1k points)
Unless you take phone service from your ISP which requires a VOIP supported modem there is NO reason not to just go purchase your own cable modem. If you do have VOIP phone service from your provider as well and do rent or purchase such a modem you should be able to turn off it's wifi as well as set it to bridge mode so that it acts just like a standard modem with a single IP and no IP Table/Router function. As for the firmware comment - sure, most companies do push firmware updates etc, but it is rare that they push things out of bridge mode. However, with that said one of the notorious companies for hardware that doesn't support bridge mode or resets bridge mode with updates is AT&T. Most CABLE providers though do not practice this, it seems to be a telco practice.  
by (620 points)
Isps tend to hand out old underpowered modems. I got , y advertised speeds on sharter and have no more disconnects since buying my own.  
+5 votes
by (280 points)
If your ISP router has a modem only mode (Virgin for example), then just do that, no point replacing. Not all ISPs supplied routers allow this, and others (Sky for example) make it difficult to use third party modems, so best to check.  
+2 votes
by (1.1k points)
Depends - I'm leasing my modem from spectrum (cable company) only due to the fact they require it for GB & faster connections.  
by (1.1k points)
But with my previous company, they didn't have a rule and I purchased my outright to avoid the monthly fee
+3 votes
by (440 points)
If you don't use the isp modem you have to get the unify security gateway or usg
+1 vote
by (1.4k points)
I have a Unify USG but have ditched this in favour of Untangle which I find superb. Either way, you definitely want to rid yourself of the ISP modem. In my case, because I have Virgin which comes in on their own special coax cable, I had to keep the ISP device but switch it to modem mode (no routing or wireless), they call it bridge mode.  
by (200 points)
Mat, is this the free version of Untangle, and if so, is it really better than the USG? I have a USG, but it is utterly complicated and doesn’t seem to work well. I was going to get the Synology RT2600ac earlier this year, but then I found it had serious speed issues due to a bad update. It is my understanding the issue has since been fixed. I do not mind trying the free version Untangle as an alternative.  
by (1.4k points)
@filch I run Untangle full version, the home version is in my opinion a steal at $50 per year given what it can do. The USG is really decent and I don't think it's too complicated - once set up it does its job and quite easy to set up firewall rules etc. But I really appreciate the simplicity of Untangle and the OpenVPN implementation which is so simple and reliable.  
+3 votes
by (5.6k points)
Every ISP has a list of compatible modems that you can buy elsewhere. They usually make this very difficult to find. It's best to get them on the phone and have them walk you through finding it. If you Google "compatible modems for _______" your ISP, you'll find a ton of websites showing lists. Don't use those. They're many times outdated and incorrect. Any equipment the ISP provides to you, they charge you a rent fee for. Usually about $10-$15 per month. A decent modem runs between $30-$80. So, in just about 3 to 6 months, having your own modem pays for itself. The reason that a modem has to be compatible is firmware related. The firmware on the modem has to be able to receive scripts from the ISP for various reasons. TL;DR Buy your own modem, it gives you control and saves you money. But call there ISP to find THEIR approved list of compatible modems.  
+4 votes
by (5.6k points)
Once you have your own modem, you are free to do pretty much anything.  
+3 votes
by (2.4k points)
Put it in bridge mode. The USG should have the public IP. I am renting comcrap’s modem so they can waive data cap.  
+9 votes
by (1.5k points)
Use DMZ or buy a decent router. My preference is not a Ubiquiti one as they really lack functionality and throttle your connection if you turn on, any advanced features. Their AP’s and switches are awesome. Almost exclusively install UAP-AC-Pro’s and HD’s.  
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