- Joined
- May 13, 2008
- Messages
- 685 (0.12/day)
System Name | HTPC whhaaaat? |
---|---|
Processor | 2600k @ 4500mhz |
Motherboard | Asus Maximus IV gene-z gen3 |
Cooling | Noctua NH-C14 |
Memory | Gskill Ripjaw 2x4gb |
Video Card(s) | EVGA 1080 FTW @ 2037/11016 |
Storage | 2x512GB MX100/1x Agility 3 128gb ssds, Seagate 3TB HDD |
Display(s) | Vizio P 65'' 4k tv |
Case | Lian Li pc-c50b |
Audio Device(s) | Denon 3311 |
Power Supply | Corsair 620HX |
Dude, you should've seen me trying to explain CableCARD to my provider back before cutting the cord. They were factually dumb-founded because I was probably their only customer to understand my rights.My #1 rule with both routers & modems is: NEVER, EVER use the ones supplied by your ISP...
I implemented this rule years ago after I discovered that my ISP back then (in a different state) was back-dooring into my (their) network and collecting a ton of info on my online activities, so when I moved to my current location, I bought my own stuff and haven't look back since... my ISP here repeatedly cried & cringed & attempted to guilt-trip me about it, but I told them to just STFU and GTFOH....
And then, to top it all off, they tried to charge me an extra $10/mo for NOT using their stuff, supposedly for the "extra" work required by them to establish my service (total BS, since I ran all the cabling from the box outside & did all the set-up & configs), to which I again replied.... STFU and GTFOH, and promptly reported them to the local BBB, AG, and CA Depts, after which..... poof, that fee suddenly disappeared off my bill the following month
Anyways, Yes, old routers can be either be recycled into switches (if you need that), donated to schools, churches etc, or (properly) recycled.....
And as Bill said above, buying seperate modems & routers allows you to upgrade or replace them seperately, and also saves you the montly rental fees from the ISP, which will probably pay for the upgrades after a year or so
Yes, I bought a HDHomeRun so I didn't have to pay for a cable box. I am that one guy. Plus, you know, PC DVR was handy. They fought me on it to no end, but I did have a little fun explaining the (US) law to them, in which services factually cannot be tied to provider hardware. A ridiculous amount of people don't know that, especially back then when the law was relatively new. You, as a consumer, have the right to own your own modem, router, or yes, even CableCARD. And you should, for LOTS of reasons (some mentioned in this thread, but I don't like to worry people and/or get too political).
As for current routers, I'll keep waiting for the inevitable RT-BE88u (in line to the RT-AC/AX88u) or something similar. I'm sure Merlin will eventually support that branch of the firmware, just as he does ac/ax.
Like many others, I have an abnormally large collection of routers and the like I've accumulated over the years. WRT54G is my Sneak King. They are certainly e-waste, but also important history. Maybe someday I'll use them as sound baffling/decoration.