I am looking to buy a cable modem wireless router combo unit. After some research, I think I am looking at the Motorola SBG900. (I believe that there is actually a newer unit called SBG940 but it appears not yet available anywhere)
What do people think of this model and is there any better ones I might consider instead?
Also is it better and/or more cost effective to buy a combo unit rather than two separate units as most people do?
Thanks for any replies! (newsgroup only please, email is invalid)
I went off to college in the late '70s. Having a stereo system in your dorm room was a cultural and social requirement. With space (and money) at a premium, the all-in-one units were very popular. But in my entire dorm, I don't recall anyone who had an all-in-one with all working components. The weakest link always made itself know very quickly.
The best cameras have bodies that are separate from their lenses. External dial-up modems were considered best because a hang-up of the modem didn't require a computer reboot. Home theater systems aren't built-in to the same case as the TV screen. There are many, many more examples, but the best technologies usually separate components.
Laptops often have lots of stuff built in because the pay-off is the portability of everything. What's the advantage of putting a router and a cable modem in the same case? Certainly no one is living in such cramped quarters that it makes a difference space-wise. Even the dorm room of my past wasn't that crowded!
Cost? Well, make sure you factor in the fact that a combo unit needs to be replaced more often. The cablemodem needs to be replaced if the router goes south, and the router needs to be replaced if the cablemodem goes south. They both need to be replaced if something better comes along, and you want to (or need to) upgrade one or the other, too! Whatever savings there might be now will disappear the first time one component needs replacement, and you have to buy replacements for both.
I can't think of any good reason why you'd want both components in the same case.
Another minor point: the cable modem/router link also represents something of an unofficial demarcation point.
The cable modem can be controlled remotely by the provider via SNMP. They can do firmware pushes and the like as well as inquiries that give them troubleshooting capabilities.
If you combine the cable modem with a wireless router, this demarcation point becomes somewhat blurred. Do you really want to give that much access and visibility into your private network?
If you are an 'early adapter' and think you might want to go to a VoIP (telephone over internet protocol) system, keep the modem and the router separate.
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