I recently changed my ISP from a DSL carrier to a cable company, and now see a four- to sixfold increase in download speeds. Huzzah! But I noticed one peculiar thing: my bill has an added monthly fee of $4.50, which supposedly is for the “wireless” part of my internet access. This puzzles me because I’ve always thought the signal coming into the house from the phone jack or the cable box is same for everyone; consequently I thought the extra fee is really just for leasing a slightly more expensive modem. However, when I placed the order I couldn’t get the rep to confirm that I was really being asked to pay extra for the modem.
Isn’t it the the truth is that I’m being hornswoggled? Should it not be possible for me to downgrade to non-wireless Internet service, save the extra four-fifty–and have wireless access anyway, just by running an Ethernet cable between my old wifi router and my new ISP’s modem?
Many years ago in the dinosaur age of internet access some broadband ISPs would try and charge additional fees if you were using a router to distribute the signal in your house. I have not heard of this done for well over 10 years.
It’s a bizarre fee to be charging in 2012. Comcast used to charge a monthly modem equipment fee, but I don’t think (not sure) it does anymore.
It sounds like a cash grab. If it’s a wireless router + modem combo equipment fee just buy a modem and wireless router. They’re dirt cheap these days.
No. The cable company is not providing wireless access as a separate data service module from general broadband Internet access. Wireless access in residential service is simply the broadband service distributed via wireless router to users in the household. How a cable ISP would justifying breaking that out as an additional service charge these days is puzzling.
Yes I agree and my cable co does the same, you can ‘lease’ the wired only cable modem or on that has built in wireless for a additional fee. It has nothing to do with how you use their signal (wired or wireless), just what modem they are leasing you.
It’s basically a cash grab. My cable company simply provides a signal and the modem is mine. That it’s wireless only I know. There are surcharges for higher speed and for more bits downloaded, but these are charges I don’t have to take.
Ditto what samclem said. Time Warner Cable has looked at airlines with jealousy and said to themselves, “What are we currently giving people for free that we can tack on a fee for?”
FWIW I had Adelphia and then it got bought up by Time Warner (NEO Time Warner), and the entire time (7 years) I had my own modem and got a $3.95 discount for not having to lease one of their modems. So from where I stand, this has always been a thing.
I’ve already run an Ethernet cable from the new “fancy shmancy” “wireless” modem to my old DSL modem, and I can now access the internet wirelessly through the old modem with any of my devices, just as before. The nice thing about this that I don’t have to reconfigure how the satellite TV box accesses the internet, and this is a good thing because that isn’t a simple thing to change. And even better is the fact that routing the signal through the old DSL doesn’t detract from my download speed at all, as Time Warner warned me it might. With the set-top box and its internet connection, I can watch YouTube videos on TV, and with the new setup a 90-minute video will load and start playing in a matter of seconds. While I was still on DSL, it couldn’t handle such videos any longer than forty-five minutes or so.
It sounds like the ISP is really misleading the public. I was suspicious at the outset, but I didn’t want to have the installer come and go, and then find I couldn’t connect wirelessly. At least, I’m still saving a lot of money over what I was paying before, even including the fee.
Actully, I can see a justification. If you have a wired connection, you have a fixed number of machines connected. With a wireless connection, you can have a dozen or more.
It’s not a great justification, but it is a logical peg to hang the charge on.
So? All the contracts and levels are based on speed. You are paying for a specific size pipe. The pipe doesn’t get bigger or smaller based on how many machines are connected. That’s an awful justification.
What is the exact make and model of your cable modem? We can look up to see if it’s a wireless modem. It makes sense for the cable company to charge more for the wifi modem compared to the plain one. If you already have a wireless router, then the extra charge for the wifi modem may be unnecessary. You can downgrade to the plain modem and save money.
The modem that I just got from the new ISP (TWC) is definitely wireless enabled. However, if there’s a way to temporarily turn off its radio, as I think it’s called, and disable wireless I would be able to confirm that I’m getting wifi through the old modem. (I don’t think I really need any more confirmation since I already know the receiver box’s connection is working, but you never know.)
It’s a Netgear Advanced Cable Modem Gateway model CGD24G.
The CGD24G is definitely a cable modem with built-in wireless. There are more basic cable modems which don’t have wireless router support. I had the basic, plain TWC modem and noticed they recently started charging $3.95(?) for the rental. I bought my own modem (SB5101) so that I didn’t have to pay the rental fee anymore.
So you’re not paying for “wireless service” exactly. You’re paying for the modem rental fee. If you had the basic modem, you’d see a charge for a “modem rental”.
If you want to buy your own modem, check TWC for the supported modems and look for them on craigslist or the internet. I got my SB5101 refurbished for $20 from State Street Deals, but I’m not sure if they have any left.
First, profit motive. If a person doesnt like paying additional they can simply go purchase their own wireless router and be responsible for their own wifi. You are responsible for it’s operations and replacing it someday when it breaks.
Second, for us in the communications business, it’s also justifiable in the sense that we turn the gateway on so you can use broadcast it throughout your home without the hassle of wires - and when it breaks we roll a tech to come replace the modem. Employees, gas, insurance, the hardware, the software, too many things to get sidetracked with, but the more services provided the more liability and maintenance is involved.
We also will charge additionally when we come out and find the wifi is working fine but it’s the customer’s equipment which is at fault (laptop, netbook, whatever).
Services cost money to provide, and most all of my customers are happy to be charged the few dollars because they know they’re getting something for it. Likewise Im sure the people not getting charged for it are happy not paying addition for a service they dont have. (Trying to break out every line of business (even with channel selections) the most a la carte we can, works better for everyone even if it makes the bills appear lengthy and confuses people.)