What should i get for streaming?

Premier should be perfectly fine for streaming video services, just make sure you get a good wireless-AC router if you have any wireless devices that will stream.

As far as the modem goes, if you want Premier internet and have no intention on ever upgrading to Ultimate, go with a Motorola SB6183, it's $99 on Amazon. There's also the Netgear CM500.

If you ever want to look into upgrading to Ultimate, those same modems will actually work, but they're only 16x4 modems, which is the minimum required for Ultimate. In case you want to future-proof, go for an Arris SB6190 for $150 which is a 32x8 modem, or the Netgear CM600 for $127, it is a 24x8 modem.

Hope all that helps!

Premier should be enough for most streaming. However, some of it depends on the resolution your streaming at. 720p is about 3GB per hour or about 7Mbps, while 1080p (not available on all devices) is 7GB per hour, which is about 16Mbps. Premier is 100-125Mbps, so unless multiple people are streaming Ultra HD, you should be good. 

Something else to consider is data caps. Premier caps at 700GB per month, which is about a 100 UltraHD if all your doing is watching Netflix. Ultimate is 2000GB, which is quite a bit more. 

As for the modem, any DOCSIS 3.0 modem with 8 or more downstream channels is fine for Premier. However, 8 and 16 downstream channel modems are similar in price, and a 16 downstream modem will give you more wiggle room for future upgrades. See here for a full list of compatible modems and the tier/packages they are suggested for. The Motorola SB6141 is the most popular 8 downstream modem, and the SB6183 is a good 16 stream modem. 

Last, do you currently have a modem or a gateway? A modem will only have 1 ethernet jack on the back, while a gateway will usually have 4, with a few exceptions. What model do you have now? I only mention this because if you move from a gateway to something like a SB6183, which is a stand alone modem, you would also need a wireless router to attach to it.

Thanks!  I currently have a free modem that I got when I bundled phone, tv, and Internet so I'm not sure what it is but it's 2 years old now. I have premium Internet service currently also. We have 2 tvs in the house so worst case 2 1080p movies and Facebook at the same time. I have a wireless router hooked up but I'd prefer a WiFi modem. I looked at that list and the TG2472 is the only one really listed ffor ultimate with WiFi and I don't see that one for sale anywhere. I want wiggle room for sure since I have 2 young kids. 

sleeps said:
so I'm not sure what it is but it's 2 years old now.

Could you check? Or where you going to upgrade either way? If it's a DPC3010 it may still work fine if you get Premier.

sleeps said:
but I'd prefer a WiFi modem

May I ask why? Just personal preference? Price point? 

sleeps said:
the TG2472 is the only one really listed ffor ultimate with WiFi and I don't see that one for sale anywhere.

You can't buy them. They are for rent from Cox only because they have a phone modem inside too. That is one of the reason why buying a stand alone modem is usually better IMO. Gateways have the advantage of being simple, but that simplicity is also their downfall. Cheap, good, simple; pick two. 

Modem is cisco dpq3212 and router is net gear n600. Cox talks like they are going to take it away if I cancel the phone. Guess it was a freebie promotion for bundling. 

Was thinking WiFi modem so I wouldn't have to worry about a router but if the router I have is good then I'm happy. 

sleeps said:
I have a wireless router hooked up but I'd prefer a WiFi modem.

Believe me, as convenient as it may seem to only have 1 piece of equipment on your desk, the wifi on gateways is typically garbage. The only reason I'm currently using a TG2472 is because I've disabled the wireless radios on it and set up my Netgear Nighthawk router as an access point to handle wifi. I'll soon be returning the TG2472 to Cox and picking up a new modem though, the Netgear CM600 most likely.

The one day I actually did try and use just the TG2472, without my own router, was horrible. Could no longer get wireless in the back rooms of my house, Netflix on my TV was constantly buffering, I hated it.

So a router won't take away speed of the Internet?  Recently netflix in my bedroom (20' from modem and router) has been a little jumpy but it used to work perfectly fine.  Thinking it's a cache issue.  I use a fire tv stick in there and will soon have one on my main tv in the living room also. 

How well the wireless works depends on a lot of things, how powerful the router is for one. There are different versions of wifi, A, B, G, N, and AC. These days, you don't want anything less than a wireless-N router. The antennae can also be a factor - does the router only use internal antennas or does it have the bigger external ones to transmit wireless better?

Going beyond the hardware aspects, a number of other things, sometimes out of your control, can affect your wifi as well. If you live in an apartment complex where your devices see a ton of other wireless networks, there's bound to be interference problems.

sleeps said:
So a router won't take away speed of the Internet?

A router will always take "some" speed away compared to connecting directly to the modem. How much it takes away depends on the quality and configuration of the router. Having a gateway doesn't get you faster speed just because it's one unit. If anything, a stand alone router with external antenna (something gateways don't have) will get you faster wireless speeds. However, when it comes to wireless speeds, nothing is going to work perfect out of the box. You have to tinker with them to suit them to your particular devices and other networks around you for optimal performance. 

sleeps said:
 I use a fire tv stick

Best suggestion for a Fire TV stick is to get a HDMI extender do you don't need to have the stick trapped behind the TV. Just like your cell phone wouldn't work well jammed behind there, so does the range and quality of the Wifi signal. 

As for the DPQ3212, the reason they were free is because you didn't buy or rent it. It's still Cox property just on loan to you because you can't use phone service without it. Technically speaking, they "could" let you keep it for free, but it's not procedure, so it depends on who you speak to. Even then, it would only work for Premier, because it's only a 8 channel modem, unlike the 16 and above you need for Ultimate.

As for your router. What model number is it? If your looking for more then 50-60Mbps wireless, you probably want to upgrade to a N900 or above. If your getting Ultimate, I suggest a Wifi AC router. We can give specific suggestions once you decide.

Hi sleeps,

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Erica W.
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