I'm getting ready to bite the bullet and subscribe to my local cable provider's cable modem
service (AT&T Broadband, offering @Home).
I'm interested in purchasing my own Cable Modem (saves $10/month on the service,
which ought to pay for itself in a year or so; and also PC hardware including modems are
tax-exempt this week, August 5-12 2001, here in Pennsylvania).
But I'm also interested in a Cable/DSL Router /Switch since I have multiple systems at home already. AT&T Broadband actually recommends (but won't support, that's my problem) the Linksys EtherFast Cable/DSL Router; I'm looking at their BEFSR41 EtherFast 4-port model. 10/100 switch, DHCP, web-browser administered, but network routers are explicitly EXCLUDED from the week-long tax holiday.
Cable modems available locally are from Toshiba, Motorola and RCA, and the same retailer has the Linksys router, too. $149 for the Motorola Surfboard modem vs $199 for the Toshiba and the RCA (which the retailer recommends AGAINST); $114 after rebate for the Router.
Like I said the modem's tax exempt this week, but the router isn't. Is there such an animal
as a COMBINED cable modem AND router that offers features like the Linksys BEFSR41
AND a decent cable modem, with a price roughly $300 or better, that I could/should consider? Or is that just a silly notion?
|
