When you set up Internet in your home, you get a modem. If you want wireless Internet, you also get a router. Often you get the devices through your Internet service provider (ISP), however, you can buy your own. This page focuses on modems.
Modems are the small box devices that you can buy or you rent from your ISP. These devices facilitate communication between your computer and your ISP. A cable modem communicates through a landline connection like TV coaxial cabling. This wired connection converts into a digital signal, which gives you access to broadband Internet.
Every modem has a protocol called DOCSIS which dictates how fast the download and upload speeds will be between your ISP and your devices. DOCSIS stands for Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification. It is an international telecommunications standard of the addition of high-bandwidth data transfer to an existing coaxial cable TV system. This is an important feature to know because it influences which modem you get for a cable Internet connection.
We cover the differences between DOCSIS standards in our Cable Modems 101 article.
The original DOCSIS standard was 2.0. Today, that is outdated. The fastest modems run on 3.0 or the latest upgrade, 3.1. The latest cable modem routers offer Wi-Fi 6.
Do you need a DOCSIS 3.1 & Wi-Fi 6 Cable Modem?
You may not need a DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem or DOCSIS 3.1 Wi-Fi 6 cable modem router, but there are reasons to want them for your home network. Since these are the most updated standards on the market, they offer the best Internet connection and experience. But that’s not to say that a DOCSIS 3.0 modem or Wi-Fi 5 compatible router won’t serve you well. It all depends on your personal preference and needs.
Situations that you should consider a DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem or Wi-Fi 6 cable modem router:
- You are an avid online gamer in need of a reliable, fast connection to reduce lag.
- You are working from home and need a reliable, fast connection for video conference calls.
- You or the children in your home are attending school online and need a reliable, fast connection for online classes.
- You want to enjoy video streaming without buffering.
- You have a lot of people in your home connecting to the Internet at the same time.
- You own a business that needs a reliable Internet.
- You just want a good Internet connection!
To really experience the benefits of Wi-Fi 6, your devices need to be Wi-Fi 6 compatible. However, you can still experience some of the benefits without compatible, upgraded devices.
As for fast download and upload speeds, DOCSIS 3.1 is capable of 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) download speeds and 1 Gbps upload speeds.
Hitron’s CODA DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modem is available on Amazon, The CODA has DOCSIS 3.1 to deliver the fastest Multi-Gigabit speeds to your connected devices. Learn more about cable modems or cable modem routers by reading Hitron’s Learn Page.
