Viasat Question

[Dave Fritz]

I think I've finally figured out my issue with my ViaSat modem/router. The modem is failing intermittently. Using the diagnostics on their app. I find when I'm having issues and run the diagnostics it says I have a problem with my modem. When things are going well it tests out just fine. The trouble is when I call tech support and they run diagnostics it works just fine of course. A tech of theirs was here and said they have newer faster modem/routers now so I'm going to see if they will let me rent a new one instead of this one. If they won't I'm afraid I'm going to have to purchase my own. I have zero knowledge about modem/routers and wondering if anyone has purchased their own and if so what would you recommend? I know it has to be satellite compatible and that's about it. Thanks for your help.

[Jim Becker]

You may have very limited places that you could buy that device given it's a sat service which is very different than the stuff used by "cable" type Internet services that have modems. It's somewhat of a captive market.

[Dave Fritz]

Thank you Jim. I was afraid of that.

[Rich Engelhardt]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Viasat/comments/k9javp/customer_forums/

https://forum.viasat.com/

Just a couple of forums like this one where you might find some answers. I found the Roadrunner forums to have a whole lot better answers than Roadrunner support was back before Spectrum took them over.

I had to buy my own cable modem at one point and it was pretty straight foreword. I just asked on the forum what the best and easiest thing was to get. most people said "Toshiba" (can't remember the model)- so - that's what I got. I had to contact RR and have them do something on their end to add it to their network, but, that only took a few minutes.

The funny thing was, when we ended our service with them they wanted their cable modem back. I told them it was mine and they disagreed. They told me since I didn't have one to return, I had to pay something like $500 for "missing equipment".

I just went home and got the Toshiba and returned that & they were happy.

[Dave Fritz]

Thank you Rich. I have been looking at a couple of user group chat rooms. Some is very questionable, for instance one said, any modem/router would work. That's clearly not the case.

[Bill Dufour]

For my comcast cable/internet I can rent a modem for $10-15 a month so I bought one for about $100 used from the bay. It gave me more eithernet ports then I needed unlike the rental. paid for itself in under one year.
I have had to unplug the power cord for one minute or less every month or two to reset something when it freezes up.
BilLD

[Jim Becker]

For my comcast cable/internet I can rent a modem for $10-15 a month so I bought one for about $100 used from the bay. It gave me more eithernet ports then I needed unlike the rental. paid for itself in under one year.
That flexibility in choice for the device is not, unfortunately, something that comes with satellite service.

[Dave Fritz]

Many sources on the internet say you can use any modem/router but that's not the case: This is one I got based on a recommendation only to find it didn't work: 507052

[Jim Becker]

Technically you CAN use any "router", but you must have a modem that's compatible with your satellite service. The modem and router perform completely separate functions. The modem translates the signals coming from up above into a format that the router can use to provide IP based Internet services to your devices. The router merely acts as the "traffic cop", both as a firewall for security reasons as well as handing out IP addresses and other information to your devices when they ask for it and then helping to send the communication back and forth in an orderly fashion. So the key here is that the modem must be electronically compatible with your specific satellite service.

[Brian Elfert]

I did a quick Google search the other day and a number of sites talked about Viasat just using a regular cable modem, but that seems somewhat unlikely to me.