said by NormanS:said by pende_tim:There are people ( I have one in my family ) who just wants it simple and basic. Why have 2 boxes, an extra cat5 cable and an extra wall wart when one could do it?
If all you need to do is surf the Web, and read email, a combo unit is just fine. But for anyone willing to pay for all that blazing past-DSL-speed, the router side of the combo unit may turn out to be a limiting factor.
I don't know how it is with the cable combo units; but many who get the DSL combo units wind up bridging the combo unit and putting a beefier router between it and the computers. Doing that, one might as well buy the modem only (cheaper) from the get-go, and the beefier router.
I think this pretty much sums it up perfectly. If all you are doing is basic web and email and very little else, by all means go for the all-in-one solution if that is what you want.
But if you think you are going to make more use of it later, spend the money now on separate devices.
And if you do go for the all in one unit, don't go for the offering from Comcast. If not because of the limitations they usually put in, but because it also adds an extra 'home networking' fee on your bill for most providers that goes month to month in addition to the broadband subscription.
Yes, the all in one units are available if you look. They aren't as common as standalone routers, but they ARE out there and are well differentiated. If anything, just ask the sales people at whatever store you decide to search and specify specifically what you are after.