Speed upgrade do i get a new modem?

[joejenkins]

I am currently on 1gb internet with the Ignite WiFi Gateway Gen 2

does anyone know if i increase my speeds to the 1.5 or 2.5 if

1) I am provided a new modem or if my existing one can handle the speeds

2) Do i need a tech to come to my house and install it? or can i do it myself
3) is there any install related charges?? (equipment, tech install, shipping etc.)....obviously my bill changes for the new speed but i mean costs outside of that

***Added Labels***

[-G-]

---

@joejenkins wrote:

I am currently on 1gb internet with the Ignite WiFi Gateway Gen 2

does anyone know if i increase my speeds to the 1.5 or 2.5 if

1) I am provided a new modem or if my existing one can handle the speeds

---

Both the Gen 2 (XB7) and Gen 3 (XB8) gateways have a maximum data throughput of 2.5 Gbps (according to specs that Comcast publishes) and Rogers also provides both to their 1.5 and 2.5 Gbps Ignite Internet customers, subject to availability.  The major difference between the two is that the XB8 supports Wi-Fi 6E.  If you don't have any devices that can connect on the 6 GHz band, either gateway will be fine.  (One advantage to the XB7 is that the hardware is more mature and its firmware is arguably more stable.)  If you plan to put the gateway into Bridge Mode and use your own router, the is no reason to change gateways, especially if your current setup is stable.

2) Do i need a tech to come to my house and install it? or can i do it myself

---

Unless your neighbourhood is being migrated from DOCSIS Cable Internet to the next-generation XGS-PON FTTH technology, it's just a speed upgrade.  No tech visit is required.  The only thing that you might need to do is reboot your gateway for the speed upgrade to take effect.

The Ignite Internet 2.5 Gigabit service is also only available to customers whose neighbourhoods have been upgraded to Rogers' next-generation FTTH technology.  If your XB7 gateway is connected to the Rogers network by coax, you will only be able to upgrade to the 1.5 Gigabit service.

3) is there any install related charges?? (equipment, tech install, shipping etc.)....obviously my bill changes for the new speed but i mean costs outside of that

---

You will have to confirm this with Rogers but if it just a speed bump, I would not expect there to be any installation charges.

Also, before upgrading, consider how your current devices connect to the gateway and the speeds that you are getting.  If your connectivity is limited to speeds of less than 1 Gbps, upgrading to higher speed tiers will only provide your home with more bandwidth that can be shared across multiple devices.  As far as I know, the (DOCSIS) 1 Gigabit and 1.5 Gigabit speed tiers both offer 50 Mbps upload speeds.

If you send a private message to @CommunityHelps , they can let you know what your upgrade costs will be (if any) or if you qualify for any promotions when you upgrade your service.

[ChristopherR]

And consider that if you use the XB modems with fibre, there will be no way to actually use the 2.5g via ethernet as Rogers' cobbled together hardware uses the only 2.5g port on those devices to get service from the ONT.

You will never get what you're paying for using only their equipment. It's pathetic.

[AJnKW]

What equipment can you use instead to get what you pay for?

[-G-]

---

@AJnKW wrote:
What equipment can you use instead to get what you pay for?

---

With any of the multi-gig Ignite services, Rogers positions them as a solution to making more aggregate bandwidth available to multiple devices in the home.  You can still get that with an XB7 or XB8 gateway, even with its 2.5 GigE port used as a WAN port.

With a 2.5 Gigabit service, a Wi-Fi 6E device can attain speeds somewhere between 1.8 and 1.9 Gbps.

If "getting what you are paying for" to you means an individual device being able to attain 2.5 Mbps data transfers, the only way to do that is by connecting your own equipment to the 10 GigE port on the ONT.  You will need a very fast router and a fast-enough computer with fast-enough connectivity on your internal LAN.

I don't know whether Rogers over-provisions their XGS-PON service like they do on DOCSIS.  If they do and you insist on being able to saturate your 2.5 Gigabit Internet connection, you will need routers, switches and network cards that are faster than 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet.  With the advent of Wi-Fi 7, we might start to see this becoming more mainstream in high-end consumer gear... otherwise, you will need to invest in and need to have the technical expertise required to install the type of network gear used by medium-sized (or larger) business customers.

The reality is that most people do not have equipment that can attain higher than 1 Gbps transfer speeds, and the equipment that Rogers provides is more than sufficient for them.

[AJnKW]

Thanks dude.
Some of this went over my head and I had to google and ask an AI bot to explain it to my me in simple terms, LOL
My bottom line. After spending my life paying rogets, my self and before that my parents, as well as, buying hardware I hoped would help, Mesh, extenders, repeaters, MoCA, switch, and 3 weeks ago ran 6 cat 7 cables between my basement, main and second floors.
I am reading, and you post seemed one of the best informed and I was trying to figure how to action your feedback.
As I type this, I am wondering if I just need to hire someone, but I know most people have no idea what they are doing and talking about.

[-G-]

@AJnKW  It really depends on what your connectivity and bandwidth requirements are and how big your home is.

If have a single computer with a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet card and your primary requirement is being able to transfer data to/from that computer as quickly as possible, you can get away with purchasing a $400 - $500 router with a 2.5 GigE LAN and WAN ports.

If you also have Ignite TV and Ignite Home Phone, you will need to use your Ignite Gateway, and that will also limit your connectivity options within your home.

For me, I initially subscribed to Ignite TV with a 150 Mbps Internet connection.  Later, I upgraded to the 500u service, then to 1 Gigabit, and now subscribe to the Ignite 1.5 Gigabit service.  There was a noticeable difference making the jump from 150 to 500 Mbps.  However, for me, I honestly don't see any benefit to subscribing to the 1 Gbps (or higher) speed tiers because there are other factors (e.g. latency or the speed of the services that I connect to) that start affecting actual and perceived network performance.  Unless you are constantly transferring MASSIVE amounts of data, or have many family members who all have high bandwidth requirements, there is little practical benefit to subscribing to the higher speed tiers.

[robbiedl]

I just upgraded from 500u to 1.5gb a month ago. No change in speed. Both my hardwired and wifi are under 500mbps. I have the same modem and was told I didn't need an upgrade

[ChristopherR]

Rogers will only supply the equipment you need to get what you pay for if you subscribe to their 8gbps plan, which is around $399/mo. They give you a 10G switch so that your devices can use the bandwidth you are paying for. We aren't worth the cost of a switch unfortunately at our price points.

[-G-]

---

@robbiedl wrote:
I just upgraded from 500u to 1.5gb a month ago. No change in speed. Both my hardwired and wifi are under 500mbps. I have the same modem and was told I didn't need an upgrade

---

Which Ignite Gateway do you currently have?  With the Ignite 1.5 Gigabit service, you need to have either an XB7 (Gen 2) or XB8 (Gen 3) gateway to take advantage of the higher speeds.  If you still have the older XB6 (Gen 1) gateway, you should contact Rogers and ask them to upgrade your hardware.

[LordDrakkon]

That isn't entirely true and honestly depends on your devices you use in your home.  Most people have wired devices that aren't capable of speeds beyond 1 Gigabit (about 945 Mbit in reality).  WiFi 6e devices are still not that common and the ones that do exist, more than likely don't need that kind of speed to be used properly.  A good example, my s23 Ultra.  If you don't have any devices capable of beyond Gigabit speeds, then the 1.5 Gigabit service will provide a faster connection for multitasking situations where more than one device is downloading large files, giving them more speed to split up to that 1.5 Gigabit divided by whatever is using the connection.  

If you do have devices, like myself, that are more than capable of fastter than Gigabit speeds.  You will definitely want to request the XB7 or XB8 from support.  Even though I have WiFi 6e devices, I still use the XB7 modem because my desktop connects directly to the 2.5 Gigabit port thanks to the 2.5 Gigabit ethernet port on my PC's motherboard.  Even though my external router is capable of 2.5 Gigabit connections, I only run a Gigabit connection to it because the 21 devices that are connected to it, will never use that much bandwidth, even if running all at once.  

[RobertBolzicc]

I've been shooting for an xb8 or wifi 6e modem.for .onths now. I have the 1.5gb package and they won't give me a modem. They have to send a tech out to determine if you qualify for one. One service.texh said they reserve them for fiber customers. Not the 1.5 coax ones. One flat out denied me. One.said.its at the discretion of the service tech. Good luck. Wifi 6e is nice but only good if you're close to the router. Just run cables. Way easier.

[LordDrakkon]

The XB8 will still work with the coax service though. I have heard they require a tech to come out but I know that isn't necessary. Try escalating to Rogers Office of the President or file a complaint with CCTS.

[LordDrakkon]

I called and asked for one just to see what would happen.  There is no fibre available here through Rogers or Bell but they made the appointment for the modem swap to the XB8.  The person asked why I wanted the XB8 and I told her that the WiFi radio was significantly stronger, which would help in my WiFi congested building as well as that I have WiFi 6e capable devices that I wanted to maximize the wireless connection speeds with.  We shall see how that goes when they come tomorrow.  The person who made the appointment mentioned nothing about having to have a fibre service to get that modem.  

[-G-]

---

@LordDrakkon wrote:

I called and asked for one just to see what would happen.  There is no fibre available here through Rogers or Bell but they made the appointment for the modem swap to the XB8.  

---

For quite some time, the XB8 gateways were in very short supply... and when that happens, customers on the highest speed tiers get priority.

Even going back a few months ago, the only customers eligible to get the XB8 were those with 1.5 Gigabit speeds (DOCSIS or XGS-PON FTTH) but now, it appears that all speed tiers are eligible for either the Wi-Fi 6 (XB7) or the Wi-Fi 6E (XB8) gateway.

The person asked why I wanted the XB8 and I told her that the WiFi radio was significantly stronger, which would help in my WiFi congested building as well as that I have WiFi 6e capable devices that I wanted to maximize the wireless connection speeds with.  We shall see how that goes when they come tomorrow.  The person who made the appointment mentioned nothing about having to have a fibre service to get that modem.  

---

The Wi-Fi power output is restricted by federal regulations so the XB8's Wi-Fi isn't really any stronger than the XB7.  The XB8 does, however, have a different internal antenna design which, along with the newer Broadcom Wi-Fi 6E chipset, can provide better Wi-Fi coverage in certain installations.  However, the new hardware has also caused problems for some, forcing them to go back to an XB7.

The XB8 firmware is now pretty solid.  However, the performance improvements that you will actually see (if any) will vary depending on your hardware, the quality of its device drivers, and how nicely your Wi-Fi devices play with the Broadcom Wi-Fi 6E chipset in the XB8.  Yes, you can (potentially) get a bit if extra speed out of your service with the XB8.  However, if I plop down in a random chair in my house, open my laptop and start working away, I really do not notice much difference between my XB8/1.5 Gig service and my parents' XB7/500 Mbps service.

[LordDrakkon]

Definitely glad to hear they should now be available for everyone.  I have 1.5Gbps but only 50Mbit up because no fibre here and this area isn't provisioned for decent service.  I do have a lot of wireless devices though so I will probably see an improvement with the better antenna and chip behind the wireless for my 21+ devices that use my WiFi.  It gives me an excuse to get around to reconfigure my home network a little because of the modem swap.  I just hope that @RobertBolzicc can get one since that was something they were asking for.  If I notice a more consistent WiFi signal across my apartment.  I will call in and make sure my mother's XB7 gets replaced with an XB8 as well, as one of her cable boxes in the basement by the garage is constantly losing its connection to the XB7.

[LordDrakkon]

The Rogers tech came.  Asked why they didn't just send it out by courier because he really wasn't needed other than taking the old XB7 with him.  Speeds are pretty much the same wired for me.  1880 down and 53 up for my 1.5 Gigabit non-fibre connection.  I sure hope that upstream bump bump comes sooner than later.  50Mbit up is pathetic, especially with a connection speed of 1.5Gbit down.  WiFi 6e is nice to have.  My s23 Ultra is the only thing I have tried on it so far but it's definitely a noticeable improvement.