What routers are compatible with my Valley Internet service?

Routers for the home are available in three primary types. Each type can be wired only, or wired and wireless:

Types of routers:

• Ethernet router – the Internet port is RJ45 (“ethernet” jack) These WILL work!
• DSL router & modem – the Internet port is RJ11 (phone jack) These will NOT work.
• Cable router & modem – the Internet port is coaxial (cable jack) These will NOT work.

Only the first type of router (ethernet) works with Valley Internet’s service. The other two types (DSL and Cable routers) will not work with your Valley Internet service.

As long as you choose an Ethernet router, you can pick any brand or model that you see fit. We recommend researching the types of routers available online and select the router that’s most suitable for you.

Valley Internet does not recommend or require any particular brand or model, but here are some of the more popular brands our customers choose: TP-Link, Netgear, Belkin, and Cisco/Linksys. Most small office or home wireless-capable routers will range in price between $50-$100.

CNET has a great router review page for reference: https://www.cnet.com/topics/routers/products/

We recommend purchasing a router with the latest wifi technology which is 802.11 ac wifi (wifi 6 is coming in the near future for cutting edge performance). It will help provide better wifi speeds and connectivity for devices including smartphones.

There are also newer Mesh ac wifi systems/routers available (e.g. Eero, Orbi, Velop, Amplifi) that come with one or two additional 'nodes' or units in addition to the router to help provide better wifi coverage throughout a larger home or area.

Once you purchase the new router, please connect it and follow the accompanying setup instructions. Some customers may need to contact Valley Internet support to help get online. If you need to contact us, please have the MAC address of the router’s Internet port handy, we’ll need that to help your router connect to our network. The MAC address is often listed on the router itself, near information like the serial number.