SHAW BLUECURVE GATEWAY REVIEW AND THEN SOME
I got to say the installation was a nightmare. They want you to set it all you yourself and there is no documentation. There is a shinny app you can waste memory with or enter the IP to get it set up - either will work. If you want the app, use it from the start, don't try and use it after use used the browser to set up the gateway.
First off the lettering on the bottom of the modem is not friendly to my eyes. The other thing is, there is a vast amount of information on the bottom, so it was hard to pick out. Being the cable was too short to pick it up to eye level, I had to take a photo to see the password and so on. This was problematic as where I have it is low to the ground and I'm disabled and it hurt me a lot to squat down to do that. If I had thought of it - I'd have just written it all down when I took it out of the box but I didn't and I hurt myself.
Now after entering 10.0.0.1 to get the setup on my tablet I had not one clue what the user name was or what the hell to do when I figured that out. I had to go looking on the net for how to get into it. If you are wondering the user name is "admin" and the default password is "password". See I thought it would be the same as the password to the network - my last modem that was the case, but nope. So after it locked me out for 5 minutes I had to find the how to on the net.
Now I followed the steps and changed the network name and password, and also changed the login password. So I try to fire up the WiFi and it won't let me in - I try the password it came with and it worked - so now I'm confused. Well it keeps saying there is no internet - so more confused.
I fired up chat and he tells me it's online and to go do the steps again. Well I try to login with my shinny new admin password and get locked out for 5 minutes. The reason I needed the old network password is it had ignored every last thing I did and I had to do it all over again.
So finally it tells me it should take 10 minutes. 10 minutes goes past and it's blinking still. 20 minutes - blinking. 27 minutes it goes solid white.
So now I log in with my shinny new network password and it tells me "no internet". Back on chat and he tells me again "it's showing online". Well I tried it again and I had internet access.
So I log on with the phone instead of the tablet and "no internet". I figure out the pattern. There is a 2 minute delay before the device can be used on the network. This is unknown to me as to why - my guess is it's saving the device info to the cloud or something. If you log out and back in, access to the net is instant - it's just the first login.
So now I get the old phone (I use it as a note pad wen doing Tag videos and to listen to my millions of MP3's) and then I set up the Firestick. All take 2 minutes to get going.
Now comes Google home (annoyed as hell by now). I fire up the Google Home App on my phone. I look all over hell and back for where to set the new network and can't find it. So I google it and feel STUPID. Unlike the gateway setup that was NOT obvious this was LOL. So then it's all set up and I tell Google Home to play my heavy playlist and rock out while playing with my tablet.
All I can say is BEFORE you do anything look up how to do it and take notes. Write down the system ID and the password BEFORE you connect it. If you use the app (I don't want it - I'll do it in the browser on my tablet thanks) there is a QR on the bottom of the Modem you need to get the app logged onto the network - it can be a bother so you might want to just enter the info instead.
The app is more convenient but it can't do anything that the browser thing can't so why install it. The only advantage is it will notify you when Sammy logs onto the gateway.
Now for more information... There are a Pile of things you can do with the admin software on the gateway. You can set up parental controls by device and limit time of use and all this nice stuff. There is a firewall setting that is default to the lowest setting and you may want to set that to medium at least.
As for the TV app I'm waiting for my aria to upgrade the DVR to the cloud so I can watch my DVR on the go. This can be gotten around by setting the shows you record to "favourite" so you can find them easy then watch them on demand. The TV app is a big step up from the previous TV app BTW. It's faster and cleaner and allows download for when your going to the lake and want to watch 12 episodes of a show while your spouse fishes.
All in all DON'T do the stupid stuff I did and you should not want to jump out the window half way threw. I've got not one clue why I had to set it up 2 times but there it is and I'm sure this won't happen to you. But get the how-to FIRST.
The WiFi range is about the same as the old modem was - I can still get it one floor down and we gave concrete floors here. I can still get it in the parking lot as I toss stuff in the recycling bin. I CAN'T get it in the laundry room in the basement but I could not with the old one as well. It's no better or worse than the old one for range.
You can get extenders for the WiFi from Shaw as well if you need them. The speed is great to say the least. I had no issues at all even with 6 devices all going (the 4 listed above, the Firestick and the Blue Ray Player). There should be no way you lag with this modem even if 5 of you are gaming at the same time. And those 4X a week Windows updates will load fast but still install slow LOL.
After taxes and with the deal I got, I'm paying just under $200 and I'm getting 118 TV channels, a bunch of music streams and blinding fast internet as well as Crave, Stars and HBO. It's not a bad deal for Canada. The competition was going to be about $200 for the TV I wanted and 80mbps instead of 600. So why not. As well Shaw has WiFi all over the place not just Saskatchewan - so I can travel and still use their WiFi.
Speaking of WiFi you can set up 10 devices for the on the go WiFi. This is really not that many if you think of a family of 5 actually, it should be 20. Hell I have 3 registered myself.
For value it's on par with most I've seen so far and a better deal than the competition in my city if you factor in speed. I wish I could pay $10 more and get 50mbps up though - I would $10 more for that, being I upload video and a LOT of images to the net every single day.
The difference in price between this and the older setup with only 300mbps is actually not that big a deal, and it makes it worth it to take that jump. I was getting far less TV and half the speed and I'm paying about $41 more a month after taxes. Being I like having all the extra channels (about 3X as many as I had) I am enjoying it.
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