I want to replace the router/modem Comcast with a high quality for streaming

@pindac Cat 6 or better, shielded is plenty good enough for all streaming. 1GigE has more than enough bandwidth for even video.

If shielded, you may want to ensure your wifi router has grounded plugs.

@fastfreight  Yes, so long as there is not a metalic Ethernet cable that is going from inside to outside.  Then the only thing you have to worry about is long Ethernet runs.  Some are lucky enough to not need Ethernet, and can run their home 100% on Wifi.  Those folks don't have the same concerns.

Please remember that for power protection the NEC and whole house surge protectors still recommend surge strips at the point of use in addition to anything in your panel.  If you live in a relatively safe area you may not care but here in the south where we are prone to lightning strikes I recommend extra precautions.

Honestly haven't paid for cable TV in at least 10 years.  Everything I want to watch is on a streaming service.  I had Sling for a while, but forcing me to buy news channels as a bundle instead of picking one or the other was a deal breaker.

Clarification:  A long Ethernet run is 30' or more.

The latest research indicates that INSIDE a home, you want to add isolation, not surge paths, so use an Ethernet isolator instead of an Ethernet surge protector.  The latter creates paths to ground which ultimately prove more destructive than isolating the paths from ground.

Hi @fastfreight

The path from lightning surges to Ethernet connected devices like a TV or streamer or PC is like this:

Outside copper cable --> cable modem --> Wifi router (which also has an Ethernet switch) --> All Ethernet connected devices

So if I can prevent a surge from making the jump from the cable modem to the wifi router then I’ve protected most of my Ethernet connected devices from Ethernet based surges. I also use an outside gas discharge tube on the coax as well as an Ethernet isolator at the end of my two long Ethernet runs.

Of course, this has nothing to do with lightning surges which can occur in the power lines. For that I use a whole house surge protector in combination with point of use surge protectors made by either Tripp Lite or Furman, or when UPS powered have to rely on the surge protectors built into the UPS.

In my mind, it’s not just about protecting the Wifi router (which is a giant PITA to replace) but about protecting anything I have that relies on copper Ethernet cables. I use a lot of Ethernet on streamers and PC’s so the worst case scenario for me is to lose a lot of devices all at once because lightning came in from the cable Internet provider.

Any copper wire that goes from outside to inside can be a lightning source that once inside can jump to any other copper connected device. Antennas should also be surge protected. I had a DirecTV antenna and receiver which would fail due to wind induced surges (electrons would build up on the antenna and build a charge). Once I put a surge protector on it the problem went away.

An Ethernet connected device like a music streamer or PC may have 2 lightning paths, one from the AC and another from the Ethernet and we have to protect both. 

@mitch2 Yes, we do know.  Fiber optic cables, lacking in any metal components, cannot transmit an electrical surge from point to point.

For this reason I use a fiber converter between the cable modem and Wifi router.  There are still potential paths through the AC wiring, but that's dealt with by a UPS with surge protection. 

The other place where Ethernet can pick up a surge is if the cabling is long.  It acts as an antenna, and the longer the cable the higher a surge voltage can build up.  Of course, whether this matters to you depends very much on where you live.  First year I moved here we had several strong lightning storms which took out multiple neighbors cable modems, and a laptop of mine (via the power cord).

I like TP-Link and Asus routers, just generally. I do usually keep a separate modem and wifi router.

One thing to watch out for is if you have a copper connection from the service provider to your modem (i.e. coaxial or Ethernet). Lightning surges from outside the home can jump from there to all directly connected devices. I use a combination of a gas discharge surge protector outside, an Ethernet to fiber connection between the modem and the router, as well as Ethernet isolators at the end of very long (30’ or more) runs.

Because I do use Ethernet for much of my gear, a lightning surge from outside could take out all my entertainment devices (TVs, streamer, HT processor, DVD player.... etc.) and my gaming PC which is why I’m extra cautious.

If you are not in a densely populated area, and you select an unused Wifi channel though, Wifi can be great, and impervious to lightning surges the same way Ethernet is.