Bill wrote:

I have a Motorola SB6121 cable modem and a Cisco E1000 router.

The router needs to be reset (wires unplugged and replugged) one
to several times per day (for instance twice in the last half
hour). On these occasions, sometime the router is dead and
unresponsive, and it seems I need to temporarily unplug the modem
too in order to get everything going. It is possible I am not
being "patient" enough, as leaving the router unplugged for a few
minutes sometimes resolves things.

Does it appear that I need a new router (rather than a new cable
modem)? If so, do you think the $60 Netgear AC1000 a good match
for my 60Mbps internet service?

Consumer-grade routers have no fans to cool their processor. Just
convection cooling. You don't want to obstruct the airflow through the
router's case, but the airflow will be damn slow. As such, routers burn
up. I've had some that lasted 6+ years (Linksys, now owned by Cisco)
and others that died in under 3 years (DLink). That it works more
reliably after letting it cool off also points to a heat problem:
routers get flaky as they burn up until they eventually cease.

Since the manual for the Cisco E1000 is dated 2010, plus the following
Cisco publication puts the release date back in 2010:

https://newsroom.cisco.com/press-rel...icleId=5434268

Likely yours is 9+ years old and has burned out. As a test, you could
take one of your intranet Ethernet hosts that is currently connected to
the router and instead run its cable directly to the SB6121 cable modem.

Did you buy the cable modem or lease it from your ISP? If it is leased,
head to their local store and get it swapped out for a newer model and
one that has an inbuilt router (it will have RJ-45 LAN jacks and
probably also have built-in wi-fi).