Should I Buy A Modem Or Rent From Comcast

Buying your own modem makes good sense financially. It costs $120 a year to rent a modem from Comcast. It costs much less than that to buy one yourself. You are then responsible for maintaining and repairing it yourself but you are not rewarding a company for ripping you off. Neither are you dependent on middle of the road hardware to give you decent connection speeds.

should i buy a modem or rent from comcast

When it comes to choosing a cable modem for your home internet service, you have two choices: Pay up each month to rent a beat-up, ancient model from your internet service provider, or buy your own brand-new device for a fraction of the cost over time. It's not a very difficult decision.

(If you're still using a router provided by your cable company, you should send it back and buy a new router immediately. As with modems, cable companies usually charge exorbitant rental fees for subpar routers, and it takes less than a year for a new router to pay for itself.)

Of course, this could change in the future, but by then, DOCSIS 3.1 modems will probably be cheaper. A decent DOCSIS 3.0 modem ranges from $50 to $80; DOCSIS 3.1 modems tend to fall between $150 and $199, though prices are coming down to the lower end of that range.

When you look at a modem, you'll often see a number somewhere in its description, which can be anything from 8 x 4 to 32 x 8. It's not at all clear what the average user is supposed to glean from this. The good news is that it's simply a description of how many downstream and upstream channels a modem has.

Don't sweat this part too much, unless you want the absolute top-tier packages your cable company can provide. Just remember that all other things being equal, higher numbers are better. Any new modem you buy should have at least 16 downstream channels; anything less is probably either old or underpowered.

All the high speeds may seem tempting, but remember: You can't draw more data than you pay for from your ISP. If your modem is capable of pulling 1.4 gigabits but you subscribe to a plan that caps your speed at 25 Mbps, you're going to get 25 Mbps. Buying an extremely fast modem is more about future-proofing your setup than pushing it to its limits, unless you're willing to spend a tremendous amount of money on a monthly plan.

Finally, you can always just call your ISP. You may have to sit on hold for a while, but it's the only way to get a 100-percent definitive answer on whether a modem you want to buy is supported. (If your ISP cannot give you a definitive answer, ask to speak to a manager or a specialist, or consider getting a new ISP; this should not be a hellaciously difficult question.)

The upgraded Archer A8 comes with 3x3 MU-MIMO technology, so it can send and receive data to and from multiple devices on three different Wi-Fi streams . That makes it an extremely efficient router if your home is jam-packed with connected devices and internet users.

You should do this. I'm embarrassed to admit that even though I don't use the modem Charter supplied with our home internet, I haven't returned it. I'm in Phoenix for Comics Fest this week, but I've made a note to drive over to Charter and give them back their insecure, overpriced piece of shit modem when I get home.

Over time, users wind up paying Comcast significantly more money than the modem or router is worth. One analyst estimated that Comcast makes between $275 million and $300 million each and every quarter just from these rental fees. And given that Comcast buys hardware in bulk, it's estimated the company pays as little as $40 for each modem.

Last week we broke the news that Comcast is again raising Regional Sports and Broadcast TV fees. Now Ars Technica has confirmed with Comcast that the monthly modem rental fee is going up from $10 to $11 a month. Over a year it will cost you $132 to rent that modem from Comcast.

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Internet users can potentially save money by buying their own modem for use with Comcast cable Internet. The company charges a rental fee when using a company-owned modem. However, not all modems are compatible with Comcast's Internet service. Owners of the Motorola SB6120 must determine compatibility with Comcast services when deciding whether to rent a Comcast modem.

Comcast (comcast.net) maintains a list of approved devices on its "DOCSIS Device Information Center" page. These DOCSIS devices include cable modems. The Motorola SB6120-Retail is on the approved list. This modem is also capable for use with DOCSIS 3.0 and Internet Protocol Version 6, or IPv6. DOCSIS 3.0 is Comcast's fastest Internet speed at the time of publication. Internet Protocol Version 6 is the "next generation" Internet protocol after Version 4. However, this only means that this Motorola modem is compatible with certain services offered by Comcast. You must perform additional research to determine whether the specific Comcast cable service you want is compatible with the Motorola SB6120.

Comcast has three levels of certification for cable modems. The Motorola SB6120 has a one-star rating, which is the lowest rating. This means that the modem has certification from Underwriters Laboratory, CableLabs and the Federal Communications Commission. A one-star rating also means that Comcast has done its own tests on a modem. These tests include interoperability and performance. Modems with a two-star rating have undergone an additional basic Physical and Environmental evaluation. Finally, modems with three stars have undergone a full Physical and Environmental evaluation. What this means to you is that you could potentially have problems using a Motorola SB6120 under certain physical or environmental conditions even if the modem is generally compatible with your Comcast Internet access. Example conditions include overheating and radio interference.

On the "DOCSIS Device Information Center" page, there are two scroll bars to select the various residential and business service speeds. When choosing a service with one of the scroll bars, a list of modems compatible with that speed is displayed in the compatibility list. If you intend to use the SB6120 when ordering Comcast cable Internet, run a check for your desired speed to ensure compatibility. You should also confirm this with customer support before making final installation arrangements.

Cable internet service providers are still the go-to for people who don't have access to fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) or LTE. And while you can just rent modems from cable companies, there are certain benefits to buying one instead.

Your first consideration is whether buying a cable modem is the best decision for your own situation. If you think you'll switch from cable internet to FTTH relatively soon, renting may be your best bet. But if you're planning to stick with the account for over a year, buying a modem will end up saving you money.

There's also the benefit that if you change your internet connection type, you can sell off your old cable modem and make some money back. If you just change your ISP, you don't have to deal with the hassle of returning and getting a new rented modem.

It's also important to check whether your cable provider allows customers to use their own modems in the first place. Depending on where you live, certain cable companies may not allow you to use a third-party modem for their services. In this case, you would have no option but to rent a modem from your ISP.

You can find this information on most cable ISP websites. If you're struggling to find the right page, just do a quick search on Google for modems for your specific cable ISP. You'll not only find the compatible device list on your ISP's website more easily, but you'll also find specific recommendations from retailers.

You should make sure that your modem has the right speed capabilities for your internet plan. If your modem is too slow, it will essentially cap the speed of your plan and cause slow speeds in your home network.

DOCSIS is the standard that's used by cable companies to send information over the wires, and there are three different tiers: 1.x, 2.x, and 3.x. Generally, the higher the tier, the higher the performance and speed of the cable modem.

The Ethernet port and the Ethernet cable is how your internet connection gets from your modem to your router. If this port doesn't accommodate the speeds of your internet plan, the connection will essentially be throttled.

A gateway is a router-modem combo, sometimes called a gateway router or a gateway modem (or even gateway modem router). Essentially, it combines the two in a single physical piece of hardware. This consolidates your technology so it takes up less space and requires fewer messy cables. Many ISPs offer new customers the option to lease or buy a gateway directly from them at signup.

There are differences in setting up your cable modem whether you purchased or rented the device. If you bought your own cable modem, you should check the user manual or manufacturers' support website for specific details. For example, Xfinity (Comcast) and other Cable...

The right cable modem or cable modem router combo to use to get cable Internet in your home depends on a few things: Whether you are renting vs buying Certification and compatibility with your Service Provider Must-have features to consider For example, if your...

Should you invest in your own Internet equipment and buy a router instead of renting one from your Internet service provider (ISP)? It depends on the cost and your preferences. Here are some pros and cons to help you decide.

Should you invest in your own Internet equipment and buy a gateway or cable modem router instead of a modem? Or, should you rent it from your Internet service provider (ISP)? It depends on cost and your preferences. Here are some pros and cons to help you decide. 041b061a72