Can You Buy Your Own Router? It May Help Save Money on Your Internet Bill

Equipment payment: No, for as much as three years of service

Astound Broadband presents dwelling web service in a number of massive metros throughout the nation — together with Austin, Chicago, Houston, New York and Seattle — and the modem and router rental at the moment are included in your month-to-month payment for as much as 36 months. After three years, Astound might cost for modem and router, which can price as a lot as $22 a month.

You can nonetheless skip utilizing Astound’s gear and use your personal — here is Astound’s guideline for utilizing your personal gear. It’s value noting that Astound additionally presents “Enhanced Wi-Fi” in some areas, which will get you a fancier router for a further $5 per 30 days. In some areas, Enhanced Wi-Fi implies that you get the Eero Pro 6 mesh router, which is superb, however in others, it is simply the usual Eero 6 router, which wasn’t practically as robust a performer in our exams. 

Customers may hire the Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 Wi-Fi 6 gaming router for $13 per 30 days, which is not a nasty deal in any respect, provided that it normally prices round $300.

Equipment payment: No

This is important as a result of AT&T used to cost $10 month-to-month for its gear. The firm required using its mixture modem-and-router gateway gadget and did not enable prospects to make use of their very own modem. That meant that you just could not skip the $10 month-to-month further payment. In 2022, AT&T scrapped its gear payment for all web plans, so prospects needn’t fear about that further quantity getting tacked onto their month-to-month invoice.

Equipment payment: Yes ($15 per 30 days for modem/router gateway gadget rental)
Can you skip it? Yes

CenturyLink costs $15 month-to-month to hire a gateway that mixes a modem and a router into one gadget. If you join DSL with CenturyLink, that gateway shall be one in every of three fashions: the Greenwave C4000, the Zyxel C4000LZ or the Zyxel C3000Z. If you have got a fiber plan with Quantum Fiber, your gear is included at no further price for an “preliminary interval,” nonetheless lengthy that could be. You can skip that $15 payment through the use of a gateway or modem of your personal, however CenturyLink cautions prospects to not use something that is not on its record of authorized gadgets.

You may choose to purchase CenturyLink gear upfront, for $200 plus tax, an funding that will pay for itself after a 12 months and one month of service.

“CenturyLink extremely recommends utilizing one in every of our licensed or advisable Wi-Fi modems (gateways), which have been examined and authorized to work optimally with our high-speed web know-how,” the corporate’s web site reads. “Retired and third-party gadgets usually tend to trigger efficiency points and should not connect with your web service appropriately.”

Remember, when you’re changing CenturyLink’s gateway with an ordinary modem, then you definately’ll additionally have to discover a good router to go along with it.

Equipment payment: Yes ($15 per 30 days for modem/router gateway gadget rental)
Can you skip it? Yes

Cox costs prospects $15 per 30 days to hire its Panoramic Wifi gateway, which mixes a modem and router right into a single gadget. All subscribers to Cox plans will obtain a DOCSIS 3.1 gadget that helps both Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E relying on the velocity tier. You may buy Panoramic Wi-Fi Pods if you wish to prolong your Wi-Fi protection, however Cox would not enable prospects to hire the pods: it’s a must to purchase them upfront for $130 every, a price we do not advocate enterprise. You can discover a better-priced Wi-Fi extender for as little as $15 to $20.

Either manner, you may skip that further month-to-month gear rental payment through the use of a modem and router, or gateway, of your personal — simply remember to choose from the prolonged record of Cox-approved modems and gateways.

Equipment payment: No

Frontier Fiber consists of gear rental charges with the month-to-month price, which is already decrease than most. The router Frontier presents is the Amazon eero Wi-Fi router, eero Pro 6, eero Pro 6E or eero Max 7, relying on the plan you select. In some instances, Frontier presents the TP-Link Archer AXE 300, the Arris NVG443B or the Netgear D220D routers and a gateway router (Arris NVG468MQ).

For a further $10 a month, you may add Whole Home Wi-Fi with as much as two mesh Wi-Fi extenders for higher protection.

Equipment payment: No

Google Fiber prospects obtain a modem and a mesh router with as much as two further extenders at no further price. If you subscribe to Google Fiber’s quickest plan, with obtain speeds of as much as 8Gbps, then you definately’ll get a quicker, multi-gig router to go along with it, full with assist for Wi-Fi 6E.

Equipment payment: Yes ($15 to $20 per 30 days for modem/router gateway gadget rental)
Can you skip it? No

Hughesnet supplies satellite tv for pc web service to all 50 states. That’s the excellent news. The not-so-good information is that satellite tv for pc web options fairly expensive gear prices. Customers should hire Hughesnet’s gear to the tune of $15 per 30 days or $20 per 30 days if choosing Hughesnet’s Fusion plan that mixes satellite tv for pc web with low-latency fastened wi-fi web. There are not any choices to skip these month-to-month charges. The solely different supplied is to purchase the gear up entrance for $300 ($450 with the Fusion plan).

That’s a tricky tablet to swallow. Paying that a lot proper out of the gate is just not interesting. Once you think about that Hughesnet requires a two-year contract (and canceling early will activate an early termination payment), it’s possible you’ll discover that the up-front price will prevent cash when you foresee staying with Hughesnet past your preliminary time period.

Equipment payment: Yes ($11 for modem/router gateway gadget rental)
Can you skip it? Yes

Kinetic is Windstream’s dwelling web service, and the gear rental charges price $11 a month. Paying that payment will get you a mix modem-and-router gateway gadget, however you may skip the payment outright when you use your personal modem and router {hardware}. 

The firm has completely different {hardware} necessities for various prospects primarily based on the particular nature of the connection (some DSL subscribers use ADSL know-how, whereas others use VDSL, for example). Be certain to ask Windstream for some steering particular to your house’s connection earlier than you make a purchase order — the customer support quantity is 800-347-1991.

Equipment charges: Yes ($15 per 30 days for modem/router gateway gadget)
Can you skip them? Yes

Mediacom is a midsize cable web supplier, and prospects have to pay $15 per 30 days to hire a cable modem/router gateway from the corporate. You can skip that payment through the use of your personal, however it’ll must be at the least a DOCSIS 3.1 mannequin plus a appropriate router. Here’s the total record of authorized {hardware} (PDF).

The WiFi360Pro, which comes with two Eero Wi-Fi items (and Eero safe companies), is included for one 12 months of service. It helps as much as 1Gbps and helps Wi-Fi 6. Mediacom additionally presents Eero Wi-Fi extenders for $5 a month.

Equipment charges: No

Metronet is a 100% fiber-optic web supplier within the Midwest that covers Indiana and 15 different states nationwide. Like fellow fiber suppliers like AT&T and Google Fiber, Metronet would not cost prospects to make use of its router. It does cost $10 per 30 days if you wish to add Whole Home Wi-Fi, however that’s elective, not a required price.

Equipment payment: No

Optimum presents each hybrid fiber and cable connections and 100% fiber hookups. The firm supplies prospects with its Altice Gateway, which serves as your house’s modem and router. Your actual mannequin depends upon your particular plan and whether or not your house’s connection makes use of cable or fiber. 

“Optimum web prospects utilizing service delivered by way of our HFC community are in a position to make use of their very own gear,” an Altice spokesperson tells CNET. “Optimum Fiber service is presently solely delivered by way of the Optimum-provided Gateway, which is designed particularly to work with our fiber community.”

Equipment payment: Yes ($10 to $15 per 30 days router rental)

Rise Broadband is a supplier of fastened wi-fi dwelling web connections all through a lot of the center of the nation, together with many rural areas. The ISP covers the price of the gear rental payment in choose areas (together with the modem and antenna that obtain the over-the-air sign), however many should pay $10 only for the receiver, then a further $15 to hire a router. The router rental is elective; the receiver lease is just not. If you are eligible for fiber web, that gear rental is elective.

Equipment payment: Yes ($14 per 30 days for modem)
Can you skip it? Yes

Sparklight costs prospects $14 per 30 days for its cable modem. For a further entry level, Sparklight costs an additional $10 month-to-month. Sparklight additionally presents an “Ultimate Wi-Fi Bundle,” which incorporates your modem, two eero Wi-Fi gadgets and eero plus for $25 month-to-month.

If you need to skip the month-to-month cost, Sparklight requires you to make use of a DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem gadget. If you select to go that route to save lots of on the added month-to-month payment, here is an inventory of Sparklight advisable modems.

Equipment payment: Yes ($10 per 30 days for router rental, modem supplied freed from cost)
Can you skip it? Yes 

Spectrum features a free modem with all of its dwelling web plans, but when you do not have a router, you will have to hire one for $10 per 30 days when you’re on the 500Mbps plan. Users of the 1-gig plan get gear included of their month-to-month payments.

To keep away from that month-to-month payment, you will want to make use of your personal router. However, in case your gear malfunctions, it will not be eligible for Spectrum technical assist. You may use your personal modem, however ensure that to make use of a Spectrum-supported mannequin.

Equipment payment: Yes ($349-$599 one-time buy)
Can you skip it? No

Starlink, Elon Musk’s web service, goals to disrupt the satellite tv for pc web class by offering quicker speeds and decrease latency than provided by rivals Hughesnet and Viasat. What Starlink shares with these firms is a stark gear payment. Instead of a further month-to-month cost on your gear, Starlink requires that you just pay for the gear up entrance. That means a payout of $349 to $599 for normal service.

Equipment payment: No

Starry Internet is a hard and fast wi-fi web supplier largely centered on bigger cities, together with Boston, Denver, Los Angeles and New York City. Starry optimizes its know-how for city areas, and that personalized gear is included within the worth. There’s no further cost past your month-to-month price.

Equipment payment: No

T-Mobile presents New Radio dwelling web service, and you will want a New Radio modem able to receiving that wi-fi sign to attach. Fortunately, T-Mobile takes care of that for you with a New Radio modem/router gateway supplied freed from cost. It’s a grey cylinder, and it is all you want after subscribing to get on-line.

If you have got a router that you just like, you may plug it into T-Mobile’s gateway and use it to place out your house’s Wi-Fi sign as an alternative. That may be value doing if you would like to arrange a mesh community in your house, however with quick prime speeds and assist for Wi-Fi 6, T-Mobile’s gateway might be sufficient for anybody past that.

Equipment payment: No

Verizon presents three separate dwelling web companies: Verizon Fios, Verizon New Radio Home Internet and Verizon LTE (LTE). Each service is a bit completely different, however one factor all of them have in widespread is that your gear rental is included within the worth.

Equipment payment: Yes ($15 per 30 days for modem/router)
Can you skip it? No

Viasat costs the identical price for month-to-month gear as rival HughesNet and its month-to-month gear cost remains to be inescapable. You might get a slight low cost on that month-to-month worth by selecting to pay for the gear with a one-time buy of $250, however there are not any important financial savings available there until you maintain on to your Viasat service past the preliminary two-year contract.

Equipment payment: No

WideOpenWest — or WOW, as the corporate enjoys branding itself — consists of the modem price in your month-to-month payment however you may nonetheless purchase your personal WOW-approved modem. Separately, prospects pays $10 per 30 days to hire an Eero 6 router. You can skip that payment if you have already got a router that you just’re proud of.

Ten {dollars} per 30 days is not a nasty worth to check out a mesh system in your house, however that older model of Eero sells in a two-pack for $189, and you may usually discover it on sale. If you intend on utilizing that router for longer than a 12 months and a half or so, it is most likely higher to purchase one in every of your personal.

Equipment payment: Yes ($15 to $20 per 30 days for modem/router gateway gadget rental)
Can you skip it? Yes

Xfinity presents prospects the choice of renting the xFi Gateway, which mixes a modem and a router right into a single gadget, at $15 per 30 days in choose places. In others, and with choose plans, gear is included at no further price. If you have got a payment, you may skip the month-to-month cost through the use of your personal modem and router.

Pretty a lot any router will work, however it’s essential to make sure the modem is a DOCSIS 3.1 mannequin. The Xfinity web site has a full record of supported modems.

Additionally, Xfinity presents xFi Complete, an in-home W-iFi possibility for $15 to $25 further a month, relying on the place you reside. The xFi Complete bundle comes with limitless knowledge (a pleasant perk since Xfinity enforces knowledge caps on most plans), a Wi-Fi Boost Pod for prolonged protection all through the house, and the power to handle the safety of your community by means of numerous controls.

Equipment payment: Yes ($15 month-to-month router payment)
Can you skip it? Yes

Ziply Fiber options an optimized Wi-Fi 7 router for all fiber plans in addition to Whole Home Wi-Fi for $15 month-to-month. You may skip that further month-to-month payment through the use of your personal router, however to paraphrase an FAQ on Ziply’s web site, it recommends you employ the Ziply Fiber router “for the very best fiber web expertise.”