Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

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joms
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Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by joms »

Has anyone had success just buying a compatible device ("wireless gateway") instead of leasing it for $10/month? Seems like you could buy a device for something like $70, which would save $50 if you were just staying for a year.

Also, anyone done the self-installation kit ($15) instead of having a guy come over and set everything up ($90)? Is it easy to do, or a major pain?
Bondman
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Bondman »

Absolutely buy your own device. The cost will be offset in less than a year for both the router and the modem. Comcast has a list of compatible modems. I use the Surfboard 6121. I don't think there are limitations or compatibility issues with routers. Asus and Linksys make routers that I have successfully used.
giesen5
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by giesen5 »

You can set up by yourself, it is easy.
Zendelta
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Zendelta »

I just did this, went with the Arris SB6141 which is fine for my plan and a little future-proof. Bought a warehouse deal from Amazon ($40 instead of $70, same warranty), got it set up with no problem with my existing wireless router too.

The $15 self-install kit is a complete ripoff since it is just cables (duplicates of what I already had) and the paper install guide. :annoyed I tried going through their customer service before signing up as a customer to see if they would waive it but no go. It's far better than paying $90 though.

Reviews on newegg and amazon are helpful; also you may want to check out this article esp if you are thinking about switching after 12 months to a different provider.
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-cable-modem/
http://mydeviceinfo.xfinity.com/
zag00
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by zag00 »

To piggyback off this thread. Currently have Frontier (Verizon Fios), anyone have a compatible modem that works with their cable box and wifi.

I was told my old cable style modem (arris 6182) and Netgear wifi router was no good with their service.
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llama
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by llama »

It works fine until Comcast pulls the scam where they send you a letter stating that they'd been "forgetting" to charge you for the modem rental and will start with the next bill.
mervinj7
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by mervinj7 »

I have the SB6141. Fantastic modem. Easy to self-install. Typically $70 unless its on sale or refurbished.
Intens
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Intens »

Comcast

Zoom 5341 DOCSIS 3.0 less expensive than the Motorola cable modems
j0nnyg1984
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by j0nnyg1984 »

I'm on crapcast. Buy your own. I bought my SB6141 on Amazon for $87.

You didn't ask, but I'm using a Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 router. Pretty expensive - $188 on Amazon last year - but well worth it imho. Awesome range, speed has been fantastic, and I've never needed to reboot it.
Topic Author
joms
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by joms »

Wow, thanks for all the replies! Really quick too...

Yep, I have an old router from 5 years ago sitting in a box that worked as of a couple years ago. I'd think it would be fine still. If it's not working when I move, I'll check out some newer routers.

I'll check out the Surfboard 6121. Odd that on Amazon the 172 Mbps version is $85, but the 343 Mbps version is only $69.
TwentyFifty
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by TwentyFifty »

joms wrote:Has anyone had success just buying a compatible device ("wireless gateway") instead of leasing it for $10/month? Seems like you could buy a device for something like $70, which would save $50 if you were just staying for a year.

Also, anyone done the self-installation kit ($15) instead of having a guy come over and set everything up ($90)? Is it easy to do, or a major pain?
Agree with the earlier posters. Have been using a SB6121 for several years now. It will pay for itself in less than a year as you said.
Have been a fan of the Asus Router/Wifi Gateways. Been running a RT-N66U for a few years, good coverage. Awfully bright blue LEDs though. \
You will need to call Comcast to activate your new cable modem and associate it with your account.
When you return your modem - GET A LEGIBLE AND OFFICIAL RECEIPT. And make a few photocopies of it.
Comcast is notorious for "forgetting" to pull the lease fee. O
You also need to keep your receipt for modem purchase (amazon, wherever) as you will also need to prove that you bought the modem.
Google for horror stories if you are interested.
I was OCD after reading too much online and took pictures of my modem box, the MAC address label, my receipt and kept this on google drive.

As for your question re: install.
The caveat is whether or not there is coax coming into the house already from Comcast's trunk/pole.
My current residence had internal coax (was extensively wired for satellite, but prior owner had used DSL so there was no coax to the house at all.
so I could not do the self install as they had to run coax to my house...

Best of luck. Jealous of all you folk who have FIOS available...one day i will be free of comcast...
Topic Author
joms
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by joms »

I'm not actually returning a modem - moving and starting a new account. I'll probably be there for 22 months, so I assume I'll have to deal with a not-renewing-the-yearly-contract hassle 12 months in. I'm hoping there won't be any wiring issue and that the installation will go smoothly, but I'll see.
S&L1940
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by S&L1940 »

Comcast lists the compatible modems on their site
Have not gotten around to the modem yet. I have phone/cable/internet with them and that model (Arris TG862g Comcast Version) goes for $160+ and it seems Amazon has the best deal. Best Buy may also carries it.
Hear stories of install problems but I swapped out my old DVR for their X1 in minutes to avoid their service call and figure I can do the same with the modem - except I think you have to register the modem with them (by phone).
For me it is a matter of unhooking and re-attaching connections. Delivery by UPS and you send back - no charge - their rental via a UPS store.
Great company, what can possibly go wrong? (All it would take is 8-9 calls to customer service to get it right)
Don't it always seem to go * That you don't know what you've got * Till it's gone
Nearly A Moose
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Nearly A Moose »

Do it, it's a no brainier. Knock on wood I've been using my own problem free for a year. The Motorola surfboard works fine. Regardless of where you buy it, just search the reviews on Amazon to make sure people are confirming it works for Comcast. If you are okay with refurb, woot.com has refurb ones on sale very frequently. Maybe even now. That's where I got mine.
Pardon typos, I'm probably using my fat thumbs on a tiny phone.
shelanman
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by shelanman »

Buy your own for sure.

Get a modem off their approved device list. Any one will work, but if you use an approved one, they have a harder time pretending it's your fault if you have trouble.

For routers, anything will work. For inexpensive products, I personally like Linksys. If you have a big house, or are used to having wifi dead-spots, o r have lots of phones/tablets/laptops/etc. Then consider buying an OnHub. They are great, and easy to set up, but cost about double what a normal router does.
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whodidntante
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by whodidntante »

Cable modems are based on a standard (DOCSIS 3 is the current one) and it's not necessary or better to pay comcast to rent theirs. I've owned my own modem for 15 years, and I've had to buy a new one only once, when I wanted to get higher speeds that the old one did not support. I've saved more than a thousand dollars by owning my own modem. If you're curious, I own a Motorola SB6120, cheap and works great.
gd
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by gd »

Important-- return the old leased modem, get a receipt in hand documenting the device serial number or any other identifier. Check your bills afterwards. Comcast is a big company with lots of grumpy disinterested clerks, it's easy for stuff to get lost and hard to prove you returned it without proof. When I did this I was specifically warned against buying used modems; they will not reactivate one if it's on record with them as being an unreturned lease unit (i.e., someone trying to pick up money by reselling a leased unit rather than returning after service ended). They said they'd demand its return as stolen property.

For the record, it's slightly more complicated if you have digital voice (phone via Comcast) but still possible, you must make sure you get the correct, special modem and have a more complex activation process.
student
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by student »

gd wrote:Important-- return the old leased modem, get a receipt in hand documenting the device serial number or any other identifier. Check your bills afterwards. Comcast is a big company with lots of grumpy disinterested clerks, it's easy for stuff to get lost and hard to prove you returned it without proof. When I did this I was specifically warned against buying used modems; they will not reactivate one if it's on record with them as being an unreturned lease unit (i.e., someone trying to pick up money by reselling a leased unit rather than returning after service ended). They said they'd demand its return as stolen property.

For the record, it's slightly more complicated if you have digital voice (phone via Comcast) but still possible, you must make sure you get the correct, special modem and have a more complex activation process.
+1 on both comments. Several years ago I dropped off a modem at UPS for my friend and Comcast claimed that they have never received it and charged him for the missing modem.
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Toons
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Toons »

I bought this Docsis 3 quite a while back to avoid the monthly rental fee.
Works like a champ. :happy
Easy to set up.
Called Comcast they configured it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004X ... UTF8&psc=1
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coachz
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by coachz »

What they said.....buy and make sure it's not on your monthly bill.
S&L1940
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by S&L1940 »

coachz wrote:What they said.....buy and make sure it's not on your monthly bill.
when returning the old Comcast equipment at the UPS store they should give you a detailed receipt that lists the item(s) and serial numbers
Don't it always seem to go * That you don't know what you've got * Till it's gone
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blaugranamd
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by blaugranamd »

Look on Slickdeals. Net. Someone's usually found a good modern on sale for $40. Got my TP Link for $40 that way. Works great.
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JDot
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by JDot »

I now own my router and modem. It's a no brainer. When I was lazy I used to rent a modem from Suddenlink. Maybe I was unlucky, but it seemed like twice a year we'd have trouble with our connection and the culprit was the modem we were renting. They would replace it for free. This made me think that perhaps modems just die a lot.

I was wrong. Maybe I was unlucky or they used cheap ones (I suspect the latter). I've had the same router and modem for years without any issues.

I suggest you google lifehacker recommended router. Find a 2015-16 article and select one from their list that fits the price you want to pay. Then check on Comcast to make sure it's compatible.
furwut
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by furwut »

Definitely buy but one downside is that if you ever have a problem with your line Comcast technical support will insist the issue is your modem until *you* prove otherwise. That could mean buying a second, not needed, modem or having a technicician make a home visit (at your time and expense).

My sister recently had an issue with her line and Comcast insisted it was because her modem wasn't supported. Looked online and found that it was. Called support back and they continued to insist she needed to rent a modem from Comcast. Pointed out that her current was supported and they dropped their demands and fixed the issue in 10 seconds.

I'm 100% convinced that Comcast employees are incentivized to increase customers bills by any means necessary.
vkfu
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by vkfu »

Here is Comcast's list of compatible modems:

http://mydeviceinfo.xfinity.com/
Nearly A Moose
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Nearly A Moose »

1530jesup wrote:
coachz wrote:What they said.....buy and make sure it's not on your monthly bill.
when returning the old Comcast equipment at the UPS store they should give you a detailed receipt that lists the item(s) and serial numbers
This. Forgot to mention this. Do not forget to do this. It is important. They will "forget" to drop the fee, they will stall for a few months, and then they will demand you produce the receipt. I took a photo of it and emailed it to myself the moment the ups store guy gave it to me. Think I ended up with more copies of that thing than my passport.
Pardon typos, I'm probably using my fat thumbs on a tiny phone.
amarone
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by amarone »

I have bought my own twice and installed them myself without needing an installation kit.
Intens
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Intens »

amarone wrote:I have bought my own twice and installed them myself without needing an installation kit.
The installation kit isn't anything special. Other than the cable modem itself, it includes a 20 foot long coax cable and an Ethernet cable.
I received a free kit when I moved into an apartment serviced by Comcast.
Nearly A Moose
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Nearly A Moose »

Intens wrote:
amarone wrote:I have bought my own twice and installed them myself without needing an installation kit.
The installation kit isn't anything special. Other than the cable modem itself, it includes a 20 foot long coax cable and an Ethernet cable.
I received a free kit when I moved into an apartment serviced by Comcast.
Agree fully with this. There's no secret sauce here. Comcast would have you believe this requires tons of special parts and an advanced degree in electrical engineering and computer science, but it doesn't. Plenty of detailed instructions on the web to help.
Pardon typos, I'm probably using my fat thumbs on a tiny phone.
takeshi
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by takeshi »

joms wrote:Has anyone had success just buying a compatible device ("wireless gateway") instead of leasing it for $10/month?
Yup. I've been using an SB6121 for years.
joms wrote:Also, anyone done the self-installation kit ($15) instead of having a guy come over and set everything up ($90)? Is it easy to do, or a major pain?
I always self install but I am a computer geek and I work in IT. Easy isn't just about the install itself but what one is comfortable and familiar with.
furwut wrote:Definitely buy but one downside is that if you ever have a problem with your line Comcast technical support will insist the issue is your modem until *you* prove otherwise.
I've never had that problem but my issues have always been clearly on their end. Plus I know how to play that game if it comes to it. Still a pain but IMO not as much as the sales pitch any time I call in for something.
Alf 101
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Alf 101 »

I'll bump this thread from over a year ago, because I'm having the same thought. Having embarrassingly just noticed the $10/month modem rental surcharge on my Comcast bill, it's not whether I should continue to lease one or not, but that I definitely have to purchase a modem and router of my own.

This is interesting because we're moving, and there's some guesswork as to what kind of internet speeds we'll see when we settle in. There are two of us, with laptops and phones, and we stream off of Netflix and Amazon Prime. It's also doubtful our next house will be much larger than 2000 sq. feet, so it won't be as if we need connectivity for Wayne manor.

As we "renegotiate" with Comcast, odds are we'd select the mid-range internet package -- as with our use, even with some work from home, doesn't seem to warrant the premium for the screaming fast elite one. So buying a 1.4 Gbps modem and a $300 router seems overkill. Sure you want your system to have some cushion until it becomes obsolete, but I'm having some difficulty navigating to this middle ground.

Now in the summer of 2017, what cost effective Comcast modem and router replacement would anyone recommend? For example, here's one I saw on Amazon that's the baseline I'm starting from -- the Arris Surfboard SB6183, bundled with the AC1750 router:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XDML2R9/re ... =UTF8&th=1

Is this a solid choice, or can I do better? No doubt there are many on this site who -- seeing the quick ROI on buying their modem instead of leasing -- have already taken this route. Thanks.
Goal33
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Goal33 »

j0nnyg1984 wrote:I'm on crapcast. Buy your own. I bought my SB6141 on Amazon for $87.

You didn't ask, but I'm using a Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 router. Pretty expensive - $188 on Amazon last year - but well worth it imho. Awesome range, speed has been fantastic, and I've never needed to reboot it.
I +1 everything said here. Except if you call it an R7000 you'll get more street cred.
Alf 101
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Alf 101 »

Now about the router, what are folks who swapped out using? The R7000 is about $42 more expensive than the R6700 on Amazon. I'm looking to do this on the cheap.

It's hard to know exactly how much to spend on a router -- $40, $65, $100, $150, $300? With a 100 Mbps plan and only two people in the house though, I'm leaning toward not going so big...
S&L1940
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by S&L1940 »

Best Buy seems to be competitive with Amazon. I use Comcast for phone as well. That modem is now about $225 at both providers. Means we have a two year window for return on investment. Comcast lists the "approved" modems on their web site but I do not think they sell the units
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rob65
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by rob65 »

This isn't going to be popular here, but I decided to just keep paying the $10 per month to avoid problems when needing tech support from Comcast. Comcast trying to charge you for your own modem also seems to be a very common problem. I decided to just think of it as "insurance". I know, $10 per month for 20 years at a 7% rate of return...not saying I'm proud of my decision. :oops:
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Doom&Gloom
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Doom&Gloom »

rob65 wrote:This isn't going to be popular here, but I decided to just keep paying the $10 per month to avoid problems when needing tech support from Comcast. Comcast trying to charge you for your own modem also seems to be a very common problem. I decided to just think of it as "insurance". I know, $10 per month for 20 years at a 7% rate of return...not saying I'm proud of my decision. :oops:
Same here. I have had to swap modems at least three times--maybe more. And after spending a couple of lengthy periods on the phone with their tech support, I can't imagine them doing that for a third-party modem. I look at it as sacrificing a few bucks for less hassle. If Comcast were an easier company to deal with, I probably would buy my own.
stimulacra
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by stimulacra »

I bought my own device off of Amazon; never had any issues.

The tech guys, when they come to my place to troubleshoot, just shrug when they find out it's not a Comcast lease. It's all the same to them.

Anytime I can eliminate a subscription or rent from my monthly budget with a purchase, it usually makes sense for me to do so.
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BolderBoy
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by BolderBoy »

rob65 wrote:This isn't going to be popular here, but I decided to just keep paying the $10 per month to avoid problems when needing tech support from Comcast. Comcast trying to charge you for your own modem also seems to be a very common problem. I decided to just think of it as "insurance". I know, $10 per month for 20 years at a 7% rate of return...not saying I'm proud of my decision. :oops:
I have a Comcast business class account. It requires me to rent their modem. But the business class customer service is easier to access, is 24/7 and very good.
"Never underestimate one's capacity to overestimate one's abilities" - The Dunning-Kruger Effect
Goal33
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Goal33 »

Alf 101 wrote:Now about the router, what are folks who swapped out using? The R7000 is about $42 more expensive than the R6700 on Amazon. I'm looking to do this on the cheap.

It's hard to know exactly how much to spend on a router -- $40, $65, $100, $150, $300? With a 100 Mbps plan and only two people in the house though, I'm leaning toward not going so big...
The r6700 will be fine. You'll want the r7000 if you want to do open source. If you don't know what this means, then go for the one you identified. this money on the router is worth it with a high quality signal. You'll regret a 50 dollar one. Think about how much you spend on the devices connected. You'll want them connected strongly. Around 100 dollars for router is a nice budget.
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by pondering »

I wish I could get a wireless router to work everywhere in my house for $10 a month
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bluebolt
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by bluebolt »

I have always been able to get a modem or modem/router from Craigslist or eBay for super cheap. $20-$25 for cable modems and $35 for my FIOS modem/router. I may not have the latest model, but I was always able to get speeds I needed.
I have had no reliability problems, but even if I did, it would have been cheaper to buy 2 or 3 using this method than one new one.
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Jags4186 »

I bought a combo modem/wifi router for my Comcast service for about $69. Eventually the wifi started to become flaky on a daily basis (network was available but unable to join) leading us to have to unplug and plug it back in. Solution was to buy a new wifi router for $49 and everything has been fine since then. Comcast by me charges $9/mo for rental so I figure even if all the equipment I buy fails, $49/yr is better than $108 in rental fees.
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CardinalRule
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by CardinalRule »

Our household subscribes to Comcast's phone service, and so that limits my retail options.

I turn in my leased all-in-one modem/router every year or so and get a new one from Comcast. I tell them it's acting flaky, whether or not it is. At least I'm getting the latest and greatest equipment for the exorbitant lease fee. Routers do eventually "go bad," for the most part, and so useful life needs to be factored into the lease/buy analysis. That said, buying would still make more economic sense for me, when all is said and done. I'll put this on my to-do-list to evaluate this year.
Alf 101
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Alf 101 »

One of the challenges as a consumer is the danger of paying for more features than you need. Having resurrected this thread, I'm pretty committed to the idea of buying my own modem and router. And while I like idea and have been considering open source, I'm just not sure how far down that road I want to go. There's two of us, in a small place, with a 100 Mbps plan, and no great home network including online gaming, refrigerators, security systems, etc. I'm reluctant to go VPN on the router, as my wife works mainly from home, and any "work stoppage" created by me won't go over well. These are the factors I'm mulling over.

It's interesting how the approved Comcast devices are primarily modems or modem/router gateways. One might imply from this that the modem is far more critical than the router, but I don't see that as entirely true. While I don't want to skimp on a router, I also have to consider the lifespan and ROI. Still, I could see budgeting, as was suggested earlier, about $100 for the router. The Netgear R6700 and TP-Link Archer C9 are both in that range, and probably both very suitable, which is why I'm banging my head over which to pick. A quick spin on the interweb seemed to suggest you could flash both with DD-WRT -- not necessarily going that route right away, but considering my options.

In any case it should take me about 17-18 months to break even. Maybe I should go cheaper. I've noticed many savvy IT folks here, so any thoughts are great...
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by limeyx »

llama wrote:It works fine until Comcast pulls the scam where they send you a letter stating that they'd been "forgetting" to charge you for the modem rental and will start with the next bill.
Yeah I got a mysterious $9.99/mo fee added right after this ... PLUS they did not stop charging for the modem.
Few phone calls got it sorted out but such an ugly company ... too many occurrences to believe these are mistakes or co-incidence
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Alexa9
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Alexa9 »

Drop it. A good modem/router should last years. Arris Surfboard has good reviews.
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by chuckb84 »

mervinj7 wrote:I have the SB6141. Fantastic modem. Easy to self-install. Typically $70 unless its on sale or refurbished.
Yep.That's what I have; works flawlessly
Slacker
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Joined: Thu May 26, 2016 8:40 am

Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by Slacker »

CenturyLink also tried to charge me rental fees for my own Fiberoptic modem (purchased from CenturyLink).

On the OP question - if you know what you are looking for (model, DOCSIS version, etc) you can even get modems pretty cheap off of craigslist. Just don't buy anything too old. I did this previously and purchased a used modem for $30 which I re-sold after a year for $25.
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A440
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Location: NJ

Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by A440 »

We had our own Arris Surfboard Gateway for two years and another one two years prior. During the start of stay at home in March we started having issues. We got all new cables from the tap and into the house and connected the cable directly to the gateway, no splitters. Comcast blamed our gateway so we started using one of theirs and the problem stopped. With the very good chance of everyone learning/teaching from home again this fall, I'm going to keep using their device until 2021 when hopefully things will be much better.
I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds my future.
palanzo
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Re: Comcast - lease modem/router or buy?

Post by palanzo »

joms wrote: Wed Jul 27, 2016 3:41 pm Has anyone had success just buying a compatible device ("wireless gateway") instead of leasing it for $10/month? Seems like you could buy a device for something like $70, which would save $50 if you were just staying for a year.

Also, anyone done the self-installation kit ($15) instead of having a guy come over and set everything up ($90)? Is it easy to do, or a major pain?
This has been discussed many time before. The search feature will help you find the threads.

Here is one of many:

viewtopic.php?t=267788
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