That equipment fee might not seem like much when you first sign up for internet service, but fast forward a few years and you’re looking at hundreds in wasted dollars.
Most ISPs charge between $10 and $15 monthly for equipment — you should be able to see the fee on your ISP’s broadband nutrition label — while you can generally get a modem and router for less than $200. Buying your own internet equipment usually pays for itself in the first year, but it often comes with some additional headaches.
I’ve been writing about the internet for six years, and for all six of them, I’ve carried around a shameful secret: I’ve a rented a router from Xfinity for most of that time. Even though I’ve always advised readers to buy their own equipment, my rented modem and router worked fine, even though I knew in the back of my mind that it was a waste of money.
Locating local internet providers
Then I took a look through my old bills and added up a number that prompted me to reconsider: $873. That’s how much I’ve spent on Xfinity’s equipment fees over those six years.
With the money I’ve spent renting Xfinity equipment, I could’ve bought the most advanced router CNET’s ever tested and then bought another as a backup. I could’ve doubled the internet speed I was getting. I could’ve booked a flight to Oslo. I was finally ready to enter the world of modem-and-router ownership.
Locating local internet providers
As satisfied as I was with my Xfinity gear, owning your own equipment is almost always the better option. You’ll often get better performance — my upload speeds increased by more than 2,000% — and as I say, it’ll usually pay for itself within the first year or two.
The average internet bill in the US comes in at $63 per month — and that’s before you add the extra taxes and fees. Some of these are unavoidable, but equipment rental fees don’t fall into that category.
You might be perfectly content to pay a bit extra for the convenience of not having to buy and set up your own equipment. But if you’re looking to save money in the long run, and are comfortable purchasing and managing your own gear, it’s a far better deal to shell out for your own router and modem. (You may also be able to take advantage of any low-income discounts available in your state.)
Here’s what I’ve learned about making the switch from rented equipment to my own, and here’s how you can make a similar change as painless as possible.
How to choose the right modem and router
The best internet is the internet you never notice, and I can’t remember the last time my connection went out or I saw a buffering wheel in my home. And this is all with a device from 2017 that Xfinity describes as an
Should You Buy or Rent Your Router? Learn From My $873 Mistake
