Read our CenturyLink home internet review.Įquipment fees: Yes ($13 per month for modem rental, $10 per month for mesh router rental) "Retired and third-party devices are more likely to cause performance issues and may not connect to your internet service correctly."Īnd remember, if you're replacing CenturyLink's gateway with a standard modem, then you'll also need to find a good router to go with it. "CenturyLink highly recommends using one of our certified or recommended Wi-Fi modems (gateways), which have been tested and approved to work optimally with our high-speed internet technology," the company's website reads. You can skip that $15 fee by using a gateway or modem of your own, but CenturyLink cautions customers not to use anything that isn't on its list of approved devices. Depending on the type of plan you sign up for, that gateway will be one of four models: the Actiontec C3000A, the Greenwave C4000, the Zyxel C4000LZ or the Zyxel C3000Z. In some regions, Enhanced Wi-Fi means that you get the Eero Pro 6 mesh router, which is excellent, but in others, it's just the standard Eero 6 router, which wasn't nearly as strong a performer in my tests.Ĭustomers can also rent the Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 Wi-Fi 6 gaming router for $13 per month, which isn't a bad deal at all, given that it usually costs around $300.Įquipment fee: Yes ($15 per month for modem/router gateway device rental)ĬenturyLink charges $15 monthly to rent a gateway that combines a modem and a router into one device. That said, it's worth noting that Astound also offers "Enhanced Wi-Fi" in some regions, which gets you a fancier router for an additional $10 per month. ![]() Regardless of the price, the rental fee includes both a modem and a router, and you can skip it by using your own hardware (here's Astound's list of approved modems). In some cases, the rental fee can be included for as low as $3 per month, but in others, you'll need to pay as much as $15 monthly. It’s better to avoid buying 8x4 or 4x4 models since many ISPs have stopped supporting them.Equipment fee: Yes ($3 to $15 per month for modem and router rental, depending on region)Īstound Broadband offers home internet service in several large metros across the country - including Austin, Chicago, Houston, New York and Seattle - and the modem and router rental terms vary from region to region and plan to plan. All the models from this list support a speed of up to 600 Mbps. Those who use an Internet plan that supports the speed of 300 Mbps need to purchase a 24x8 modem. If your speed barely reaches 300 Mbps, you can buy a 16x4 modem. While the average connection speed in the US reaches 100 Mbps, you can opt for 1 Gigabit speed if your Internet service provider supports it. You need to purchase a modem that supports the number of channels allowed by your Internet plan. If your ISP allows you to use only 16 downstream channels, there is no need to buy a 24x8 modem. However, you need to be on a high-speed Internet plan to make the most out of your modem. If your RCN cable modem supports DOCSIS 3.0, a larger number of channels will mean a higher speed. For instance, it could be 16x4, 32x8, 24x8. Manufacturers usually indicate it on the box. ![]() When people talk about channel bonding, they refer to the number of downstream and upstream channels supported by a modem.
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