How to Replace a Comcast Modem with your Own (in 4 Easy Steps)
Not too long ago, I highlighted 3 ways to get rid of your Comcast modem rental fee after Comcast killed my old Netgear gateway.
I had successfully tried the Comcast negotiation route before – but it’s easy to forget to call in to negotiate every 6 months to do so. And when you get a discount on your modem rental, it leaves you with little leverage to negotiate bigger discounts on the cost of the internet service.
Besides. I hated seeing a device with a little “XFinity” logo on it sitting next to my computer.
So I decided to replace the Arris TG862 Comcast-owned gateway, with my own.
Now, I am no longer paying the ridiculous $7 per month rental fee for a Comcast modem.
Here is How to Replace a Comcast Modem with your Own, in 4 Easy Steps:
I will specifically detail how I replaced a Comcast modem with my own, but this should be applicable to other ISP’s as well.
1. Buy a Modem & Router or a Gateway to Replace your Comcast Modem
You do not NEED to buy a 2-in-1 gateway device, such as the one Comcast commonly supplies. You can go with a basic cable modem and pair it with a wireless router.
There is a list of Comcast supported cable modems that are compatible with their network. Comcast recently upgraded their network to DOCSIS 3.0, but it is backwards compatible to previous generation DOCSIS model modems.
The tech I had spoke to previously had recommended the Motorala SBG6580 gateway. After doing some research, however, I had noticed that this device had horrible reviews due to a number of problems working with Comcast’s network through firmware (or lack of) updates.
I opted to instead go for the Motorola DOCSIS 3.0 SB6121 cable modem, paired with the Medialink Wireless-N router. Both were top sellers in the cable modem and router categories on Amazon and had outstanding reviews. I paid a total of $130 ($75 of which was Amazon gift cards), which means the devices will pay for themselves at 1.5 years. I bought the latest technology because I wanted to make sure I was forward compatible so I didn’t have to buy a new modem or router for many years to come, but you could go with cheaper models (as long as they are compatible)
2. Call Comcast
After you get your new gateway or modem/router combo, you’ll have to call Comcast to activate your modem. Select “technical support” when you call in. When you are connected to a tech, tell them you bought your own new modem to replace your Comcast modem.
They will start by asking you for the MAC address and Serial Number listed on your new device so that they can send a signal to your device. I’ve had my share of bad Comcast customer service experiences, but this one was surprisingly positive and simple. The tech walked me through getting my internet up and running with my new modem. Within 5 minutes, I was connected at 25 mbps download and 4 mbps upload – the same speeds I had from the Comcast Arris gateway.
The Comcast tech also removed the modem fee code in my billing profile (I didn’t have to ask for this, but you may have to). Finally, he gave me the address of a service center to return my Comcast modem.
3. Connect your Devices to your Router
Once you have your modem and router running, you should secure your wifi network and connect your devices.
You can easily set your network name and your password on your router. You’ll then need to go back to each device (laptop, cell phones, tablet, etc.) to choose the new network and enter the password.
Each router will have slightly different instructions on how to do this, but all you need to know is that it’s a fairly simple and straightforward process. Total time invested was about 15 minutes.
4. Return your Comcast Modem!
Don’t forget to return your Comcast-supplied modem or gateway. The tech told me I had 45 days to due this before Comcast listed the device as missing and charged me for it. Surprisingly, you will not be charged for the device in the meantime, you just need to make sure to return it within the 45 days.
Here is a list of Comcast service centers. They are generally open Monday – Saturday during normal business hours.
Make sure to get a receipt for your device return! I have heard of a few examples where the returnee did not do so and ran into problems. Any time you can keep a paper trail with Comcast, it’s usually a good thing, so you don’t end up with unwarranted fees later on.
Replacing your Comcast Modem Fee Discussion:
- Have you replaced your Comcast modem with your own?
- What gateway or modem/router combo do you personally recommend?
Related Posts:
I am G.E. Miller, & 
I actually had a great experience with a Comcast subsidiary named Cox, which is in RI. After 6 months we were allowed to keep our modem. We did pay a rental fee in that time, but the total spent on rental fees was less than buying a new modem outright. We took that modem with us when the Coast Guard transferred me to MI, and we have paid zero in rental fees and didn’t have to remember to turn old hardware back in. It was great. If you live in RI and use Cox, make sure they are giving you the modem like they did for us. It will save you easy money, and that always feeds good!
Definitely a good investment. I have Verizon FiOS now, which offers free modem/router combo. But when I had Comcast, they charged a modem fee. I already had a wireless router, because Comcast didn’t offer one (free OR paid).
I bought my own modem (Motorola Surfboard SB5100 Cable Modem, $29 used). It was cheap, but I know I didn’t buy the latest DOCSIS version, so it wouldn’t be useful forever. It paid for itself in about 5 months, and was then used for another year before switching to VZ. It’s now sitting in a box. I should resell to get even more money out of it.
If you are signing up for NEW Comcast service and want to avoid the modem rental you should be careful to avoid extra installation charges (up to $99). You can usually do a self installation (free) if you rent a modem from Comcast. I was not offered the option for a self-installation because I had my own modem, which I bought on Ebay. If you sign up your service over the phone be sure to tell them that you want to try a self installation. They will only have to send someone out to connect you if your address has been disconnected at one of their service boxes. That’s not usually the case unless comcast has never been used at your address or if it hasn’t been used for a long time.
In the online system you will be forced to schedule an installation, which WILL incur an extra charge. I only found this out after getting a $99 surprise on my first bill. After calling and talking with them I managed to reduce this installation charge to $35. The first time I called I got put on hold and transferred in circles – typical customer service nightmare – but the second time I got a very helpful rep who was friendly and quickly resolved the problem. If you try to sign up for new service with your own modem you might have to schedule an installation but you should call to cancel it later to avoid an extra fee.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing the tip, Curtis.
Really? I was able to do a self-install with my own modem and didn’t get charged for it. Just had to call and get my modem verified. They also needed to run a new wire to the house from the service box, but didn’t charge for that either. Sounds like you got a lousy customer service agent!
Hi G.E. it actually can be even easier to get your own modem in that you do not need to call in. Assuming Comcast’s system isn’t having issues, you can just connect the modem and then connect a computer to the modem (I’d hold off on hooking up the router until the modem is connected, just to make troubleshooting easier but you can if you want
) and go through the automated activation using Comcast’s Walled Garden system which actually now has a pretty slick web GUI to guide you through the process. It’s a nice feature for people like me that hate calling Comcast hehe. I believe the URL you want to type in is activate.comcast.com.
Also, gateways are a bad idea, it’s much harder to diagnose problems
Good choice on the SB121 though, its the one I have!
Hi G.E.,
I thought I was smart by replacing the Comcast router with my own, now I have to try this and go one step further! I can’t stand how high my bill is.
Although this article was informative, it wasn’t my first motivation to contact you. Because I couldn’t find your contact information anywhere, I figured that this would be my best bet.
I am emailing you on behalf of Conestoga Bank, a full service bank with 16 branches and locations based in and around the Philadelphia region. I just wanted to let you know that you’ve been featured in Conestoga’s quarterly personal finance newsletter, The Good Life, in its Summer 2012 edition that was just sent out to our 5,000 readers. Please find the feature here: http://conestogabank.com/assets/downloads/Good_Life_Summer_2012.pdf
20 Something Finance was chosen by Kiplinger’s Cameron Huddleston as one of the best personal finance blogs worth reading, which is definitely an achievement to be proud of. Along with a link to your site, there is a blurb letting our customers know about your solid advice on how to save money and your impressive feat of 85% savings rate.
We’re really impressed by your blog, and we will continue suggesting it to our customers to help improve their personal finance management!
Please feel free to email me with any questions.
Best,
Teresa
Great write up. I actually came across a modem that was a few years old at a yard sale and picked it up for $5 (which is the per month rental fee from my ISP) It works like a charm! I get my full download speeds and it’s great. I know I was just lucky to find it but I’m thrilled I don’t have to shell out the rental fee every month!!
Thanks for this post! I’m moving out of the parents house and into an apartment and if not for reading this, I probably would’ve rented the modem from Comcast for $7 a month. Instead, I got the exact one you recommended and it should pay for itself in just over a year. Great advice!
Hi guys
I just switched to comcast xfinity and have my fios verizon actiontec router which i didn’t have to return.
I was thinking of hooking it up to the comcast co-ax cable and see how that works.
Two questions –
1. Just replacing the ARRIS with Actiontec won’t be enough right ? I will have to call or use activate.comcast.com to activate the router ?
2. I also have phone service through Comcast and i see a phone cable running from the back of the ARRIS to the wall jack. I think this is what is providing phone service to rest of the phone jacks in my house. I don’t see any place in the actiontec router to hook up the phone cable. So question is how can i replace the ARRIS and still keep my phone service ?
If you have VOIP service through Comcast, you have to use their supplied gateway/modem.
Also, I’m not sure if you could even use the FIOS modem with Comcast. I know Verizaon uses Coax cables in the home but not sure if its signal compatible with traditional cable or not…
I’m considering contacting Comcast for internet service only in my townhouse. I only have an iPAD, do I need a computer to set up these components?
Hello . . .I read your clear instructions about acquiring and installing our own modem. I can’t seem to find a modem that has internet, wireless,router, and telephony. So I have this Motorola modem that has everything except the telephone modem. So if I buy a telephone modem, how do Iconnect both to the one cable hookup. Is there a splicer of some kind. Does anyone else sell a modem that does all, so I can get rid of that $7 monthly fee? Thank you for your help.
I use an Ooma (which everyone who is paying for monthly VOIP subscriptions should buy). It hooks right up to the modem with a fiber cable, then my phone hooks up to the Ooma. Here’s my Ooma review: http://20somethingfinance.com/ooma-review-1-year-after-making-the-switch/
Get your modem separate from the router as I’ve suggested here.
Thanks for the clear instructions. I just made the swap and it was pretty painless. I only had to provide the MAC address. I also upgraded my Wifi router to a dual band “N” type. I recommend doing the modem first with old router, then the router….
Okay, so that means that you NEVER have to pay for a Internet bill again?
No, it just means that you will not have to pay Comcast (or whatever your cable ISP is) a monthly rental fee for the modem.
Do you need a better modem to run 2 iPads and 2 iPhones plus a computer. My service seems to be running slower. Not sure if you need a better router or modem. I do have up a Cisco Linksys EA2700 router 3months old.
I have basic internet access with Comcast Xfinity. I rented the RCA DCM425C + the Netgear 150 WNR1000 wireless-N router over a year ago. I pay $14 to rent the wireless Netgear per month. My total internet bill per month fluctuates for unknown reasons, but an average of $90 per month is the cost. I use the internet to check my email, watch youtube and browse websites so I don’t use much bandwidth. Comcast calls me every few months advertising they will ‘save me money’ and lower my internet bill to just $50/mo if I subscribe to their cable tv service.
I have had Comcast on/off over the years since 2005. I have moved several times over the years and always promptly return the equipment 2-3 days after disconnecting the service. I go and drop it off then ask for a receipt, but the Comcast personnel always tell me I don’t need a receipt. The next time I go and get Comcast again years later after moving they hook up internet then when my bill comes in the mail my first bill is $240. I call and ask what happened and they claim I never returned their equipment last time I had internet access with them and $180 is the cost of the cable modem box plus the wireless router box.
I’m afraid to swap out the modem thinking they will either keep charging me rent for a modem that I bought and or claim I never returned theirs after I move again/disconnect service.
I hate Comcast Xfinity, but I choose them because I’ve seen too many people who have constant connection problems with Qwest/Century Link meaning bad phones lines and long wait times on the phone. It all comes down to being extorted by the Comcastic butt-pirates, not having unreliable internet or not having internet at all.
In short, I’m just warning everyone of the ways of Comcast if you think you’ll save some money by outsmarting them.
It isn’t clear to me if there is a modem / router I can buy with phone port. So do I still need to pay Comcast monthly or is there a solution out there?
The router I highlighted has ethernet jacks. I plug my Ooma in to it, and then my phone in to my Ooma.
Hi Tom, as per my previous post: If you are on Comcast and are using Comcast’s home pone service you have to use their supplied gateway. So yes, you will unfortunately need to keep renting Comcast’s gateway.
There are gateways that you can buy w/ RJ-11 (phone) jacks, but Comcast will not provision them afaik.
Comcast told me I have to have the Arris TG862 because I have a phone on it. They said the phone won’t work with a router and a modem.
search this blog for “Ooma”. That holds the answers to all your problems.