Updates to this article: I have decided to replace my Comcast Xfinity modem with my own modem + router. I’d recommend buying a fast modem (either a Netgear CM3000 or Motorola B12) and pairing it with a Wi-Fi 7 router (either a Netgear Nighthawk BE9300 or a TP-Link BE9300), if I were buying today. This setup would be as fast as anything Xfinity offers and pay for itself in just over a year (versus Xfinity xFi modem rental fees). Then, it’s free for life! I have more in-depth recommendations on customer-owned replacement devices at the bottom of the article. You can now also get rid of your Xfinity DVR & TV Box fee and save an additional $12 per month ($144/year) by owning your own streaming device.
If you have Comcast (“Xfinity”) internet, this article will instruct you on 3 ways to get rid of your XFinity modem and router rental fee. It’s also a tale of how Comcast has increased their xFi gateway rental fee to a whopping $15 per month ($25/month for “xFi Complete”), in order to turn it into a profitable revenue stream for the company. That’s way too much to pay for a modem rental – so this article will detail 3 ways to get rid of that modem rental fee.
If you don’t have Comcast and have another Internet service provider, the same advice may also apply. I’ve written more broadly on how to get rid of your ISP modem rental fee (if you’re not with Comcast).
How I Found 3 Ways to Get Rid of Comcast Xfinity Modem Rental Fee
When I first moved to my existing home, I signed up for Comcast Xfinity high-speed Internet, with wireless networking (Wi-Fi). As part of the installation, Comcast put in a Netgear cable modem that also dubbed as a Wi-Fi router.
I didn’t know it at the time of installation, but on my first bill, I noticed that Comcast started charging me $3 to rent this modem. That’s right – for the privilege of paying them $40 a month for internet service, I also had to pay $3 per month to rent the equipment to do it (that price has now skyrocketed to $15 per month recently for a standard xFi gateway and $25 per month for “xFi Complete”, sadly).
I was kind of irritated, so I started searching and found a list of Comcast Xfinity supported modems & routers. I couldn’t find any for sale online at the time and thought they could only be had from Comcast.
So, I kept paying the modem rental fee. That is, until they increased their rental fee again (they do this every year or so now). I called Comcast customer service, and threatened to drop the service unless they stopped charging me the rental fee. The Comcast bill negotiation worked. Lesson #1: Negotiation is the first way to get rid of your Comcast modem rental fee.
A year or so later, I started receiving voicemails that Comcast was upgrading to DOCSIS 3.0 (more recently to DOCSIS 3.1). In short, DOCSIS upgrades permit faster download/upload speeds. To celebrate, Comcast kept sending me messages to “upgrade your cable modem for free”. I ignored the messages for a bit out of laziness. Shortly after, I noticed that Comcast stopped charging me for the modem rental fee on my old Comcast-owned gateway completely.
In talks with a Comcast support tech, I found out that this is quite common. Comcast will eventually write off older router/modem/gateways as “customer owned” because they don’t want to support them anymore. The downside when they do this is that they can no longer charge you a rental fee. Lesson #2: Obsolescence is the second way to get rid of your Comcast modem rental fee.
Months and months went by and I thought to myself, “This is great, I have a free Comcast modem/router that I am not paying a rental fee on. I beat the man!”. Meanwhile, Comcast raised its rental fee again.
Then, it happened. Comcast killed my modem. One day it was working fine, delivering serviceable speeds. The next (and for 3 days after), the speeds dropped to 0.2 Mbps download.
I called Comcast Xfinity customer service and scheduled to have a tech come out. He was a bit of a Comcast hater (most Comcast techs are contracted and not employed by Comcast, by the way), and what I learned from him was interesting.
Any other time I’ve had a tech come out, they test things out, look for chewed wires outside, etc. Right away, this tech said, “We have to replace your gateway”. Hmm… that’s odd. I immediately leveled with him and told him I liked my old Gateway because I didn’t have to pay a rental fee. This is when he told me about Comcast pushing the “customer owned” status on old gateways. He told me if Comcast wanted to kill my gateway, they could, no problem, by easily sending it a code. He wouldn’t say they did this to me, but I got the message.
I also got the message when he plugged in a brand new Xfinity-owned DOCSIS 3.0 gateway and it started delivering the full download speed I was paying for immediately, right out of the box.
I then questioned him on if I could buy my own DOCSIS 3.0 gateway (a “gateway” is a modem + router) to replace the Comcast installed gateway. He said, “Yes, any will work”. Years earlier, when I did my search, I did not know this was the case. I thought you had to have a Comcast installed gateway in order to get service. This is not true, but don’t expect Comcast to volunteer that. You can buy any supported gateway or modem + router combo and follow these Xfinity 3rd party modem self-install instructions to get it working. Lesson #3: You can replace Comcast supported gateways with your own modem and router in order to get rid of the rental fee and self-install.
I asked the Comcast tech if he had any recommendations, and he directed me to a Motorola DOCSIS 3.0 gateway (a combined modem and router). And since it is not Comcast owned, they can’t kill it. You can get a modem and router separately, which I would recommend instead, as they are often cheaper and you can upgrade one or the other at some point.
I highlighted the best value modem and router I would purchase at the top of the article (either a Netgear CM3000 or Motorola B12 modem) and pairing it with a Wi-Fi 7 router (either a Netgear Nighthawk BE9300 or a TP-Link BE9300), but any of the following modem and router combinations will work for you. I’ve spent weeks researching every Xfinity supported modem, so you don’t have to do that laborious work. Enjoy – you can do this!
Best Xfinity-Compatible Modems (to pair with any router below):
These cable modems have the latest/greatest technology and will be able to meet the top ISP speeds for a long time. All are top sellers on Amazon with 4+ star customer ratings, are equipped with the latest DOCSIS 3.1 technology, have over 1Gbps (=1,000Mbps, or 1 “Gig”) speed capabilities, and have been chosen for great value for their price. If you’re paying for top speeds with Xfinity, go with one of these.
- Netgear CM3000: up to 2330Mbps
- Motorola B12: up to 2330Mbps
- Hitron Coda56: up to 2330Mbps
- Arris S34: up to 2330Mbps
OR, Xfinity-Compatible Modems with Xfinity Voice Capability (to pair with any router below):
In my view, Xfinity Voice is overpriced, with much cheaper VOIP landline options out there that you can connect to any router (see Ooma). But, if you are sure you want it, the following modem is the best Xfinity Voice compatible modem:
- Netgear CM2050v: up to 2330Mbps
Wi-Fi 7 Routers (to pair with any modem above):
I did a breakdown of Wi-Fi 7 versus Wi-Fi 5, 6, & 6E technology. Wi-Fi 7 is easily the best Wi-Fi technology for the modern internet and household Wi-Fi demands. Now that it’s been on the market for a while, it also provides the best value for your money. Compared to Wi-Fi 6E (the most recent generation), Wi-Fi 7 doubled the amount of simultaneous high speed connected devices – and increased maximum speeds. Just make sure you get a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router, which adds a 6GHz band – not all of them have it. Here are my picks for the best value Wi-Fi 7 routers (all with tri-band) on the market at the moment:
- Netgear Nighthawk BE9300 – Wi-Fi 7: up to 9300Mbps (5800Mbps on the 6GHz, 2900Mbps on the 5GHz band, 700Mbps on the 2.4GHz band)
- TP-Link BE10000 Mesh – Wi-Fi 7: use solo or as a mesh system with up to 10000Mbps (5188Mbps on the 6GHz, 4324Mbps on the 5GHz band, 574 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band)
- Amazon Eero 7 Pro – Wi-Fi 7: up to 5000Mbps (3900Mbps on the 6GHz, unspecified speeds for 5GHz band and 2.4GHz bands)
- TP-Link BE9300 – Wi-Fi 7: up to 9300Mbps (5760Mbps on the 6GHz, 2880Mbps on the 5GHz band, 574 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band)
Gateway Modems (modem with router built-in, do not pair with a separate router – 1 “gateway” replaces both modems/routers above):
As highlighted earlier, you don’t need a modem and router in 1 combo unit (also known as a “gateway”) like Xfinity offers. They work the same as any modem and router combo. They are a bit on the more expensive side, not as reliable, and if you want to upgrade either modem or router functionality, you need to buy an entirely new device (vs just one-half). But, if you want one, this is the one worth getting:
- Arris G54: up to 2334Mbps modem + Wi-Fi 7 router
So there you have it – there are three ways to get rid of your Comcast gateway rental fee. At the present $15 per month (only a matter of time before they raise it again), the savings is $180 per year. I personally prefer method #3 as the last painful over the long haul and a relatively easy way to permanently get a discount on your Comcast bill.
Update: Comcast is using its Xfinity-leased modems as public Wi-Fi hotspots (at customer’s expense)! Here is how to opt out of Comcast using your modem as a public Wi-Fi hotspot.
Comcast Rental Fee Discussion:
- How have you been able to get rid of your Comcast or other ISP rental fees?
- What gateway or modem/router combo do you personally recommend?
Related Posts:
My ordeal with Time Warner Cable and the 13 year old modem. After slowly adding a few more wireless devices over the last 2 years I was getting tired of the slow Internet connection and decided to upgrade. The basic package was supposed to deliver 10mbps downloads but I was only getting 5. One evening I unplugged/turned off everything and wired my PC directly to the modem and ran some speed tests….still 5mbps download. Called on a Sunday and upgraded to the “turbo” package and the 20mbps speeds, Monday after work I was still getting 5mbps. Used TWC live chat for an hour and a half and got nowhere, power cycled check connections check for damaged cables etc etc went through everything and no change, 5mbps. Tuesday night called and got an “advanced tech” operator who ultimately said that it was computer and nothing they could do on their end, I had a virus or something. Wednesday night I scoured my computer with multiple anti virus/spyware/malware programs and didn’t find anything. Thursday night called again and started at “tier 1” support and was moved on to “tier 2” and “tier 3” tech support before the last person, that’s 5 different human beings on the phone and one chat operator, said that I needed to have a installation specialist come out and check the lines. Saturday afternoon a installation specialist arrived, 30 minutes late, and took one look at the Motorola Surfboard modem I had and knew it was the problem. The guy told me that it was a 13 year old modem and it can’t handle more than 5mbps of data. New modem in place and instantly shot to 30mbps. For 2 years prior to the upgrade I was getting half of the Internet speeds I signed for, I dropped TWC tv service 3 months later for DirectTV.
That’s a really good tip. For those of us who didn’t see this in time at least now we know that people will buy our old models on ebay!
Thanks for the commentary here. I’m a comcast user but am contemplating switching to direct Tv. I’d like to make the switch before the fall so I can take advantage of the NFL ticket promotion. I haven’t even begun to look at switching costs but I’m worried Comcast will make this difficult.
In heavy rain, dish and direct tv stop working. The service is great, but that’s a bad draw back. I’ve had both.
I just dropped my At&t / Directv service. After a year and a half of my two year contract I couldn’t go through 6 more months of poor performance this winter. 4 or 5 times a day the service screen shows up trying to connect to the satellite. If it rains? I can lose my connection for 20 minutes. I live in a populated city of 100,000. Had techs out several times. When I asked to go back to Uverse which I had for years without interruptions I was told repeatedly I would have to pay for termination fees to switch back. I thought I would tough it out until the contract was up. When I finally switched to another company and got all setup, I called At&t and several Reps tried desperately to get me to come back. Oh no! You wouldn’t have to pay termination fees if you switch with us now. We will give you $20 off your bill a month. Sorry….to late. Originally the At&t Rep talked me into taking Directv at $30 less a month that I was paying. Retired and on Social Security I fell for it. They set the dish up. And charged me $30 more a month. A $60 swing difference. Talked to Reps, managers, supervisors. No help. At&t at the time I believe was trying to prove to investors they made the right decision merging with Directv by adding on new satellite subscriptions.
My advice is to cut the cord. Buy Amazon Fire Stick and stream PS Vue and Philo. This is option will be much cheaper in the long term. Especially in the second year when DirecTV drops your discounts and hold you to the second year of service.
When I moved a few months ago and got Comcast, er, Xfinity (for Internet service only), I bought an SB6121 from Amazon. I’ve been very happy with it – no issues, no monthly fee.
Dude… You just might be my soulmate lol.
Sorry, I’ve already found my soul mate. Oh and just an update, my 6-month promo was expiring this week with the dsl company. It was going to go from $25/month up to $45. So I called to see what they could do to keep me from switching to the cable company. They said they’d give me internet service for half price ($22.50/mo) for the next year! They also said to call again next year to see what new “offers” they can extend me to keep my business. So I guess it never hurts to ask, or to mention the competition :)
Nick, I have Comcast for my TV, Internet and Phone.
I rent a Comcast Wi-Fi router for $7.00 per month.
I own a condo where Comcast is the TV cable provider, so my condo association maintenance fee includes the Cable TV service.
The signal strength on my Wi-Fi laptop computer is only two bars.
My neighbor uses a Linksys router and I can get a strength of signal from his router of six bars, excellent signal strength.
How can I replace the Comcast router, that support my telephone service and internet access? Can I buy a cable router with phone support to replace the Comcast router?
Best regards,
Chispa
Just get an ‘access point’ and bypass the wireless router. This is the easiest and cheapest way to get a strong signal when the router you have is not working well.
Chispa, The only telephone +Internet modem combination is the one that Comcast uses . (5 or authorized Best buys have it.) After replacing my modem with the Motorola 6141. I discovered it didn’t handle the phone. I’m looking into going with OOMA per the other suggestions. Good luck. P. S. The download speed Doubled over the Comcast rented modem.
Why do some of the commenters have pics next to their comments and the rest of us just have an icon? How do I chg mine to my pic, such as my fb profile pic?
gravatar.com
mr miller something you may not understand is that the equipment that you purchase or lease isnt designed to have an infinite lifespan manufacturers like arris motorola scientific atlanta and other electronics providers design equipment so that they can update it but with early docsis (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOCSIS) modems that software can be updated for only so long till theyve reached the maximum life of the device for example when a company like comcast transitions from a docsis 2 (your old gateway) to a docsis 3 (your new one) the maximum speed go from a theoretical 6-12 to well over 50 depending on what service you have how well your lines work what site you are talking to and the actual electrical response of the piece of equipment in your home. The statement comcast killed my modem is not correct in reality what most likely occurred is an equipment failure
i’ve wanted to do this for a long time, totally the push i needed to do it.
I’ve struggled with comcast for years, it’s like an (1st world) epic battle.
i used to have the cheapest plan possible, basically the first step above the rabbit ears – until the digital transition. around that time, they canceled that plan (it was ~$25. included all the major “regular” channels and tbs/tnt/mtv/vh1/etc)
then because they canceled my plan i no longer got any channels. i called them and they resolved it by sending me a digital box that basically just handled the digital transition stuff – except i no longer got all of the big three, NBC didn’t come through anymore, unless i unplugged the digital box, and used a regular antenna… (my tv could translate the new over the air digital signal) but i didn’t receive the big three through the air either.
i called and complained, and they asked me point blank, how did you get that box?, you’re not supposed to have one.
i canceled my cable and haven’t gone back.
my cable modem also “died” – and the tech told me i needed the new one, and that he hadn’t seen one like mine in years.
Also – if you ever move between states, even one state over (i went MD to VA) the comcast offices aren’t connected, and you’ll need to return your box to the “local” office where your account was, not where it will be. that did not go over well with me either.
Congrats GE! I love these tales of you beating da man, especially Comcast.
Sun – any recommendations for a good, cheap modem/router that I could get on ebay today? Comcast provides 20Mbps in my area. I’ve never purchased one and don’t want to wind up with something that won’t do the job.
Thanks!
Any suggestions on buying a cheap modem to allow me to eliminate the $8 modem rental fee charged by cable one for internet?
I bought a new modem and gave back the rental to Comcast. Unfortunately, since then they have insidiously and steadily increased my bill back to what it was with the rental fee anyway. In all I paid about $30 to save about $15.
so i have heard that is you use comcast phone you cannot drop their gateway modem? anyone have any truth on this issue?
You can purchase a VOiP modem online on ebay but it is very unlikely Comcast will be able to activate it. I work for comcast and have never managed to get our computer system to recognize a VOiP modem that did not come from Comcast.
I was able to connect my Ooma with my Comcast internet as well have voicemail through Ooma. Check Youtube and Ooma website or support for help.
Did Comcast sell their modems at one time before they started renting them all the time I have voice.
I called comcast tech and asked if upgrading my 5-yr old SMC 8014 DOCSIS 2.0 modem might increase my speed. He said, “yes. If you upgrade through us, we’d send you a Motorola SB6121 DOCSIS 3.0. But you could also buy one yourself and save the $7/mo rental fee.” (yes, he told me this). I further asked if upgrading my 5-yr old gen 1 Airport extreme with a gen 5 would further help. Again, he suggested it probably would. So I bought both online ($275 together). Check out the goofy results.
First, I ran a speed test before changing anything. 23 down/5 up (what I typically get. decent I know). Then I change out cable modem and get it initialized over the phone with comcast tech. My speed drops to 16-17 down and (get this) 35 up! The tech on the phone says (about the 35 up), “that’s weird. That’ll come down.” So I tested it a few more times, and it did – 34, 32, 30. But the 16-17 down is worse and I say so. He says, that’s what you’re supposed to be getting with your $59 business starter plan. You could upgrade to $99 plan and get 25-27 down. I say no thanks, and switch back to 5 yr old modem (which takes a while and another 15 minutes on with tech) and I go back up to 23 down.
Next, I switch to new gen 5 airport. I drop to 20 down. Crazy. I say forget it, switch back to old airport, box up the new equip and return to amazon.
I realize I never tested the two new pieces together, nor did I mess with the settings, but I figure I’m already getting faster speed than what I’m paying for (I didn’t know this before), so I truly don’t expect to be able to squeeze more out of the connection. It’s just goofy though that both pieces dropped my speed.
Now I’m thinking I should buy a used SMC 8014 for $30 and have it pay for itself in 5 months. It just feels silly purchasing a modem that is obsolete by any metric (except performance). I’d love to hear if someone’s knows if different settings might have produced different results.
Hi G.E?. Miller,
Thanks for posting your experience. Are you saying you were paying for a WiFi hub as well as the modem?
As for modems I remember when everyone just owned their own modem but the hardware speeds increased annually and so we all just jumped on the new $125 modems without complaint and so the $84 price just seemed all the same as long as we traded out our modems regularly. But if hardware speeds haven’t increased as much as they used to I guess I could see you point that we all need to wake up and start buying them again… Unfortunately they’re not as easy as they used to be to find. There was a day when you could walk into the “modem isle” at Comp USA and have a wide variety of choices.
Thanks for raising the point though… I’ll be taking a look online to see what compares to Comcast hardware.
No, it was my airport. They charged $7 just for the 5 year old modem. So, I called Comcast, and asked if they could stop charging the rental fee since it’s been well paid for by now. And she said… um, no. So I ordered the same old SMC model online for $27 and returned the rental. Now maxing my speed rent free. Thanks for the inspiration.
For those who are looking to do this, I have phrase of advice: KEEP YOUR RECEIPT!!!
I purchased my own modem in AUG of last year (a Motorola SB6121) because I didn’t want to pay the fee. On FRI of last week (4/26/2013) Comcast contacted me about my rental fee and said they were going to charge me for the months I have missed.
I told them I had my own modem that I purchased and they had the gall to tell me that the my modem’s serial number belonged to them!!! I have had to go to Target and get a copy of my receipt, then fax it to them to prove that the Modem belongs to me.
I am livid…because it indicates that somewhere in their network, they decided that the serial number on my modem belonged to them. They basically tried to steal my serial number and charge me for it. Whether it was intentional or not, they have somehow registered my serial number as belonging to them. I’m still waiting to hear back from the Cust. Service Manager.
Does Motorola SB6121 work for wi-fi to use laptops and cell phone devices with the internet service? I bought one, but haven’t activated the internet yet.
Do they make you pay an “installation” fee every six months?
I just got a notice of an “order confirmation” for something I clearly didn’t order. When I opened the e-mail it revealed that Comcast is now charging me an “inactive modem fee” for the previous modem I had once they mailed me the free upgrade to the DOCSIS Arris to achieve the proper speeds on their new fiberoptic network???
WTH?
I dropped Comcast for the last 2 years and all of a sudden I start getting calls from “Complete Recovery” it is a service that Comcast uses to harass former customers and accuse them of keeping Comcast equipment. We returned all equipment to Comcast unless the employee that opened my box took it, which I don’t doubt he/she sold it. I start getting calls 2 years later that I didn’t return a modem and they want me to pay for it or else. Well honey, I work for an attorney’s office and I will gladly battle your a$$. I’m ready! Come on, bring it ON! I am very mad at this point. I called Comcast and told them I was ready to go to small claims court and they better stop harassing me. They have the burden of proving that we didn’t return the equipment…I have a receipt that I returned it. So to make it harder for them I will make them work for it! And to think my husband wanted to try Comcast as an a cable provider AGAIN? That’s hell to the NO! Comcast customers please BEWARE, please keep your receipts when returning any equipment to them and I mean READ your receipt to be sure it shows what item your returning. COMCAST SUCKS!
I will NEVER be their customer again!!!
I dropped Comcast for the last 2 years and all of a sudden I start getting calls from “Complete Recovery” it is a service that Comcast uses to harass former customers and accuse them of keeping Comcast equipment. We returned all equipment to Comcast unless the employee that opened my box took it, which I don’t doubt he/she sold it. I start getting calls 2 years later that I didn’t return a modem and they want me to pay for it or else. Well honey, I work for an attorney’s office and I will gladly battle your a$$. I’m ready! Come on, bring it ON! I am very mad at this point. I called Comcast and told them I was ready to go to small claims court and they better stop harassing me. They have the burden of proving that we didn’t return the equipment…I have a receipt that I returned it. So to make it harder for them I will make them work for it! And to think my husband wanted to try Comcast as an a cable provider AGAIN? That’s hell to the NO! Comcast customers please BEWARE, please keep your receipts when returning any equipment to them and I mean READ your receipt to be sure it shows what item your returning. COMCAST SUCKS!
I will NEVER be their customer again!
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I dropped Comcast for the last 2 years and all of a sudden I start getting calls from “Complete Recovery” it is a service that Comcast uses to harass former customers and accuse them of keeping Comcast equipment. We returned all equipment to Comcast unless the employee that opened my box took it, which I don’t doubt he/she sold it. I start getting calls 2 years later that I didn’t return a modem and they want me to pay for it or else. Well honey, I work for an attorney’s office and I will gladly battle your a$$. I’m ready! Come on, bring it ON! I am very mad at this point. I called Comcast and told them I was ready to go to small claims court and they better stop harassing me. They have the burden of proving that we didn’t return the equipment…I have a receipt that I returned it. So to make it harder for them I will make them work for it! And to think my husband wanted to try Comcast as an a cable provider AGAIN? That’s hell to the NO! Comcast customers please BEWARE, please keep your receipts when returning any equipment to them and I mean READ your receipt to be sure it shows what item your returning. COMCAST SUCKS!
I just received a letter saying that they will start charging me monthly rental fee for an inactive modem that I did not return. I used and paid rental fee for at least 6 years from $3-$7 until two years ago when they update it with a new one. How can I prove that I returned (and fully paid from rental)a very outdated modem (from 2004. Please advise. I don’t have the receipt anymore. But why they are sending me the letter now??? After 2 years??
Does anyone know of a good wireless cable modem that Comcast supports? Is there a list of approved Comcast modems anywhere? Thank you!
Best Buy has wireless routers that will work for $50.
I saw a wireless router at Best Buy on sale for $50. They have others for around $80. I wouldn’t spend more than that.
I’m trying to escape the same $7.00 fee you did. But I can’t find a router to replace Comcasts. We have cable to our desk top, need wifi for ipad, AND need a plug for our land phone lines.(which will go when grandma moves out). Is there a unit that does all 3 like comcasts unit. Plus the wireless they have sucks, our house is only 1800 sq. ft. and I can’t get my smart tv netflix to load across the house. I want to get a power-full unit that will work on patio too. Please help!
Thanks
What you want is something called a “wireless extender” or something called an “access point” so that you can go further or provide your own signal entirely. I recommend getting an access point as they’ll have better speed and stability. The tradeoff is having to have access to a physical Ethernet (wired LAN) cable.
On the (very) low end for extenders, there’s the EDUP-2906. TL-WA701ND is a super-cheap access point. You probably will want to research a better model than these 2. Newegg or TigerDirect or similar sites have search engines capable of locating other access points pretty easily. In theory Amazon does, but their search is… annoying. ;)
i have comcast for phone and internet (tv not an issue)
problem: can’t find for under $150 a solution to avoid renting their modem and router —
need to have coaxial link so cant get 2 boxes to replace the 1
HELP!!!!
THANKS
steve
Hello,
Ok I bit the bullet and ordered the netgear modem DOCSIS 3.0 (CMD31T) and netgeat wireless router for my Comcast Internet and Phone. Now I’m reading this modem may or may not work with Comcast phone service. Has anyone out here had this same situaltion.
Here’s a tip: if you have internet and phone service through Comcast and they claim your getting a bundle discount your not. Just check your bill, Internet and phone are charged full price individually. When I called they admitted they really dont bundle but if you call they will give you a customer loyalty annual discount of at least 20.00 off a month. Most likely this is the bundle price but you have to work for it.
Thanks,
Fred
Hi,
I was told by Comcast (10/11/14 4:00pm EST) that the rental fee is not $8.00 a month. I will be getting my own. Thanks
Thanks for all the helpful info. I found your article because I was irritated when I looked at my bill today and found they are now charging me $10.00 a month for the privilege of using their 4 year old modem. Time to buy my own, keep the receipts for both purchase and return of old, and check my bill each month.
Thanks to you and all the comments.
Please help – I just don’t understand all this stuff I am 3xthe 20 somethings but need to save money too-
I currently have comcast triple play, we are getting rid of the voice service.
Currently Comcast has an Arris wireless gateway installed at my home for which they charge me $8 per month and right next to it I have a Netgear Wireless Dual Band router which i own. Do I still need to keep the Arris wireless gateway?
Hi, if you are getting rid of the voice service, you do not need the Arris wireless gateway, but you will need a basic cable modem (without the phone connection). Here’s a list of Comcast compatible cable modems:
http://mydeviceinfo.comcast.net
The Motorola SURFboard SB6121 and SB6141 are popular choices.
Xfinity/Comcast now charging $8 per month for the modem rental!
dear sit
i just get comcast 3 day ago. i pay xfinity box $8 a mouth i don’t want to pay rental box name is arris model tg862g/ct.now i but the box the same one did comcast charge me $8 a mouth or not can you let me know please thank you…..this box wi-fi not work can i but the wi-fi box put it in
same about
We bought our our modem before signup with Comcast. Then after a year with them, all of a sudden the rental fee showed up. 45 minutes with Comcast and they tell me “You have been renting for the last year, but we just did not charge you so we corrected the situation.” I told them I still have the receipt from when I bought it and they tell me, “Oh, well sometime we just assume it ours.”
WTF?!?!?
Well, I guess my saga beats all of yours, guys.
I pay $8.00 fee for the modem twice/month!
One $8.00 modem rental fee for Xfinity Internet.
The other $8.00 modem rental for Xfinity Voice.
I don’t get it – I pay 2 times for the same f***ing box rental??
As most of the average Joe’s in this country, I don’t look at the itemized bill regularly. But I did go over it last month, and discovered that I am being charged twice for the same box.
I called their billing service and they told me they made a mistake!!! How’s that?? I’ve been paying them for their mistake for several years as I just discovered looking at my old bills!!!
Stupid, stupid me!! Please, check your bills from Comcast before you pay them!!!
After arguing with the billing department, I got a credit return – they promised to pay me back for 6 months. Sounds like a good deal, right? Nope. I have paid them for years for the outdated piece of crap, by my standard I own the frigging box. So they have to correct their mistake” going back to when they started making it! And I intend not to pay my bill until I get my money back.
As for their threats of debt collectors – I am cool: how many judges will want to know that Comcast charges fraudulent fees and refuses to pay. So, my reasoning: if they admit the mistake but only willing to “partially correct it”, I will admit my mistake of not being diligent with carefully examining their bills,.. and will only partially pay them my last f***ing bill to them.
My first bill after my service was installed that I got was $65.03, my monthly rate should not be no more than $120.. Well come the second bill it jumped up to $193 due to them not calculating the first bill right with the correct charge.. Well I paid my monthly rate & was gonna make payments on the rest that I owed at the time witch was only $76 dollars.. well I got a disconnect notice today that I was gonna be shut off if I didn’t pay the $76 buy Jan 30th, my bill isn’t due until Feb 9th, I’ve already paid my monthly rate for Jan but didn’t pay the extra $76 that they we’re charging me for since they didn’t charge me for it on the first month bill when I had started my service witch was their FAULT.. Now my bill is 218 & I have a disconnect notice.. Ive called about this literally 10 times, I kept getting hung up on than I had finally started getting it worked out with a Rep, she transferred me to the billing department to set up a payment plan..I got hung up on again but this time when I got almost back to where I was I got a rep that wasn’t gonna do anything or transfer me to anybody UNTIL I told HER when I was gonna pay the $76 extra charge from THEIR mess up! This has been nothing but issues since day one all because they didn’t calculate the very first bill right now they are wanting me to pay for their mistake! Please help me…. any way, shape or form possible! It would be much appreciated.
Time Warner internet modem rental is now $8.00 month. (No WiFi).
I now pay $8 @ mo. and will soon buy my own. Comcast billed me for a service call that never happened and after numerous calls and waiting and on hold forever I was told it was a mistake and said they would take the charge off, we’ll see. Also they charged me $30 for a late fee that never happened,I have proof through my checks
they received on the 1rst of the mo. Today I will call again and wait for a supervisor who was suppose return my call a wk ago. I told them I am switching to AT&T and they told me I have a contract
and for the next yr I will get billed every mo. I never I had a contract, they told me because I changed my pkg to lower my bill
I now have a new contract for another yr. I can hardly take it anymore.I have my ph and internet with AT&T and now want my cable
with them. I think because I am in my 70’s they feel that they could jack me around but I will fight it til I get rid of Comcast.
Thanks for letting me bend your ear.
you areabsolutly correct Comcast has been jerking me around with using their rented devices, they can control how it functions by sending signals just to irritate customer into upgrading to something else just to make more money,i do not trust Comcast.
I am going to purchase my own modem router combo the rental fee now is 10.00 per month and its getting out of hand.
We need a class action against comcast
They give you a promo and all of a sudden you are locked into a 2 year contract because I said yes to a promo
Not the only senior this is happening to.
Saying yes to a promo is not a yes to a two year contract.
My monthly bill was about $160 for “blast” internet delivering ~25mbps, 1 phone line, and HD tv with minimal extras. It suddenly increased to $245, so I politely raised hell and threatened to dump everything. The assistant on the phone immediately reverted my monthly bill for the same services to the “promotional” $139 for a year.
I also had been getting billed for a second digital-to-tv converter, which the service tech had removed a few years ago. The first time I inquired about this (a couple of years ago), they claimed that I would have to produce the box. I forget about it for a while, but called again a few months ago, and they told me they’d “research” it and call me back. The didn’t do jack shit, and continued to bill me $5 monthly for a non-existent device.
But today, the nice lady assistant told me that she took it off my account. Now where’s my damned refund?
Hmm, so when you get rid of that CC provided modem did you also know that you loose any kind of support on your own from CC??
Basically, don’t call 1-800-comcast with your “My wifi is slow” BS cause they don’t have to listen to it (Thank God). Signal is good on this side – – BYE!!
IF anyone even had a clue as to how wifi worked, you may not be so ignorant to the hard facts. Please do buy your own modems!!! Less crying and whinning CC techs have to listen to from ignorant and clueless dumbasses. ;-)
comcast raised the modem rental fee to $10.00 per month.
Holy crap. The price raises never end. If my investments had the same return as their modems, I’d be a very rich man. I’ll have to update the post.
Yes, it’s true. Comcast just raised their rates to $10. As a result, I’m now doing the research to own my own modem. I found a CISCO product, DPC3825 Gateway modem router. But there’s lots of contradictory info online regarding whether or not it’s Comcast compatible. Do you know anything about this product & if it’s compatible w/ Comcast?
I’m encouraged by your tech’s words: “yes, any will work”. I also clicked on the link Comcast Gateway Setup Instructions, the link was no longer working.
Any advice?
Thanks!
I just searched Bing and found a page on Comcast’s site that should help you:
http://mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/
I have my own modem also, however when I received the info letting me know I could buy my own I was told that should in call in for a tech to come out that I would be charged for the visit if it was my equipment. if the issue was their modem the visit would be free. hopefully my modem will last. hope this helps.
Hi, G.E.,
After battling with Comcast for years over their (steadily increasing) fees, I’ve reduced my service to basic (3bps internet and 30 channels), using Roku to stream my content on TV.
Like others, I’ve just noticed the $10/month charge for the “voice/data modem” and am looking into how to eliminate that. After visiting Fry’s and Apple stores, I’ve come to understand that I need a “gateway” device that combines both modem and router (so I don’t have to buy/connect two devices when I unplug my Arris Interactive).
I appreciate all the info your article has provided, but the Motorola gateway you recommend seems to be dated, with the reviews mainly from 2011-13. Is that still the model you recommend?
Don’t get a gateway – they are faulty and limited. Get a router + modem. The one I recommend works perfectly fine, but you can get a newer model for more money if you’d like.
Thanks, G.E. – that’s more complicated, but I will see if it’s something I can do. I appreciate your excellent article!
I cancelled Comcast in May 2015 due to moving to an apartment complex that would not allow Comcast at all. The buildings are wired for ATT only. Paid my bill early every month and even bought my own modem in July 2013 to offset the $7 monthly fee to rent their modem. Returned their modem in the same month at a local office in Memphis, which is the only time I ever went to one of their offices. I did get a receipt but did not save it. Bad bad mistake, right? Well, yes and no. In looking at my account online (after the move), I noticed there was a charge for $180. When I contacted billing about it, I was told it was for unreturned equipment….for the original modem I thought. I asked them to do search for the equipment. Well, after several weeks of phone calls, Comcast wanted me to provide the receipt. Since I did not keep the receipt, I called the research department directly. The first call did not result in anything positive but the second call (a few days later) resulted in them finding the returned modem. I was assured the $180 charge would be reversed. A week later the charge was not reversed. To make a long story short, Comcast was billing me for the original modem and the modem I purchased. Typical strategy for Comcast. However, persistence paid off for me, as I made my last call to the research department a couple of days ago and was able to speak to the same lady I had spoken to several days previous to this. Billing apparently had reversed only $90 for MY modem but had not for the returned modem….even though the returned modem was found! Comcast STILL wanted the receipt. You get the picture, right? Even though Comcast has the physical modem on site, they still wanted my return receipt. Go figure. Fortunately the lady in the research dept. was able to get billing to reverse the last $90 charge. Checked my account this morning and found a zero balance. Thank goodness! Have haggled with Comcast since June about this and I’m happy it’s over with!!
comcast sucks. 2015 now and they want $67/month for internet plus taxes and surcharges plus $10/month modem rental fee. outrageous!
How do you get Comcast to take back their modem/cancel the rental fee? I’d love to get my own modem/router but I anticipate them making that a huge pain to go through…
When I called them to get my new modem/router activated, I asked how and was told to take my old Comcast unit to the nearest Comcast center. When I did, there was a dropoff box out front, but I went inside to handle the transaction in person. After taking a number and waiting half an hour, I gave up and went back out front. A guy was emptying the box, and told me I could just give it to him, and that they would credit my account once they processed the unit’s serial number – which I later regretted, as I had no receipt.
However, after a month, I called Comcast and they indeed had a record of its return. Like others who have posted here, it has taken monitoring my bill and several ensuing calls to get them to give me credit for continuing to charge me and to cease doing so going forward.
I’m still watching my bill three months later, waiting to see if/when they will ever stop….
Comcast is an evil company, so is ATT my father is your age both companies have ripped him if you should ask for a copy of this contact with your signature on it and demand they send it.
I’ve been a Comcast customer for years and just recently upgraded to an X1 triple play package that included xfinity voice (I was using Vonage previously). I have always owned my own modem and wireless router which I’m very happy with however upon learning that the xfinity wireless gateway carried a $10/mo charge I asked them if I could use my own equipment for the phone. They said yes however my modem (Motorola Arris SB6141) isn’t VoIP compatible and I’ll be damned if I can find anything available for sale that will enable me to use this phone service unless I want to replace everything I currently own. I have spent endless hours over the past week trying to resolve this because I don’t want Comcast’s equipment. Has anyone had any success finding a product?
Michelle
You can purchase an ARRIS TG862G gateway that supports comcast’s VOIP phone service. Amazon has them.
We have just signed up with Comcast because our Frontier DSL is soooo slow as we are in a rural area. We are researching which digital voice modem to purchase. We need something that will work with our landline phone and internet. The Arris TG862G gateway was recommended by Comcast and several tech support websites. However, I keep seeing blogs with complaints about that device ( problems with wifi, which we need) and recommending a separate modem and VOIP device. Is that device our best bet or should we look into the 2 unit set-up.
2 unit is the way to go.
Ive been a comcast customer by default due to my HOA for four years. I purchased my own modem router and worked fine for two years then noticed terribly slow speeds, loss of internet/signal etc.. Turns out that since its not leased from comcast, theyre bot obligatded and didnt allow the modem updates hence all the issues im having. I purchased a different modem and this time a seperate router and no problem for two years. Now same thing happened and due to the frustration, im leasing the modem/router from comcast :(
What modem model?
What would anyone recommend for a cable modem with voice capability for use with ComCast if I don’t want to rent theirs?
The modem’s I recommend here + Ooma (search for my Ooma review). Will save you tons and be just as good.
Do you have any advice/recommendations if I’m currently using a voice and internet modem?
My 87 year old mother is moving to a property that provides Comcast cable. She needs an old style phone and Comcast says she needs a router for $10 per month that I can either rent or buy my own. Nothing is wireless so I’m assuming the router is to run the cable from the wall to the phone. Any advice on what I need to buy?
After installing my own DOCSIS 3.0 modem (which by mistake, doesn’t have voice capabilities, but I’m still using it), a customer service person told me that they’d write off the Comcrap “obsolete Modem”, and waive the fee (I didn’t have to return it, because I was disabled, and couldn’t get to their place, easily). She said “no problem”– they’d just write it off. Now, three months later, I get a letter saying that they should have been charging me for the EMTA, and that would be, from now on. I am so pissed! I had already discarded my old modem… I don’t even use their voice service, anymore; I use cell phones. Nor can I get Double Play; they insist on keeping me on Triple Play! I am so upset, because I realize that one cannot trust what they say; they keep changing their rules, mid-stream.
So now, I will be charged something henceforth for something which I am not using (never mind all their other services that I don’t use!) I have to steel myself to go over to FIOS, I guess! They have tricked me, so many times…perhaps I need to complain to the FCC? Is there anyway to get someone there to respond to me, who isn’t crooked as a politician? Really PISSED OFF!!! : (
We have Xfinity and have the Blast service. Will the Motorola DOCSIS 3.0 MB7420 model paired with the Medialink Wireless-N router be able to handle the 200 Mbps that the blast offers or do we have to get a more powerful modem and wireless router?
Note: the Medialink is discontinued, so I’ve updated the post to TP-Link (an equivalent router). And it should be able to handle speeds up to 450 MB/S.
Is it alright if we change it to a D-Link AC3150 Dual Band Wireless Gigabit Ultra WiFi Router with MU-MIMO and 1.4GHz Dual Core Processor (DIR-885L/R) ?https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PVCV682/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hAbpyb590R2MQ
I’m trying to get a voice + internet bundle from Comcast (business, because I need static IP, even though it is a residence). Comcast is telling me that I have to rent their equipment at least for voice, because of 911 service. Is that true, or is it a scam? Thanks.
Ken, It’s their scam. The only thing 911 service requires is that the trunk line provider, in this case Conncast (the company that provides the connection from the user to the PSTN -public switched telephone network) obtain and register the 911 address with the regulatory agency who provides the information to emergency services. The comcast gateway has 2 “traditional” phone line jacks and perhaps their systems are so bass ackwards that in their world it’s the only way they have to connect the dots. (and an expensive way at that!)
There are other Voice Providers who provide service over Internet, literally all you must do is have a SIP telephone. connect it to your internet router, Go on the Voice Providers website and register for a number, list your E911 address where you will have the phone service. They then send the information to the regulatory agencies. For residential service a simple setup is just a few SIP phones and the Voice provider may offer features such as basic IVR routing (You can design your own and record the messages), control Time of Day responses to calls, call queues (waiting for answer when all lines are busy) Voice mail, Hunt Groups, and Fax Receive and forward to email. I also use the same line to send faxes out using the HP Multifunctional Printer/Fax/Scan/Copier (I’ve used callcentric for the past 3 years without any issues and they periodically add new features to the service.)
I didn’t mention how much I pay for a month? Well,,,,,Um,,,,,less than $10 for 2 incoming phone numbers with 3 possible calls for each line. The challenge is that you have to set up your own phone system, decide how you want the routing, time of day changes, etc. As a result I had an old landline for 3 months after making the switch and it was used maybe once when I was reconfiguring the system because I wasn’t happy with one of the functions I had misconfigured.
If I have triple play but don’t use the phone service can I still get away with a modem without phone?
I have purchased my own modem since the beginning. I update it regularly according to the recommended modems. Now comcast tells me that I cannot reach my average speed unless I rent a modem from them. HOw do I get the speed I pay for without having to rent a modem from them?
Hello guys, I already did all of this, but … are you having “connection issues” using your own modems or it is just me? The thing is that I have to reset my modem once or twice a week because it keeps dropping my internet connection, I thought that my modem might be the real problem here… but this is my second one and keeps doing it. Is there any chance that Comcast is sabotaging me in order to make me rent their modem? Or am I been paranoid?
Best Regards
Jorge, it doesn’t show when you made this post but I am now in the same boat. I bought a wifi capable modem claiming to handle 300+mbps and my comcast plan is 250. At first it was amazing, so simple I couldn’t believe I had paid so much in rental fees for years! After a few days I noticed little lags here and there but nothing that would stop me from returning my rental modem. Now I am two weeks in and it’s actually horrible. Not once in the last year (when I moved) have I had a single problem and since switching to “my own” modem it has progressively gotten worse almost daily. Sometimes I can’t even open internet on my laptop, I had to switch off wifi on my phone and use data… It’s so strange, and the fact that it worked perfect initially makes it hard not to think Comcast is slowing me down on purpose.
So are you saying we need 2 or 3 pieces of equipment, the Motorola DOCSIS 3.0 gateway, Motorola DOCSIS 3.0 SB6141 cable modem (or upgrade) and TP-Link Wireless-N router or just the Motorola DOCSIS 3.0 SB6141 cable modem (or upgrade) and TP-Link Wireless-N router?
2 – modem and router.
Hi. Thank you for the information. I’m afraid I’m not very technical, so this confused me some. If you were told you could buy a modem + router as a single unit and eliminate both the Modem and Router fee, why did you buy two separate products? I’m not sure if I need to purpose two products or if that was just your preference.
Also, with the new Xfi, I am told I need to upgrade my equipment to access. Do you know if all modern modems/routers are compatible with xfi?
thanks
You should have probably gone with an AC model. That is the current generation of router/gateway, and has been for a couple years now. While your router may have a strong wifi broadcast, the current generation of Comcast gateways are actually capable of greater speeds. For people with less than 100Mb packages, that probably doesn’t matter very much.
Also, the benefit of having a leased router is that you can exchange it every year for a new model, free of charge. It doesn’t make it as good as a $150+ Netgear, but it will cost less in the long run for people who aren’t trying to broadcast wifi across a very large home.
Love love this article – we just signed up with Comcast for new service. I will use this helpful advise and purchase a modem and router instead of rent from ‘the man’. Thank you for the Comcrap story!!
Haven’t heard replies to the 1 to 2 year old purchased modem that can’t/won’t accept updates from Comcast. So one must invest annually or every 2 years for a new one. Where’s the savings? Input appreciated
I’ve had the same one for 7 years – no problems.
Thank you for writing this and motivating me to call and make a change. I called yesterday and was able to go from the “triple play” to the DUO with just TV and internet and save about $80 per month. I also realized thanks to you that I was paying the $11 a month for over the past 2 darn years to rent the modem. So i ordered an ARRIS modem which payed for itself with my first months savings. I already have two apple TV’s and two apple airport express in the house so didn’t need the comcast wifi anyways!!!!!
THANKS AGAIN!
The modem rental is now $11 as of Jan 2018. Just got bill. MAD AS HELL
Noted. Updating post. Even more reason to buy your own.
Does anyone have a solve for purchasing their own Xfinity-compatible modem that will also work with a wirless cable box? Comcast tech tells me it can only be done with *their* modem because it has moca technology but I find this hard to believe.
Thanks in advance.
I rarely use my landline. Could I swap out the leased modem for an owned modem that does not have voice and still keep my triple play service since it’s basically the same price as double play.
In 2019 xFinity is raising Gateway rates to $13 mos. from $11 due to volume of customers leaving cable tv. Wow, another great idea to keep customers – keep charging them more….So, not only did i hand in my cable boxes ( yes, we had 5 of them ), I cut my cable TV from them, and now handing in my leased modem ( by the way, the newest one is terrible compared to their older model ) and purchasing my own gateway. Hopefully it will pay for itself in about 10 months, and by then,, 5 g here and I can finally get rid of comcast for good. If you’ve ever been a customer of theirs, you know how bad it is. It’s not just the prices, its the poor customer service. They just don’t get it. But by the time their business collapses, the current C – suite team will be retired – and already sold their stock options ( not a bad idea on their part ). ” If I can just keep these numbers looking good enough until I retire – then leave the mess to the next CEO )….think slow death of Sears and JCPenny……
Thank you so much! I was fearful I’d screw it up and have no internet for the weekend. It was a 15 minute call with Comcast. I have an airport and the mysterious error message went away with the new modem. I had to look up if the airport is a router (that’s how non-technical I am).
“I then questioned him on if I could buy my own DOCSIS 3.0 gateway (a gateway is a modem + router) to replace the Comcast installed gateway.”
When I read that I assumed you were talking about an all in one unit, but you ended up buying a modem and router. Are there any all in one units available or do you need to buy both?
I would avoid all-in-one units. Separate are more stable and can be more easily/cheaply upgraded.
I agree with GE Miller — avoid all in one units. I have a very good wireless router I bought about 5 years ago I pair with whatever modem is needed for my current ISP. I just switched to Xfinity this week and bought the Arris SB 6141 (good for up to ~ 350 Mbps.) It cost me $30 new, though I could of bought one used for $15 from Ebay.
The other advantage to a split setup is less configuration hassles when jumping to a new provider. Set the modem to only connect to the ISP — no DHCP or NAT services downstream; let the router handle those functions. Put another way, the dumber the modem, the better. All it should do is connect to the ISP. Then all that is needed is to connect the modem to the router with an ethernet cable. Any customer using their own device (all in one or not) may have to call the provider to register the device with them. This is true for Xfinity, although it is beyond me why online provisioning is not supported other than as a marketing tactic to encourage modem rentals. .
G.E. Miller,
This is almost 5 months past your post, I own the ARRIS SURFboard SB6183 (16×4) and used it over a year ago with comcast. We moved and used RCN, now moved again and have to go back to Comcast. Now they are saying my modem is out of date and I need to buy a newer model. As of 5/2/19, are you still using that model or did they make you update it too?
I went on Comcast’s site and it says this model is still “supported”. Even if they say it is not supported, it will most likely still work. They usually just want you to lease one of their modems.
This may not work for Comcast customers with static IP service. Comcast were very happy to let me replace the Comcast router with a CPE router, but gave it a dynamic IP upon activation. When I called to get my Static IP assigned to the CPE router, I was told after a few well-intended attempts by tech-support that they could not assign my static IP to my CPE router. That wasn’t because it wasn’t technically possible, but because it is against Comcast policy. Their claim is that CPE makes it more difficult to audit for abusive use of IP space. That sounds like BS to me, TBH, but there wasn’t much point in fighting that fight with tech-support. I’m hopeful I can possibly solve via other channels, but not *that* hopeful. YMMV.
I just received a new gateway from Xfinity. I am still renting and am interested in switching. But I’m reading the customer service agreement and it says that “customer equipment” is defined as “software, hardware or services that you choose to use in connection with the services and that is NOT provided or released by us or our agent.” Then it says that “you agree to allow us and our agents the rights to insert cable cards and other hardware in the customer equipment, send software and or downloads to the customer equipment and install, configure, maintain, inspect and upgrade the customer equipment.” So, I am wondering what sort of messing around Xfinity is likely to do and customer purchased equipment.
Which extender do you recommend?
We have plaster walls. I have heard that impedes performance of the router, modem extender. Is it true? How can I get around the issue?
THANK YOU!!!! This article was GREAT!!!!