Quote:
Originally Posted by BigRichard
You are crazy if you rent a modem or router. You can buy a modem that handles the best speeds for under $100 and you will pay more than that in renting in the first year. I had mine for several years. What a complete waist.
Depending on what type of line in you get from your provider you might be able to go without a modem. If your feed in is an actual ethernet cable. I have Centurylink and there is some configuration you can do on a router that makes it so you don't need their "modem".
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If you have DSL or cable, you have to have a modem, or a router with a modem. A modem is a modulator/demodulator. It decodes and encodes the signal for use in the backhaul network. No consumer router (save for the ones with built in modems) can do that.
If a DSL or cable provider is handing you off an ethernet cable, there is a modem in there somewhere, you just don't know it's there. The signal HAS to be converted at some point.
And the first time you have problems and can't get reasonable support because you own your own modem, you'll see why it's not such a bad idea to rent. I've worked in the ISP space for 30 years. I've seen it happen dozens of times. If you can afford downtime, by all means, buy your own stuff. Just be prepared when it takes you 30 hours longer to get restored than your neighbor, who is renting his modem.