Odds are, if you live in a single-family home, that you have a WiFi router/modem combo from either Comcast/Xfinity or Frontier, that they provide “free”. Well, check the fine print of your bill — it isn’t free. You’re paying, on average, about $10 per month, or $120 per year for this equipment. Worse, it’s not very good equipment — your cable provider buys them by the thousands because…well, they’re cheap. And to be fair, because every customer now has something they know works with their service.
But you can use your own equipment, and I can replace the cable company’s router with something better that will cost between $70 and $80 (equipment cost), so you’ve paid for it in way less than a year. I’ve done this multiple times, and it’s very easy.
NOTE: Whether I do this, or someone else does it, keep in mind two things:
- You will need to call your cable provider to make sure they stop billing you monthly for their equipment — it doesn’t happen automatically.
- Very important…either keep the cable company’s equipment, or return it to them and get a receipt! If you move, or otherwise cancel your service, they will charge you for their equipment they assume you still have. So, either show them the receipt, or hand them over their equipment.
That’s it for now…