Why Buy Your Own Modem?

Most ISPs charge $14-$20 per month to rent a modem. That is $168-$240 per year for a device you could own outright for $150-$200. A purchased modem pays for itself in 8-12 months and then saves you money every month after that. Over a typical 5-year ownership period, you'll save $700-$1,000.

DOCSIS 3.1 vs DOCSIS 3.0

If your internet plan is faster than 600 Mbps, you need DOCSIS 3.1. It supports speeds up to 10 Gbps downstream and 1-2 Gbps upstream. DOCSIS 3.0 caps out at around 600 Mbps in practice. Even if your current plan is slower, buying DOCSIS 3.1 future-proofs you for plan upgrades.

Best Overall: ARRIS SURFboard S33

The S33 is our top pick for most people. It supports DOCSIS 3.1 with a 2.5 Gbps ethernet port, so you won't be bottlenecked by a Gigabit ethernet connection. It is approved by Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox, and most other cable ISPs. Setup is plug-and-play — connect it, call your ISP to register the MAC address, and you're online in minutes.

Price: ~$180 | Max Speed: 3.2 Gbps | Ethernet: 1x 2.5GbE

Best Budget: Motorola MB8611

The MB8611 offers the same DOCSIS 3.1 and 2.5GbE port as the S33 at a lower price point. It's approved by most major ISPs and performs nearly identically in our testing. The only downside is slightly higher latency under heavy load compared to the ARRIS, but the difference is negligible for most users.

Price: ~$150 | Max Speed: 2.5 Gbps | Ethernet: 1x 2.5GbE

Best for Multi-Gig: NETGEAR CM2000

If you have a multi-gigabit plan (like Xfinity's 2 Gbps tier), the CM2000 is the modem to get. It features a 2.5 Gbps ethernet port plus link aggregation support for even higher throughput. It also supports DOCSIS 3.1 with 2x2 OFDM channels for the best possible speeds.

Price: ~$250 | Max Speed: 2.5+ Gbps | Ethernet: 1x 2.5GbE + 1x 1GbE

ISP Compatibility Check

Before purchasing, always check your ISP's approved modem list. Most ISPs maintain an online database. The modems listed here are approved by Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum (Charter), and Cox — the three largest cable ISPs in the US. If you're on a smaller regional ISP, check their website or call before buying.

Note: If you have AT&T Fiber, Verizon Fios, or Google Fiber, these are fiber connections that don't use cable modems — your ISP's provided ONT (Optical Network Terminal) is required.