Motorola router
 

I have had a Motorola router for 5 years and have received no notice that it should be replaced.

been using Netgear Nighthawk router from (best buy) with Comcast for 5 years no problems and has been much faster since. They have the one with phone connection or without .

Rent or buy a Router from Comcast
 

For 20 years, I have simply bought an Arris Router from Best Buy and have never paid for rental. I call comcast every 1-2 years and negotiate my internet fee. presently I am at 600 or 900 mbs for $60/month. I fired them for cable and phone and have used an antennae in the attic that gives me 70 HD channels and all the locals and have a Tivo DVR that gives me the best menu and recording capability with skip commercials, and 30% listening with perfect understanding. Cut the Cable!!! Also if you did not want to do Tivo, you could stream you tube tv and get unlimited dvr capability's:thumbup:

Whether you rent or buy your own depends on your tech skills and what peace of mind you want. Personally I own my own. I would look at the plans they offer to see if there is a data cap using your own. !.2 tb may seem a lot but as we connect more devices as in smart home and stream a lot more you going to be using more data. If you use you tube tv or sling or others that counts against your data usage 4k draws even more

A lot of bad information posted here. Some posts claim if you have a 100Mb internet speeds any router will do. Others claim my 5 year old router works fine. Other claims that any router will do. All of these posts are far from the truth. Anybody can go to Best Buy or Amazon and get a router on special and they think they will be saving $$$. Then later on, they will be like the dozens of posts claiming their wifi is slow, no coverage, or sometimes doesn’t even work.
If you don’t know what these words mean, you shouldn’t be setting up a router: 802.11a/b/g/ac/ax, wifi 6/wifi6e, ssid, 2.4/5ghz, mesh network, dual/tri band, bridge (wired/wireless), any of these basic network topics.
1 more thing, a router does much more than just interfacing your isp’s modem, they provide more wifi coverage at greater speeds as an example.
Hiring the geek squad/galaxy/spectrum/xfinity to setup your network is a waste of money and you can do just as good of a job as they vendors can do.

Here is the deal, I wanted to do the same and did buy a router. Called customer service to activate it and found smoke and mirrors. The rates go up when you use your own equipment. So it technically was a wash in price.

But gal dug thru promotion and said if I keep the equipment she had a deal for me. Lowered my bill by 40 bucks a month.

Completely disagree with that statement. While some of those words are important, others are just details, are advanced topics not necessary for most users, or are emerging/niche technologies.

The Xfinity technician that installed their modem/router in my house did a fine job. By using them I didn't need to learn how to use their app to do the install, I didn't need to call their number to activate the modem, I didn't need to configure the SSID and password, and I knew it all worked before they left. Yes, I *could* have done all that myself but it was much faster, easier, and more efficient this way.

If anyone is with Xfinity and want to buy their own modem, buy one with DOCSIS 3.1 capabilities. You will be able to use it for years. The one I bought on Amazon is capable of speeds up to 2.5GBPS and is recommended by Xfinity.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...0?ie=UTF8&th=1

My Advice and Experience - Pay The Extra
 

I'm now happy to pay the extra - and - have avoided my wife telling me "I TOLD YOU SO" based on my continued striving to be FRUGILE BUT NOT CHEAP."

I tried my own router - twice. Reviewed in Consumer Reports - purchased at Best Buy once and Amazon another time. The first time I felt "smart" for about a year and a half. The second time I felt smart for about 6 months. BUT - when you have a problem - you are on your own. I did - and you likely will. Technology - and whether true or not - provider will say it is your ROUTERS FAULT when there is a problem.

Now - I pay the little extra - have had one issue - they replaced the unit within 24 hours - re-checked everything - and was back up to optimal performance.

Spectrum?
 

I understand if you switch to Spectrum you don't need any boxes because they stream everything. I am NOT tech savy so does this make sense? MUCH cheaper than xfinity.

Had my own modem ...
 

Had my own modem (Motorola from Best Buy) for last 12 years, never had a problem. Make sure it's a DOSIS 3.0 or higher. Also get the $25 internet with 25 mbs speed which they will actually give you 50 mbs speed after 1 mo. with no price increase. We also adde 2 lines of mobile, from Comcast For $15. Total cost $40. If you need landline service get a Majik Jack for $40 a year. STOP paying $200 for their services.

There will be a modem and router involved though they might be in the same box.

You can buy Xfinity internet only (no cable channels) and stream everything - that's what we have. Make sure you are comparing apples with apples when making your choice.

We most likely be in a new house in the southern part

Note that you can always go to the Xfinity store near Best Buy and replace the modem and/or cable boxes immediately. Some people are still using old equipment because they haven't replaced them in years, and Xfinity doesn't notify you when they have newer equipment. For example, some people are still using HD cable boxes, when they could upgrade to 4K boxes for free. They will also give you free remotes.