I know that I don’t need to tell any of you this, but paying for Internet service is expensive…and getting worse by the day. While being online isn’t a necessity, per se, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to live without it. More and more businesses are shifting customer support specialists from phones and onto computers, and it’s not hard to imagine that there won’t be any numbers to call at all in the not so distant future. While it’s a challenge to reduce the price you’re currently paying for Internet service without switching to a slower package, there is one way you can save a few bucks per month if you’re a cable subscriber: stop renting your modem.
To access the Internet, you need a device that is Internet ready, and a modem. If your home utilizes cable for your Internet connection, a cable wire (coaxial) is run from the street and into the building. The cable wire then plugs into a cable modem to grant you with Internet access. There is one Ethernet port on the back of a cable modem. If you have one computer that you want to hardwire to the modem with an Ethernet cable and have no need for a wireless signal (Wi-Fi), you’re done. If Wi-Fi is what you desire, though, you’ll need a router (yes, I know that there are combination modem/routers available, but usually in a residential application the cable company will only supply a modem). You never acquire a router from an Internet Service Provider (ISP). You’ll always purchase one yourself. Far too often, though, your ISP will provide you with a cable modem which you’ll then pay a monthly “rental” fee for. I’m here to tell you to bite the bullet and buy your own. You could be paying as much as $15 per month for a modem. I just installed one for a client this week. I found the exact same modem that she was renting from Spectrum. We bought it online for $99 with free shipping. If she was paying $15 per month for the last two years, do the math on how much money she just saved.
Before you get too excited, this really only applies to those of you who have cable Internet at home. DSL, fiber optic, and business subscribers are locked in to what they currently have. Now that that is clear, you need a couple of pieces of information before beginning your quest: 1) the make and model number of the modem you currently have, and 2) the speed of your subscription package. If you’re happy with the current modem you have, simply do an Internet search for that modem. Type, for example, “ARRIS TM1602” and you’ll find it at a number of online retailers. If you’re looking for a change, search for something like “Spectrum approved cable modems” and you’ll find a list. For the sake of completeness, here are the lists of a few of the more popular cable companies: Cox, Spectrum, Time Warner, and Xfinity. Keep in mind that if you receive phone service as well as Internet that you purchase a modem that’s capable of providing both. Typically, a modem with this capability will have two phone jacks on it, so look carefully at the product before buying. After completing the purchase, install the modem. Plug in the cable wire, power cord, phone cord (if applicable), and run an Ethernet cable directly to your computer. When you open a web browser, you’ll likely be greeted with a page asking you to verify your account with the cable company by providing your account number or phone number, and zip code. Enter the requested information, then activate the new modem when prompted. When activation is finished, unplug the Ethernet cable from the computer, and put it back into the router as it was before. Then, call the cable company and tell them that you want to deactivate the modem you’ve rented from them. They’ll give you instructions on how to return it to them. One more bit of advice: if you’ve replaced your rental modem with one of the same model, take note of the MAC address on each modem. A sticker with the MAC address will be visible on the outside of the modem. It’s important to verify with the cable company that they’re deactivating the modem you rented from them and not the one that you just set up. When both model numbers are the same, the MAC address is the only way to tell them apart. Read the MAC address of the rental modem to them so they don’t disconnect the wrong one.
I’m not a fan of paying for something over and over again that I could just purchase once. Am I cheap? Maybe. I prefer “frugal”. So much of the money we spend for phone and Internet is just thrown away. Why not save some money on your bill every month? Buying your own modem is one of the most cost effective moves that you can make.