ApprovedModem

Why does it matter whether you own your modem?

Most cable ISPs charge a monthly fee for rented equipment and publish that fee on their own pricing pages. A compatible modem you own is a one-time purchase — over a typical contract, owning usually costs less than renting. The catch is the word compatible: buy a device your ISP doesn't support and it won't activate, and the return window is your problem rather than theirs.

Is a modem the same thing as a router?

No, and the difference decides what you can actually buy. The modem is the box that speaks your ISP's language on the line coming into your home; the router is what turns that single connection into Wi-Fi for your devices. Many ISPs supply one unit — a gateway — that does both.

How do we verify these policies?

Every page cites the ISP's own policy page and states when we last read it. Where the ISP names specific devices, we list those exact make and model strings. Where it doesn't, we say so instead of inventing a list. Where two of our own readings of the same source disagreed, we re-read the source before publishing either. Full detail: methodology.