Stop renting. Buy a modem your provider actually approves.

Cable providers charge a monthly fee for the gateway they install — typically $10 to $15 on advertised rates. A modem you own removes that line from the bill permanently. The catch is that it has to be on your provider’s device list, or it will never come online.

Below: what each provider approves, grouped by brand, and which speed tier each model can carry.

Match the modem to your plan

DOCSIS 3.1 is the only version worth buying now. Xfinity removed every remaining DOCSIS 3.0 model from its device list during 2026, and the other cable providers are heading the same way.

Four that cover most households

Approved across the major cable providers, and enough range to match any plan. Prices move constantly, so we link out rather than quote a figure that will be wrong by the time you read it.

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Approved modems by provider

Open a provider, then a brand. Speeds are the wired maximums the provider lists, not what any plan guarantees.

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Questions worth answering first

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