When paying an Internet provider for your Internet connection, you’re likely also paying a rental fee for the modem you use. Every single month, you pay for this rental. Month by month, the amount of money you pay for a modem adds up. Eventually, after the course of six months or a year, you could have bought your own Internet modem and never again had to pay a rental fee (at least for a few years before you needed another upgrade). Plus, if you’ve been using the same Internet modem from your service provider for several years, the technology you’re using is out of date.

You likely could buy the modem you’re using in your house for just a few months’ worth of modem “rent,” and the one provided to you may not even be an up-to-date model. This means you’re receiving a slower Internet connection, even if you’re paying for a faster upload and download speed. The best way to avoid this kind of problem and get the most out of your Internet connection (while cutting down on your service fee by removing the equipment rental price) is to purchase an ADSL modem. There are several different ADSL modem options available, so you need to compare the best and go from there.

Comparison table

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What Is an ADSL Modem?

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There are two main kinds of modems. There is an ADSL modem and a DSL modem. The DSL (or Digital Subscriber Line) is the line your Internet service provider uses. With this kind of Internet connection, you can use the Internet as it runs through the phone line. However, even as it runs through the phone line, you can connect to the Internet when talking on the phone.

The main issue with a DSL modem is that the farther away you are from the service provider the slower your Internet becomes. Even if you pay for the same Internet speed as a friend, if your friend lives a short distance from the server headquarters and you are farther out, your friend will have faster connection speeds.

An ADSL is short for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. Information is sent to and from your computer using what is known as an upstream and a data downstream. These streams are not generally the same. When you look at an Internet service provider, it will tell you what the downstream download speed is. However, if you look, you’ll notice the upstream is often slower (this is the speed for which your computer sends information back).

With an ADSL, you’ll have faster download speeds as this is what the modem is specifically designed for. If you’re interested in faster Internet downloads and have little in the way of uploads, this is the way to go. You should consider a different Internet service and modem if you upload a good amount to the Internet (such as uploading videos through YouTube). Outside of this, the ADSL modem is similar to other modems.

Is There a Need for ADSL Modems?

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The biggest advantage for buying an ADSL modem is you won’t need to pay your Internet service provider’s rental fee. This adds up over time and, when you stop and think about it, you’ve likely spent hundreds of dollars (if not more) on renting equipment you could have purchased for a fraction of the price.

So instead of looking over your Internet bill every month and eyeing the rental fee that never goes away, you can purchase your own ADSL modem, which will probably be more powerful than the current modem you have from your service provider (and likely have a farther signal range, which means you can be further away in the house).

By buying your own modem, you’ll save money long term, you’ll improve your signal strength inside the house, and, chances are, you’ll also see a boost of speed at the same time. All of this points to why you need to consider buying your own ADSL modem.

Top ADSL Modem Options

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There are several exceptional ADSL modems available. It all comes down to what you’re looking for and the amount of money you’re interested in spending. These different modems will vary depending on download speed, upload speed, range distance, and having a few other basic features and specs. In terms of the highest rated ADSL modems on the market, you can’t go wrong with:

• Netgear D6400
• DrayTek Vigor 130
• TP-LINK Archer D2 AC750
• ​Bilion 8800NL R2 Wireless
• TP-LINK AC1200

Netgear D6400

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The Netgear D6400 is a dual band 300 + 1300 Mbps (megabits per second) wireless modem and router that will connect to a phone line. It also works with several Internet service providers, including YouView, TalkTalk, EE and PulseFibre. You can also connect it to Amazon Echo, which allows you to give voice commands to the device. For the price, it’s one of the best options out there, although you can upgrade to faster Netgear variations, including the DC6400 AC5300 (which offers up to 5000 Mbps + 300).

DrayTek Vigor 130

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This is an easy-to-use Ethernet modem that will work on a DrayTek dual-WAN line. It also provides an Ethernet WAN firewall for added Internet security. This helps prevent external malware and hackers from entering your home’s Internet connection. There is little to no setup and configuration required for this Vigor 130 model. This way, if you’re not interested in opening up the modem preferences (which can challenge if you’re not accustomed to using doing so) and you want something ready to go out of the box, the DrayTek Vigor 130 is the way to go.

TP-LINK Archer D2 AC750

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This is a dual band Gigabit modem router that works along with your phone line. It is designed to work with the next generation of Wi-Fi, so as Internet service providers continue to evolve the services offered, you can fully take advantage without buying a new wireless modem and router. You can also share files, media information and print through the network connection created with this TP-LINK Archer modem.

The hardware can also connect to both a cable and fiber optics modem through an Ethernet cable. This way, should you move from a phone line DSL connection and switch to a cable or fiber optics Internet connection, all of this is possible with the TP-LINK.

Billion 8800NL

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For the money, the Billion 8800NL R2 Wireless modem and router is one of the best buys, which is why it is in this list of top five ADSL modems on the market. It connects to both a phone line and Ethernet fiber connection, which is what makes it such an excellent option. It is easy to connect and works with nearly all US and UK networks, including BT Infility, Sky Fibre, and TalkTalk (just to name a few).

It uses a 2.4 GHz wireless network and offers detachable antennas for when you don’t need the added coverage. It also allows for multiple SSIDs and parental controlling. This way, if you are a parent and want to control when your child connects to the Internet (and for how long), you can program this into the router. It only disconnects the selected devices, so you can continue using the Internet while your children are disconnected.

​TP-LINK AC1200 Wireless Dual Band

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This wireless modem and router is designed for phone line connections and works with most US and UK networks, including Infinity, TalkTalk, EE, PlusNet Fibre and others. It comes with several beneficial ports, allowing you to connect to a phone line and fiber optics via an Ethernet cable connection. It also comes with a USB connection port. This way, you can hook up several USB based devices.

You can create your own home cloud network by connecting a hard drive to the network. Once in place, you can then save files onto the hard drive from any computer on the network and then instantly access it on a different computer. If you work in an office setting or would like to create such a network storage option at home, the TP-LINK AC1200 is a modem you need to consider.

For the price, it’s hard to beat what this modem offers you. However, if you are interested in a faster modem for a higher price, there are several additional modems from TP-LINK you can consider, including the TP-LINK AC2800.

Conclusion

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There are a number of Internet modems you should consider if you’re ready to ditch the modem equipment rental fee your Internet service provider charges you. In as little as six months, you would have made all of your money back after buying a modem.

After you make the money back, this will be money back in your pocket as you can use the same modem for years going into the future. Plus, you won’t have to use the outdated modem your service provider charges you, and there are a number of added benefits connected with your newly purchased ADSL modem, including the ability to create your own home network and control when (and for how long) your children connect to the Internet.