Planning to purchase a modem to use with my Comcast connection… but what should I know before that?

Question

I am planning to purchase an RCA DCM-425 modem to avoid getting those monthly $5 rental charges. This one seemed to be out of stock on Amazon so I was wondering if there are any alternate models that I can purchase at a reasonable price.

I heard "Motorola SB6120 SURFboard DOCSIS 3.0 eXtreme Broadband Cable Modem" is an alternative but still.. wanted to confirm before placing an order.

Also, are there any steps I need to do before I connect my own cable modem or will it just work after plugging it in?

Answer 1

DOCSIS 3.0 is the standard that your cable company uses for your connection. You'll be pretty safe with any DOCSIS 3.0 router out there.

Look here for a list of supported routers.

Answer 2

The only other step to using your own modem is to call Comcast and have them add the modem's MAC address to their system. You can find the MAC address on the box of the modem that you buy.