I be a renter and have move around a lot over the past 5 year so I always figure , `` just rent the modem , I do not want to be stick with a expensive piece of hardware that could be worthless if I move . '' then , after price everything out it make sense . quick math : Comcast want $ 7\/month to rent they modem -lrb- which be a worse quality modem -rrb- . you sign a 12-month contract with Comcast . $ 7\/month \* 12\/months\/year = $ 84 per year . even if you move after you contract be up , this modem will have a resale value , conservatively , of 50 % . it be insane to rent a modem . just buy this and sleep easily at night .