Best CenturyLink Modem in 2021
Banishing Those Troublesome CenturyLink Rental Fees for Good
- Last Updated Jun 10, 2021
CenturyLink is one of the top DSL and fiber providers in the United States, and we love them for it, but what we’re not so enamored by is that they’re currently making a mint by renting out modems to already-paying customers. It may seem easier at first, but trust us, renting networking equipment from your ISP is going to burn a huge hole in your pocket.
Match the cost of a rudimentary DSL connection with this CenturyLink rental fee, and you’re paying more than most do for their ultra-fast fiber optic internet. It’s plain not fair, people!
Not to worry though, friends! We refuse to let you live under your ISP’s thumb, and to help you out of this bind we’ve done a ton of research and found the five best CenturyLink-compatible modems you can buy. Say goodbye to those rental fees.
Best CenturyLink Modem – Reviews
Let’s not waste time waffling because, in this scenario, time is money!
Products at a Glance
Best CenturyLink Modem in 2021
Our number one solution to your connection conundrum is the CenturyLink C3000A. A dual-band modem, it emits two independent wireless signals simultaneously amounting to a stronger, faster, and more stable network connection. Oh, and did we mention that it’s a wifi 6 device, so you can enjoy speeds up to 6GBps, which is enough for seamless 4K streaming, even if you live out in the sticks.
Featuring WPA and WPA2 technology, the C3000A eliminates the chances of cyber intrusions and prevents unauthorized persons from creating their own encryption key on your secure network. Essentially, it means no mischievous mystery people can access your wireless network.
Hostile though it may be to intruders, it offers an incredibly user-friendly experience to you, the WPS button offering easy, quick access to new wireless devices…no password required! Furthermore, it boasts bonded VDSL2 technology, effectively allowing them to double the bitrate of your connection, so prepare for breakneck speed, folks.
Despite being a fairly advanced bit of tech, set up is easy breezy. Simply hook it up to your phone line, and have your account number and site setup address handy for connecting to the network, and voilà! You’re done.
Coming into our second spot, we have another epic dual-band modem capable of breathtaking connection speeds. How does 1.7GBps over the 5GHz band sound? Pretty sweet, huh? And that’s before we even factor in the 450MBps potential of the 2.46GHz band. It may not be fiber optic, but it’s still fast as heck!
Not only is this modem a speed demon, it has excellent coverage. Even if you live in a sizable country house, you’ll get utter signal saturation in every room. We’d honestly be shocked if you don’t get a decent connection when you’re doing a spot of gardening or tinkering in the garage too.
Much like our top pick, the ZyXEL C3000Z features WPA and WPA2 security measures, keeping unwanted guests from nibbling on the fallen bread crumbs of your wifi sandwich. Moreover, it’s loaded with dual NAT and SPI Ethernet firewalls for combating malicious online content. Basically, it’s the Fortnox of CenturyLink modems.
Putting the icing on the DSL cake, the C3000Z also features TR-069 Remote Management technology that allows your IPS to troubleshoot and fix network issues as fast as possible. It also has that handy WPS button to make connecting to your network easy for welcome friends…hurray!
If you’re not looking to break the bank, but you’d still like a snappy connection speed for activities such as online gaming, research, and general web surfing, you’ll love the C1900A.
Featuring a dual-band signal, it’s capable of 200MBps download speeds and 100MBs upload speeds. Pair that with the VDSL2+ bonding, and you’ve got yourself a very efficient modem indeed. It also has four gigabit LAN ports for connecting up devices via Ethernet.
Utilizing two dual antennas and MIMO technology, it gets amazing coverage, so don’t worry about possible dead zones or pairing this purchase with an extender. Unless you live in an honest-to-goodness castle, you simply won’t need to boost the signal.
Another thing you can check off your list of worries with this modem is snoopers, hackers, scammers…the whole lot. Featuring WPA, WPA2, and WEP encryption, alongside a customizable Ethernet firewall, your network connection is all for you!
Our only gripe is that in the event of a blackout, or if it’s accidentally unplugged from the wall, you have to reapply your settings to establish your connection.
The Technicolor C1100T is the perfect budget option for those who simply want an efficient connection for general computing. Maxing out at 70MBps on the single 2.4Ghz band, it offers super smooth internet access for web browsing or watching the odd movie.
The front panel is incredibly user-friendly, communicating system status clearly via a simple LED array, and installation is a total doddle. It’s very much a plugin and play device.
One of our favorite features is the Technicolor decongestion protocol that reports exactly when the modem experiences congestion. This allows you to identify causal issues and activities, and ultimately, optimize your network connection.
The C1100T is also an awesome choice for the eco-warriors out there, as it’s manufactured in accordance with the very latest eco-standards considered good practice but not enshrined by law.
Of course, dual-band signal would be great, but if you want a modem with reliable wireless connectivity at a reasonable price, you just can’t beat the C1100T.
Our final CenturyLink modem masterpiece comes in the form of this Greenwave. Sure it looks like some sort of sentient scent diffuser, but trust us; it gets the job done!
A product of wifi 6 technology, this dual-band dynamo is capable of connecting you up to the World Wide Web at speeds that’ll blow your mind. No matter what your computational habits are, the C4000XG guarantees you’ll have a flawless, lag-free experience.
Sporting a big WPS button on the front of its body, getting friends hooked up to your wireless network is quick and easy, so you can all sit back, relax, and have a good catch up – no rifling through your home in search of the network passcode card.
Thanks to the instructional app, installation can be done in a few minutes which is great, but what we’re not so keen on is the fact the unit itself doesn’t have any form of communicative interface.
Designed to work exclusively as a fiber optic modem, it’s not compatible with DLS systems. If, on the other hand, you do currently subscribe to a CenturyLink fiber service, this modem is going to help you get your money’s worth by maximizing throughput.
Things To Consider
FAQs
Our Verdict
That’s about it from us, folks. We hope we’ve solved your CenturyLink rental problem or at the very least answered a few of your burning modem-based questions.
We know forking out for your own modem can seem a little scary, but it only takes some simple math to realize how much you’ll benefit in the grand scheme of things.
As long as you use our buyer’s guide to figure out which of the five excellent options on our list suits you and your internet service, it’s smooth sailing surfing from here on out!