Many internet service providers try to rent customers combination modem/routers for $10-$20 per month. I generally advise people who are slightly tech-savvy to save money by buying their own modems and routers. There’s an exception to my advice that applies to Xfinity Internet customers.
On many Xfinity plans, there’s a 1.2TB per month cap on data use.1 The options an Xfinity customer has for removing the cap depend on whether a customer is renting an xFi modem. Customers that don’t rent a modem have to pay an extra $30 per month for unlimited data. Customers that already rent an xFi modem for $14 per month can pay an extra $11 ($25 per month) for xFi Complete. With xFi Complete, customers get unlimited data by default.
Here’s a table from Xfinity’s page on Xfi Complete that describes various options:
While the large majority of Xfinity customers won’t exceed 1.2TB of data use, tech-savvy customers that own their own equipment likely use more data than the average customer. Oddly enough, renting a modem with xFi Complete is cheaper than buying your own equipment and upgrading to unlimited data.2
Footnotes
- Xfinity allows customers affected by the cap to exceed the 1.2TB threshold once with no penalty. Data overages cost $10 per 50GB. The max overage charge is $100 per month.
- Beyond that, xFi Complete potentially makes customers eligible for an xFi Pod Wi-Fi extender (a roughly $120 product at the time of writing).
Very helpful information! I didn’t know this until a few days ago when I went to their store to return their equipment. In the end, I returned the cable box but kept the modem/router.
Rees my issue, we have been with xfinity since 2007. I had to pay $200.00+ just to get a line layer so we could get xfinity. We paid for the cable ourselves on top of the $200.00. Our plan was a triple play that magicially disappeared. Over the past years I’ve felt with tons of connection issues bad equipment , bills for equipment we didn’t have, and after looking through my bill I found language indicating we were paying for things we didn’t use at all, service fees that were basically for the purpose of charging more, and programming in our original contract that was removed by xfinity, which as far as I’m concerned is a violation of the contract itself. Recently our plan expired again and no other deals are being offered. I called explained we could no longer afford a $290.00+ bill and went through programming we use as well as what we don’t need. I was very specific on speed as well as Netflix being included. In a nut shell I now pay more for less, no Netflix. Support is not to be trusted when dealing with Xfinity. I was signed up for xfi complete now I’m paying even more for services promised yet we don’t see. My network now works so poorly that devices don’t connect and that pod included has never been delivered because magically my devices show all excellent signals. What a bunch of BS. Xfinity is the biggest BS company I’ve ever dealt with. Now I’m paying an extra $30.00 for a landline, but removal only lowers my bill by $10.00 how is that possible. Bigger issue is that Xfinity is our only internet option. I live in a rural area that has zero options for internet. Xfinity knows that and clearly takes advantage. My second issue with xfinity is the so-called rewards program. This is the biggest lie Xfinity promotes. What rewards? Discount on trips I can afford and movies that I’ve already watched or have on DVR.