Is Your Rented Router the Secret to Better Wi-Fi? This Study Says Yes

New data suggests that renting internet equipment from your internet service provider might provide a smoother internet experience than buying your own router. A study from Opensignal, conducted between January and March 2025, suggests that internet users renting equipment from ISPs experience better network reliability and consistency than those who own their equipment. The main reason for that discrepancy? Network diagnostics. Locating local internet providers ISPs often include apps, customer care teams or management services to make it easier to diagnose network health. While you can certainly run those diagnostics on your own, Opensignal notes that this customer care goes a long way in maintaining reliable home networks, keeping customers satisfied and keeping them from switching ISPs down the road. Plus, many ISPs lease high-performing routers with the latest Wi-Fi technology. Frontier Fiber, for example, leases a tri-band Eero Wi-Fi 7 router for some of its fiber plans. Tha ... Read full article.