The trade-offs of renting ISP equipment or buying your own

Engadget says some ISPs now include modem-and-router gateways in their plans, while others charge $10 to $20 a month to rent them. Buying requires more upfront spending and a compatibility check, but gives you more control over your network. In Engadget’s example, a $275 modem-and-router purchase takes about 18 months to pay off compared with a $15 monthly rental.