Hi there, I’m looking to get into self-hosting for privacy reasons and I wanted to ask y’all: how inadvisable is it to utilize an ISP-owned router/modem? I feel like they’re able to track everything I do online with their more than likely integrated spyware.
You’re ISP probably provides some overpriced really crap hardware that they probably have a back door to, that I’m also not about to screw around with. I’ve always had a router behind their modem/router combo for many reasons, the first being that I have had a 100 ft Ethernet cable since 2005 that let’s me put my router where I want, I can place my wifi where it works best, not just within 6-10 feet of wherever someone 20 years ago decided to drill a hole. Second is because a ddwrt router is so much better than anything you’ll get from your provider, and you can find pretty good compatible ones on eBay or at your local thrift store for cheap.
I’ve always begrudgingly purchased rather than rented from my provider because after a year or so it is usually paid for. So far I’ve purchased four modems over almost 20 years so it’s worked out for me. As for the device itself, I don’t trust it, but I’ll still set some firewall rules just because. I have my router behind it where I do the real stuff. If I’m ever given a device that I need to connect for some sort of monitoring, like my solar panels or something like that, it can connect to my ISPs crap and do whatever sketchy shit it’s gonna do.
Each of these points makes it worth it. Price is always overlooked. Renting is same as a subscription. If you buy your modem it’s more expensive, but at the end you still have a modem. Renting at the end you have nothing.