Sonic.net

I have my own (VPN) router (with dial up backup) and Access point (ceiling mounted), all wired via a Media center panel to every room.

If I had rented when I signed for Sonic, I would have paid $230 + tax so far..

I paid $200 for my Earthlink supplied modem back in 2001. Neither has failed while in service.(Although EL service is not much to tout)

I would entertain Outright Purchase or a rental cap.

A rental cap is the alternative: after a customer has paid the retail price for the modem, drop the rental fee. It functions as en effective loyalty discount.

I have to agree with @digitalbitstream about having a rental cap, and now even the scurrilous b**tards at Verizon, et al, are catching up.

I've been with Sonic for over a decade and a half, and have only had one piece of equipment that crapped out and had to be replaced. Sonic is a great company, and it is not like I am going to leave because of this, but it does rankle me more than a bit. It leaves me with a feeling of being treated like a cash-cow, instead of a valuable customer.

Steve