What router does Boston Broadband provide?

A TP-Link HX510 Wi-Fi 6 router, rented at $10/mo — optional on Base 300, Core 500 and Gigabit, and not offered on the two multi-gig tiers.

The router we rent is a TP-Link HX510, a Wi-Fi 6 router, at $10/mo. It is optional, not bundled into the plan price, and you can decline it and use your own instead.

Which plans it is offered on

Base 300, Core 500 and Gigabit can add it for $10/mo. 2 Gig and 10 Gig are bring-your-own-router. We do not offer the rental on those two tiers, so if you are going multi-gig, plan on supplying a router.

What renting it gets you

We manage the hardware. If it fails, replacing it is our problem rather than a purchase.
The label is the setup. The default network name and Wi-Fi password are printed on the underside — see how do I find my Wi-Fi password?.
You manage the network. Change the network name or password in the Boston Broadband app, or at myaccount.bostonbroadband.com, without finding a router admin page.
We know what you have. When you call about Wi-Fi, we already know which unit is on the end of your line.

What it costs on the bill

It is a separate $10/mo line, and it is the one taxable line most residential accounts have — Massachusetts does not tax internet service, but it does tax equipment rental. Use your own router and there is no equipment line at all. What are the charges on my bill? has the detail.

If you would rather use your own

Our handoff is a standard RJ45 Ethernet port or SFP — no modem and no bulky ONT to work around — so any router you own plugs straight into the wall port. Can I use my own router? covers what to look for, and where should I put my router? matters more for Wi-Fi quality than which unit you picked.

One caveat worth knowing before you buy: on Gigabit and above, a router with a 1 Gbps WAN port becomes the ceiling on your connection. Check the WAN port speed, not the Wi-Fi marketing number on the box.

If that didn’t work

Call (617) 693-9434 Mon–Fri 8am–6pm ET and tell us the plan you are on and the router you own, and we will tell you whether adding ours would change anything.

Talk to us

Call (617) 693-9434, Monday to Friday 8am–6pm ET, or email [email protected]. We answer within 24 hours, and usually within an hour.

Boston Broadband is a service-area business serving Boston, Brookline and Cambridge, Massachusetts. There is no counter to walk up to — phone, email and your account at myaccount.bostonbroadband.com are the ways in.