Chances are, your cable internet provider charges you a hefty modem-rental fee every month, a price that can increase on an annual basis. But if you buy your own modem, it should pay for itself in the first year or two of ownership, even if you also have to buy a wireless router too, and the two devices together should give you speedy internet for years to come.After researching nearly 100 cable modems over the past seven years, we recommend the Arris SURFboard S33 as the best cable modem for use with most internet service providers and internet plans.