DGDevin wrote:

We bought our own router to avoid the ISP's monthly fee for using
their router. Configuration was a mild pain but nothing a
moderately experienced computer user should be unable to do.
Occasionally we have to recycle the modem which the ISP provided but
the router has been solid as a rock.

I suggested the ISP's supported home router since then the ISP is on
the hook for support of both the router and the DSL connection, so no
pointing fingers at the other guy can occur, something helpful for a
tech novice.

Sure, it all depends on their tech comfort level. I just have an aversion
to paying a monthly fee for something we bought, set up and have ignored
ever since. I even got my wife to dump her $100/year voice-mail account for
a $20 answering machine that works like a champ. Maybe this comes from
using business software where the annual support fees outweigh the initial
cost of the software after awhile, it rubs me the wrong way.

Some people do need the support, so the extra cost is worthwhile. Of
course in the business software world you usually get a lot more useable
support at a much higher cost. With cable/DSL you get barely passable
support for a buck or two a month.