5 Best Compatible Modems for Brightspeed in 2024

This is our review of the best modems compatible with Brightspeed in 2024. 

As home networking experts, we’ve done lots of research and talked directly with Brightspeed to find the best modem. 

Through our research, we found the Actiontec C3000A is the best modem for Brightspeed. It is fast, reliable, easy to set up, and reasonably affordable. 

But, it might not be the best option for your home. It depends on your Internet plan, budget, and what you want out of your modem. 

If you’re a former CenturyLink customer, you’re in the right place. You might have Brightspeed Internet service now– since they acquired CenturyLink’s DSL customers in 20 states in 2022.  

Keep reading to learn more about the top modems for Brightspeed. 

Top 5 Brightspeed Approved Modems

1. Best Overall – Actiontec C3000A
2. Best Performer – GreenWave C4000LG
3. Best Budget Friendly – Zyxel PK5001Z
4. Runner Up – ZyXEL C3000Z
5. Best for Fiber Optic Internet – GreenWave C4000XG

5 Best Brightspeed Compatible Modems

Here are reviews of the best-approved modems for Brightspeed. 

#1 Best Overall – Actiontec C3000A

The Actiontec C3000A modem is a great, all-around option since it works with all of its Internet plans. 

However, if you have the 940 Mbps plan, this modem won’t be able to provide your home with that speed.

Why? Because its a Wi-Fi 5 router and only has one 5 GHz band. In our tests, no Wi-Fi router has had faster speeds than 600 Mbps. 

Still, if you have an Internet plan of 500 Mbps or slower, this modem/router combo unit will be a good choice.

One downside of this modem/router is that it does not have parental controls, QoS, and other advanced features. So, you won’t be able to control your children’s online activity or prioritize bandwidth. 

If you want these advanced features, we recommend getting a separate modem and router.  

For the most part, the C3000A is a good modem/router for any Brightspeed customers with Internet plans of 500 Mbps or slower. 

View more information on the C3000A here. 

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#2 Best Performer – GreenWave C4000LG

The GreenWave C4000LG is an excellent choice for those with either ADSL, ADSL2+, VDSL, or Fiber Optic internet.

In other words, if you have an internet speed that is below 100 Mbps or if you have Fiber.

If you currently have a slow DSL plan but will upgrade to Brightspeed fiber in the future, this is the best modem to get.

Since this modem/router is Wi-Fi 6, the most recent Wi-Fi standard available, you can be confident that it will provide gigabit speeds.

The C4000LG modem/router works great for Brightspeed users, but it’s missing some key features, such as QoS and parental controls.

Do not purchase this modem/router if you have ADSL or VDSL, as it is incompatible with them.

The GreenWave C4000LG is a great device for those who will be getting fiber optic internet in the future but don’t have it yet.

For more details on the C4000LG, see Brightspeed’s page. 

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#3 Best Budget-Friendly – Zyxel PK5001Z

If you have a slow internet plan and don’t have any plans to upgrade it, the Zyxel PK5001Z is a good choice.

It’s a modem/router that only works with ADSL internet. This means if you have a DLS internet plan that is faster than 20 Mbps, you can’t use it.

This router uses Wi-Fi 4, an old wireless standard, which can’t give you much more than 20 Mbps top speeds anyways. 

This modem/router is likely most beneficial for homes in more rural/remote areas with little access to anything faster than their current service.

The Zyxel PK5001Z router is only compatible with ADSL internet- if you have any other Internet plan, it will not work. If you’re unsure what type of plan you have, reach out to Brightspeed and ask.

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#4 Runner Up – ZyXEL C3000Z

If the Zyxel C3000A is out of stock, don’t worry– the C3000Z will fit the bill too. These two modem/routers are very similar.

Though the C3000A is good, I don’t recommend using it with a fiber plan exceeding 500 Mbps. That’s because the router uses Wi-Fi 5, which only reaches around 500 Mbps based on our experience and extensive testing.

If you’re looking for an affordable option and your internet plan is 500 Mbps or below, the C3000Z is a great choice.

The C3000Z modem/router is also a good option if you plan to bridge it and use another router instead. Bridging is easy to set up on the C3000Z. 

If you want to use a separate modem and router, then bridge mode is necessary. This can improve your performance with faster internet plans and give you access to extra features.

Some features that might be included are QoS and Parental Controls. These enable you to set restrictions for applications as well as your children’s online activity.

Features that no modem/router on this list has (including the C3000Z). 

The Zyxel C3000Z is a good modem/router for almost all types of Brightspeed Internet plans, but steer clear if your plan is faster than 500 Mbps.

See this Zyxel C3000Z page for more specifications and information. 

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#5 Best for Fiber Optic Internet – GreenWave C4000XG

If you have a Fiber-optic Brightspeed Internet plan, then the GreenWave C4000XG is an excellent choice. Otherwise, this device won’t work.

Again– do not get this modem for ADSL, VDSL, bonded, or non-bonded standards– only fiber plans.

This router is some of the latest technology, as it utilizes Wi-Fi 6. This means that no matter your internet speed, this router can handle it! Even Gigabit!

The best part about the C4000XG is that you don’t have to put forth much effort to set it up. It is preconfigured for Brightspeed’s internet. All you have to do is plug it in, and you’re good to go!

Although it may require some configuration, you can get a higher-quality router for a lower price.

Changing the Tagging to 201 allows you to connect any router to your fiber optic connection.

Read here for more details on the C4000XG. 

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List of All Brightspeed Certified Modems

Here is a list of certified modems. All are tested and approved by Brightspeed for their internet. [1]

Brand	Model	Wi-Fi Standard	ADSL	ADSL2+	VDSL2	Fiber	End-of-Life
Actiontec	C1000A	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Actiontec	C1900A	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes*	Yes*	Yes	Yes
Actiontec	C2000A	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes*	Yes*	Yes	Yes
Actiontec	C2300A	Wi-Fi 4	No	Yes*	Yes*	Yes	No
Actiontec	C3000A	Wi-Fi 5	Yes	Yes*	Yes*	Yes	No
Actiontec	PK5000	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Actiontec	PK5001A	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Actiontec	Q1000	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Adtran	C424G	Wi-Fi 5	No	No	No	Yes	No
Calix	C844G	Wi-Fi 5	No	No	No	Yes	No
Cisco	2200DDR	Wi-Fi 4	No	Yes*	No	No	Yes
Greenwave	C4000BG	Wi-Fi 6	Yes*	Yes*	Yes*	No	No
Greenwave	C4000LG	Wi-Fi 6	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Greenwave	C4000XG	Wi-Fi 6	No	No	No	Yes	No
Technicolor	C1100T	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Technicolor	C2000T	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes*	Yes*	Yes	Yes
Technicolor	C2100T	Wi-Fi 5	Yes	Yes*	Yes*	Yes	Yes
Westell	7500	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Zyxel	C1000Z	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Zyxel	C1100Z	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Zyxel	C2100Z	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes*	Yes*	Yes	Yes
Zyxel	C3000Z	Wi-Fi 5	Yes	Yes*	Yes*	Yes	No
Zyxel	FR1000Z	Wi-Fi 4	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Zyxel	PK5000Z	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Zyxel	PK5001Z	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Zyxel	Q1000Z	Wi-Fi 4	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

* Means that the modem also supports the bonded version of the technology.

What to Consider Before Buying A Brightspeed Approved Modem

Here are the top things you need to consider when you get ready to purchase a Brightspeed approved modem. For a general reference, see our modem buying guide. 

Compatible with Brightspeed

Unlike other internet service providers, CenturyLink uses more than five different DSL technologies in various parts of the country. As a result, their modems are harder to purchase.

This means that for your modem to work, it needs to support the right DSL technology for your region and plan.

As such, you should contact their support and ask what type of DSL technology Brightspeed uses in your home before buying an approved modem.

After that, you can review our approved modems list and decide which is best for you.

The speed of your DSL connection can give you a clue about what type of service you have. The table below shows the various types of internet and their associated download speeds.

Type	Max Speed
ADSL	7 Mbps
ADSL+	20 Mbps
Bonded ADSL2+	40 Mbps
VDSL2	100 Mbps
Bonded VDSL2	140 Mbps
G-Fast	100 Mbps
GPON (Fiber)	940 Mbps

Modem/Router Combo or Separate

You have the option to buy a modem and router as separate devices, or you can opt for a combo of the two.

A modem/router combo is one device that functions as both a router and modem, while separate means two devices– a router and a modem.

When it comes to Brightspeed-compatible modems, this ISP only offers modem/router combo units (gateways).

Although this makes it more challenging to use separate devices, you can always put the Brightspeed gateway in bridge mode.

Bridge mode turns off the router in your gateway and lets you connect it to another router.

Although both combos and separates have their own advantages and disadvantages, I believe using the router in this modem will be sufficient.

If you aren’t interested in any features that the router has to offer or have a small home, then there’s no need to get a separate device from CenturyLink.

Many of the routers in DSL modems use aged internet standards, so their speeds are quite slow.

But, if you have a Fiber-optic connection, then all you need is a router–which you can read more about under “Fiber.”

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive explanation of the advantages and disadvantages of each option, check out our article on modem/router combo vs. separate.

Brightspeed Fiber

If you have Brightspeed’s fiber internet, you don’t need a modem.

To disable the modem on your combo unit, you just need to do a bit of configuration. 

You only need to change the 201 tagging on your router from the admin panel, which you can do with one click.

The video below explains how to configure your modem for fiber internet access (beginning at 12:43).

If you need help choosing a router, our article on the best routers for Brightspeed is a great place to start.

Rent Vs. Buy Brightspeed Modems

Brightspeed offers its customers three different types of internet equipment. They are [2]:

• Rent a gateway from them for $15 per month
• Purchase a gateway directly from them for $200
• Buy an approved 3rd-party modem elsewhere

Renting is far more expensive than buying in the long run. In just 14 months, you’ll have paid more rent than if you had bought a property outright.

This raises the question of whether you should buy a modem directly from Bightspeed or through another source.

Bightspeed is the only place where you can be 100% sure that the modem you purchase will work with your type of DSL internet.

If you get your modem from an outside source, though, you can select whichever approved modem you want. This means you could pick either a cheaper or higher-quality one.

For more considerations on this, check out our renting vs. buying your modem guide. 

FAQ

Here are some common questions about Brightspeed and its networking equipment. 

Our Verdict

We did a lot of research into finding the best modems for Brightspeed. 

And in the end, we determined the best one is the C3000A for most Brightspeed customers. It works with all of their DSL Internet and fiber plans; it is reliable and offers good speeds. 

But if you have a 500 Mbps or faster plan, get a faster modem.