Buying a DSL modem, does which one matter based on provider?

[Kabob]

I've always had cable internet but my father in law has DSL and wants to get rid of the rental fee. I'm browsing on Ebay and notice that some DSL modems have a internet providers in their listing, do certain DSL modems only work with certain providers and visa versa? He's got CenturyLink.

Thanks!

 

[jhansman]

Whatever you choose, know that your ISP will likely cut you off in tech support call when you tell them you're not using their equipment. For me, the $5 I pay a month to 'rent' my DSL modem is worth it when I need the nice lady in Bangalore (or wherever the hell she is) to help figure out my issue.

 

[Kabob]

I used my own cable modem for years and never got cut off once.

So back to the question, does brand matter for each provider?

 

[vailr]

I switched from SBC/ATT DSL in Indiana to Qwest/CenturyLink in Arizona, using the same Siemens SpeedStream 4100 DSL modem with both providers. There are a few minor configuration changes to make via the web browser interface, going from ATT to Qwest/CenturyLink:

VC-Mux
0/32 for VPI/VCI
PPPoA

Note: I bought a spare backup SpeedStream 4100 off of eBay, but took several tries to get one that actually fully functioned.