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Frontier Internet Review: Fiber’s a Go, DSL’s a No – CNET

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Frontier’s fiber (purple) and DSL (pink) network coverage, per the most recent FCC data.

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Frontier home internet rating

How we calculated our rating Speed

6.5/10

Customer Care

6/10

Pros

  • Wi-Fi router rental included in the price
  • Unlimited data
  • Fast fiber speeds

Cons

  • Spotty DSL speeds
  • Poor, but improving, customer satisfaction record
  • Term agreement required to get signup bonuses

See more pros and cons

I’d recommend fiber-optic internet, like that of Frontier Fiber, more often than not over any other connection type. DSL internet, on the other hand, is tougher to recommend. Speeds are slow enough to not even qualify as “broadband” in some areas, and reliability is spotty at best. The only things DSL really has going for it is that availability is high and well, at least it isn’t satellite internet.

When considering Frontier internet for your home, determine if you’re eligible for fiber or DSL service. If Frontier Fiber is available, you’ll likely find it has the best offers of all ISPs in your area, including the internet and TV bundle that will get new customers $10 per month off YouTube TV for a year. On the other hand, if you can only get DSL, you may want to also explore other options such as rural internet alternatives like 5G home internet. 

Along with fast speeds — Frontier now offers speeds up to 5Gbps — and competitive pricing, Frontier Fiber plans come with unlimited data and a Wi-Fi router at no extra cost. There are also no term agreements, so long as you don’t accept any deal “sweeteners” like the $200 gift card currently available when you sign up for Fiber 2 Gig.

Frontier Internet, the DSL service, can be hit or miss, as speeds and performance may vary widely depending on where you live. That’s typical for a DSL provider, but Frontier doesn’t advertise speeds for its DSL service at all, so there’s no telling what speeds you’ll get until you sign up. Even if you luck out and can get the fastest Frontier Internet speeds possible, they’d still fall well short of the slowest advertised Frontier Fiber speed (500Mbps).

So again, fiber optic is good, DSL bad (maybe). And that’s not necessarily a knock against Frontier; that’s just the nature of the two service types. Frontier Fiber is the way to go, given the choice of the two. Still, Frontier Internet could be a viable option for those in rural areas where the only other available connections are via satellite.

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ACSI 2023 rankings for US customer satisfaction with fiber internet service providers ACSI 2023 rankings for US customer satisfaction with fiber internet service providers

Starting at $60 per month, Frontier’s entry-level Fiber plan offers speeds up to 500Mbps — plenty of speed for streaming, gaming and browsing the web on multiple devices at once — and comes with unlimited data and no additional equipment costs. The newest Frontier Fiber plan, Frontier 5 Gig, is arguably the best deal starting at $155 per month for speeds up to 5Gbps for an estimated cost per Mbps of around $0.03.

A fiber connection like the one you get with Frontier Fiber is excellent for gaming. Not only are speeds fast enough to support intense gaming on multiple devices, but the low latency also makes for a smooth connection with less lagging. 

Keep in mind that fully resetting your router will likely return it to factory settings and potentially delete any custom settings. If you just want to reboot your Frontier router to remedy slowed speeds or a spotty connection, you can do so by unplugging the device and plugging it back in after 10 seconds. This will avoid a factory reset and help to save your custom settings.

But if you’re certain you want to fully reset your Frontier router, locate the reset button on the back of the device and use a small instrument such as a paperclip to press and hold the button for 10 seconds.

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