ISPs Now Main Source for Home Routers: Survey

WASHINGTON, April 10, 2025 - New research from Parks Associates shows that internet service providers have become the primary source of home networking equipment in the U.S., with 71% of internet households reporting they received their router or gateway directly from their provider.

The report, which surveyed trends across 8,000 internet households, highlighted a shift in consumer behavior. While most users once owned their routers, they no longer do as the trend reversed in 2022–2023, coinciding with the rollout of higher-cost Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 models.

“Consumers increasingly turn to their ISP for networking equipment, drawn by offers such as free devices, leasing options, and discounts,” said Kristen Hanich, Research Director at Parks Associates. “ISP-branded routers now rank highest in consumer-reported satisfaction.”

Key findings by Parks Associates showed that routers supplied by ISPs—often white-labeled by manufacturers like Vantiva—are tied to higher satisfaction, with Net Promoter Scores three times higher than average. Products from Amazon eero and Google’s Nest Wi-Fi also scored well, while TP-Link remained popular for offering advanced features at a lower cost.

About one-third of router owners now use mesh networking systems, though adoption has slowed. Improved performance from newer standalone routers means many users don’t yet see a need for mesh add-ons.

Parks Associates is a market research and consulting company, based in Plano, Texas, specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Parks Associates will present these findings at its CONNECTIONS conference, May 13–15, focusing on connected home trends and emerging business models in the smart home and IoT sectors.