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Astound Broadband Internet Review

Astound Broadband has the speeds you need with price hikes that will give you pause.

Astound Broadband

Price: $20.00–$70.00/mo.*†‡§

Speeds: 100–1,200 Mbps

Data cap: 300–1,000 GB in WA, OR, and CA only

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Provider star ratings are based on user reviews and our independent customer satisfaction survey.

Our Astound Broadband internet review

Astound Broadband is mainly a cable internet provider with some fiber options in certain markets. It operates four networks across the US, which were formerly branded as enTouch, Grande, RCN, and Wave. It’s a great deal for the money during the first 12 months, but the price hikes in certain regions may have you looking elsewhere for a better long-term deal.

 Pros

  • Speeds up to 1,200 Mbps
  • Cheap promo prices
  • Options for gamers
  • Optional Eero whole-home Wi-Fi

 Cons

  • Data caps on the West Coast
  • Limited fiber availability
  • Price hikes after 12 months

Are you a current Astound Broadband customer? We want your feedback! Please leave a review and tell us what you think.

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Compare Astound Broadband internet plans and pricing

PackagePriceSpeedTypeView on Astound Broadband site
100 Mbps Internet$25.00/mo. *†‡Up to 100 MbpsCable, Fiber
300 Mbps Internet$20.00–$35.00/mo. *Up to 300 MbpsCable, Fiber
800 Mbps Internet$50.00/mo. *†‡Up to 800 MbpsCable, Fiber
940 Mbps Internet$50.00–$60.00/mo. *†‡Up to 940 MbpsCable, Fiber
1200 Mbps Internet$49.99–$70.00/mo. *†‡Up to 1,200 MbpsCable

Astound Broadband’s speeds: What’s best for you?

The best speed depends on what you need. Astound Broadband’s new 1,200 Mbps cable internet plan may seem like overkill for most homes, while the 50 Mbps plan may not be enough. Run our How Much Speed Do I Need? tool to see which plan is the best for you.

How fast are your Astound Broadband speeds?

Click below for a quick speed test and find out.

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Astound Broadband’s data caps

Astound Broadband enforces data caps in Washington, Oregon, and California (the areas previously serviced by Wave). Expect a 400 GB cap with the 100 Mbps Internet plan and a 1 TB data cap with its 500 Mbps Internet plan.

You can double your monthly allowance for $10 more a month if you need more data. Want unlimited data? That costs an extra $20 per month.

The 940 Mbps plan includes unlimited data.

Is Astound Broadband internet available where you live?

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Our favorite plan: Astound’s 300 Mbps Internet plan is a good deal for most homes—especially the fiber version if you can get it. There’s enough speed for a family of four with a few devices each connected simultaneously.

Astound Broadband manages four separate networks across the US: RCN in the Chicago area and the Northeast, Grande in Texas, enTouch specifically in Houston, and Wave on the West Coast. Plan availability and pricing depend on where you live—for example, you won’t find the 50 Mbps Internet plan outside of Texas.

And while Astound Broadband limits its selection to four or five plans in each market, you may want to consider the long-term cost before you sign up. For example, the 300 Mbps Internet plan has an excellent starting price but increases up to $78 if you live in Texas—up to $148 if you live in Houston. Ouch.

HSI badge deals

Astound Broadband ongoing deals and promotions + bundles

Get internet starting at $20 or $25 a month with a two-year price lock. You get a month of service free if you live in Washington DC, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York or Virginia.

Astound Broadband internet fees

Cost
Equipment Fee
  • Up to $18.00/mo. modem rental fee
  • Up to $14.95/mo. router fee
  • $11.95/mo. enhanced whole-home Wi-Fi fee (optional)
  • $5.00/mo. for each added beacon (optional)
  • $12.95/mo. pro-gaming router fee (optional)
  • Up to $20.00/mo. modem + router fee (Wave only)
  • Up to $20.00/mo. Home Networking fee (optional)
Installation Fee
  • $79.95 pro install fee
  • $15.00 self-install fee*
  • $14.95 home networking install fee (optional)
Other Fees
  • $9.99 account activation fee
  • $40.00 non-pay restoral fee
  • Up to $30.00 returned check fee
  • $4.50 payment convenience fee (automated)
  • $6.95 payment convenience (rep)
  • $1.00 payment convenience fee (web)
  • Up to $15.00 late fee
  • Up to $25.00 AutoPay denial fee
  • $6.97/mo. network access and maintenance fee
  • $9.99/mo. Eero Secure (optional)

With the optional Home Networking service, a technician connects up to four additional wired and wireless computing devices to the internet, whether a computer, gaming console or printer.

The Home Networking install service includes the following:

  • A gateway
  • Ethernet cables
  • USB adapters
  • Add-in network cards for computers
  • Computer setup
  • File sharing
  • Software

Astound Broadband internet installation, equipment, and contracts

Astound Broadband has an interesting selection that should appeal to every customer, like whole-home Wi-Fi and computer hardware for wired networking. However, you can’t get some equipment options in all service areas.

Astound Broadband installation and equipment

Astound Broadband’s pro install has a technician install the equipment you need to connect one device—the fee does not include wall fishing. Other fees may apply, such as a charge for relocating an existing outlet or installing additional outlets.

Cable internet customers receive a modem and a standalone router in most service areas. The optional Home Networking kit includes a gateway and everything you need for a wired network, like USB adapters and add-in cards for desktop computers.

You can opt for the Eero Pro 6 two-piece kit instead of a standard router—but each additional satellite costs $5 per month. Gamers can get NETGEAR’s Nighthawk XR1000 gaming router, which has great speeds even at long range and includes gaming tools like the ping heatmap and Geo-Filter.

Astound Broadband internet contracts

Astound Broadband does not have contracts. Instead, it offers discounted pricing for the first 12 months. After that, standard rates apply and vary from region to region.

Astound Broadband internet customer ratings

Overall RatingReliability RatingCustomer Service RatingSpeed RatingPrice Rating
Astound Broadband customer satisfaction rating3.9/53.1/53.5/53.6/53.5/5
Average rating*3.8/53.3/53.7/53.7/53.7/5

In overall satisfaction, Astound Broadband ranks in the bottom half of our list of 13 national providers. It falls behind EarthLink, Verizon, Spectrum, AT&T, Xfinity, and Sparklight, which met or surpassed the national average.

Astound’s highest rank is in speed satisfaction. Most of its business is cable internet, and 89% of those surveyed said their speeds “always” or “usually” met their needs. Around 75% said their speeds are “always” or “usually” as fast as promised.

Astound’s lowest rank is in price satisfaction. It resides in the bottom half of our list of national providers, with 52% of those surveyed reporting price hikes. Astound’s prices can increase dramatically after 12 months, depending on where you live.

We want your feedback!

Astound Broadband isn’t new, but we need more feedback from customers currently signed up with enTouch, Grande, RCN, and Wave. Click or tap on the link below to leave a review, so that we can share the data with other new and current customers.

Read Reviews

How Astound Broadband compares to the competition

ProviderPlan price rangeSpeeds (range)User rating*Order online
Astound Broadband$20.00–$70.00/mo.**50–1,200 Mbps3.5/5
AT&T$55.00–$180.00/mo.25–5,000 Mbps3.7/5
Frontier$49.99–$154.99/mo.500–5,000 Mbps (for fiber)3.5/5View Frontier Plans
Verison$49.99–$119.99/mo.#300–2,300 Mbps3.9/5
Xfinity$25.00–$80.00/mo.§##*75–1,200 Mbps3.7/5View Xfinity Plans

Astound Broadband’s list of competitors is a long one since it manages four networks across the nation. On a national level, it competes with Xfinity’s cable internet, so both have specific speed and pricing tiers in different regions across the US.

Astound’s fiber competes with Verizon in the Northeast, although Verizon has a much larger footprint than Astound. In Texas and the West Coast, Astound competes with AT&T and Frontier, which currently have faster fiber speeds than Astound.

Read our full reviews of Astound Broadband vs its main internet competitors

Is Astound Broadband internet right for you?

Astound Broadband is a good go-to cable internet provider if Xfinity doesn’t have the speeds you need and you can’t get fiber. It offers speeds up to 1,200 Mbps, but you must use Astound’s equipment if you sign up for its fastest plan.

Astound Broadband offers fiber internet, too, but with limited availability. It competes with AT&T and Frontier in Texas and the West Coast, and Verizon in the Northeast. We suggest Astound’s fiber internet over its cable service if you can get it.

Unfortunately, Astound Broadband has two significant setbacks. It has data caps on the West Coast with extra fees for doubled and unlimited data. It also has steep, steep price hikes in some areas, with prices increasing seven times the promotional price in some cases.

Be sure to compare long-term prices against the competition (if you can) before you sign up with Astound Broadband.

FAQ about Astound Broadband

What are the best routers for Astound Broadband internet?

Any router will do when you select the 940 Mbps Internet plan or slower, but we suggest a Wi-Fi 6 model if you want near-gigabit wireless speeds. The NETGEAR router Astound offers isn’t bad, with great speeds at close and long range.

Astound requires you to rent its equipment for the 1,200 Mbps Internet plan.

Where does Astound Broadband offer fiber internet?

Currently, you can get Astound fiber internet in California and Oregon (Wave), Texas (Grande), and Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (RCN).

Why can’t I use my equipment with the 1,200 Mbps plan?

For 1,200 Mbps cable internet, you need a modem and a router with a 2.5 Gbps internet (WAN) port and a CAT 5e cable or newer. Modems and routers with a Gigabit Ethernet port for internet stay around 940 Mbps in real-world speed—maybe a little faster on a good day. So, for those two reasons, Astound requires customers to rent compatible equipment for now—presumably, while it tests store-bought modems with its new plan.

Methodology

Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our annual customer satisfaction survey, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees, and we keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we also rely on our personal experiences testing these services.