You cannot use your own modem on the Cogeco network.

It is not possible to use your own modem (or the one you used with your previous provider), since we are limited to the modems certified by the line provider as well as specific software versions. Even if your own modem is the same model as the one we use, using a possibly already activated modem means it must be confirmed as inactive on the previous provider's lines before we can add it to our inventory. This may take several business days following deactivation, and we want you to be online with us as soon as possible.

Yes! Cogeco internet services support personal routers.

You can use your own router both as a main router and as a reach extender (or access point).

*Were you looking for technical documentation instead? You can find all of that right here.

Keep in mind

Customer service agents have much less information at their disposal when it comes to troubleshooting issues when you use your own router. Agents cannot help you configure parameters nor monitor your internet connection. Also note that no discount will be given to you if you use your own router since we lend Cogeco’s basic router for free.

As a main router

All you have to do is plug the Ethernet cable coming out of the modem into the WAN port on your own router and configure internet access via DHCP.

As a range extender *(Access point)*

Using your own router as a range extender or even as a mesh network access point for your Cogeco network is possible. There are crucial rules you must follow, however. Note that our agents cannot provide configuration support for any device that isn’t provided by Cogeco. Here are some tips to ensure your installation works :

Follow the installation guide included with the provided Cogeco equipment and plug in the modem and router. Then, you can plug in your own router or mesh system by connecting one of the four (4) LAN ports on the Cogeco router to the WAN port of your own router using an Ethernet cable;

• Do not connect your devices to the Cogeco Wi-Fi network. If your devices were already connected, make them forget the password of this network;
• Do not name your own Wi-Fi network the same as the networks provided by the Cogeco router;
• You must deactivate the DHCP functionality of your own router because it is handled by the Cogeco router. Having active DHCP on both routers would cause conflicts.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) allows devices to automatically get IP addresses from a router, which simplifies network setup. For instance, the Cogeco router uses DHCP to get a unique public IP address. It then assigns private IP addresses to connected devices within your home network using Network Address Translation (NAT).

This approach has several benefits:

• Anonymity: Only the router’s public IP address is visible online.
• Security: The router acts as a filter between the internet and your devices.
• Efficiency: It conserves public IP addresses by using private ones for local devices.

Updated on: 28/08/2025