CenturyLink Internet Review: Plans, Prices, Deals, and More
Customers say CenturyLink fiber internet is great, but its slow DSL internet plans aren't worth the price.
Is CenturyLink internet good?
We love CenturyLink’s shockingly straightforward pricing on its fiber internet and Simply Unlimited Internet plans. But your CenturyLink experience will heavily depend on where you live.
CenturyLink Fiber Internet is a great fiber internet option, but if your neighborhood only gets Simply Unlimited Internet or lacks Quantum Fiber coverage, it’ll be a coin toss whether you can get 1 Mbps or 100 Mbps internet speeds.
CenturyLink landed in the middle of our internet customer satisfaction survey—far below competitors like Verizon Fios and AT&T. That said, we still think CenturyLink Fiber Internet is a great deal (if you can get it). With plans as low as $50 monthly, CenturyLink Fiber Internet is among the cheaper fiber options on the market.
But if you’re stuck with CenturyLink DSL, you’ll have much slower internet speeds for the same monthly price.
Compare CenturyLink internet to the competition
Prices starting at
$50.00/mo.
Max download speeds up to
940 Mbps
Service Type
DSL
Prices starting at
$35.00/mo.
Max download speeds up to
2000 Mbps
Service Type
Fiber
Pricing, speed and availability not guaranteed. Subject to change.
CenturyLink internet plans and pricing are decently affordable
| Package | Price | Download speeds | Upload speeds | Connection type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simply Unlimited Internet Up to 40-80 Mbps | $55.00/mo.* | Up to 80 Mbps | Up to 10 Mbps | DSL | View Plan |
| Simply Unlimited Internet 100 Mbps | $55.00/mo.‡ | Up to 100 Mbps | Up to 10 Mbps | DSL | View Plan |
| CenturyLink Fiber Internet 500 Mbps | $50.00/mo.* | Up to 500 Mbps | Up to 500 Mbps | Fiber | View Plan |
| CenturyLink Fiber Gigabit | $75.00/mo.† | Up to 940 Mbps | Up to 500 Mbps | Fiber | View Plan |
Data effective as of publish date. Pricing and speeds are subject to change. Not all offers available in all areas.
* Service is not available everywhere. Offer is available to qualifying customers only. Limited time offer. Paperless billing required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply.
† Speed may not be available in your area. Maximum download/upload speed of up to 940 Mbps via a wired connection. Paperless billing required. Taxes and fees apply. Offer details. Offer includes professional installation at customer’s eligible location.
‡ Speed may not be available in your area. Paperless billing or prepay required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Get the fastest internet speed available at your location (max speed is up to 100 Mbps).
Simply Unlimited Internet ain’t great
To the fiber internet-deprived: DSL can still be workable. CenturyLink offers two DSL plans—Simply Unlimited Internet Up to 40-80 Mbps and Simply Unlimited Internet 100 Mbps.
With maximum download speeds of 100 Mbps, Simply Unlimited Internet 100 Mbps is slower than fiber, and its upload speeds lag even farther behind. It still supports occasional Netflix sessions, but your video calls might get choppy.
We’re fans of the Simply Unlimited Internet plans’ unlimited data and no-contract pricing. You won’t have to worry about expensive data overage fees or sudden, massive price hikes.
Like with most DSL plans, your CenturyLink DSL options will depend on the area-availability goblin. Simply Unlimited Internet 100 Mbps comes with the fastest speed available at your address. So you might get a 100 Mbps plan, or you could live in an area where CenturyLink guarantees only “up to 1.5 Mbps.” (I do.) And that’s unfortunate.
We’d recommend the Simply Unlimited Internet plans only if your address gets a download speed of at least 40 Mbps. Your internet won’t be blazing fast, but you’ll be able to check your email or watch videos.
But if your address gets less than 40 Mbps from CenturyLink, you’ll probably have better luck with a competing internet provider.
CenturyLink Fiber Internet is fast and reliable
CenturyLink’s fiber plans are getting retired—parent company Lumen is gradually migrating CenturyLink’s fiber network to Quantum Fiber. But if it’s still available in your area, we recommend CenturyLink Fiber Internet.
Fiber internet technology gives you a more reliable connection and faster upload and download speeds than cable or DSL internet. We recommend most folks go for CenturyLink’s 500 Mbps plan, an above-average internet speed for day-to-day needs. That’s plenty to scroll through social media and stream TV. But if your family constantly streams multiple shows simultaneously, you may consider upgrading to the Gigabit plan instead.
If you’re in or near a major city with CenturyLink coverage, there’s a decent chance you can get fiber internet. But if you’re not? Then your only CenturyLink option will be the Simply Unlimited Internet DSL plans.
What do we think of CenturyLink Fiber?
I had CenturyLink Fiber for about two years—apparently, I live in a special neighborhood. My bill remained $55 a month, which was $10 cheaper than my previous CenturyLink DSL hookup. The fiber speeds were as advertised, and I experienced no slowdowns or outages (mine was a fiber-to-premises connection, the best-case scenario for fiber internet). It handled simultaneous web surfing and live TV streaming much more smoothly than my old DSL and cable connections ever did, but the best part of fiber internet service for me was the equal download and upload speeds. Like everyone else you know, I host and record a podcast—it’s about TV, not unsolved murders, so don’t get too excited. With my previous DSL and cable internet services, it would take 45 minutes or more to upload an hour of audio (around 300 Mbps). With fiber, it uploaded in 5 minutes or less. I used to make a snack during the upload period. After fiber, I barely had time to type the podcast synopsis before it was done. First-world problems, I know.
CenturyLink reliability: great for fiber, lackluster for DSL
| Test | Score |
|---|---|
| Average latency | 27.6 ms (DSL), 14.4 ms (fiber) |
| Internet reliability approval rating | 64% approval |
| Internet speed approval rating | 63% approval |
We pull from multiple data sources to determine an internet provider’s service reliability, which include speed test data from our partners at HighSpeedInternet.com, CableTV.com’s annual Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey, and speaking with real CenturyLink customers.
CenturyLink’s latency results reflect the performance gap between its fiber and DSL networks. CenturyLink’s fiber latency marks will be fast enough for Zoom calls and online gaming, but its average DSL performance was in line with the DSL networks of competitors like AT&T and Ziply.
Similarly, CenturyLink’s DSL network weighed down the ISP’s scores in our customer service polling. Around 60% of polled CenturyLink customers were satisfied with their internet connection’s speed and reliability. By comparison, most cable and fiber internet providers hit around the 70% approval mark in our satisfaction survey polling.
It's good when it works, it goes out fairly often for days at a time. The price isn't bad but it's too high for internet that doesn't work consistently.
CenturyLink offers decent add-ons for new customers
CenturyLink doesn’t necessarily have the bells and whistles of other providers when it comes to bonus features and add-ons. But at the same time, CenturyLink can cover more than the basics. Here’s everything else you’ll need to know about CenturyLink’s service plans.
Free Wi-Fi equipment
You’ll need a modem and Wi-Fi router for Simply Unlimited Internet. CenturyLink typically offers a modem/router combo for $15 per month (but it’s sometimes offered for free for fiber customers) or you can buy it outright for $200.
You can also purchase third-party equipment, but that requires some homework and might cost more than CenturyLink’s $200 modem/router. Check out our CenturyLink-compatible modem guide to learn more about your hardware options.
CenturyLink internet deals
CenturyLink often offers new-customer incentives like a $100 reward card. Keep an eye out for the current promotion when you’re signing up.
And if you need help paying for internet, the Lifeline Program can help you save up to $34.25 monthly off your internet bill. Check out our free and low-income internet guide to learn more.
CenturyLink phone and internet bundle options
| Package | Price | Download speeds | Upload speeds | Phone plan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber Internet 500 Mbps + Connected Voice Business Plan | $90.00/mo.* | Up to 500 Mbps | Up to 500 Mbps | Unlimited nationwide calling | View Plan |
| Fiber Gigabit + Connected Voice Business Plan | $115.00/mo.† | Up to 940 Mbps | Up to 940 Mbps | Unlimited nationwide calling | View Plan |
| Simply Unlimited Internet + Simply Unlimited Home Phone | $95.00/mo.‡** | Up to 100 Mbps | Up to 10 Mbps | Unlimited nationwide calling | View Plan |
Data effective as of publish date. Pricing and speeds are subject to change. Not all offers available in all areas.
* Service is not available everywhere. Offer is available to qualifying customers only. Limited time offer. Paperless billing required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply.
† Speed may not be available in your area. Maximum download/upload speed of up to 940 Mbps via a wired connection. Paperless billing required. Taxes and fees apply. Offer details. Offer includes professional installation at customer’s eligible location.
‡ Speed may not be available in your area. Paperless billing or prepay required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Get the fastest internet speed available at your location (max speed is up to 100 Mbps).
** Taxes and fees apply. Rate excludes CTL Fees not to exceed $4.00/mo/line. Offer Details.
Everybody loves a bundle, especially when it means a discount. CenturyLink doesn’t offer TV service, so your only bundle option will be CenturyLink phone service. And since CenturyLink no longer offers standalone phone service, you won’t get a bundle discount for phone service.
CenturyLink offers three home phone plans: Connected Voice Basic Plan ($30 monthly) and Professional Plan ($40 monthly) are for fiber internet customers, while Simply Unlimited Home Phone ($50.00 monthly) includes features like call waiting and caller ID for DSL customers. You’ll also pay a one-time $35.00 activation fee to turn on your home phone service with CenturyLink.
Check out our CenturyLink bundle and CenturyLink phone guides to learn more about the ISP’s offerings.
What do real customers think of CenturyLink?
As part of CableTV.com’s annual Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey, we talked to thousands of real-life internet customers to see how they felt about their internet providers.
Customers with CenturyLink fiber were generally fairly satisfied with their internet speed and performance. But CenturyLink’s aging DSL network slightly weighed down its overall scores, although not as drastically as other competitors. The provider had an average 13th-place finish for overall satisfaction in this year’s survey with a 65% overall satisfaction score.
That said, customers on CenturyLink DSL had issues ranging from internet reliability concerns to customer service delays.
The only problem I have with them is the slow speed for what I pay. When dealing with problems, they are very quick to help and are always helpful. They run diagnostics quickly and when there is a problem with the modem, I get a replacement the next day.
CenturyLink internet FAQ
How do I change my CenturyLink Wi-Fi password?
Here’s how to change your Wi-Fi password if you have a newer CenturyLink modem and it’s already connected to a device:
- Open a browser window and go to http://192.168.0.1.
- Log in with the Admin username and password. You can find the default information on the modem sticker. If you used a custom username and passphrase, log in with those.
- Under “Wireless Setup,” choose “2.4 GHz” (see upper left-hand corner).
- Under “Wireless Security,” choose the SSID you want to edit from the drop-down menu.
- In the second drop-down menu (“Security Type”), select desired security type (it’ll more than likely involve WPA2).
- In the third drop-down menu (“Encryption Type”), select “both.”
- Under “Enter security key/passphrase,” choose the default passphrase or enter your own. Custom passphrases must have 8–63 characters. You may use any letter from A–Z, any number from 0–9, and blank spaces.
- Hit “Apply.”
How do I cancel CenturyLink internet?
To cancel your CenturyLink internet or home phone service, call 1-800-244-1111 between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday–Friday.
Expect a CenturyLink representative to try to keep your business by offering alternatives to cancellation. Sometimes those customer-retention deals are pretty decent, so there’s no harm in listening. But if you’re sure you want to cancel, stay strong. No means no.
What modems are compatible with CenturyLink?
At the moment, CenturyLink supports 31 different modems from manufacturers like Actiontec, Adtran, Calix, Cisco, D-Link, Technicolor, Westrell, and ZyXEL. We’ve narrowed down the list with our guide to the best CenturyLink-compatible modems.
If you’d like modem help from a real human, call CenturyLink at 1-877-837-5738 or chat with tech support.
Can I use my own router with CenturyLink?
Yes, you may use your own router with CenturyLink service. If you don’t already have one, and you also need a DSL modem, we recommend some great modem-router combos in our guide to the best CenturyLink-compatible modems.
Does CenturyLink have a data cap?
CenturyLink fiber and DSL internet plans have no data cap.
How do I set up my CenturyLink voicemail?
To set up your CenturyLink voicemail, use the following steps:
- If you have your welcome letter, dial the retrieval number.
- If you don’t have your welcome letter, you can find it by dialing 1-800-669-7676. Alternatively, press *98 from your home phone to continue setup.
- Follow voice prompts.
- Create a 4–15 digit password.
- Record your name so that callers know they’ve reached the right person.
- Choose from two pre-recorded voicemail greetings or record a personalized message.
- You’re done. Now sit by your phone and wait to see if anyone loves you.
How much does it cost to install CenturyLink internet?
CenturyLink offers standard installation for up to $25 and professional installation for up to $149. The standard installation includes a welcome kit with DIY instructions, cords, and equipment.
How much is CenturyLink unlimited internet?
CenturyLink costs $55 per month for DSL internet and $50 to $75 per month for fiber internet. CenturyLink doesn’t have data caps, so every plan has unlimited data.
Is CenturyLink down?
You can use CenturyLink’s outage tool on its support webpage and mobile app to see if there’s an outage in your area.
What is CenturyLink?
CenturyLink is an internet provider based in the Pacific Northwest. It offers phone and internet service throughout 16 states in the U.S.
Why you should trust us
Our experts spent more than a month diving deep beyond the prices and speeds for CenturyLink internet. First, we conducted original research by talking to hundreds of real CenturyLink internet customers and evaluating data from sources including speed test data from our partners at HighSpeedInternet.com and CableTV.com’s annual Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey.
Then, we calculated how CenturyLink’s results compared to the competition by analyzing factors including price, value, and reliability. After weighing this data against more than 30 major internet providers, we tabulated CenturyLink’s final scores for bang for your buck, reliability, features, and customer satisfaction based on these formulas.
For more information on our methodology, check out our How We Rank page.
