Will an independently owned modem ... [bought on-line] operate a laptop , without being connected to ... a phone line, etc ? Just trying to sever from 'service providers' . And [of course] want to do it correctly.
No; you still have to pay for service. Larger providers such as Comcast will provide a modem/router, but the customer pays a rental fee. So basically all you save by providing your own equipment is to save the monthly "rental."
Thanks for the reply. Would it be enough savings to be worth it ? And would it provide better/improved performance at the same time ?
I suppose "worth it" is subjective. You'd have to look at your provider bill to see what they charge to rent the equipment, then see what it would cost to buy one. Remember that if something goes wrong with the one you buy, you'll need to buy another. If you rent, then the provider will usually just provide a replacement if need be. You'd need to buy a router/modem that will work with your provider; they typically provide a list of recommended brands/models. Performance should not be impacted one way or another if you buy recommended equipment.
I dumped my Xfinity triple play package (phone, internet and cable) but kept the internet. I turned in their modem since I didn’t need it (already had an Apple AirPort Extreme router) and bought an Arris Surfboard modem to go with my router. Total savings, even after paying to double our internet speed, was about $130/month. I’ve kicked myself a few times for not doing it sooner. If you don’t already have a stand-alone router, combo modem/routers are available from many manufacturers.
We have our own very fast modem. That said, as pointed out above, you still need to pay for Internet connectivity.