does modem's brand, quality & features effect internet speed?

[Shivam24]

Hello,
I recently got a bsnl internet connection installed at my home (512kbps unlimited plan). I bought the default modem from bsnl, and it is some adsl2+ cpe / router , brand name: citi, manufacturer: smile electronics ltd. bangalore. its a simple modem without wi-fi and only one pc can be connected.

my friend has also got the same connection but he is using some costly branded modem with many features and wi-fi capability also and according to him he is getting good ping and better in some areas of working (eg. online multiplayer gaming).

so i have this doubt that whether the modem used in the connection is a deciding factor of incoming internet speed? if yes, please suggest some cheapest good quality modem.

thank you.

EDIT: sorry for wrong spelling in thread's title, typing mistake, its affect in place of effect i used , i can't rectify it now.

[tkin]

No, modem has nothing to do with speeds and pings, they can improve connection quality, i.e less frequent dropouts and managing to stay online even at worse line conditions but ping and speed is not affected.

[Shivam24]

sometimes the speed drops from 512 kbps to a lower speed, so is the modem responsible in these speed 'up and down' cases or not?

[tkin]

No, not unless the modem is broken, but its not a problem I think, because if the modem was the problem then it would just lose the connection, not give low speed, BSNL sometimes have massive issues with their lines, sometimes I get 600ms pings to google india, sometimes 60ms.

[Shivam24]

yes, the same case of ping drop with me, thanks for the clarification.