I need to replace my Charter modem about once a year... does that hold true even in that case?

This has been true for at least the last 5 years running.

Even with the latest DOCSIS modems, Comcast has been deprecating 2 channel and 4 channel modems in favor of 8 and 16 channel devices.

Were you buying the cheapest supported modem? Your modem was probably deprecated when you bought it.

Also, at least for Comcast, the fact that they don't support your modem doesn't mean it won't work. It just means they won't be pushing updates and if you call in with a problem they'll tell you to first replace the modem.

Replace for what reason ? That sounds abnormal if you have such a high failure rate. Might point to electrical issues in your house.

Not sure.. the Charter employees who come out usually test everything and everything else tests normal.

They don't seem bothered by the frequency ("is normal..")

Everything else connected to that part of the house seems normal.

The cable junction point out in the yard is usually under water... they replaced all that too, but said that's normal for this neighborhood (we're adjacent to wetlands). How that bombs out the modem inside the house continues to be a mystery.

I'm probably here for one or two more replacements, and I'll move to another part of my city.