From The Wirecutter: The best cable modem (for most folks)

Stop paying that rental fee and buy your own cable modem (if your ISP will let you).

Read the whole story

 

[TheBreathingUser]

In my experience, it may also be important with Comcast to have a device that receives their "three star" certification. Otherwise, when your service has problems, the support agent is likely to blame the problems on your "lower-ranking" device, without escalating your case to the level of support that is truly warranted.

http://mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/

 

[Yaz]

After another 14 hours of research, our favorite cable modem from last year is still the best option if you're looking to save money on a rental fee.

Unless I'm missing something, this article was written based on reviewing compatibility charts, spec sheets, pricing, and online reviews instead of actual hands-on experience or testing of the products?

 

[Deleted member 192806]

When's the latest DOCSIS suppose to be out?

 

[joshv]

cumings[/url]":1ldtdzs6]In my experience, it may also be important with Comcast to have a device that receives their "three star" certification. Otherwise, when your service has problems, the support agent is likely to blame the problems on your "lower-ranking" device, without escalating your case to the level of support that is truly warranted.

http://mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/

It appears that the difference between 1 star and 3 stars is physical and environmental tests, not compatibility. So if it's got one star it's compatible, if it doesn't have the other stars that just means they haven't tested it to see how it handles a heavy download when the modem is crammed into an A/V cabinet with no airflow.

 

[MightyPez]

Doing the math on buying your own modem should be something every subscriber does.

If you already have your own router, it's a no brainer. The Comcast rental fee for their 802.11n modem is $10/month. A new retail SB6141 will run about $89.99-$99.99. Give or take taxes and fees, you'll see an ROI at most in 10 months. But those modems always go on sale, so don't pay retail.

If you don't have a router, you'll need to factor that cost in as well. It also helps to factor in if you're using the Comcast modem, you will have the open Xfinity access point. The implementation doesn't use your allotted bandwidth and should be realtively safe since it's on its own subnet, but if you're at all security conscious you may not want that on your network.

 

[adminfoo]

I have the SB6141 on Comcast service. It supports IPv6. It can be mounted on a wall - a thoughtful touch many other device makers forget (and yes, mine is wall mounted). It just plain works. In regular speed tests from various sources, I have never seen it give less bandwidth than my plan allows.

If you put a gun to my head and forced me to find something to complain about, I might say the LED indicator lights are brighter than they need to be. Which in my case doesn't matter because I keep it in a closet.

 

[colek42]

Go with the SB6183 if you have TimeWarner. They are rolling out MAXX pretty aggressively this year. The model that you recommend will "only" get you 100Mbps. I know I am getting it in Fayetteville NC this summer.

 

[rwxatc]

From the article: "And if a hybrid model breaks, you'll lose your home Wi-Fi network and your Internet service.

Is this really an issue? If either a cable modem or router fail, it has to be replaced unless you specifically bought it only for WAN w/o WiFi (Ethernet everywhere) or LAN w/o Internet; both of these cases seem to be rare edge cases.

I would think that the bigger issue for gateways would be early obsolescence due to changing 802.11 and DOCSIS standards.

 

[Silellak]

Sounds about right. The SB6141, paired with an Airport Extreme, is the setup I suggest to people who simply want a reliable Internet connection that they don't need to fiddle with.

I've had the 6141 for years, and can count the number of times I've had to reboot it on one hand. Same with the Airport.

 

[rwxatc]

My mother, sisters, and a few friends are on Charter, formerly owned their own cable modems in order to avoid the ca. 7$/mo equipment charge, but, in the past couple of years (around when Charter increased the speed of their base service), all were eventually forced (due to moving or canceling and renewing) to take the Charter-supplied DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem (the cost of which is included in the monthly Internet connection price.)

I asked at the time my mother re-signed up for Charter after having dropped it for a few years if she could BYOD DOCSIS 3.0 modem and was told "No, because we are providing our own devices in order to have consistency on our network."

Does anybody know if it is even possible anymore to reduce Charter's monthly rate by doing the BYOD cable modem thing anymore?

 

[.劉煒]

Why not the Zoom modem? It's half the price and their site shows it as compatible with the same carriers.

 

[nei1]

I am continually unimpressed by the slow internet response time on Suddenlink.

The article gives me the idea that the modem Suddenlink has been renting me since we subscibed in Nov. 2014 might be Docsys 2 or only one downstream channel.

I can get my hands on an SB6121. It will be interesting to see if that helps.

 

[SixDegrees]

Ostracus[/url]":3jtkzsxt]When's the latest DOCSIS suppose to be out?

"Comcast expects to have DOCSIS 3.1-based Gigabit Internet this year, and other ISPs are likely to follow throughout 2016"

When it will be WIDELY available, however, is anyone's guess.

 

[ThousandStars5]

You'll need it only if you subscribe to a plan like Time Warner's 300Mbps Ultimate tier, found in locations like Los Angeles, New York City, and Austin.

One small note: RCN in NYC also offers 330 Mbps down and 25 Mbps up. It's cheaper than Time Warner's plan (I pay $60/month) and doesn't require a contract.

Somewhat hilariously, Verizon keeps mailing me pitches for Fios—which is more considerably more expensive and requires a contract to get lower rates.

 

[halse]

Have this Surfboard and use it with Comcast. First one (from Amazon) was wacky and didn't bother to figure out why, sent it back and replacement has been fine.
As much as I despise Comcast I will credit them with an easy to use web setup: it pings the modem, gets the MAC and all that, sets up the firmware and only takes a few minutes.

 

[g90814]

robert.walter[/url]":2vt4ggj6]
Does anybody know if it is even possible anymore to reduce Charter's monthly rate by doing the BYOD cable modem thing anymore?

I asked the same thing when 'renewing my contract' with Charter last year (I wish they'd get away from that model!). They told me the price would be the same anyway.

BUT, I only pay $39.99 a month for 60/4 speeds, so can't complain.

Coming up in a few months... a chat with customer retention/cancellations dept to get the best price again... the regular customer service folks won't do that for you!

 

[adipose]

Would be nice to include options for telephony modems. I have an Arris TM822G, which is 8x4 and supports Comcast, including phone. It has been bulletproof so far.

http://www.amazon.com/Arris-TM822-Serie ... B00721TUNS

 

[genekellyjr]

I have 2 SB1641s, they've been totally solid in two locations for 2-3 years now. A cat even threw up on one.
Of note though, I've added a bit of customization.
I saw when buying it that people said it overheated if in a hot environment and a heatsink on its main chip would help. I bought some mini heatsinks and put one on both, dunno what it would be like if I didn't put the heatsink on but the room can get up to 90F in the summer.
Secondly while it was open I put black electrical tape with a dot poked in it. It limits the light greatly an makes them not be super bright. Blue painters tape did nothing, much like the goggles.

 

[sweeneycolin]

.劉煒[/url]":2aaptyq9]Why not the Zoom modem? It's half the price and their site shows it as compatible with the same carriers.

Because it's a fluff piece. There was no testing done. Just a look at reviews and lists to justify the popular choice.

From the original article:

Zoom’s 5341J DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem supports 8 downstream channels and 4 upstream channels, just like our pick. We’ve seen it sell for $70, which is a little cheaper than the SB6141, and a total of 871 Amazon reviewers gave it an average rating of 4.5 stars. However, Cox says the 5341J is incompatible with the company’s fastest Internet service (Ultimate—150 Mbps). On Comcast, the 5341J is compatible only up to the provider’s Extreme 105 tier (our pick supports Extreme 150). Charter doesn’t support the 5341J at all.

People have been successfully provisioned at 150 mbps on Cox and Comcast using the 5341J. The fact that it's not on their list may cause problems, though.

I got the 5341J since some people seemed to have better success with this over the SB 6141 under worse line conditions. It's worked great for me and I'm happy to have saved some money.

 

[Chemical Tribe]

edit: removed

 

[jstoik]

The SB 6141's default response to any sort of signal error is to reboot itself. After upgrading to this modem, my internet would cut out intermittently up to 20 times per day. It was very frustrating. Cox came out and replaced some components outside the house, but it made no difference.

I switched to the Zoom 5341J and have had zero issues.

 

[Essense]

If I were buying new today i'd get the 6183 no questions asked, Time Warner is rolling out Maxx service across 7 cities this year, and more planned for next year. the 6141 is only provisioned to 100/10 by most ISP's.

With google fiber and other fiber options putting the heat on Cable providers, many are working on increased speeds. SB6141 is not very futureproof.

Even when DOCSIS 3.1 is out and we have Gigabit internet, a 6183 will still be good to 300 Mbps. And this may be an entry level Tier at that time, you could still use it for years, but your going to feel pretty slow stuck on 100 mbps /w 6141.

This is not about hardware capabilities, as the above modems are both capable of way more then what they are actually provisioned to, but provisioning is all that matters.

 

[sweeneycolin]

Removed since the original was removed.

 

[Vash63]

Essense[/url]":1x9qv1x2]If I were buying new today i'd get the 6183 no questions asked, Time Warner is rolling out Maxx service across 7 cities this year, and more planned for next year. the 6141 is only provisioned to 100/10 by most ISP's.

With google fiber and other fiber options putting the heat on Cable providers, many are working on increased speeds. SB6141 is not very futureproof.

Even when DOCSIS 3.1 is out and we have Gigabit internet, a 6183 will still be good to 300 Mbps. And this may be an entry level Tier at that time, you could still use it for years, but your going to feel pretty slow stuck on 100 mbps /w 6141.

This is not about hardware capabilities, as the above modems are both capable of way more then what they are actually provisioned to, but provisioning is all that matters.

I'm on Cox and can boost up to 188/25 with the 6141. Not sure why other ISPs would limit it so low when it's capable of almost twice that.

 

[ethd]

SixDegrees[/url]":1xmpbvvd]

Ostracus[/url]":1xmpbvvd]When's the latest DOCSIS suppose to be out?

"Comcast expects to have DOCSIS 3.1-based Gigabit Internet this year, and other ISPs are likely to follow throughout 2016"

When it will be WIDELY available, however, is anyone's guess.

Don't count on Comcast to give you gigabit anywhere unless there's already gigabit Internet from another provider there. They tend to be a follower, not a leader.

Not saying it couldn't happen, but given how Comcast acts your probability of getting gigabit cable from them anytime soon seems pretty slim.

 

[sailor]

Is a BYOD cable modem an option for Verison FiOS? I'm very disappointed in the modem/router they've installed, and would love to not be renting it; my bill's high enough as it is.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

colek42[/url]":16ubtmli]Go with the SB6183 if you have TimeWarner. They are rolling out MAXX pretty aggressively this year. The model that you recommend will "only" get you 100Mbps. I know I am getting it in Fayetteville NC this summer.

I would do that if they ever offer something faster than their $70/50Mbps plan around here. I'd pay the extra $5 for 100 Mbps, but they wont offer it here.

 

[Chemical Tribe]

sweeneycolin[/url]":3lqgcvx9]Removed since the original was removed.

My bad

 

[scissorscola]

Yaz[/url]":31fw1cks]

After another 14 hours of research, our favorite cable modem from last year is still the best option if you're looking to save money on a rental fee.

Unless I'm missing something, this article was written based on reviewing compatibility charts, spec sheets, pricing, and online reviews instead of actual hands-on experience or testing of the products?

Article? Some people tweet more info than the load of garbage above.

"Moto SB6141 is still good and better than renting a modem. <insert wirecutter ad>"

 

[Deleted member 1]

robert.walter[/url]":125m0jxf]From the article: "And if a hybrid model breaks, you'll lose your home Wi-Fi network and your Internet service.

Is this really an issue? If either a cable modem or router fail, it has to be replaced unless you specifically bought it only for WAN w/o WiFi (Ethernet everywhere) or LAN w/o Internet; both of these cases seem to be rare edge cases.

I would think that the bigger issue for gateways would be early obsolescence due to changing 802.11 and DOCSIS standards.

A hybrid model also is more expensive. They often don't have multiple radios which makes a good router worth more even if you end up paying more in the long run.

 

[Skelator123]

Two other considerations. First, if the modem breaks and you're using an ISP supplied unit they're the ones footing replacement costs.
Second- firmware updates. Your ISP tests firmware on their modems and can push updates when bugs or issues crop up. And the big ISPs who find new bugs can get the vendors to fasttrack updates.
Most ISPs are using Arris or Cisco CMTSs so you'll have better odds of avoiding compatibility issues with those brands even though other brands may have better hardware.
My personal opinion is to use the ISP device as it's less of a headache and they can't blame the modem to avoid fixing service issues. The exception being if yourpprovider insists on using a router combo unit.... I don't want my ISP to be able to (mis)-manage my router.

 

[Frodo Douchebaggins]

adminfoo[/url]":xyvbx2om]
If you put a gun to my head and forced me to find something to complain about, I might say the LED indicator lights are brighter than they need to be.

Every time someone uses a bright blue LED on a piece of equipment when it's not necessary, I die a little inside.

The amount of electrical tape I've had to use to cover that bullshit up on so many things...

 

[Deleted member 1]

Skelator123[/url]":87pnrywi]Two other considerations. First, if the modem breaks and you're using an ISP supplied unit they're the ones footing replacement costs.
Second- firmware updates. Your ISP tests firmware on their modems and can push updates when bugs or issues crop up. And the big ISPs who find new bugs can get the vendors to fasttrack updates.
Most ISPs are using Arris or Cisco CMTSs so you'll have better odds of avoiding compatibility issues with those brands even though other brands may have better hardware.
My personal opinion is to use the ISP device as it's less of a headache and they can't blame the modem to avoid fixing service issues. The exception being if yourpprovider insists on using a router combo unit.... I don't want my ISP to be able to (mis)-manage my router.

1) This is what a warranty is for.
2) They use the same devices most of the time. If they support it mean they have fielded it themselfs.
3) The ISP device is often slower, older, and at times USED.

 

[Sasparilla]

Have an SB6141 on Comcast for almost a year now - could not be happier.

Something to keep in mind with the SB6141, the blue LED lights are bright at night if you're trying to sleep in the same room....one solution is to put it on a power strip and let it sleep when you do (and deny anyone trying to hack your network, for fun or otherwise, a surface to attack when your asleep & not using your network). I have both my SB6141 and my wifi network on power strips just to not provide a target at hours when I'm not using them.

 

[HotelQuebec]

People who experience issues with the Arris/Motorola clear it up with the Zoom 5341J which sells at your local Best Buy for $70.

 

[wobbling]

Silellak[/url]":nwmhgrvl]Sounds about right. The SB6141, paired with an Airport Extreme, is the setup I suggest to people who simply want a reliable Internet connection that they don't need to fiddle with.

I've had the 6141 for years, and can count the number of times I've had to reboot it on one hand. Same with the Airport.

Plus 1. The airport is super-frustrating if you want to configure it in any nonstandard way, but I have this setup too, and it's simple, fast, and rock solid.

 

[jonah]

adipose[/url]":2prelk8a]Would be nice to include options for telephony modems. I have an Arris TM822G, which is 8x4 and supports Comcast, including phone. It has been bulletproof so far.

http://www.amazon.com/Arris-TM822-Serie ... B00721TUNS

I've also got one of those. I got mine on eBay for around $60 a year and a half ago. It's nice to know that if I need a landline for some reason or another, I don't have to buy a new modem. I have never yet had to reset or otherwise monkey with the modem - it has been rock solid.

 

[DrPizza]

I have the 6141, but I'm actually going to have to replace it with its faster sibling, because I'm soon going to have Time Warner's 300 Mb service.