And they may not even let you bring your own modem once they do roll out gigabit service. Prior to writing for a living, Joel was an IT tech and sysadmin for small, medium, and large companies. ISP-supplied modem-router combos tend to have bare-minimum feature lists and poor Wi-Fi range, while standalone routers have added antennas for better coverage, more parental control settings, and other nice-to-have features like guest networks and VPN servers.
Verizon Fios lets you buy your own modem-router combo , but you have only a single choice, and it's identical to the equipment they rent to you. Cable One notes that it only supports a handful of Arris modems including the one it leases to you for voice service on its support site , while WOW only supports its leased WOW!
Advanced Modem for voice. The telephony modems you can buy are also more expensive than regular cable modems. The first two versions of DOCSIS used only one downstream channel for downloading data and one upstream channel for uploading data. Since those channels can combine, you can theoretically get up to Mbps with a channel modem and up to 1. If you buy a 1 Gbps modem but pay for only Mbps service, your download speeds are still limited to Mbps.
ISPs update their modem-compatibility lists often, and they occasionally drop support for a modem with little to no warning. Our experience over the past few years has been trouble-free. Owners like it; Amazon reviews are consistently positive. A former top pick, the Netgear CM is still a good choice for the budget-minded internet user. It shares many of the same features as our top pick, including wide ISP approval, at a lower purchase price.
If you already have a gigabit-speed cable internet plan, or know your ISP offers one and lets you bring your own cable modem, the Motorola MB is your best option. You shouldn't get the MB, or any other gigabit modem, unless you know your ISP supports it today.
The MB should work for the first two situations, but it will be useless if they install fiber. However, this feature is only applicable if you need separate accounts in your home for business and personal or family use, coming in on the same physical coaxial cable. For example, if you already have two or more cable modems in your home, each servicing separate accounts. However, its most glaring drawback is that it uses the Intel Puma 6 chipset.
We hesitate to recommend modems using this chipset, which The Register reports can cause latency issues especially with online gaming. As of this writing Linksys has not released a firmware fix for the modem.
It is at times more expensive and has a shorter warranty than the Motorola MB, but the CM is a worthy alternative if the latter is unavailable. These particular modems also use the problematic Intel Puma 6 chipset, which can cause latency issues. While the modem makers have distributed updated firmware fixes to the ISPs, it is ultimately up to your cable company to support the modem.
Multiple Ethernet ports are needed to connect multi-gig Like the other Netgear modems, they have a one-year warranty. US Robotics. Black Box Corporation. Like New. Very Good. Open Box. Electronic Supermarket. Famous Microgreens. Ports n Wire Computing. PQ Electronics. Multi Pixel Media. IPC Store. Yi Xin Marketplace. Mac Marvel's Marketplace. Premium Wholesale. KH Online. Airlink Tech. Action Packaged Inc. Ethernet Port. PCI Express. RS Serial Port.
Comcast Xfinity. In Stock. Get it tomorrow. Get it next 2 business days. Up to Mbps Downstream, up to Mbps Upstream. Shipped by Newegg. Direct from Manufacturer. Less than 1 Year. However, Netgear only offers a one-year warranty, compared with two years for those rival modems.
Netgear's 16 x 4 modem enjoys wide compatibility with internet-service providers, and its design makes setup a breeze. While most homes opt for internet plans that promise speeds of around to Mbps, some people prefer higher-speed service. If your plan promises download speeds that top Mbps, you'll want a cable modem that can take advantage of that greater performance.
Netgear's CM is the best cable modem for those higher speeds, though you'll pay a little bit more than you would for the CM Netgear's modem doesn't use the same Intel Puma 6 chipset that's been blamed for latency issues with some other high-speed modems, such as the Arris Surfboard SB There's a firmware update that resolves this issue, though ISPs roll out such updates on their own schedule.
Because of that, you can expect reliable performance from the Netgear CM without the lags reported by users with Pumapowered modems. The CM is a little on the tall side, but it's got a funky futuristic look.
Like other Netgear modems, it has a one-year warranty. The Arris Surfboard SB was once our pick for the best cable modem thanks to its solid performance that will satisfy most home internet customers who don't pay for high-speed service, though this older modem is harder to find these days. As of this writing, Best Buy is selling the SB If you can track down the SB at a competitive price, its two-year warranty also is a big plus.
The coaxial-cable connector is a little too close to the power connector for my taste, but you're likely to have to deal with that only when setting up the modem. The SB favors a simple row of vertical indicator lights that are easy enough to spot, though the yellow lighting can be a little hard to see if your modem's in direct sunlight. Still, it's pretty easy to glance at the SB to see if there's any issue with your internet connectivity.
The modem has been certified by Comcast for use with its internet service. Arris bills the Surfboard SB as a future-facing modem, capable of handling streaming ultra HD and high-performance gaming with its 32 download and eight upload channels. Motorola's MB modem also has 32 download and eight upload channels with Active Queue Management for speeding up page loads and gaming. A year-long warranty is the bare minimum you should accept; two years of coverage is even better.
As for price, make sure to do some comparison shopping before you buy. Retailers often offer deals on modems, so you could find the model you want — or a reasonable alternative — at a lower price than you'd normally expect.
A 16 x 4 cable modem delivers enough speed to effectively serve the majority of cable customers. You'll want one with easy-to-spot lights, though if they're too bright, they can really light up a room at night.. Also, consider the size of a modem, since a compact design blends in more easily with your other networking equipment. If your modem is vulnerable, make sure a software patch is available from your ISP.
Note that the modems we've reviewed just provide internet connectivity. If you also get your phone service bundled with your internet, that requires an eMTA or telephony modem — an entirely different type of device. These days, makers of home networking gear seem to favor modem-router combinations over standalone cable modems. It may be tempting to buy one of these hybrid networking devices instead of a separate modem and router, as you can take care of two tasks with one device.
We'd advise against modem-router combos, though. First, some background: as our modem-vs. A cable modem brings internet connectivity into your home while the best routers distribute that internet connection wirelessly, so that all your devices — laptops, phones, and smart-home gadgets — can hop on the internet.
If you're dissatisfied with the reach of your network, it's a router, not a modem, that you should be in the market for. So why keep the two networking devices separate? If any part of a hybrid device fails, you're out both a modem and a router. It's also easier to upgrade individual networking devices, as routers add support for new networking features at a more rapid pace.
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