Best cable modems in 2022
Best cable modems in 2022
Included in this guide:
Buying one of the best cablevision modems can be a big stride toward saving you money on your internet bill. Past getting your own modem, you can rid yourself of the equipment rental fee your Internet access provider is probable charging you for supplying you with a modem.
The proof is there in your monthly bill. Most ISPs include a fee in exchange for providing you with a modem, and that fee can be equally much as $fourteen a calendar month depending on who your internet provider is. That price tin can add up over time — simply not if yous render your rented modem to your ISP and replace it with 1 of the best cablevision modems that yous've bought yourself. For $seventy or less, you can accept a modem all your own.
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We've tested many different devices and these are our picks for the best cable modems.
What is the best cable modem?
For nigh people, the best cablevision modem is the Motorola MB7420. It works with a wide variety of internet providers, including Comcast, Spectrum and Cox, and it delivers speeds that will serve the greatest number of people (anyone whose internet plan tops out at 300 Mbps). Its two-year warranty is twice every bit long equally the warranty for the Netgear CM500, which also performed reliably in our tests. Since the CM500 usually costs less than the MB7420, it'south a worthy alternative for deal hunters.
If your internet service features speeds topping 300 Mbps, look to Netgear'south CM600, which is more than dependable than its high-speed rivals.
The best cable modems you can purchase right now
The Motorola MB7420 is the best cablevision modem for most homes, capable of supporting speeds bachelor to a majority of home internet plans. The MB7420 is platonic for internet plans that top out at 300 Mbps, which covers a wide swath of our household. In testing the MB7420 at my home, I enjoyed steady connectivity, and that's with multiple people stuck within, all trying to hitting the internet at once. In fact, I've been using the MB7402 every bit my modem for a while at present, without whatsoever bug or complaints.
The MB7420 isn't as tall as the Netgear CM500, our previous pick for the best cablevision modem, though some people may prefer the more than compact size of the Arris Surfboard modems. At to the lowest degree, the MB7420 looks stylish, with rounded corners and vented sides. Its gray color should blend in well with other networking equipment.
The blue and green lights on the MB7420 are bright plenty to read at a distance without turning a dark room into a laser light testify at night. I also institute the modem piece of cake to ready upwards with a coaxial connector sticking out of the modem's behind at a comfortable distance from its alone ethernet port.
There's non much separating the Motorola MB7420 from the Netgear CM500 every bit both performed dependably when we tested each modem. But the edge goes to Motorola because it offers a two-year warranty to Netgear'due south one-year of coverage. That means better protection for your investment, as the best cable modems tend to last for several yeas. The MB7420 can sometime drop out of stock at retailers, simply information technology'due south frequently available from Amazon, All-time Purchase, B&H Photograph and Target, where the toll hovers effectually $60.
The Netgear CM500 remains one of the best cable modems available, because it'southward easy to find at most retailers; you can likewise find it for a little less than the Motorola MB7420 most of the time, making information technology a good value. Anytime you tin find a new CM500 for $fifty or less, that's a proficient buy.
The Netgear CM500 works with the biggest cable providers and supports speeds of upward to 300 Mbps, which should exist enough for the vast majority of Internet users out there. (If yous've got a loftier-speed plan, look for a faster modem.)
There's actually very petty performance deviation among the all-time cable modems in our testing, so it's seemingly slight distinctions that separate these devices. Opt for Netgear's CM500, and you'll get a modem that's only every bit capable as the Motorola MB7420 or the Arris SB6183. Notwithstanding, Netgear only offers a one-yr warranty, compared with two years for those rival modems.
Netgear's xvi x iv modem enjoys wide compatibility with internet-service providers, and its design makes setup a breeze. At 7.3 inches, the CM500 is a little taller than the SB6183, and I found its indicator lights difficult to come across, although at nighttime, you may appreciate the lack of a low-cal bear witness.
While most homes opt for internet plans that promise speeds of around 100 to 300 Mbps, some people prefer higher-speed service. If your program promises download speeds that peak 300 Mbps, y'all'll desire a cablevision modem that tin can take advantage of that greater performance. Netgear's CM600 is the best cable modem for those higher speeds, though you'll pay a little flake more than you would for the CM500.
Netgear's modem doesn't use the same Intel Puma half dozen chipset that's been blamed for latency issues with some other high-speed modems, such as the Arris Surfboard SB6190. (There'due south a firmware update that resolves this issue, though ISPs roll out such updates on their own schedule.) Because of that, y'all can expect reliable performance from the Netgear CM600 without the lags reported by users with Puma-6-powered modems.
The CM600 is a little on the tall side, but it'due south got a funky futuristic wait. Like other Netgear modems, it has a one-year warranty.
The Arris Surfboard SB6183 was one time our pick for the best cable modem thank you to its solid operation that will satisfy almost home net customers who don't pay for loftier-speed service, though this older modem is harder to find these days. (Equally of this writing, Best Purchase is selling the SB6183.) If you can rails down the SB6183 at a competitive price, its ii-yr warranty too is a big plus.
At 5.2 x 5 x 2.one inches, the all-white SB6183 tin be tucked unobtrusively side by side to a router, cable box and whatever other hardware you take on hand. The coaxial-cablevision connector is a little too close to the ability connector for my taste, merely you're likely to have to bargain with that only when setting up the modem.
The SB6183 favors a simple row of vertical indicator lights that are piece of cake enough to spot, though the yellow lighting tin can be a little hard to see if your modem's in direct sunlight. Still, information technology'southward pretty easy to glance at the SB6183 to come across if in that location's any consequence with your internet connectivity.
How to cull the best cable modem for you
We focus on DOCSIS iii.0 modems, though you'll also observe DOCSIS 3.one modems rolling out that are capable of delivering speeds that tiptop 1Gbps; if you're receiving DOCSiS 3.ane service, look for a device that can take reward of those faster speeds. If you don't become speeds greater than 1 Gbps with your internet service, y'all tin can all the same go with a DOCSIS three.0 device like the ones reviewed above.
We haven't tested DOCSIS 3.1 modems yet, but we can point to a few models with strong word of oral cavity. Netgear's CM1000 is backward-uniform with DOCSIS 3.0 for internet users who desire to upgrade early. The modem has been certified by Comcast for utilize with its internet service. Arris bills the Surfboard SB8200 as a future-facing modem, capable of treatment streaming ultra HD and high-operation gaming with its 32 download and eight upload channels. Motorola's MB8600 modem also has 32 download and eight upload channels with Active Queue Management for speeding up page loads and gaming.
DOCSIS 3.1 modems are more than expensive than the DOCSIS 3.0 devices, though we've started to run into some price drops. Typically priced around $180, you may exist able to find a expert DOCSIS iii.1 modem for less; as of this writing, DOCSIS 3.i modem prices range between $140 and $160 thanks to current discounts.
As for DOCSIS 3.0 devices, here'due south what to consider and so that yous can choose the right modem:
• Compatibility: Confirm with your Isp that the modem you're looking at will work with the service you lot're paying for. Most DOCSIS three.0-certified modems should work with DOCSIS-based internet service, but it ever helps to confirm. Amid the top ISPs, Comcast, Cox and Spectrum all offer sites for checking cable compatibility.
• Cost and Warranty: You don't necessarily need to get the cheapest modem, but y'all should consider devices that pay for themselves within a year with what you salve in rental fees. A year-long warranty is the bare minimum you should accept; ii years of coverage is even meliorate. As for cost, make sure to do some comparing shopping before y'all purchase. Retailers often offer deals on modems, and then yous could observe the model you want — or a reasonable culling — at a lower price than you'd ordinarily wait.
Monthly cablevision rental fee by cyberspace provider
- Comcast: $14
- Spectrum: Included with service
- Cox: $7-$10
- Borderland: $x
- Suddenlink: $10
- Sparklight: $viii
- Wow: $14
- Mediacomm: $11.50
A sixteen 10 4 cable modem delivers plenty speed to finer serve the bulk of cablevision customers. That kind of modem typically costs $lxx or less, and if you continue an heart out for deals, you lot might be able to find a top-rated modem for $50 to $60. Modems that support the emerging DOCSIS iii.one standard start typically cost $180 or so.
| DOCSIS 3.0 modem blazon | Maximum download speed | Uniform service tier (Cox, Spectrum, Xfiinity) |
| 16 x 4 | Upward to 300 Mbps | Cox Internet Preferred 150, Spectrum Internet, Xfinity Performance Pro+ |
| 24 x 8 | Upward to 600 Mbps | Cox Net Ultimate 500, Spectrum Internet Ultra, Xfinity Extreme Pro+ |
| 32 10 eight | Up to 900 Mbps | Cox Gigablast, Spectrum Internet, Gig, Xfinity Extreme Pro+ |
• Design: At that place's not much to differentiate the features on cablevision modems, which more often than not sport the aforementioned set of indicator lights. You lot'll want one with easy-to-spot lights, though if they're too bright, they tin can really light up a room at night.. Too, consider the size of a modem, since a compact pattern blends in more easily with your other networking equipment.
• Speed: A 16 x iv modem (that's 16 download channels and iv upload ones) should exercise the pull a fast one on for homes receiving service capped at 300 Mbps. Any faster, and yous should become with a 24 x eight or 32 10 8 modem, or a DOCSIS 3.ane-compatible model if your Isp has upgraded to the new standard.
• Security: When shopping for a cable modem, bank check to make sure that the model y'all're considering isn't vulnerable to the Cablevision Chase software flaw constitute in the Broadcom chipsets that power many pop modems. If your modem is vulnerable, brand sure a software patch is available from your Isp.
Note that the modems we've reviewed just provide net connectivity. If yous also get your phone service bundled with your internet, that requires an eMTA or telephony modem — an entirely different type of device.
All-time cablevision modem vs. best router
These days, makers of domicile 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 carve up modem and router, equally you tin can have care of ii tasks with one device. We'd suggest against modem-router combos, though.
Showtime, some groundwork: as our modem-vs.-router comparison explains, the two devices serve very different purposes. A cable modem brings internet connectivity into your home while the best routers distribute that net 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 y'all should be in the market for.
So why keep the two networking devices separate? If any part of a hybrid device fails, yous're out both a modem and a router. Information technology's also easier to upgrade private networking devices, equally routers add support for new networking features at a more rapid pace. Modems evolve more slowly, every bit you lot can see from the number of older models even so available.
How we examination the best cablevision modems
We test each cablevision modem on Comcast's Performance Pro home internet service. After running speed tests to make certain the modems are delivering their promised download speeds, we apply the modems every bit function of regular networking setup to gauge dependability.
Nosotros claw upward each modem we review in our reviewer's home, using it every bit function of our networking setup. That allows us to verify a modem's compatibility as well as to go a sense of its dependability. Since price is too an important consideration when modem shopping, nosotros too monitor retail sites for the best deals on the modems nosotros've tested.
In addition to using the modems in a habitation with multiple connected laptops, smartphones and tablets, we also evaluate the indicator lights on each modem to see that they're visible. We await at how easy the modems are to prepare. And because the principal reason to get your own cablevision modem is to save on monthly rental fees for Isp-supplied modems, we heavily weight the length of a modem's warranty.
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Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-modems,review-2832.html
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