Best Cable Modem 2. Comcast, Time Warner & Cox Modem Reviews. A cable modem might seem like the last device you'd need to worry about buying. After all, most internet providers include a modem as part of your setup, seemingly saving you the trouble of having to shop for one more device. But in most cases, you're paying for that convenience, as your provider might be charge you a monthly rental fee on your modem. Over time, those charges can really add up. Comcast charges $1. Buy your own, though, and you'll have paid off the cost of that modem in rental fee savings after five to seven months. For people who'd rather rely on a cable modem of their own, we recommend the. ![]() Arris SB6. 14. 1. Amazon). . While it has been around for years, the SB6. Easy- to- interpret indicator lights, compatibility with most major ISPs and a two- year warranty seal the deal for the SB6. If you're looking to cut costs even further, Zoom's 5. Zoom's model costs less than the SB6. For people who subscribe to internet plans that promise download speeds greater than 1. Mbps, we think the Arris Surfboard SB6. Why Buy Your Own Cable Modem. ![]() Here's what you'd pay over the course of five years if you rented a cable modem from your ISP instead of buying a $7. Comcast charges customers $1. Time Warner Cable charges customers $8 a month, an annual cost of $9. ![]() Those fees have held steady since January 2. ISPs from hiking up the cost in the future. Buy your own modem, though, and it's already paid for. ![]() Third, be flexible. The best promotional deals go to those who sign up for Time Warner Cable’s triple play packages. If you are a double play customer, adding phone. MORE: Opinion: I Hated Time Warner Cable, But I Came Back for Spectrum. It's more complicated for customers who get their internet service from Charter, which bought Time Warner Cable and Bright House last year. That means Charter customers who buy their own modem won't see any cost savings. Time Warner and Bright House both charged monthly rental fees to their customers, but a Charter spokesman told that it will eventually extend its service to those customers, potentially meaning an end to modem lease fees. If you're a former Time Warner or Bright House subscriber now getting your service from the rebranded Spectrum service, check whether you can still waive any modem rental fee if you supply your own hardware. Monthly rental fees for cable modems can cost you dearly each year. There's also a trade- off when you strike out with a modem of your own. That ISP- provided modem you're renting receives tech support from your internet provider, who will offer a replacement if your current rental ever gives up the ghost. Shop Best Buy for a wireless router for your home or office. We can help you find the best wifi router option for your needs. Solved: Hello I am trying to find out where I can get drivers for my HP Envy Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 for Windows 10 I looked on the following - 5268717. Time Warner / Bright House / Spectrum Compatible Modems. Modem list updated May 2017. Prices updated every hour. Charter has now bought Time Warner and Bright House. CHARTER and CHARTER SPECTRUM are registered service marks of Charter Communications Holding Company LLC. Time Warner Cable and the eye. ![]() Buy your own modem, and you're on your own for tech support, as far as your cable company is concerned. That's why our cable modem selections promise a two- year warranty. Should your cable modem provider upgrade your service requiring a new modem, you'll be able to get one for free when you rent. People who own their modem will have to take care of their own upgrades — and some ISPs have been quite pushy about telling users to upgrade their modem. None of this should dissuade most people from ditching their rented modem — not when $1. What to Look for in a Cable Modem. We focused on DOCSIS 3. DOCSIS, or Data Over Cable Services Interface Specification, is a telecommunications standard that cable TV operators use to provide internet service over the same wiring that's serving up your favorite TV shows. Released nearly a decade ago, the DOCSIS 3. Major internet providers have already upgraded their services to DOCSIS 3. DOCSIS 3. 0- compatible cable modem lets you enjoy improved performance. In the future, internet providers will upgrade to DOCSIS 3. Mbps download speeds, but unless you live where it's being deployed — Comcast has launched it in around a dozen cities — you're better off sticking with a DOCSIS 3. That said, if you do live in an area where this higher- speed service is available, a couple companies do offer DOCSIS 3. DOCSIS 3. 1 modems in our New & Notables section below. Besides focusing on DOCSIS 3. Some manufacturers offer modem- router hybrids — Linksys, for example, just released the $2. CG7. 50. 0 dual- band modem and router. While it's tempting to kill two birds with one hardware stone, keep in mind that if any part of a hybrid device fails, you're out both a modem and a router. Having a modem- router combo also complicates upgrading, since routers tend to add support for new networking features at a more rapid clip than modems do. ![]() We also test and rate routers, and we can recommend the best router for your needs. MORE: Modem vs. Router: How They're Different and What They Do. We looked at four factors when determining which modem was the best option. Compatibility: The most appealing cable modem in the world won't be much good to you if your internet provider doesn't support it. We've listed the compatibility of the modems we've tested with some of the largest internet providers, as well as what tiers of service are supported. Note that the lack of official support doesn't necessarily mean a modem won't work with a given ISP. A modem maker told us that modems that all DOCSIS 3. ![]() R& D firm cable labs should work with a DOCSIS- based internet service. Design: Most cable modems have the same set of indicator lights: a power light, lights that tell you the status of your send and receive channels, a light indicating whether you have internet connectivity, and a link light that shows if your modem is connected to a computer, router or other device. You'll want a modem that displays these lights in a clear, easy- to- spot way in case you have to troubleshoot any connectivity problems. You'll also want to consider the footprint of a cable modem; a compact design makes it easier for a modem to blend in with your other networking and cable equipment. Price and Warranty: The primary reason to drop your ISP- supplied modem in favor of one you own outright is to save money over the long term. While that doesn't mean opting for the cheapest modem you can find, you'll still want to look for one with a price tag that's low enough to pay for itself in less than a year with what you'll save in rental fees. Because some modem makers provide a year's warranty with their devices, though we favor modems that come with two years of warranty coverage. Channels: Most of the modems we've evaluated here offer eight download channels and four upload channels, though we also tested a couple of modems that double the number of download channels to 1. The 8 x 4 modems we looked at promise download speeds of 3. Mbps, while the 1. Mbps. This is a case, though, where bigger isn't necessary better. Assuming you've got an internet plan that promises download speeds of less than 1. Mbps — and there's a good chance you do — an 8 x 4 modem offers more than enough performance for $1. Consider internet plans offered by the likes of Comcast and Cox. Both offer a high- speed option — Comcast's Blast Pro promises 2. Mbps download speeds as does Cox's Internet Ultimate. But both ISPs also list less expensive performance tiers where an 8 x 4 modem can handle whatever you throw at it. Speed Testing: Not Much of an Issue. While we run speed tests on modems, we've found it to not be much of a factor — at least at the performance tiers most broadband internet subscribers are using. We hooked up a Surfboard 6. Zoom 5. 34. 5, TP- Link TC- 7. Linksys CM- 3. 00. Comcast account with Performance Pro internet service, which tops out at download speeds of 1. Mpbs. We then ran a pair of speed tests — Ookla's Speedtest. Comcast's own Xfinity Speedtest — from a Mac. Book Pro plugged directly into the cable modems using an Ethernet- to- Thunderbolt adapter. The four modems turned in download speeds ranging from 1. Mbps — really a negligible difference when assessing performance. Basically, you want a modem that can deliver the maximum speed your Internet plan allows. For that reason, we gave greater weight to compatibility, design and warranty data when deciding which modem to recommend. Arris Surfboard SB 6. Best Cable Modem. Though it's been available for several years now, predating Arris's 2. Motorola Home, the Surfboard SB 6. ![]() Most critically, the SB6. Testing the SB6. 14. Comcast's Performance Pro tier, we saw average download speeds of 1. Mbps — a tick slower than the 1. Mbps averages of both the Zoom 5. TP- Link TC- 7. 61. More important, the SB6. I've used it in my house for the past year with no complaints. Amazon customers agree with me: Around 7. If there's a persistent complaint, it's from a handful of users contending the modem stopped working after 1. But the modem would still be covered by the SB6. At 5. 2 x 5. 2 x 1. SB6. 14. 1 tucks in neatly next to your cable box, DVR, router and any other device you happen to have nearby. You're unlikely to ever have to connect and disconnect half a dozen modems in rapid succession, but as someone who has done that, I can appreciate that the coaxial cable connector has enough distance from the power connector to make setup a breeze. The SB6. 14. 1's indicator lights are fairly visible, although in direct sunlight the green lighting the modem uses can be hard to spot. The send and receive indicators use blue lights to let you know when you've got a high- speed internet connection with bonded channels (in which the modem's channels are combined to boost throughput), or green lights when a nonbonded channel is connected — a handy at- a- glance indicator of performance. Other DOCSIS 3. 0 modems are certainly cheaper than the SB6. ISP. A Comcast subscriber paying $1. SB6. 14. 1 in eight months. Comcast customers may be spooked by reports that the ISP was ending support for the SB6. Although it's true that Comcast is no longer renting out this model to its subscribers, Arris says the ISP continues to provision and support SB6. Of greater concern would be a vulnerability in some SB6. Arris says it's rolled out a fix to internet providers, so it doesn't affect our recommendation. When you hook up a cable modem, you want it to work reliably and without a second thought. The Surfboard SB6. Zoom 5. 34. 5: Runner- Up.
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