ARRIS SURFboard SB6183 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem - Retail Packaging - White by Arris

Pros: - Great speeds - Stable - Easy to setup (see note below) Cons: - Runs warm - Bright LED lights I bought this to replace an aging DOCSIS 2.0 modem I had been renting from Time Warner Cable (and had, over the years, paid enough in rental fees by many modems - gulp). It works great with the TWC service and based on standards and prior experience, I see no reason it wouldn't work with all major providers. As others have noted, you get a minor "speed boost" over older modem - this is not due to an increase in sheer maximum speed, since that is set by the cable company, but rather due to the ability of this modem to bond up to 16 channels maintaining the maximum speed more stably (instead of the speed bouncing up and down). The only thing that troubles me about this device is the fact that it does get fair warm to the touch - so make sure it's in a well ventilated area. The blue LEDs in the front panel are also very bright - and even if you wanted to cover them up, you can't effectively block the light as it comes through the main body (sides and back) of the device which cannot be covered due to the need for ventilation. This isn't a problem for me since I keep it in a "wiring cabinet" with plenty of ventilation and a door to block the light, but I can see it being an issue for some. Note on setup - I attempted and failed to be able to use TWC's "auto-setup" so I called their support line. They told me there was an "outage" in my area so while they would enter the data, I wouldn't be able to use the modem until the outage was repaired. This was curious to me, since my internet worked perfectly with the old modem not 30 seconds before. So, with the guy on the phone (without him telling me to), I unhooked this new modem and re-plugged in the old one...suddenly he tells me the outages is fixed and he's able to provision the new modem. Strangely, as soon as he enters the new modem, the "outage" reappears. So again, I switch modems without him telling me to (now having the new one plugged in) and boom, outage gone and new modem works like a charm. Long and short of it? If TWC doesn't see the modem they have in their system plugged in and powered on, there's an "outage" and they can't install a new modem. So if you can, plug in both your existing modem and this new one at the same time (maybe in different rooms) and they'll be able to set the new one up with no issues - in fact, auto-provisioning may work.

leave it ALONE more TROUBLE than its worth problem seller 1/10

just upset stupid internet provider service, modem really good

Everything is fine with a product. Looks nice, i chose white color. That is all i can tell. I did not use it, due to service provider refuse adding it to their network. Reason? No idea. Even though i checked specs with them before purchasing it, they declined this specific model.

Nice modem offering potential higher bandwidth, however I live south of Detroit and have the ever so wonderful comcast and unfortunately, nope they weren't hiding any higher bandwidth tiers unfortunately. Still 105M max. Modem physical install as always was simple and easy and even the router/modem played nicely together this time around(replaced a sb6121 and it took me about a month to geta d-link N dir-615 route to play nicely with the 6121). This time around it was with an ASUS RT-AC66R running completely stock fw ATM. Now the funtimes begin(as I expected, I half dreaded receiving the modem knowing what likely pits of pain were awaiting me but foolishly the afternoon of the day that I received it I had a few minutes and decided WTH install it). Everything looks smooth no router/modem problems, modem syncs up to the cable network, run the activation via browser. Everything looks OK until: OK, let's check speedtest and just to be nice(?) let's let it run off the locally hosted comcast server. 6183: 30M down/ 6M up... hmmm... (I'm on the 50M/10M plan ATM, 105M is unfortunately max here, small joke) 6121: 60M down/12M up... Check the modem status, 8 channels down, decent SNR, 3 up good power. Spend some minutes trying to remember WTF my comcast id/pw are(yes I use their "services" quite a bit ;) ), acct #/etc. were phailwhale as usual. OK, both modems show up in my account. Seems AFAICT that the 6183 is active. Take the dive into the depths of hell and CALL comcast(I know what awaits, but I usually come off on the plus side with a lower bill and better services, so WTH). Get the usual I can sort of speak english but also have the added detriment of being in an EXTREMELY NOISY room CSRs which makes for great fun trying to understand them(be OK w/o the extreme background noise). Play the script game, MAC addr, try to resend config nope. Insert some feeble upselling, which for some reason didn't seem to have actually been entered as he offered a good price for 105M v. what they advertise, but my acct still shows 50M. End up randomly scheduling a "tech" (and I use the term loosely) to come. (By this time the 6183 has disappeared from my account, but it's still passing data, so I leave well enough alone FTM plan). Fortunately I am home when this guy shows up(noticed the van there as I'm about to leave. And ask him if he's here for this address.) So we get re-add modem to account(mysteriously disappeared see above), apparently is sent correct config this time(but not achieving anywhere close to perf of 6121 not to say that 50M is anything to write home about). Also find out SURPRISE SURPRISE that there's apparently a line problem somewhere with 185' of my house. (I say surprise as comcast NEVER EVER does ANY plant maintenance, even DTE shows up every 15y or so to hack away at trees.) So yeah, basically the modem seems good. My only real complaint is the log file will not default to the December whatever it was/1970 date if it cannot sync up time, just puts the oh how helpful "Time Not Established" in the time/date field and then the log message. At least if it defaulted to the 1970 date/time I would have a relative offset as to how far apart the log messages are spaced. The sb6121 had that behavior. This is putting me right back on the hoping for FTTP before I croak train though, thanks to the ever so wonderful comcast.