Arris SB6183 Cable Modem Possible Overheating: Comcast Customer

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biggles

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Having intermittent internet connection issues. Comcast does not show outages in the San Jose area.

After trying the obvious things like power cycling all networking devices, I noticed the cable modem was quite hot. So I unplugged this for about 10 minutes until it cooled off. Things have been running fine since yesterday. The SB6183 is about 1 year old.

Is this likely to be a defective modem, or is there something else likely to be causing problems? Recommend replacing SB6183?
 
Log into your modem and post your stats. That should give you a better clue if its the modem or Comcast.
 
Status
The statuses listed show the connection state of the cable modem. They are used by your service provider to evaluate the operation of the cable modem.

Startup Procedure
Procedure Status Comment
Acquire Downstream Channel Locked
Connectivity State OK Operational
Boot State OK Operational
Configuration File OK
Security Enabled BPI+
DOCSIS Network Access Enabled Allowed


Downstream Bonded Channels
Channel Lock Status Modulation Channel ID Frequency Power SNR Corrected Uncorrectables
1 Locked QAM256 10 573000000 Hz 7.3 dBmV 38.7 dB 20358 0
2 Locked QAM256 1 513000000 Hz 8.2 dBmV 39.3 dB 8679 0
3 Locked QAM256 3 525000000 Hz 8.3 dBmV 39.3 dB 9650 0
4 Locked QAM256 4 531000000 Hz 8.4 dBmV 39.2 dB 11953 0
5 Locked QAM256 6 549000000 Hz 8.2 dBmV 39.0 dB 11765 0
6 Locked QAM256 7 555000000 Hz 7.8 dBmV 38.9 dB 18296 0
7 Locked QAM256 8 561000000 Hz 7.5 dBmV 38.8 dB 20072 0
8 Locked QAM256 11 579000000 Hz 7.3 dBmV 38.7 dB 22180 0
9 Locked QAM256 12 585000000 Hz 7.3 dBmV 38.6 dB 21718 0
10 Locked QAM256 13 591000000 Hz 6.9 dBmV 38.3 dB 23828 0
11 Locked QAM256 14 597000000 Hz 6.7 dBmV 38.3 dB 24440 0
12 Locked QAM256 15 603000000 Hz 6.6 dBmV 36.9 dB 48019 0
13 Locked QAM256 16 609000000 Hz 6.3 dBmV 37.2 dB 34920 0
14 Locked QAM256 18 621000000 Hz 6.1 dBmV 37.8 dB 30493 0
15 Locked QAM256 29 681000000 Hz 3.8 dBmV 32.1 dB 229979 0
16 Locked QAM256 25 687000000 Hz 3.8 dBmV 34.7 dB 142974 0


Upstream Bonded Channels
Channel Lock Status US Channel Type Channel ID Symbol Rate Frequency Power
1 Locked ATDMA 13 5120 Ksym/sec 19300000 Hz 40.3 dBmV
2 Locked ATDMA 14 5120 Ksym/sec 25700000 Hz 41.5 dBmV
3 Locked ATDMA 15 5120 Ksym/sec 32300000 Hz 41.8 dBmV
4 Locked ATDMA 16 5120 Ksym/sec 38700000 Hz 42.8 dBmV
 
biggles said:
Status
The statuses listed show the connection state of the cable modem. They are used by your service provider to evaluate the operation of the cable modem.

Startup Procedure
Procedure Status Comment
Acquire Downstream Channel Locked
Connectivity State OK Operational
Boot State OK Operational
Configuration File OK
Security Enabled BPI+
DOCSIS Network Access Enabled Allowed


Downstream Bonded Channels
Channel Lock Status Modulation Channel ID Frequency Power SNR Corrected Uncorrectables
1 Locked QAM256 10 573000000 Hz 7.3 dBmV 38.7 dB 20358 0
2 Locked QAM256 1 513000000 Hz 8.2 dBmV 39.3 dB 8679 0
3 Locked QAM256 3 525000000 Hz 8.3 dBmV 39.3 dB 9650 0
4 Locked QAM256 4 531000000 Hz 8.4 dBmV 39.2 dB 11953 0
5 Locked QAM256 6 549000000 Hz 8.2 dBmV 39.0 dB 11765 0
6 Locked QAM256 7 555000000 Hz 7.8 dBmV 38.9 dB 18296 0
7 Locked QAM256 8 561000000 Hz 7.5 dBmV 38.8 dB 20072 0
8 Locked QAM256 11 579000000 Hz 7.3 dBmV 38.7 dB 22180 0
9 Locked QAM256 12 585000000 Hz 7.3 dBmV 38.6 dB 21718 0
10 Locked QAM256 13 591000000 Hz 6.9 dBmV 38.3 dB 23828 0
11 Locked QAM256 14 597000000 Hz 6.7 dBmV 38.3 dB 24440 0
12 Locked QAM256 15 603000000 Hz 6.6 dBmV 36.9 dB 48019 0
13 Locked QAM256 16 609000000 Hz 6.3 dBmV 37.2 dB 34920 0
14 Locked QAM256 18 621000000 Hz 6.1 dBmV 37.8 dB 30493 0
15 Locked QAM256 29 681000000 Hz 3.8 dBmV 32.1 dB 229979 0
16 Locked QAM256 25 687000000 Hz 3.8 dBmV 34.7 dB 142974 0


Upstream Bonded Channels
Channel Lock Status US Channel Type Channel ID Symbol Rate Frequency Power
1 Locked ATDMA 13 5120 Ksym/sec 19300000 Hz 40.3 dBmV
2 Locked ATDMA 14 5120 Ksym/sec 25700000 Hz 41.5 dBmV
3 Locked ATDMA 15 5120 Ksym/sec 32300000 Hz 41.8 dBmV
4 Locked ATDMA 16 5120 Ksym/sec 38700000 Hz 42.8 dBmV
Click to expand...
Those are not bad at all. In the event logs(on the cable modem) do you notice around the time of the issue any errors?
 
I'm in San Jose as well with Comcast, and haven't noticed any drops. So, at least somewhere upstream at Comcast, things are ok... doesn't mean your particular area is without issue though.

Might want to try running a basic ping test from your computer to your router, modem, gateway of the modem (some Comcast node), and something on the internet.... depending where your ping fails when you have an incident, can help to identify where things are broken.

If you can ping your router but not your modem when you have an issue, probably something wrong with your modem or connection between your router and modem. At that point, might be worth replacing the modem. If you cannot ping your router, then probably the modem is ok and the router is having issues. If you can ping your modem but not your modems gateway, then could be some issue with Comcast. This is a very simplified view of things, but might be a good start.
 
Event Log
The table below contains the log of events that the SB6183 has detected. This log can be important to the service provider to help diagnose and correct problems, if any should occur.

Time Priority Description
Time Not Established Notice (6) Honoring MDD; IP provisioning mode = IPv6
Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Mon Jan 01 01:17:38 2018 Critical (3) Resetting the cable modem due to docsDevResetNow
Time Not Established Critical (3) No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out
Sun Dec 31 23:09:39 2017 Critical (3) Resetting the cable modem due to docsDevResetNow
 
Kelter said:
I'm in San Jose as well with Comcast, and haven't noticed any drops. So, at least somewhere upstream at Comcast, things are ok... doesn't mean your particular area is without issue though.
Click to expand...
I live a bit north of San Jose, and I have also had no drops that I noticed.
Might want to try running a basic ping test from your computer to your router, modem, gateway of the modem (some Comcast node), and something on the internet.... depending where your ping fails when you have an incident, can help to identify where things are broken.
Click to expand...

I have a similar setup with an Arris cable modem. How can you ping the cable modem?
 
I doubt the 6183 is overheating. My 6183 lives in a small outdoor shack in direct sunlight that during the summer gets as hot inside as most closed-up cars do when parked in the direct sun. We had periods of 105F+ (exterior temp) during this last summer, yet the modem did fine. It's difficult to imagine a situation where it would overheat while indoors. You would be hard-pressed to find a more reliable modem than the 6183.

x509 said:
I have a similar setup with an Arris cable modem. How can you ping the cable modem?
Click to expand...

The modem has a diagnostic webpage that can be accessed at http://192.168.100.1/ As a result, you can simply ping 192.168.100.1 if you want to ping the cablemodem.
 
You can also have dslreport ping your public ip which would be pinging your modem from the outside
 
From your error logs, the issue is definitely at the modem. Is it completely due to the modem? Maybe not though. From a google search on the error, the reset is issued remotely via SNMP for various reasons... being that yours is constantly resetting, I would imagine it is due to a connection sync issue or something similar.
If you have a bunch of splitters or large splitters, remove or replace them to see if it helps the issue. Also, if you have a signal amplifier on the line, maybe remove it to see if it helps. If none of that helps, maybe it's time to replace the modem.
 
Check to make sure you are using the correct DC charger for it. I had accidently switched with my Router power cord, which was .5 amps less and caused the modem to drop ocassionally. Based on this Power levels list : http://arris.force.com/consumers/articles/General_FAQs/SB6183-Cable-Signal-Levels
You are running in spec on your power levels for downstream, but you are under the recommended power for upstream. They say for upstream you want +51 DBmv to 45 DBmv. Looks like you are pushing 40-42. It may be worse when connection issues happen so check that page when it happens again. Call Comcast, they just need to attenuate your lines.
Good Luck
 
GotNoRice said:
I doubt the 6183 is overheating. My 6183 lives in a small outdoor shack in direct sunlight that during the summer gets as hot inside as most closed-up cars do when parked in the direct sun. We had periods of 105F+ (exterior temp) during this last summer, yet the modem did fine. It's difficult to imagine a situation where it would overheat while indoors. You would be hard-pressed to find a more reliable modem than the 6183.



The modem has a diagnostic webpage that can be accessed at http://192.168.100.1/ As a result, you can simply ping 192.168.100.1 if you want to ping the cablemodem.
Click to expand...
Awesome! :love: :)
 
If the problem is still occurring and you suspect it is because of heat, put a small fan blowing on the modem after unplugging it long enough to completely cool down. If it works fine after this, take the fan off and see if it starts having issues again. If so, then it definitely is your modem.
 
You could try running a continuous ping from your computer to 8.8.8.8 You can also log the results to a text file for further review or historical comparison.

Open command prompt and type in "ping 8.8.8.8 -t -l 1000 >ping.txt" without the "

the -t makes it continuous
the -l 1000 sets the packet size to 1000 bytes. That is a lower case L btw.
> ping.txt just pipes the output to a text file called ping.txt. You should probably put the date on each file i.e. ping-2-13-2018.txt
Do not close the command prompt as it will stop pinging.

Let it run for 24 hours or even just 8 hours and do it a few times changing the file name each time. At the end of the text file, there is a summary of the findings. This will test your modem and router.

When you are having issues, have you completely removed the router form the equation and tried connecting a PC directly to the modem?

Have you tried changing the Ethernet cable that is between the modem and router? Do you have access to a network cable tester? What is the make and model of your router? What version of the firmware is it running? Is it the latest?
 
Update: it appears the SB6183 modem was overheating. What actually happened is that, about once per week, the internet would drop, and could not be logged into with the ip address. Power cycling did not solve this. But unplugging it and leaving it unplugged for around 10 minutes (long enough for it to cool down) worked. According to this site, there are user reports of this device overheating.
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-cable-modem/

Also, unconfirmed reports that this modem is no longer being supported by Comcast.

Replacing it with the TP-Link TC-7620 (recommendation #2 from above site). This will pair up with a TP-Link AC1750 router. I like pairing networking equipment using the same brand, might help with tech problems and compatibility issues.
 
Thank you for the update. So do you think adding a fan to that particular modem would 'cure' it? Have you called arris about a warranty claim on the unit?

From what I've read online, comcast won't tell you it's an approved modem, but it works fine if you do a self-install. (y)

I've seen mixed specs on the tplink--does is only support 16x4 channels? :eek:
 
Good questions Samir. Already ordered the new modem and did not think to try a fan. Regarding warranty, I suspect Arris would not be helpful since this is an intermittent problem.
 
biggles said:
Good questions Samir. Already ordered the new modem and did not think to try a fan. Regarding warranty, I suspect Arris would not be helpful since this is an intermittent problem.
Click to expand...
I'd try the fan and see if it works. If so, then you definitely have enough information to give to Arris for a claim since the problem would be reproducible. (y)
 
biggles said:
Good questions Samir. Already ordered the new modem and did not think to try a fan. Regarding warranty, I suspect Arris would not be helpful since this is an intermittent problem.
Click to expand...
Might take a few phone calls, but if you mention it seems to be overheating, they'll usually authorize a replacement.
 
Still seems kind of crazy that it is overheating. Like I mentioned in my earlier post in this thread, my 6183 exists in a little building that sits outside and lasted through 105F+ degree days last summer where the interior temperature would probably be similar to the inside of a hot car in a parking lot but the modem never overheated. How hot does it get in your house exactly? Maybe we just have different versions of the 6183.

Also, even if it's not "supported" anymore, not sure how much that really matters exactly. I still know many in the bay area on Comcast who are still using the 6141 even though that has long since not been supported anymore.
 
GotNoRice said:
Still seems kind of crazy that it is overheating. Like I mentioned in my earlier post in this thread, my 6183 exists in a little building that sits outside and lasted through 105F+ degree days last summer where the interior temperature would probably be similar to the inside of a hot car in a parking lot but the modem never overheated. How hot does it get in your house exactly? Maybe we just have different versions of the 6183.

Also, even if it's not "supported" anymore, not sure how much that really matters exactly. I still know many in the bay area on Comcast who are still using the 6141 even though that has long since not been supported anymore.
Click to expand...
I suspect it's the way it's trying to pull the extra channels, plus the fact that it has a tiny heat sink. When I worked for ARRIS customer support, we'd get a couple calls a day about that model overheating when it was the top-end unit. Replace it, and all problems went away.
 
jardows said:
I suspect it's the way it's trying to pull the extra channels, plus the fact that it has a tiny heat sink. When I worked for ARRIS customer support, we'd get a couple calls a day about that model overheating when it was the top-end unit. Replace it, and all problems went away.
Click to expand...
And there is the chance that it also just has a component that failed that's causing stress on the rest thereby generating more heat than normal.

In your experience there, do you think a 6183 like this would be exchanged? What if it's outside of warranty?
 
In your experience there, do you think a 6183 like this would be exchanged? What if it's outside of warranty?
Click to expand...
In warranty, yes. Expect to be asked to ship the unit back to ARRIS at your cost. Out of warranty, no, there won't be a replacement offered. Warranty was two years if purchased new from a retailer, but if purchased second hand, the warranty doesn't transfer.
 
jardows said:
In warranty, yes. Expect to be asked to ship the unit back to ARRIS at your cost. Out of warranty, no, there won't be a replacement offered. Warranty was two years if purchased new from a retailer, but if purchased second hand, the warranty doesn't transfer.
Click to expand...
Thank you. What is needed to validate the warranty? Will just the serial number do?
 
SamirD said:
Thank you. What is needed to validate the warranty? Will just the serial number do?
Click to expand...
Serial number calculates two years + 3-6 months from the manufacture date. The units move quickly enough, if you purchased from a major vendor it should show up as in warranty, especially if you've had it for a year or less. Otherwise, sending a copy of the purchase receipt will validate the warranty. If needed, should be able to email a scan or screenshot. I'm not sure how quickly they can validate now that they are using a different support center, but we were able to validate emailed copies pretty quickly.
 
jardows said:
Serial number calculates two years + 3-6 months from the manufacture date. The units move quickly enough, if you purchased from a major vendor it should show up as in warranty, especially if you've had it for a year or less. Otherwise, sending a copy of the purchase receipt will validate the warranty. If needed, should be able to email a scan or screenshot. I'm not sure how quickly they can validate now that they are using a different support center, but we were able to validate emailed copies pretty quickly.
Click to expand...
Awsome info! Great for anyone that runs across an issue. (y)

So in the time that you were supporting the modems, which model did you see clearly having more calls or issues?
 
SamirD said:
Awsome info! Great for anyone that runs across an issue. (y)

So in the time that you were supporting the modems, which model did you see clearly having more calls or issues?
Click to expand...
It would usually depend on what the latest Comcast update did! Overall the products were pretty solid, but each one had its quirks, and the individual cable companies were more than capable of messing things up and blaming the modem! Overall, the return/failure rate was well below 1% of shipped units, so I'd feel comfortable with any of the current products.
 
jardows said:
It would usually depend on what the latest Comcast update did! Overall the products were pretty solid, but each one had its quirks, and the individual cable companies were more than capable of messing things up and blaming the modem! Overall, the return/failure rate was well below 1% of shipped units, so I'd feel comfortable with any of the current products.
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Haha, that doesn't surprise me. Really great to hear of such a low failure rate--in fact, that's quite impressive when you think of it.
 
Ill just Re-open this old threat.

Just purchased this New and had found a point of failure in less than a week. I already ordered the replacement but thought I would post my trouble as others might have the same issue.

At first everything worked great, after about a week i noticed issues with my upload rate. My download remains full throttle and after repeated testing I found that the first test would report full upload rate, running backtoback the second test shows a slightly reduce rate and again a 3rd test even less. Testing in this method across multiple devices hardwire and wifi eventually the upload rate would go all the way down to 0.02 mb/s.

Touching the modem it is VERY warm, hotter than the old sb6141 it replaced which worked flawlessly for 10 years before a cat finished it off. I would of purchased the same modem again but it cost more than the "better" model with more lanes.

I will accept input but don't have any questions really, I am chalking this up to a factory defect after eliminating all other hardware elements in my network as the problem.
 
Last edited:
I recommend getting a better model model modem. The Arris S33 if it's supported by your ISP
 
While not a Motorola modem (Hitron) I did experience having the modem get super hot and it did give me some intermittent issues. It was living in the bottom of a closet ( i know, i know...) I disassembled it, and was shocked by the amount of dust and cat fur that accumulated inside ( there is no active cooling FYI) Some compressed air and a good cleaning and i was good to go. it could have been a coincidence / ISP issue, but it has been fine since.
 
regk said:
It was living in the bottom of a closet ( i know, i know...)
Click to expand...
I read this as:
I was living in the bottom of a closet ( i know, i know...)
Click to expand...
I was going to be like how can you drop something like that in a thread and not explain. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Dust/fur/etc a huge problem for heat as it does a very good job of insulating and keeping the hot air right in there. A lot of stuff these days is made without forced convection (ie fans), but have a lot of cooling design based in natural convection and blocking any vents can be a game changer.
 
SamirD said:
I read this as:

I was going to be like how can you drop something like that in a thread and not explain. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Dust/fur/etc a huge problem for heat as it does a very good job of insulating and keeping the hot air right in there. A lot of stuff these days is made without forced convection (ie fans), but have a lot of cooling design based in natural convection and blocking any vents can be a game changer.
Click to expand...
hahaha!!! fair enough lol. Oh yes I 100% agree. Shortly after this I paid my parents a visit and their entire pc case was 70% dust. needless to say I am now on a regular cleaning interval when it comes to such things!
 
regk said:
hahaha!!! fair enough lol. Oh yes I 100% agree. Shortly after this I paid my parents a visit and their entire pc case was 70% dust. needless to say I am now on a regular cleaning interval when it comes to such things!
Click to expand...
Wow, 70% is a lot! I think the worst I dealt with was some old pentium 4s that were 24x7 hotel property management system servers for better part of a decade and then put in a utility chase and forgotten. I revived them and used them to make some custom systems for my elderly parents but the heatsinks were just one huge dust ball. It was no wonder some of the caps were bulging. But even in that shape, they still work almost 10 years later, so like 25yrs now of being on. :D
 
Yeah it's wild how some of this stuff can just keep on ticking after all this time! Testament to modern engineering. Talking about thermal insulation, the best was in 1998, I was putting together AMD K6 system, I forgot to remove the plastic on the heatsink and couldn't figure out why I was getting random crashes... Until I did a complete teardown lol... Facepalm moment!
 
Oh, and some of the older stuff really lasts too. I still have some pentium pro systems made by IBM that are a solid as a rock. Now that I think of it, I've got an IBM pentium server too. The IBM servers were always overbuilt. Those two p4's I mentioned also happened to be IBMs, but right before they sold the pc division to Lenovo so that's when the cost-cutting was in effect compared to the earlier days.
 
How much bandwidth are you paying for? I recently upgraded from an SB6183 because I was maxing it out with my 800MBit plan and it wasn't DOCSIS 3.1 compatible.
 
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