Comcast XFinity modem suggestions

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MrHood22

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I have the Motorola 6120, works well with Comcast. I would get a DOCSIS 3.0 modem even if the service isn't available in your area because of the channel bonding.
 
Most folks will recommend the Motorola 6121 (if you want cheaper DOCSIS 3.0 support) or the 6141 (also with DOCSIS 3.0, but it can bond more channels together, which may be useful in the coming years.)

Either one of these will work and it's rare that I see anyone recommend anything other than Motorola. If you have a few weeks try watching SlickDeals or [H]otDeals and hope someone posts a 6121/6141 deal.
 
I never really considered looking into another modem.. I just got a generic one from comcast, My speeds are really fast but sometimes I run into stability issues. My modem seems Old I guess, perhaps I could try to trade it in?
 
Just about any DOCSIS 3 modem should be fine. Some people report issues with the Motorola modems rebooting actually. I got an Ubee (no router) and it has really nice detailed statistics.
 
I've been seeing this question a lot lately. Perhaps we should put up a sticky?

Anyway, I have experience with and would recommend the following:

Motorola SB6121 and SB6141 (4 vs 8 downstream capable device, respectively)
Arris CM820 (8 downstream capable)

Apparently Ubee makes great modems too, but I have never worked with one.

The whole >4 downstream part really only matters if your cable provider supports it in your area and if you ever plan on subscribing to >100Mbit service. Even if your provider doesn't support more than 4ds channels or your going with a much slower speed package, you can still use any of the devices listed above.
 
DjProvoker said:
I never really considered looking into another modem.. I just got a generic one from comcast, My speeds are really fast but sometimes I run into stability issues. My modem seems Old I guess, perhaps I could try to trade it in?
Click to expand...

If you are renting your modem you're probably paying $6-$8/month to use it. Invest that money up-front by purchasing one of the modems listed here and return the one you're renting. You'll save that rental fee and you can use the modem elsewhere should you end up moving to a different area with a different cable provider.
 
athlon1.2 said:
Some people report issues with the Motorola modems rebooting actually..
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This used to be rampant with my 6121 from August until sometime in October, it seems to have died down though (I think there was a problem in the line in the neighborhood after a thunderstorm) because it stopped happening so often after I saw Comcast trucks down the street.....

Only took six calls to Comcast too:p
 
If they give you a modem and you decide to stick with it. Beware there is a compatible issue with Xbox 360 and Arris models (TG852G & TG862G). But like most people I would recommend the Motorola Sb6121 or Sb6141. I current have Arris TG852G and will switch to a Motorola Sb6141 immediately if I didn't have VoIP with TWC.
 
Comcast techs hate the motorolla surfboard modems and take them out whenever they can warrant it. They go in and out, even when signal level are good. It is a firmware issue that hasn't been resolved to this day. They always replace them with the UBEE ddm3513.

That's what I have, and that's what I would recommend to anyone.
 
Motorola 6141. Great modem. I consistently 35-38mb down when I am paying for 30mb down. Even though comcast (doesn't deserve to be respected, ever) hasn't fully expanded all markets to DOCSIS 3.0, that doesn't mean that your neighborhood doesn't already have it.

Almost everyone in my area has comcast. But even then, I don't see any slowdowns thanks to the Motorola 6141. It has tapped into the upper 4 channels that no one else can yet access.
 
Just did a bit of research for a friend on this question. As noted above, the big difference between the Motorola SB6121 ($80) and SB6141 ($115) is the extra 4 channels of downstream.

A very highly regarded alternative to the SB6141 is the Zoom 5341J, which is also a 4x8 DOCSIS 3.0 modem, that only costs $71. This is the one I ended up recommending for my friend.
 
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I have the cisco model, and have had 0 issues from day 1. running pfsense behind it and get a solid 35meg downstream
 
LostStorm said:
If they give you a modem and you decide to stick with it. Beware there is a compatible issue with Xbox 360 and Arris models (TG852G & TG862G). But like most people I would recommend the Motorola Sb6121 or Sb6141. I current have Arris TG852G and will switch to a Motorola Sb6141 immediately if I didn't have VoIP with TWC.
Click to expand...



Both of those have built in routers. Maybe TW can disable then (bridge it). Maybe TW offers something like the TM722G which is a DOCSIS 3.0 modem.
 
athlon1.2 said:
Both of those have built in routers. Maybe TW can disable then (bridge it). Maybe TW offers something like the TM722G which is a DOCSIS 3.0 modem.
Click to expand...

Yeah learn the hard way that Arris TG852G wireless feature is very problematic. I have a Arris TM822 just collecting dust in my closet. Even if TWC supported they still wont let me use it with their voip. Maybe time to cancel voip service and choose an alternative.
 
I've been really happy with my 6121, but I have one of the slowest tier Comcast internet connections so I don't put much stress on it.
 
I have a Cisco DPC3008 Modem, it supports 8x4 channels like the Moto 6141, and also the Zoom 5314J is a good one. All three of these modems do 8x4 bonding instead of just 4x4.
 
bds1904 said:
Comcast techs hate the motorolla surfboard modems and take them out whenever they can warrant it. They go in and out, even when signal level are good. It is a firmware issue that hasn't been resolved to this day. They always replace them with the UBEE ddm3513.

That's what I have, and that's what I would recommend to anyone.
Click to expand...

Not sure thats 100% true as I put in a 6121 in June and have had zero downtime since then.

unless you mean they get shitty throughput at times, which I couldnt confirm or deny
 
I have been using the DOCSIS 2.0 version of the modem bds1904 post and it has been ROCK SOLID at 30mbit/6mbit on Comcast BLAST! for the past two years. Very consistent speeds, no reboots required. I have never used a Motorola but can say I am pleasantly surprised at the UBEE.
 
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