We purchased the The 7 Best Cable Modems so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full products reviews.
It’s time to look for the best cable modems, whether you want to save money on rental fees or simply want to improve your game and get the best performance possible. While cable ISPs will do everything they can to keep you hooked on their rental units, these usually have far fewer features than those you can buy on your own, and the monthly rental fees can quickly add up.
In fact, you’ll probably find that you can get a much better cable modem than your ISP even at a low cost, and with evolving technologies like DOCSIS 3.1, it’s sometimes exactly what you’ll need if you want top speeds from your home internet connection or the kind of low latency and fast ping times required for serious gaming. Every major cable provider certifies the best cable modems, and they’ll work with your existing wireless router. They’re ideal for anyone who is tired of paying monthly rental fees as a cable subscriber.
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Best Overall: Arris Surfboard SB6190 DOCSIS 3.0 32×8 Cable Modem
The SB6190 is (Check latest price on Amazon) the successor to Arris’ extremely popular SB6183 cable modem, and it maintains the company’s reputation for producing some of the most reliable cable modems on the market. This is a capable little workhorse that will provide ample performance for anyone who does not require multi-gigabit internet speeds. It’s also small enough to be tucked away just about anywhere, measuring 5 x 5 x 2.1 inches.
The SB6190 is also certified by all major cable providers, so you shouldn’t have any trouble connecting it to your preferred ISP, and the DOCSIS 3.0 32×8 channel bonding can deliver download speeds of up to 1.2Gbps and upload speeds of over 200Mbps. Although there is only one Gigabit Ethernet port on the back, Arris anticipates that most users will use their own Wi-Fi router. The coaxial cable connection is a little awkwardly placed—right it’s next to the power connector—but once it’s plugged in, you won’t have to worry about it, and we think the SB6190’s compact size makes it worth the tradeoff.
DOCSIS Standard: 3.0 | Channels: 32×8 | Speed: 1.2Gbps / 216Mbps | Voice Support: No | MOCA: No | Wired Ports: 1
The Motorola MB7621 cable modem (Check latest price on Amazon) is a low-cost option that can pay for itself in as little as a few months thanks to the money you’ll save by returning your rented modem. It can easily handle the fastest sub-gigabit internet plans available, thanks to its 24×8 DOCSIS 3.0 channels, which support upload speeds exceeding 200Mbps and download speeds theoretically capable of nearly 1Gbps—though most major cable providers only offer around 600Mbps.
The MB7621 also has a low-profile design that allows you to leave it in plain sight without it becoming an eyesore, and it doesn’t take up a lot of space. It’s also compatible with all major cable providers, including Comcast Xfinity for speeds up to 600Mbps and Spectrum and Cox for 400Mbps plans, so you can get it up and running right away. A single Gigabit Ethernet port on the back allows you to connect to your wireless router at full speed, though it does not support voice services.
DOCSIS Standard: 3.0 | Channels: 24×8 | Speed: 912Mbps / 216Mbps | Voice Support: No | MOCA: No | Wired Ports: 1
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Best Performance: Netgear Nighthawk CM2000 DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modem
Netgear’s Nighthawk CM2000 (Check latest price on Amazon) is a high-performance cable modem with a stylish design. Thanks to its support for the latest DOCSIS 3.1 standards, it can keep up with the fastest internet plans available today—and well into the future. You can achieve download speeds of up to 2.5Gbps and upload speeds of up to 800Mbps using two upstream and two downstream OFDM channels.
Don’t worry if your ISP doesn’t yet support DOCSIS 3.1; the CM2000 is fully backward compatible with DOCSIS 3.0 and features 32×8 channel support, allowing it to handle even the fastest sub-gigabit plans. A 2.5Gbps Ethernet port on the back allows you to connect a compatible router, such as Netgear’s RAX120 or Orbi’s AX6000, and get the fastest possible speeds for your home network using only a single Cat 6 Ethernet cable.
DOCSIS Standard: 3.1 | Channels: 2×2 / 32×8 | Speed: 2.5Gbps / 800Mbps | Voice Support: No | MOCA: No | Wired Ports: 1 (2.5Gbps Ethernet)
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Best for Multi-Gigabit Internet: Motorola MB8611 DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modem
If you want to subscribe to an ultra high-speed internet plan, you’ll need a cable modem that supports the latest DOCSIS 3.1 standards, such as Motorola’s MB8611 (Check latest price on Amazon). The MB8611 can deliver download speeds of up to 2.5Gbps and upstream speeds of 800Mbps when used with a compatible router, providing more than enough bandwidth for even the busiest homes.
The SB8611 also provides excellent low latency performance for fast-paced online gaming and video conferencing, allowing you to take full advantage of everything your cable provider has to offer, and the 2.5Gbps Ethernet port on the back can be used to connect to a corresponding high-speed Ethernet port on a Wi-Fi 6 router, allowing you to get the best speeds with just one cable. It’s also backward compatible with the DOCSIS 3.0 standard, so you can use it with whatever plan you have now while you wait for your ISP to start offering the faster DOCSIS 3.1 speeds in your area.
DOCSIS Standard: 3.1 | Channels: 2×2 / 32×8 | Speed: 2.5Gbps / 800Mbps | Voice Support: No | MOCA: No | Wired Ports: 1 (2.5Gbps Ethernet)
The Arris’ Surfboard S33 (Check latest price on Amazon) appears to be ushering in a new design era for the venerable cable modem manufacturer, eschewing the more brick-like designs of its classic modems in favor of something much more streamlined and unobtrusive. It’s also a design that works, given that this is Arris’ first DOCSIS 3.1 unit capable of single-wire multi-gigabit speeds—and it looks good doing it.
In fact, the Surfboard S33 not only has a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port that you can connect to a compatible Wi-Fi 6 router’s matching port, but it also has a standard Gigabit Ethernet port. Don’t be fooled: even though Arris claims download speeds of up to 3.5Gbps, these ports can’t be aggregated. This figure represents the combined speeds that two separate routers—one plugged into each port—can achieve when they’re used to create two completely separate networks.
DOCSIS Standard: 3.1 | Channels: 2×2 / 32×8 | Speed: 2.5Gbps / 800Mbps | Voice Support: No | MOCA: No | Wired Ports: 2 (2.5 Gbps / 1 Gbps Ethernet)
Netgear’s CM700 (Check latest price on Amazon) is a good option if you want to save money while getting the most bang for your buck. It’s a compact DOCSIS 3.0 device that supports the fastest sub-gigabit cable speeds while also being certified by every major cable internet provider, allowing you to get up and running quickly. Its slim design also makes it easy to place it wherever you need it.
With 32×8 bonded DOCSIS 3.0 channels, the CM700 can theoretically deliver speeds of up to 1.2Gbps, though most ISPs won’t deliver much more than 600Mbps. There’s a single Gigabit Ethernet port on the back for connecting to your router, and it also supports Xfinity’s fast web self-activation, so you can register it and connect it without having to call for service.
DOCSIS Standard: 3.0 | Channels: 32×8 | Speed: 1.2Gbps / 216Mbps | Voice Support: No | MOCA: No | Wired Ports: 1
If you’re lucky enough to have a cable provider that can deliver gigabit-class internet speeds, you’ll want to go with a DOCSIS 3.1 best cable modems for the best results, and Arris’ SB8200 (Check latest price on Amazon) has you covered.
The SB8200 is built in the same classic Arris style, but in this case the unassuming design belies the power hidden under the hood. DOCSIS 3.1 support with 2 downstream and 2 upstream OFDM channels promises twice the speed of a DOCSIS 3.0 modem, but it also offers 32×8 DOCSIS 3.0 support for backward compatibility, so it’s capable of delivering solid performance even if your ISP doesn’t offer gigabit speeds yet. The two Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back also support 802.3ad link aggregation, so with the right Wi-Fi router you can use both ports to get 2Gbps of throughput all the way.
DOCSIS Standard: 3.1 | Channels: 2×2 / 32×8 | Speed: 2Gbps / 800Mbps | Voice Support: No | MOCA: No | Wired Ports: 2
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The Final Word
For most cable internet subscribers, Arris’ Surfboard SB6190 offers the best balance of price, performance, and size, but to break through the 1Gbps speed barrier, you’ll need a high-performance DOCSIS 3.1 modem like Motorola’s SB8611.
