ARRIS® Surfboard® SB6190 Cable Modem, White

#1:ARRIS® Surfboard® SB6190 Cable Modem, White

 

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 WARNING TO SPECTRUM CUSTOMERS: DON'T ORDER THIS MODEM!
This is a fine cable modem, and the DOCSIS 3.0 specification works just find for all but the fastest internet plans. Which is why I ordered this cable modem to setup a new Spectrum installation, as it was recommended and the listing itself says it's compatible with Spectrum cable. The Spectrum sales rep didn't raise any concerns either when chatting with them a few weeks ago.

During activation (September 2024) I found out the hard way that DOCSIS 3.0 modems are no longer supported by Spectrum for new activations. After some googling, it seems that about a month ago, spectrum made a change and has dropped support for activation of new DOCSIS 3.0 cable modems, and now only support DOCSIS 3.1. The benefits of 3.1 over 3.0 will be invisible to most users, and the newer 3.1 modems are unfortunately at least twice as expensive. But if Spectrum cable is your only option for a new activation, do NOT waste your time and buy any modem from any manufacturer with the DOCSIS 3.0 standard printed on the box.

My recommendation would be the ARRIS SB8200 (DOCSIS 3.1). It's the least expensive, reliable cable modem.

And if you do accidently order the SB6190, and are short on time for getting your internet up and running, the SB8200 is widely available at your local Walmart, BestBuy, Target, etc if Amazon Prime shipping isn't fast enough.

15 MONTH UPDATE 12/23/17: Its like using Afrin nose spary for a clogged nose :) with out the crash after 24 hrs.
Easy to set up. had to call comcast to manually activate the device and after 30 minutes my internet was up and running. replaced my working SB6121 (4 channels) to this baby. Basically our speeds are the same. But now our bottle neck is not the modem, its our very old linksys router. So now my wife can stream to her phone and her computer and allow us boys to play PS4 and steam down stairs with no issues.
Update: Added new router (Netgear AC5300 Nighthawk X8 Tri-Band WiFi Router (R8500-100NAS)). Now my speeds are pushing 100Mb. But these speeds are dependent on your internet service. But since the upgrades my frustration is not our set up but Comcast lake of care for customers.
15 MONTH UPDATE 12/23/17: Ok i am updateing this guy.. at the time i bought this it was expensive 130.00 now its 97. up untime a few days ago i was always locking around 28 channels and now im at 32 channels due to comcast increasing my bandwith from 70mbps to 100mbps. but actually my real downloads have decreased from high 80s to mid 70s.So thats a provider issue not my issues. WHat i like about this guy .. it has helped me trouble shoot my local connection.. in the staus tab you can see you power and signal numbers. at install my upload power numbers were in the low 50s.. and lots of errors.. then a few months in i notced my cable line on the pole was moved to a different branch and my powers were spiking in the 57 which droped my uploads.. which with no upload you basicly have no internet,. its like you can recieve a call but cant talk and you cant call out. ok so i called comcast they came out and yes confirmed i had TONS of noise on my line.. so much so that the MAINTENCE crew moved me to a different line so i wouldnt jam the entire branch. so we put a ne cable from the pole to the cable modem and POW now 40 power and stable.. it turned out that i have 2 smart metters right next ro the cable into the house.. the EMF which i now own a emf meter was UNGODLY. and leaking into the connection at the exter wall. since fixed no issues from my home to the pole. SO i like owning my own modem for this one aspect. I proved to comcast many times its not me its them. and it proved once it was me and not them. Since that fix i have little to no errors in error log and i can monitor noise and trouble shoot issues. IS it worth the price now.. YES and i might buy a second one as back up. Now that comcast is locking at 32 channels i might even expand to next up. but not yet. SO this is a GOOD buy . specially if you can trouble shoot your connection your self. It has helped with my connection and I am hoping i will not have to update for a few years. i did see this at costco for like 80.00 just last week but it was on sale.

Love the new modem!!
I just upgraded from the Motorola SB6141 to the new modem which still works but wanted to be future proof for a few years. DOCSIS 3.1 modems are due to be released this year but at this point not even sure if Comcast can support it in my area. Also said to be much more expensive than the 3.0 versions. Figured for $149 can't go wrong with it.

Now I've read through the comments of some issues with Comcast of not getting an IP after the modem is hooked up. For me I was able to successfully activate this modem online without issues. It took awhile for the modem to get the configuration file and firmware updates from Comcast. Then I opened up Firefox to be greeted with Comcast activation page. Then the modem rebooted which is expected to get the final configuration file.

After that everything worked perfectly. Same speeds as SB6141 but wanted updated hardware and much better WebGUI. There are a a few things I have noticed with this new modem. I will list those in PROS and CONS:

PRO:

Same size as the old modem. Can't complain

They moved the activity light to the back directly onto the network port. Love it. Had to use electrical tape on the old modem because the bright flashing light is too distracting.

Much improved WebGUI that it no longer looks like website from the 1990s. Not that it really matters once the modem works you rarely ever see it.

CONS:

The boot up process takes alot longer than the old modem. I suspect is due to number of channels it has to go through and start bonding them. Once it's up and running it should stay up without issues.

It will run hot. Right now it's winter in Northern California so it's pretty cold in my house. Before I disconnected the old modem the heat feels the same as the new one. So it will get hot during the summer same as my old unit. I don't think it's going to be an issue but beware to give it plenty of space around the modem to breathe.

Not a fan of white case but it works.

This is my forth Motorola modem over the years. Had SB4100 all the way up to this new one and none of them gave me a problem. Even though Arris now owns Motorola with Arris label it is still a Motorola to me which is a good thing.

I do need to mention for those with IP problems during the initial setup is the the router connected to the modem needs to be set to DHCP on the WAN so Comcast can send special DNS server IPs for the activation. Once that is done and modem reboots it'll revert back to 75.75.75.75 DNS address. From there you can use Google DNS 8.8.8.8, OpenDNS or even Comcast's.

If you can't change the router DNS to use DHCP WAN then best just plug your computer directly into the modem until it's fully activated and updated. Then from then on you can use it normally. Hope this helps to save you some grief.

Warm and bright, but quick and capable
No complaints here! Connected to a Synology RT2600ac, and together they keep our whole house connected, all 9-13 devices online at a time. It was easy to set up, following the manual it comes with. Called Comcast to let them know we have our own modem, and to tell them the MAC address (on the bottom) and model number. After that, they needed our customer account information to link it, and it didn't take long to get it hooked up.

We couldn't figur eout why it wouldn't connect.... until we found and resolved a second issue, which was the coaxial cables in our home being so old and worn they could barely carry a signal, so the modem wasn't seeing it. We got Comcast to lay new cables the next day, it took us 40 minutes and we were up! And we get a couple Mbps more up and down than we pay for, actually. (Thank you, ISP overprovisioning!) This hasn't disconnected us even once, aside from the times a Comcast van worked in the area, killed internet for everyone for a bit, and only told us so when we called them and confirmed the problem wasn't on our end. You know. Comcast. Whaddaya gonna do? Their speed plus outages, vs. AT&T slow-but-steadiness.

This little machine works fine. But do not put it in your bedroom, or somewhere the light can bother anyone. Unless it is facing the wall. Give it some good air circulation (just the open air of your house will do), because it's pretty darn warm normally. And the lights, as I said, are quite bright in evening or night.

All that aside, it works with Comcast, it's fast as promised, and should be able to carry us for what we hope will be years without needing to upgrade. We have not seen any slowdown or glitches from this thing yet, and if we're lucky we'll never have to.

A great, stable and reliable device exceeding expectations and steadily providing terrific download speeds
After spending years with Verizon and tolerating endless rate hikes, the Rubicon was finally crossed when my bill went over $200 even with a single set top DVR for the whole house. I decided to switch to Comcast Xfinity using a promotion for new customers. Naturally, I did not want to pay a ridiculous modem rent of $10/month (recovered in less than a year for the top-of-the-line modem or in less than two years even with the purchase of the most sophisticated hybrid modem/router device).

I started with a hybrid NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 modem/router, but the device's UI proved to be ultra-slow and complete junk. I immediately returned it and got this top-of-the-line Arris modem for Comcast (around $110), using the ASUS AC-68U as a router. The modem started working in no time, and after a very quick network auto-configuration it has reached the peak download/upload speeds provided by Xfinity Blast Internet. The combo works great after more than a month, and I am steadily getting speedtest.net measurements above 200 Mbps for downloads and around 12 Mbps for uploads (limited by Comcast). This exceeds top "promised" speeds of 200/10.

No reboots required so far, after a month and a half. Speed measurements are steady, and 4K streaming from Amazon and Netflix simply flies without a hiccup. The same is true for video conferencing, file uploading and downloading (including uploading gigabytes of new photos).

To summarize, this is my advice: If you have to get a modem for Comcast Xfinity or other such provider, just purchase the top-of-the-line Arris Surfboard for around $100 and use a separate 802.11ac-compatible router from a trusted, reliable brand like ASUS. Stay away from junk Netgear UI, and from combo devices in general...

 Seamless and Beautiful Performance
I couldn't believe how tiny and cute at a glance, compared to the wireless gateway model I was leasing from Xfinity. So easy to set up, within mere minutes of unboxing. I have all Apple products so the white color matches all of my other products and peripherals. I should be happy with this modem for a long time (five years at least, I'm hoping) and will begin saving $132 a year in equipment fees as of my new contract beginning next month. I like how well it works with my Apple 3TB Time Capsule, and that I can easily and without interruption of my internet connection, switch between my home Wi-Fi network and ethernet, as I like to do. For instance: all that was needed for my purposes was two ethernet cables, one for connection between computer and Time Capsule... and one (which is included in the SB6190 box) from the SB6190 to the Time Capsule. (I prefer using my wired connection most of the time, and yet still have the option for wireless when I want/need it, such as for my printer, etc.)

I have one minor complaint, and that is that the blue lights are way too bright at night, if you don't hide this in a cabinet or behind something, as to the blue lit icons on the front of the SB6190.

Very happy and would recommend to my friends and family.

UPDATE to my original review from 2018 which is 5 (FIVE) years later!

Thu Aug 31, 2023 ~ Still going strong after a move in 2022! Love it. I think I had one problem which was quickly and easily solved by the manufacturer with a phone call to Customer Support maybe a year after I bought it. As to the LED lights being very bright at night, I got some of those sticker decals sold for purpose which solved that issue for me. If this is something you need, BUY IT. There may be a newer model but I haven't needed a newer model and am pleased as punch with this one after 5 years' usage. RECOMMEND

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