MB8600

WARNING: THIS IS A LONG REVIEW, BUT I MAY HAVE SOME ANGLES ON THIS OTHERS DON'T :-) Wow. I really like this modem. This is a barebones rock solid dead simple workhorse. It's got a plug for the cable and one ethernet (RJ-45) port out and I think an on/off switch. That's it. It makes a connection. And hasn't failed since I got it a month or so ago. All I had to do was call my ISP and give them the MAC address (on the sticker on the device) and they updated their tables and that was it. Turn it on. It goes through the startup cycle. Takes a few minutes to connect like they all do and that's it. Set it and forget it. What prompted me to get it, is I don't like having to rent the modem from the ISP @ $10.00/mo forever. This literally pays for itself in 16 months, and most people will have their Internet connection for many times that long, and time flies. So it's a good investment. It doesn't have phone connection like the ISP's modem did. So I called the company/provider that owns copper phone lines in the area and ordered landline service. I'm a nerd/techie and don't care what people say about landlines being for old fogeys, it's like having a backup generator ... I know I can use that landline if the power goes out or if the cell tower gets overwhelmed (too many calls or cell traffic at once), or there's radio interference in the area. Technically cable phone is a 'land line' (hardwired cable connection to provider) and the battery backup in the modem (which the ISP charges more for), could give you emergency phone service in an outage, but a cable phone connection can (and does) fail for more reasons than copper wire phone service does. (Those copper wire connections are called POTS - which stands for Plain Old Telephone Service), and copper wire phones are the most reliable. Having a separate modem from a router is optima for a few of reasons... Generally hybrid units of anything do everything okay, but nothing optimally (for example combination modem-router units like my ISP rents out). Better to keep the modem separate from the router. Then you can swap either out independently to upgrade as needed, disrupting less of your own network configuration doing so, and also help avoid a single point of failure. Plus, you might be able to score a router in a pinch on shorter notice than a cable modem if the router is the component that fails. Then you can choose the router you actually like, for whatever reason, and don't have to settle for whatever bundling du jour your ISP decides is right for you (even if it isn't). That gets me to the other point. What DID the ISP decide was right for me (but wasn't)? For awhile my ISP modem connection was dropping briefly in the middle of the morning. My computer came back up connected to the ISP's 'general public' wi-fi connection to their router which did not work for me and I'd have to keep manually switching back to my own internal Wi-Fi LAN (network). That was not only inconvenient but it forced me to investigate was was going on there. I learned my ISP gives lets passersby connect to their rental-modem's Wi-Fi signal, without giving me any way to disable that service! That really pissed me off to learn. The idea is that people driving around who have accounts with the provider can get internet access around the neighborhoods. If I was a passerby, that could really help me, so at first glance maybe 'why not, be a good samaritan'. But wait! There may be more too it than that. Besides the fact that I don't like it (for good reason), they give me no control over that 'feature'! And I see some downsides. What's good for the ISP isn't necessarily optimal for me. What I don't like about that 'service' is that one or more people could sit outside and suck down bandwidth (e.g. slow my connection down), unbeknownst to me. It also might cause the unit to use more energy and put out a stronger wi-fi signal than it needs to. Which health conscious people are well advised to be aware of. Wi-Fi is radiation. Not strong and may not ruin your life, but it is a stressor at a cellular level, this is known. And strong signals, persistent signals and people who are more sensitive or have immunity issues can be more vulnerable (headaches, sleep disruption, or worse). But I like Wi-Fi so I settle for whatever unknown health consequences I may not be aware of. Also it makes me wonder if a hacker might be able to use it as an additional point of access to my home network. I also wonder if it's 100% clear to law enforcement at first glance who might be visiting sites or doing something nefarious from the connection point. Might it look like the owner is doing something that a passerby did (and even if they can sort it out later, what if it takes awhile to figure out and they make a bad assumption?) Anyway, I don't have that problem with this modem and I'm just much happier with it all the way around. Plus it's blazingly fast.

The Xfiniity compatible Modem was super easy to set-up following the Quick Start guide included in the box. Word of advice for Comcast / Xfinity subscribers -- when stepping through the set-up Wizard, selecting the option to text an activation code is a joke -- the code is only good for 15 minutes but I didn't receive the text until 30 minutes had passed; just stick with your Xfinity account name for the activation and provisioning. Xfinity upgraded to DOCSIS 3.1, and, while my own 6 year old trusty Motorola Surfboard SB6580 was working fine, Xfinity found every reason to pester me about an upgrade and how much I'm missing not having a 3.1 modem lease an upgrade. I prefer to own my own modem, so, after perusing compatible modems for my region on Xfinity's approved device page, I narrowed my choices to the ARRIS Surfboard SB8200, Netgear CM1000, and, this, the Motorola MB8600. All three are comparable at 1001 Mbps, 32 down x 8 up DOCSIS channels, and DOCSIS 3.1. All the cool kids love the Arris -- especially after they ditched the very problematic Intel PUMA chipset and went with the Broadcom's offering -- and for very good reasons, it has great hardware specs. Sporting 3GB of RAM, 128MB /16 of NAND flash memory it's a tasty treat. And, were it not a horrific white box that clashes with everything in my apartment, I'd happily have purchased it. Vanity, thy name be Monkey Rat, I know. I've never had a lot of love for Netgear, and, I found its hardware lacking -- 128 MB of flash memory and 256 MB of RAM. Ultimately not a huge game changer, with current theoretical home speeds at 1Gb, but one would expect something a tad more, well, more from a name like Netgear. While its feature rich -- which, is saying something for a cable modem -- I really saw no reason to down this path. That clashing white Arris was looking tastier at this point. Then I compared the MB8600 to both and found a happy place. 512 MB of RAM and 128 MB of NAN -- a buck cheaper than the Netgear with a doubling of the RAM, and while not as expensive -- marginally -- than the Arris, and certainly lacking a bit in the hardware department, but I paid more for future ability to bond upwards of 4 separate lines. However, the LACP technology requires a higher end router, and faster than a gig speed isn't necessarily right around the corner, but, this device positioned nicely for a future with a potential of 4Gb. Word of caution -- it's a BIG device. If you're familiar with the older Surfboards, this is easily double the size in height and does not come with any sort of mounting option. However, it has great ventilation thanks to a well aired grid pattern on the side. So, how does it work? My internet plan is the BLAST! 150 Mbps (stop laughing) -- and i assure you, I've never seen that even in the dead of night -- wired speeds show an increase on speedtest.net but it's not really all that noticeable, whether plugged in directly to the cable modem or my ASUS RT-AC86U router, notebook and desktop performance were negligible. However, wireless performance for my nVidia SHIELD K1 tablet and Google Pixel 2 phone were significantly improved - I found this a little odd as they're still going through a router, but, I can't argue with results. I keep forgetting the MB8600 has a baked in spectrum analyzer utility I need to check out -- I'll add an update when I do. Ultimately, I like it -- I play Everquest (the original) and noted better response times, but again, the MS aren't earth shaking or setting the sky afire. Stream the occasional movie, and really I don't have any complaints, and can only praise the device for its eye-popping Wi-Fi boost, for which I have no good explanation. I may change out my Cat5e for Cat6 and upgrade my router next -- hopefully wringing a couple more Mbps out. But, really, I think it's time to call xfinity and have to do some line tests. I will provide updates on that as well.

[NOTE: As I look over the reviews here I see a great many reports that blame the modem for various things. Based on a lifetime of experience with this sort of stuff, the majority of them sound like cable system issues, not modem issues. At least some of them may be the fault of the config. I believe this to be a well designed, solid modem. Any time we bring our own gear to the cable system there is a risk of issues and inadequate support for the device. This excellent modem is no exception. Speaking broadly, if you are having problems suspect site cabling, configuration, cable system/operation/maintenance practices, broken modem in that order.] I purchased this modem to upgrade from the underwhelming and overly locked down modem supplied to me by Charter. I was a little hesitant to purchase this modem because it was on Charter's "minimally tested" list as opposed to their recommended list, and because of the cost (meaning there was more to lose it it didn't work over time). So far it appears I worried needlessly. Setup and activation was a breeze. I hooked it up in place of my existing modem and it promptly synced up and indicated connectivity. I then used my LTE iPad to provide the modem's MAC address to Charter on their modem setup page. From box to activated and in service took maybe 15 minutes max. Forty-eight hours later I am still a happy camper. I have exercised the connection heavily, streaming 4K UHD content, downloading large files, etc.,. No problems. Ookla's windows app does show a slightly lower upload speed over a hardwired ethernet connection when compared to the Charter supplied modem. Perhaps this is due to a setting in Charter's configuration file? The modem's status page shows 32 connected downstream channels and 4 connected upstream. Of course I cannot compare it to the Charter supplied "Rainbow" modem configuration because it hides all such information from the consumer. This "black box" let's treat the customer like a mushroom approach is exactly what motivated me to spend the money to buy my own modem. One off-putting aspect of the Motorola is the fact that three of the four Gigabit Ethernet jacks have been plastered over with plastic during manufacture. It is my hope that they are in fact still there and can be uncovered for future use. As it happens I do have some link aggregating capable network hardware and might have use for those ports at some future service tier. Also not found is the "spectrum analyzer view". These disappointments have cost them 1 star in my review. Incidentally, with both modems all testing was done through a Linksys WRT3200ACM router using a hardwired ethernet connection and 400mbps tier service. In the future I may purchase another (different) modem for comparison and backup use, probably the Arris since I have a very low opinion of anything Netgear has ever made (and a large collection of discarded equipment to back it up). NOTE to CHARTER: Please let us use these modems on business Internet service. It gets very old paying a great deal more money to get slower speeds, less flexibility regarding equipment, and more rigid policies all because we need static ip's. UPDATE: This modem continues to run so smoothly I don't know it is there except when I look across the room at its satisfying cluster of blinking lights. However, I plan to order an Arris for comparison, and because I enjoy screwing around with stuff. That is the advantage of having dual Internet services, I can risk breaking things ; )

The modem itself is really basic, but it does offer bonded internet connections. You do need a separate router if you're connecting multiple devices or a switch. The modem does not assign internal IP addresses so it will only provide connectivity to a single device, as long as that device is a router or has the ability to providing routing you're golden. I am using CAT8 ethernet cabling to go to my ASUS RAPTURE 11000ax and then to a 24 port 1Gb switch. The setup was simple. There are some downsides, as this modem is extremely sensitive to power swings, both up and down stream. Had to have a tech out twice to get the line to have proper signal levels. Also, the event log doesn't actually save or give you the ability to save. It doesn't store but a few entries. The speed is much better on my internal network now that I've moved to my own modem vs. the Xfinity modem, this is mainly due to the router and switch combo though. Overall this is a simple to install modem that needs a little more work on the firmware side and better GUI. The price would suggest more user customization but you're really paying for the DOCSIS 3.1 and future proofing for the next few years. In the long run it will save me money.

so i cut the rental cord with this purchase, wasn't sure it would be compatible with my ISP, other than the DOCSIS standards were appropriate, the modem itself is more than i need on my current plan... so you could easily spend half this and get a suitable modem to replace a rental and not bat an eye at the choice. my scenario: i'm on WOW in MI and was a little uncertain about compatibility with my particular ISP(as it's not in there financial interest to lose rental fees), i hadn't found anyone with WOW in my various forum searches that would vouch for this unit being a stable substitution over the rental unit. the only feedback i did find was for the ARRIS SM8200 actually working with WOW. there was a $30-50 difference in purchase price, with the motorola being the better deal. now i could have probably just called a wow tech and verified whether the unit was compatible as online lists aren't always up to date or accurate, but with info crawls we learn something new. a tech was scheduled when i called to change up my plan(dropping cable tv/boxes/modem/router saved me about $70/month), i didn't need the tech, but they weren't charging me and it saved me having to drop off the equipment, thus allowing me to start my monthly saving upon his receipt of the hardware. now i had expected to call the ISP myself and give them the MAC address, have them register it, but the tech did that in about the same amount of time it would have taken me with someone on the phone, assuming no problems arose. this particular swap/installation went smooth, no resets(other than intentional) or drops so far. tl;dr it works, setup was a breeze, would recommend and it works with WOW in SE MI as of November 2017 and while there is no gigabit in my particular area yet(it's in two neighborhoods so far), this unit will be capable of handling should i want/need the bandwidth. so maybe i future proofed it or maybe i bought in too soon and overpaid, time will tell, but it's working and i'm getting the speeds i'm paying for. my cost was 158.00 and minus a $10 discount that looks like it still applies till the end of December. so it was the cheapest DOCSIS 3.1 capable modem available on amazon footnote: as of this review, i have only been running the hardware for a few hours, if things get wonky and they aren't provider issues, i'll update my comments to reflect any stability issues.

Pricy, but worth it. Motorola is the go to brand for high quality. This modem delivers, but remember keep in mind you have to use a router in order to use multiple devices in your home. I got the Motorola AC2600 4x4 WiFi Smart router. Installation of both devices was very easy. Literally, plug and play. However, you will most likely have to deal with your internet service provider in order to register your modem with their service and allow the modem to receive their signal. That was the most painful process. Everything else worked flawlessly. After buying and installing both the modem and router, I upgraded my Roku device to the Roku Ultra HD/4K streaming device with voice activated remote. I'm very pleased with the results I got. See my review for the Roku Ultra below: For about three years, I was using the same Roku device that was provided free with my Sling subscription. It was frustrating to watch a movie only for it to stop and start buffering. It was frustrating to try and watch YouTube content only to crash during the "loading" period or stop in the middle due to buffering issues. After researching and troubleshooting I came up with the following fixes that have resulted in awesome streaming, seamless channel surfing and no buffering once any channel is loaded (within 5 seconds or so). First, you need to run a speed test of your current internet. You should get results like 400mbps on a higher end laptop (i.e., Macbook Pro). If you get anything less, you need to up your internet service provider download speed. If you have multiple devices, I recommend at least 600mbps. Ideal would be 1000mbps. Next you need to make sure your modem can handle the speed. I got a Motorola MB8600 modem. This modem will handle speeds in the gigabit range. Hold on, that's not all. With this modem you need to get a router that can continue to support the new speed and the internet service that you are working with. I bought a Motorola AC2600 4x4 WiFi Smart router. This router will increase coverage to your home and will seamlessly support the internet speed and connectivity of the Motorola modem. All three of these devices compliment each other and will help you dramatically improve your video streaming ability. Please keep in mind that if your internet service isn't high enough, you will not get much of an increase in performance. You have to look at the entire system in your home. 1. The internet service that you are paying for monthly. This is critical. It has to be high enough (600-1000mbps). 2. A good Modem. Your modem is the device that takes the internet signal coming from your service (i.e., Xfinity, Verizon). I recommend you make sure your modem can handle speeds in the gigabit range. This should be good for about 3-5yrs. 3. A good compatible router. The router takes the signal from the modem and splits it so that multiple devices can use the internet signal coming into your home. Note- There are cable modems out there that are combination modem/routers. If you are on a budget they will work. However, I have found that my new combination of separate modem and router has improved my internet performance tremendously. Lastly, if you are on a budget and can't afford all the upgrades, then getting this Roku device will just be a waste of money. This Roku device is a high-end streaming device that will only perform at it's best if you have all the other devices in place that can provide the clean and fast internet signal it needs. I did a complete overhaul of my home system and can't be more pleased with the results. I replaced each component that I've described in stages just to see if each device really made a difference (a noticeable difference). I'm happy to report that each stage made a big difference.

I recently upgraded my Comcast Internet to their 1 Gb speed, and discovered that my old Arris SB6190 needed to be upgraded to get the full speed that Comcast can provide. Previously I was on Comcast's 600 Mb speed, and I did not even know it. It appears that over the years Comcast upgraded my speed every time they had a price increase, perhaps to justify their price increase. Or something. I did not even know it because my router was not capable of speed over about 300 Mb. More on that below. Note that having Internet of 1 Gb (compared with 600, 300, or 150 Mb) will not make any significant difference to the way you experience the Internet except perhaps when downloading large files or software updates for Windows or Mac OS, or new games if you are a gamer. In fact, having anything over 300 Mb or even 150 Mb makes little difference in web surfing or video streaming given the same latency. But for the difference in cost of my old service compared with 1 Gb of $10 a month, what the heck? So I purchased this Motorola MB8600 modem (and a new router capable of 1 Gb to devices that are connected to it with an Ethernet cable). Installation was simple. After I connected it to my cable and powered it up, I connected a laptop directly to the Ethernet port on the modem, and got Comcast's activation web page. I went through the process, and the modem connected to Comcast, and I ran a speed test and got 930 to 940 Mb download speed. I thought great, it works! I then connected the modem to my new router, and ran a speed test through that (with computer connected to the router with an Ethernet cable), and got about the same speed. But a few minutes later, I noticed the modem was going through its start-up procedure. I thought maybe that was normal since I had changed the modem from being directly connected to my laptop to my router. But unfortunately, this was not the case. Every few minutes, the modem would go through its start-up process. I let that continue for about 45 minutes, and called Comcast. They had me install my old SB6190, and said their was nothing wrong with my service, I had the correct signal levels, signal to noise ratios, etc. Wanting to get my 1 Gb Internet service up and running, I went to Best Buy and purchased an Arris SB8200, and set it up, and it is rock solid, also get 930-940 Mb through this modem. This was over a week ago, and no problems with the modem resetting itself. Regarding routers, note that if you buy any modem to increase your Internet speed, you may also have to upgrade your router. If your Internet speed test shows disappointing results, the only way to test your speed is to directly connect a computer to your modem, and run a speed test to your ISP's speed test. And whatever speed service you have, that is only the speed of your connection to your ISP. Once you leave your ISP's network, and hit a connection to another network, the speed you ultimately will get will probably be lower. This may be a one-off problem, but this is my experience with the Motorola MB8600 cable modem. (Speed test photo shows speed at a computer connected by Ethernet cable to my router.)

I ordered this Motorola modem to replace an ARRIS Surfboard 6183 that I had had for 5 or 6 years. I was having to reboot the Surfboard a few times a week when my download speeds would drop to 20 or 30 (I should get over 300). Learned that was an issue with the Surfboard. Motorola is made by the same company but doesn't have Puma chip issues (latency and jitters) that the Arris does. SO, setup (and I am NOT a techie....I'm a senior who learns by her mistakes) was easy enough. The ethernet cable that comes with the modem is VERY short. That is OK if your router is very close to your modem. In my case, my router is up HIGH on a shelf across the room from the modem, and I need a big step stool to reach it. I have a very very long ethernet chord and needed to make sure it would work (I don't interchange things like that without asking). FORGET reaching anyone in Motorola customer service by phone. email they say they will answer within two days....I finally got through on chat support. The guy answered right away. YEP, it will work. Same category 5. I turned the modem on and everything connected except bottom LAN light kept blinking green. I hadn't closed my CHAT with motorola so I asked that question....the man answered that was normal. Checked my speed. Where I had normally gotten around 325-350MBPS, it was 25. NOT GOOD. Motorola guy was still around and he said it was an Xfinity problem - they must not have configured it right when they activated. EEEEEE. I called and you don't want to go through that robot voice hell if you don't have to with Xfinity. the robot restarted the modem. Said call back in 10 minutes. I did. Robot insisted on restarting the modem again. We went through this 3 times before I got my call put through to an agent....but another robot said my wait time was over 2 hours. I put the phone to the side and managed to be 53 in line on a chat with Xfinity. I will not go into detail but THAT was a waste...the Chat guy never understood the problem....phone lady finally answered after only 45 minutes. NO issues with the MODEM she says...let's reboot your router. STUPID ME STUPID ME. I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT. Reboot router so he recognizes the new kid on the block. I KNEW that...my brain was in a fog I guess. Would have saved me about 2 hours of aggravation. Rebooted. My speed was then 365 Mbps. It has held steady at more than what I pay for (Xfinity is good about that). SO, BUY this modem. Make sure your router is new enough to support it (I have a Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 that is apparently the minimum you can use but it is an amazing router). Make sure you have a compatible ethernet cable (being Category 5 seems to be the key and it is written on all cables) if you need it longer than about 6 ft. (or maybe 5 ft - it is short). I'm hoping this modem will last 5 years or so. I am a happy old lady. My hubs is happy because he can stream the golf channel without buffering. My Alexas work in every room, my light bulbs and doorbell are nicely connected and all is right with the world (or at least in my home)