December 2022
Modems: Meta Ranking Report
This report contains an aggregate consensus of Modem rankings posted by key online experts, as of December 2022.
Summary
As of 1 Dec 2022, Netgear CM500 takes the cake as the most critically-acclaimed modem with 8 expert endorsements. It is followed by Motorola MB8600 and Arris SURFboard SB8200 , with 6 and 7 expert endorsements respectively.
At a glance - December 2022 Ranking
| Rank | Change | Price | Modem |
approvedmodems.org
|
Popular Mechanics
|
PC Guide
|
BestReviews
|
HighSpeedInternet
|
Wirecutter
|
Networks Hardware
|
Tom's Guide
|
The Strategist
|
Lifewire
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
- | $70 |
Netgear CM500
|
8
|
2
|
5
|
2
|
-
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
6
|
-
|
|
2
|
- | $149 |
Motorola MB8600
|
5
|
4
|
-
|
3
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
3
|
- | $145 |
Arris SURFboard SB8200
|
3
|
-
|
1
|
4
|
2
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
9
|
5
|
|
4
|
- | $139 |
Netgear CM1000
|
6
|
-
|
2
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
|
5
|
- | $75 |
Motorola MB7621
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
4
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
|
6
|
- | $300 |
Netgear Nighthawk CM2000
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
|
7
|
- | $65 |
Motorola MB7420
|
9
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
7
|
|
8
|
- | $85 |
Arris SURFboard SB6183
|
-
|
3
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
|
9
|
- | $147 |
Arris Surfboard S33
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
|
10
|
- | $67 |
Arris SURFboard SB6190
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
1
|
|
11
|
- | $110 |
Motorola MG7540
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
8
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
12
|
- | Check price |
Netgear Nighthawk CM1150V
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
We ranked Netgear CM500 #1 in December 2022 because:
- 8 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
approvedmodems.org
Best For 400 Mbps
|
Pros
Competitively priced
Great design
Easy setup
Comes with 8 NOR flash
|
Cons
No major cons
|
Popular Mechanics
Best budget
|
Pros
Affordable
Performs well on the vast majority of US ISP plans.
|
Cons
One-year warranty
Dim indicator lights
|
PC Guide
|
Pros
Compatible with most ISPs
Recoup-able cost in a few months
|
Cons
Some quality-control issues
|
BestReviews
Best Bang for the Buck
|
Pros
Affordable
Best for ISP Speeds up to 300mbps
Compatible with all major cable providers
Quick setup process
Small desktop footprint
|
Cons
Has only a single gigabit Ethernet port
|
Tom's Guide
Best value cable modem
|
Pros
Solid performance
Good compatibility
Often cheaper than comparable modems
|
Cons
One-year warrant shorter than rivals
Indicator lights are hard to see
|
We ranked Motorola MB8600 #2 in December 2022 because:
- 6 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
- Out of those, 2 experts ranked Motorola MB8600 as #1.
approvedmodems.org
Best For Gaming
|
Pros
Future-proof with DOCSIS 3.1
Works for plans up to 2000 Mbps
Approved by many ISPs
AQM for low latency browsing
2-year warranty
|
Cons
Fewer ports
Lights are too bright
|
Popular Mechanics
Best Docsis 3.1
|
Pros
DOCSIS 3.1
Robust 32x8 stream channels
Two-year warranty
|
Cons
Power users might find firmware lacking
|
BestReviews
Long Lasting
|
Pros
Incredibly fast internet speeds up to 6Gbps
Works with all major cable internet providers
Integrated security
Easy to set up
Small desktop footprint
|
Cons
Has only one Ethernet port
|
HighSpeedInternet
Best overall
|
Pros
Four gigabit Ethernet ports
Excellent Broadcom chipset
|
Cons
Bulky design
Limited compatibility with providers
|
Methodology: combine opinions of key experts
Identify Experts
We identify key publishers and experts that consistently review and recommend Modems.
Capture Rankings
For each publisher we find a currently recommended "top 10" list of Modems, it must be updated in the last 9 months.
Aggregate Rankings
We put all those lists together and aggregate them. The more frequently a product is recommended, the higher it is in our ranking
Experts chosen for December 2022 ranking
approvedmodems.org
Popular Mechanics
PC Guide
BestReviews
HighSpeedInternet
Wirecutter
Networks Hardware
Tom's Guide
The Strategist
Lifewire
We ranked Arris SURFboard SB8200 #3 in December 2022 because:
- 7 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Arris SURFboard SB8200 as #1.
approvedmodems.org
Best Value for Money
|
Pros
Link aggregation support
32 x 8 channel bonding support
Backward compatibility
Two Ethernet ports
Excellent speeds & processing setup
|
Cons
Needs a separate router to connect with multiple devices
|
PC Guide
Editor's Choice
|
Pros
Offers fastest transfer rates
Gigabit Ethernet ports
|
Cons
Horrible customer support
|
BestReviews
Customer Favorite
|
Pros
Support speeds up to 2Gbps
Features 2 gigabit Ethernet ports
Simple to set up
Optimized for especially fast online speeds
Well ventilated design
Compact
|
Cons
A fairly pricey modem
|
HighSpeedInternet
Best value
|
Pros
No more Puma 6 chipset
Multiple color options
|
Cons
Fewer Ethernet ports
Limited compatibility with cable providers
|
Lifewire
Best Value
|
Pros
High speed support (known as DOCSIS 3.1 Support)
Compact design
Two Gigabit Ethernet ports with link aggregation
|
Cons
Pricey
Awkward coaxial connection placement
|
We ranked Netgear CM1000 #4 in December 2022 because:
- 4 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
- Out of those, 2 experts ranked Netgear CM1000 as #1.
approvedmodems.org
Best Gigabit Modem
|
Pros
DOCSIS 3.1 technology
Comes with built-in QoS
Supports 1 Gbps plans of most ISPs
AQM support
Reasonable price
|
Cons
Only one LAN port
|
PC Guide
Best for xfinity
|
Pros
More reliable than other options
Great GUI controls
|
Cons
Limited to Xfinity and Cox providers
|
BestReviews
Best of the Best
|
Pros
Quick and easy setup
Compatible with major cable providers
Works with all WiFi routers
Supports different internet plans to deliver fast and reliable internet speed.
|
Cons
Technical support is not always reliable.
|
We ranked Motorola MB7621 #5 in December 2022 because:
- 4 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
- Out of those, 2 experts ranked Motorola MB7621 as #1.
Popular Mechanics
Best Overall
|
Pros
Speedy 24x8 channel connectivity
Easy setup
Two-year warranty
|
Cons
Power users might find firmware lacking
|
We ranked Netgear Nighthawk CM2000 #6 in December 2022 because:
- 4 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
Popular Mechanics
Best Premium
|
Pros
Multigig downstream speeds
Singular ethernet connectivity
|
Cons
Two-year limited warranty
|
HighSpeedInternet
Best for gaming
|
Pros
Fast 2.5 Gbps port
Compatibility with all major cable internet providers
|
Cons
Just one Ethernet port
|
Lifewire
Best Performance
|
Pros
2.5Gbps Ethernet Port
Fast DOCSIS 3.1 Speeds
Sleek design
|
Cons
Pricey
No voice features
Requires compatible router for best speeds
|
We ranked Motorola MB7420 #7 in December 2022 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Motorola MB7420 as #1.
approvedmodems.org
Best For 250 Mbps
|
Pros
Easy to set up
Compatible with most dual-band routers
Multi-ISP compatibility
Uses reliable DOCSIS 3.0
Compatible with most ISPs
|
Cons
Only one LAN port
|
Tom's Guide
The best cable modem you can buy
|
Pros
Two-year warranty
Reliable performance
Compatible with most internet providers
|
Cons
Not as compact as some modems
|
Lifewire
Best for Basic Internet Plans
|
Pros
Very affordable
Compact
|
Cons
Not especially future-proof
|
We ranked Arris SURFboard SB6183 #8 in December 2022 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
Popular Mechanics
Top-rated
|
Pros
Small form factor
Reliable connection
|
Cons
Lacks power or reset button
LEDs are extraordinarily bright
|
Tom's Guide
A top cable modem if you can find it
|
Pros
Dependable
Two-year warranty
Compatible with most internet providers
Visible status lights
|
Cons
Awkward placement of coaxial cable
|
We ranked Arris Surfboard S33 #9 in December 2022 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Arris Surfboard S33 as #1.
approvedmodems.org
Best DOCSIS 3.1 Modem
|
Pros
Supports latest technologies
High throughput capacity
Fast & reliable performance
Excellent design
Easy to set up
Compatible with most ISPs
|
Cons
Expensive
|
Lifewire
Best Design
|
Pros
Stylish design
2.5Gbps Ethernet Port
Extra Gigabit Ethernet Port
|
Cons
No voice capabilities
Use of second port isn't supported by all ISPs
|
We ranked Arris SURFboard SB6190 #10 in December 2022 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Arris SURFboard SB6190 as #1.
Lifewire
Best Overall
|
Pros
Impressive speeds
Great for HD movies and gaming
Convenient LED indicator lights
|
Cons
Coaxial connection placement isn't ideal
|
We ranked Motorola MG7540 #11 in December 2022 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
PC Guide
Best Combo
|
Pros
Good overall modem
Useful features
|
Cons
Inconsistent WiFi performance
|
We ranked Netgear Nighthawk CM1150V #12 in December 2022 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
approvedmodems.org
Best Cable Modem with Voice
|
Pros
Has multiple ports
Multiple calling features
Faster connectivity
Backward compatibility
|
Cons
Lacks voice support for other ISPs
|
Lifewire
Best for Voice Services
|
Pros
High speed support
Up to 2Gbps Download Speeds
Supports Xfinity Voice service
|
Cons
Expensive
Lacks a built-in router
Not compatible with other cable voice services
|