March 2023
Modems: MetaRanking
This page highlights the aggregate summary of Modem rankings posted by key online experts, as of March 2023.
Summary
Between 1 Mar 2023 and 4 Mar 2023, ReviewFinder team examined a total of 62 Modem endorsements from 10 reputable publishers.
27 Modems were endorsed in total, only 13 made it into this month's ranking (ReviewFinder requires a minimum of 2 endorsements to be included).
As of 4 Mar 2023, Arris SURFboard SB8200 takes the cake as the most critically-acclaimed modem with 7 expert endorsements. 1 expert out of 7 recommended it as the '#1 modem' this month. It is followed by Netgear CM500 and Motorola MB8600 , with 7 and 5 expert endorsements respectively.
Brand breakdown
-
Netgear:
12 Modems
(#1 is Netgear Nighthawk C7000 )
-
Arris:
8 Modems
(#1 is Arris SURFboard SBG6950AC2 )
-
Motorola:
7 Modems
(#1 is Motorola MT7711 )
Price breakdown
At a glance - March 2023 Ranking
| Rank | Change | Price | Modem |
Lifewire
|
BestReviews
|
Tom's Guide
|
PC Guide
|
The Strategist
|
Wirecutter
|
Networks Hardware
|
HighSpeedInternet
|
Popular Mechanics
|
approvedmodems.org
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
+1 | $154 |
Arris SURFboard SB8200
|
5
|
4
|
-
|
1
|
9
|
-
|
5
|
2
|
-
|
3
|
|
2
|
+1 | $60 |
Netgear CM500
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
5
|
6
|
2
|
3
|
-
|
2
|
8
|
|
3
|
-2 | $125 |
Motorola MB8600
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
5
|
|
4
|
- | $90 |
Motorola MB7621
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
1
|
4
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
|
5
|
+4 | $150 |
Arris Surfboard S33
|
4
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
|
6
|
- | $253 |
Netgear Nighthawk CM2000
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
3
|
5
|
-
|
|
7
|
- | $145 |
Netgear CM1000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
|
8
|
-3 | $59 |
Motorola MB7420
|
7
|
5
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
9
|
|
9
|
-1 | $79 |
Arris SURFboard SB6183
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
|
10
|
- | $32 |
Arris SURFboard SB6190
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
11
|
New * | $190 |
Motorola MB8611
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
13
|
-1 | $128 |
Motorola MG7540
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
8
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
14
|
-1 | $260 |
Netgear Nighthawk CM1150V
|
6
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
Sorted by price:
| Position in ranking | Price | Modem |
|---|---|---|
| #10 | $32 | Arris SURFboard SB6190 [buy] [more info] |
| #8 | $59 | Motorola MB7420 [buy] [more info] |
| #2 | $59.99 | Netgear CM500 [buy] [more info] |
| #9 | $79.49 | Arris SURFboard SB6183 [buy] [more info] |
| #4 | $89.99 | Motorola MB7621 [buy] [more info] |
| #3 | $125 | Motorola MB8600 [buy] [more info] |
| #13 | $127.97 | Motorola MG7540 [buy] [more info] |
| #7 | $145 | Netgear CM1000 [buy] [more info] |
| #5 | $150 | Arris Surfboard S33 [buy] [more info] |
| #1 | $153.84 | Arris SURFboard SB8200 [buy] [more info] |
| #11 | $189.99 | Motorola MB8611 [buy] [more info] |
| #6 | $253 | Netgear Nighthawk CM2000 [buy] [more info] |
| #14 | $259.99 | Netgear Nighthawk CM1150V [buy] [more info] |
We ranked Arris SURFboard SB8200 #1 in March 2023 because:
- 7 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Arris SURFboard SB8200 as #1.
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
|
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
|
PC Guide
Editor's Choice
|
Pros
Offers fastest transfer rates
Gigabit Ethernet ports
|
Cons
Horrible customer support
|
HighSpeedInternet
Best value
|
Pros
No more Puma 6 chipset
Multiple color options
|
Cons
Fewer Ethernet ports
Limited compatibility with cable providers
|
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
|
We ranked Netgear CM500 #2 in March 2023 because:
- 7 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
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
|
PC Guide
|
Pros
Compatible with most ISPs
Recoup-able cost in a few months
|
Cons
Some quality-control issues
|
Popular Mechanics
Best budget
|
Pros
Affordable
Performs well on the vast majority of US ISP plans.
|
Cons
One-year warranty
Dim indicator lights
|
approvedmodems.org
Best For 400 Mbps
|
Pros
Competitively priced
Great design
Easy setup
Comes with 8 NOR flash
|
Cons
No major cons
|
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 March 2023 ranking
Lifewire
BestReviews
Tom's Guide
PC Guide
The Strategist
Wirecutter
Networks Hardware
HighSpeedInternet
Popular Mechanics
approvedmodems.org
We ranked Motorola MB8600 #3 in March 2023 because:
- 5 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
- Out of those, 2 experts ranked Motorola MB8600 as #1.
BestReviews
Most Consistent
|
Pros
Tops speed up to 1 Gbps. Works with all major cable providers and is simple tos et up. Works with all WiFi routers and contains an ethernet port. Great investment for Comcast and COX subscribers.
|
Cons
Problems are rare, but Motorola's support processes are lackluster.
|
HighSpeedInternet
Best overall
|
Pros
Four gigabit Ethernet ports
Excellent Broadcom chipset
|
Cons
Bulky design
Limited compatibility with providers
|
Popular Mechanics
Best Docsis 3.1
|
Pros
DOCSIS 3.1
Robust 32x8 stream channels
Two-year warranty
|
Cons
Power users might find firmware lacking
|
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
|
We ranked Motorola MB7621 #4 in March 2023 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 Arris Surfboard S33 #5 in March 2023 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
- Out of those, 2 experts ranked Arris Surfboard S33 as #1.
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
|
Tom's Guide
Best cable modem for gigabit and multi-gig internet
|
Pros
Multi-gig speeds
Two-year warranty
Compatible with most internet providers
|
Cons
Requires at least gigabit internet
|
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
|
We ranked Netgear Nighthawk CM2000 #6 in March 2023 because:
- 4 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
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
|
HighSpeedInternet
Best for gaming
|
Pros
Fast 2.5 Gbps port
Compatibility with all major cable internet providers
|
Cons
Just one Ethernet port
|
Popular Mechanics
Best Premium
|
Pros
Multigig downstream speeds
Singular ethernet connectivity
|
Cons
Two-year limited warranty
|
We ranked Netgear CM1000 #7 in March 2023 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Netgear CM1000 as #1.
PC Guide
Best for xfinity
|
Pros
More reliable than other options
Great GUI controls
|
Cons
Limited to Xfinity and Cox providers
|
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
|
We ranked Motorola MB7420 #8 in March 2023 because:
- 4 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
Lifewire
Best for Basic Internet Plans
|
Pros
Very affordable
Compact
|
Cons
Not especially future-proof
|
BestReviews
Most Versatile
|
Pros
The DOCSIS 3.0 modem is a vast upgrade from most antiquated modems that need an update. Works with Xfinity, Spectrum, Comcast, and other leading services.
|
Cons
Slower top speeds than most other competitors; gamers and 4K streamers should look elsewhere.
|
Tom's Guide
The best cable modem for most people
|
Pros
Two-year warranty
Reliable performance
Compatible with most internet providers
|
Cons
Not as compact as some modems
|
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
|
We ranked Arris SURFboard SB6183 #9 in March 2023 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
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
|
Popular Mechanics
Top-rated
|
Pros
Small form factor
Reliable connection
|
Cons
Lacks power or reset button
LEDs are extraordinarily bright
|
We ranked Arris SURFboard SB6190 #10 in March 2023 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 MB8611 #11 in March 2023 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
Lifewire
Best for Multi-Gigabit Internet
|
Pros
2.5Gbps Ethernet Port
Fast DOCSIS 3.1 Speeds
Low Latency
|
Cons
Pricey
No voice capabilities
Requires compatible router for best speeds
|
We ranked Motorola MG7540 #12 in March 2023 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 #13 in March 2023 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Modems” rankings.
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
|
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
|