Buying your own cable internet equipment is an easy way to reduce your monthly bills. Most ISPs charge a small monthly fee to rent their modem or gateway, but that amount can add up. Over the course of 6 months or a year, you will ending up spending more then you would to purchase a better one outright. There are quite a few options that aren't expensive either, as pricing typically starts at only $60.
There are plenty of options here, including some that act as both a modem and router. We've done the research for you and narrowed the field down to our top picks from brands that have been in the game for ages, so you'll be getting the best quality and customer service. Just be sure to you’ll have to double-check that a particular modem is compatible with your ISP before you buy any, as some ISPs are particular about what they will hook into to provide your service.
TL;DR – These are the Best Cable Modems:
- Netgear Nighthawk C7000 AC1900
- Arris SURFboard SB6190
- Netgear CM500
- Motorola Model MB8600
- Orbi Tri-Band Cable Modem Router
1. Netgear Nighthawk C7000 AC1900
Best Cable Modem Router
If you're looking to save some space, but don't want to sacrifice killer performance look no further than the Nighthawk C7000 AC1900 from Netgear. The 24x8 DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem/router combo supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks, 802.11ac signals, and modem speeds up to 960Mbps.
The Nighthawk series is known for its ability to cut through congested Wi-Fi environments thanks to brawny internal hardware and signal trickery, and that's the case with the AC1900 too. The 1.6GHz processor should keep even your most demanding traffic flowing properly, even if you're blanketed in everyone else's Wi-Fi at an apartment building.
2. Arris SURFboard SB6190
Best Cable Modem
If you're looking to save a buck and just need a simple cable modem without any built-in router functionality then you need the Arris SURFboard SB6190. Don't let this modem's low price $80 fool you, it can handle your ISP's higher speeds extremely well.
This 32 downstream x 8 upstream cable modem works with a raft of providers including Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox and more. Additionally, the device is rated for download speeds up to 1.4Gbps on 32 download channels and supports both IPv4 and IPv6 internet standards. If you're still reeling from the price of upgrading your internet package, this Surfboard is hard to beat.
3. Netgear CM500
Best Budget Cable Modem
With Netgear CM500, the modem could pay for itself in as little as seven months depending on what your ISP charges in rental fees. There aren't a lot of thrills here, but $70 gets you a DOCSIS 3.0 modem with 16x4 channels and a device that can handle 680Mbps download rates with up to 123Mbps uploads. Just think: With the $10 you'll save each month, you could subscribe to a new streaming service like Netflix or Disney+.
4. Motorola Model MB8600
Best High-Speed Cable Modem Router
Having the fastest internet on the block doesn't mean much if your modem can't take full advantage of it. That's where the MB8600 from Motorola comes in. It's a DOCSIS 3.1 model and offers 32x8 channels for blazing-fast downloads. It'll also play nicely with any mesh networks you have set up (including Google Wi-Fi), while Motorola boasts its Active Queue Management software will "greatly enhance" your online gaming experience.
Best of all? Its reserved design and hidden antenna means the modem doesn't look like a grounded stealth fighter.
5. Orbi Tri-Band Cable Modem Router
Best Cable Modem Wi-Fi Mesh Router
If you have a large home and you're worried about potential Internet dead zones, you should check out the Orbi Tri-Band Cable Modem Router. It's operates just like Orbit's other mesh Wi-Fi routers, except that it has a built-in cable hook up with 32 x 8 channels for down and up streams, respectively.
The Orbi CBR40 works great as a standalone router, but adding a satellite or two will give you up to 2,000 square feet of consistent coverage. What's more, you'll see your home network speeds jump up to 2.2Gbps.
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