ARRIS (S34) - Cable Modem - Fast DOCSIS 3.1 Multi-Gigabit Cable Modem, for Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Spectrum & More, 2.5 Gbps Max Internet Speeds, Next-Generation Upload Optimized, 2 Year Warranty

I purchased this ARRIS SBG8300 gateway new from Amazon for $177 in May 2024 to switch from AT&T DSL2+ (copper landline) to Sparklight cable internet service (100 MBps down/ 10 MBps up). I decided to purchase and own it myself, rather than pay rental fees- it should pay for itself in about one year. I wanted an established DOCSIS 3.1 design (3.1 is required by Sparklight) that could handle possible future cable bandwidth upgrades, and this gateway seemed good for that. It has 32 x 8 channels for DOCSIS 3.0 and 2 x 2 channels for DOCSIS 3.1, and can theoretically handle up to 4 Gbps download speeds, so this is probably way more gateway than I need now.The Sparklight installation tech told me that this was the first time he had encountered a new customer who provided their own gateway in my rural MS town. This turned out to be a minor problem, as he had always been given the gateways pre-configured. Initially, he was unable to get it up and running, and he had to run off to perform other installations (Uh-oh!). But the Sparklight phone support people were very good, and saw that the gateway was simply waiting for a firmware update. Apparently, firmware updates are something that only the cable company can do. Sparklight was able to push the update remotely, and I was off and running.Configuration was pretty straightforward. I should warn potential buyers that the gateway's firewall is set to WEAK by default. I decided to switch the firewall to MEDIUM, and discovered that I could no longer access the gateway configuration page directly using the http:// browser connection. After going to MEDIUM, it only allowed https:// browser connections. So, you have to go through a few extra clicks (accepting the risk, etc.) in the browser to reconnect to the gateway's configuration page. With all of the warnings, etc., it is easy to believe that your new gateway may have been hacked, so be prepared for that. Make sure that you turn off UPnP for added security unless you need that. It is also a good idea to do a port scan to make sure there are no unnecessary open ports that could present good targets for hackers.Performance has been excellent, delivering over the purchased speeds (usually, I get 110 Mbps download and 20 MBps upload via speedtest.net). I have not had a single problem after about 1 week of service, have never needed to do a reset, and the gateway seems to be running cool, just above room temperature.I think that most problems that people experience with cable modems/gateways in general are due to 1) poor line signal quality and 2) WiFi crowding/interference issues. The SBG8300 provides line quality information in the homepage, so you can troubleshoot signal issues yourself and perhaps avoid extra service fees if the problem is inside your home. I did not try the gateway configuration app for wireless devices- all of my tweaking was through a hard Ethernet connection and web browser. FYI the gateway homepage did complain about my Firefox version 126 (some warning about needing at least v 63) , but it worked OK.I guess that the only features that I wanted, but couldn't have using this gateway, are:1) WiFi 6 - this gateway has the older WiFi 5 (802.11ac) standard . But our current wireless devices can't use WiFi 6 anyway, so no biggie.2) No USB port on the gateway. This is very handy if you want to do network printing via USB, or set up a large USB stick as a network drive (NAS).Overall, I really like the performance of this gateway. Time will tell if the hardware is as reliable as it appears to be.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7/24 Update- No problems after ~ 60 days, very pleased. After doing a little more research, it turns out that there are some interesting reasons some cable modems fail. It all goes back to the original cable concept as a distribution system for ONE-WAY analog TV signals. Cable modems must both receive and send digital signals. If the DOWNLOAD line signal quality is poor, you will get disconnect/reconnect issues- everyone knows that. But the more serious issue is with the UPSTREAM signal. The cable modems will try to overcome poor line quality conditions by BOOSTING the UPLOAD signal. This leads to greater continuous heat generation inside the modem, and sometimes failure due to overheating. So, the reason some folks need to replace their cable modems regularly is due to the poor line signal quality, not necessarily the modem itself. You can fix this with a special amplifier called an active return cable modem amplifier (Amazon sells these), but the permanent fix is to get the cable company to change out the cabling and components to get a good baseline signal.

I bought this to replace a seven year old Motorola unit. It was easy to install and use. It is very reliable so far. It is easy to use and to monitor from the onboard application which allows you to access from the URL. My only disappointment is that the range does not seem to be as far as the old unit. I would say it is short by a few feet which causes a bit of a problem when we are on the patio. Aside from that, it is a definitely a good unit.

First of all let me say I am a Systems Engineer with good experience on this subject. And from my perspective and tests I've done so far, I can tell this is not a reliable product.At the begging I had a good experience with the Support, good people very respectful that look to care about your problem will answer you in a reazonable way. But after few interactions, tests, and changing my modem twice for the same model (SB8200) and finally to this model (SBG8300), they pointed me to the signals out of range, after looking at the modem QAM table on the GUI interface. Then asked me to contact Comcast to solve this problem (signals outside standard parameters).I've contacted Comcast and they openned a ticket to change all the connectors and cables (including cables burried under ground on the street) for my installation, and after some adjusts on the their equipment all the signals were with the specs requested.After a week then, boom... Again the modem freeze (no access to GUI anymore), and it starts to lose packages on the network at a rate of 80~90% Loss.On my home I have a cabled network that are connected to a pair of Gateways (pfsense active + backup) and both gateways are connected to two different internet providers (Comcast and XFinity). I have ordered Comcast XFinity Gigabit a few months ago, and have tried three different modems from ARRIS on this setup, and all of then showed the same behavior. After few days start loosing network packages, what lead to internet speed degradation until it is practically useless.I then give it some time to test this modem for a while until now, but it keeps doing the same thing over and over and sometimes I have to restart it twice until it gets a good connection for a few days (5 to 8 days) and then I need to restart it again. I've beeing think about some workaround, but the modem/router doesn't have a feature to schedule an auto reboot, and yet there are some times you have to reboot (hard restart) it twice to get a good connection. So, probably useless to try to use an smart outlet to recycle power on a scheduled time neither. If it didn't connect well after the first recycle it will be useless, so again, not reliable.I Never used the embedded WIFI from this modem/router as I just need cabled internet to my routers/firewall. Nothing to add about WIFI quality or usability.Summary of Problem===================Modem start to loss network packages after few days running, what is clearly log on my gateway and firewall (pfsense). When this is happening, you cannot access modems GUI as modem doesn't respond to the GUI requests.It is probably a software issue on the modem, but I didn't try to break into the modem to investigate it. Anyway, as it start works fine after a hard restart (sometimes twice), it is mostly likelly to be a software bug or design flaw, and the "restart twice" thing might be related to a persistent cache of some sort that only get flushed after the second restart.Conclusion===========After using the modem/router for a while (ARRIS SBG8300) and after trying different ARRIS modems (SB8200) since Nov 2019. I believe this series of Gigabit modem have an Important reliability issue on the firmware (software) that doesn't implement adequate quality assurance mechanism for the connection and are incapable of self recovering from a degraded connection situation making it a BAD option for most of users as it is NOT RELIABLE and need to be RESTARTED frequently to make sure it is running a health internet connection.UNLESS you are going to reset or restart this modem daily or don't care to need to restart the modem (sometimes twice), everytime your internet is SLOW, that is not a product I would recommend at all. Neither this or the other modem (SB8200) that also had the same behavior.* I tried not to be too technical on my review, beside the short description of my setup, but this is my first extended review that I feel compelled to write. If you need any details feel free to reach out by leaving a comment. I don't think I can share my email here.** ARRIS told me over the phone they cannot update firmware, but only ISP (Comcast) would be able to update it. But again, that is not the sort of answer you want to hear from a product with that price Range.PS: Anything on this arcticle/review is based on just my personal opinion and experience and not necessarily related to the opinion of any company or customer I've worked with until now.

The ARRIS Surfboard S34 DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modem is a solid choice for anyone looking to maximize their internet performance. I upgraded to this modem to handle faster speeds from my ISP, and it delivers consistently strong and stable connections, even during peak usage times.Setup was straightforward. I connected it to my ISP (Comcast Xfinity in my case), followed the activation steps, and was online in minutes. The modem supports multi-gig speeds up to 2.5 Gbps, which means it’s ready for future internet upgrades without needing another replacement anytime soon.What stands out is its reliability. Streaming, gaming, and video calls run smoothly without buffering or lag. The compact design also fits neatly on my desk without taking up too much space.One small consideration is that this modem doesn’t include a built-in router, so you’ll need a separate one for Wi-Fi. However, that’s standard for high-performance modems like this.And here’s a quick tech joke: Why did the modem break up with the router? Because they just couldn’t connect anymore!Overall, the ARRIS Surfboard S34 is a top-notch modem for anyone who needs high speeds, stable performance, and a device that’s ready for the next generation of internet plans. It’s a smart investment for fast and reliable connectivity.