SURFboard S33

This is my second time buying the ARRIS S33 DOCSIS 3.1 multi-gigabit cable modem—because lightning apparently decided my internet setup was too good and struck down my first one like Zeus himself was having a bad day. RIP, my beloved modem, you lasted just long enough to show me what true speed feels like before being vaporized in a flash. But honestly? I’m not mad. The ARRIS S33 is a beast. It supports DOCSIS 3.1, meaning it’s ready for the next-generation high-speed cable internet—like, up to 2 Gbps downstream and 1 Gbps upstream (if your ISP and plan are playing along). It’s also backwards compatible with DOCSIS 3.0, so if your ISP hasn’t fully upgraded yet, no worries. Installation is impressively painless. Plug and play, with support for IPv4 and IPv6, and it handles channel bonding like a champ—aggregating multiple channels to maximize throughput and minimize lag. I’ve thrown all kinds of traffic at it: 4K Netflix, intense online gaming sessions, video calls where my face looks mostly presentable, and it doesn’t even break a sweat. The only caveat: lightning doesn’t play nice with electronics. So if you live somewhere prone to storms like me, consider a surge protector or UPS, unless you want to keep buying backup modems like this is a weird hobby. Bottom line: the ARRIS S33 is fast, reliable, and future-proof enough to handle whatever Comcast Xfinity throws at it. Just pray to the weather gods to keep your modem alive.

I should start out by stating that I am an IT professional, and have been in the industry for 24 years. I have a family of 6, all of whom are doing school remotely in this COVID world, and I've worked from home for the better part of the last 8 years, so home Internet is my livelihood. I also have one gamer in the family who tests bandwidth and connectivity to its limits for me. We moved (in town) November of 2020, so I have been on a Netgear C7100V for the past 5 months. Which, granted was its own Wifi router (2-in-1) and had a smaller price point, AND was an older model than the Arris S33. For the last 45 or so days, while on the old Netgear, my Xfinity connection had been dropping periodically. Turns out the Netgear C7100V was recently removed from the compatibility list. I figured I better buy a new modem that was on the list before I call Comcast and complain because the first thing they're going to say to me is go buy another modem before they'll support my problem. Buddy of mine in IT had the Arris S33 Surfboard, and raved about it, so I thought I'd give it a try. And because my old Netgear was a modem/router combo, I had to purchase routers too, so for context, I should disclose that I also upgraded to an Eero 6 pro 3-pack tri-band mesh wifi6 router system too. BUT, I can say unequivocally, that I never got anywhere close to the 1Gbps speeds I was paying for with the Netgear C7100V. 600mbps, tops, which is a bandwidth limitation of that device that I lived with and dealt with because no one ever got 600mbps TO the modem over wifi anyway, so the bottleneck was before the Internet egress before anyway, and still is, and probably always will be with wifi, but I digress. But with this Arris S33 Surfboard modem, I get a consistent, all day, everyday, 900+mbps of my 1gbps service. And, so far, no drops in service either since installing the Arris (fingers crossed it's only been 3 days). But even if I do, this review is still relevant because if I continue to experience drops even after the new modem and router, pretty sure it's the service provider at that point anyway. It's smaller, easy to use, quick simple setup, and if you have the Xfinity app on your phone there's no need to even call Comcast. You don't need to be an IT pro either. It took, like 20 minutes to setup, using the included quick setup guide, and it's been "set it and forget it" ever since (again, so far). I'll come back and revise this review if that changes, but I have no complaints.

10-22-25 Update. So far the modem is working fine. I have not noticed any issues. I did some speed tests are it is about the same as the day I installed it. So far so good. ** Sorry about the 1 star rating but that was because the shipping was so slow and received an open box after all that waiting. 5-17-24 Update. I wanted to try to get a replacement unit hoping it was new but Amazon system would not allow me to replace it with same unit but another merchandise only. So, I asked for refund into my CC and tried to buy another new one. A used unit popped up so I ended up buying it for about $100 less than new (which was in my opinion same as what I originally received.) Used unit (described as acceptable condition) arrived fast and it was in great condition, no visible scratches nor damage. I had to spend about 25mins on the phone with Cox Tech (took longer than it should have because numbers and alphabets are hard to get it right) and it was activated. After that, it was just a matter of turning off the router and restarting it. So overall installation was relatively painless. The download speed almost doubled and upload speed tripled compared to old modem so happy with this unit for now. I am equally concerned about longevity. I am not sure how long this will last but my last Arris Surfboard which this replaced did not break but was due to outdated speed. I will update this review as needed. Original Review - 5-12-24 I bought a S33 on April 9th with expected delivery in 10 days which was long but ok. There were two delays in shipping and finally received it on May 12th. When I opened the outer shipping bag, the box was open (tape seal was already cut) and all the plastic bag was cut open. Clearly not new and who knows what condition?????. I could have bought a refurb unit for $60 less and I received a questionable "New" item. I had not tested the unit since I was upset and returned it ASAP. I had kept dubious items in the past and at the end decided to send back but it was a day over so I had to eat it. so I immediately returned this item.