DOCSIS 3.1 modem – ARRIS Surfboard S33 DOCSIS 3.1 Multi-Gigabit Cable Modem | Approved for Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Spectrum & More | 1 & 2.5 Gbps Ports | 2.5 Gbps Max Internet Speeds | 4 OFDM Channels | 2 Year Warranty

After taking the last two weeks to learn more about internet and wifi protocols, the theme that is consistent with all of this is there are lots of variables to consider on what modem to use. There are also many variables that impact a true internet speed.

First, your internet speed has both down and up channels to your isp. You might be getting 200mps but if your up is very low (5mps) then it’s going to impact how responsive is your download. Also, if you want the best and most consistent signal then get the best coax and ethernet cables. Personally, i use blue jeans cable. They are made in the usa and they make their own stuff. It’s the best that i know of. Don’t buy cheap cables. For example, you can easily find ethernet cables that have ‘extra’ shielding, but the reality is too much shielding negatively impacts the signal. It’s a marketing trick.

Bad cables will definitely impact your speed – and get the right cat level for your ethernet… Especially if you are running it a long distance like 100′ or more.

I used the arris sb8200 for about a week and a half. I returned it because the unit requires both ports to be aggregated to attain faster speeds. The s33 has a 2.5gb port alongside the 1gb port. So for those of you who are getting about 1gb now and want the option to increase your speeds later, this unit will work. With the sb8200 i was getting about 700mps down. After i installed the s33 it’s now 900-1,000mps down with zero changes to my comcast internet plan. The sb8200 had about 7-8ms latency. It’s now at 4ms.

It can be helpful to know that generally speaking, the more expensive modems have better hardware, more ram, more flash memory. The s33 has 1gb of ram, 256mb of flash memory.

Without distracting the conversation, if you want a very good wifi home setup, get a high quality modem like the s33, and a separate high-quality tri-band router with minimum internet 6.

Sure, there are more expensive options like the nighthawk but the add’l cost isn’t worth it. If your internet plan is close to 1gb download, then i recommend you have a modem like this s33 where you can easily jump up to 2.5gb as an option. And as i said, my download increased simply by swapping out the sb8200 for the s33 because of the 2.5gb port.

From my understanding, having a modem with the ability to through-put 2+gb or more will not cap the internet speed like a 1gb modem will do (as my case showed). My only concern when i got this s33 was having only one indicator light. After the first day of use, i was content with having only one indicator light. The reason is i’ve had modems with lights for connection, down, up, etc. But when something goes wrong and the lights are fully lit up, i didn’t have a clue what was going on. So the reality is most people look at the lights on their modem every now and then. So when the s33 blue light came on, it indicated it was connected but again, i tested to verify this was true. Unlike the other tech hardware in my office, i want less lights on the things that are meant to work in the background.

Get the best cables. Get a high quality modem and high quality router. Be sure you plug them into a brand-name high quality surge protector like tripp lite.

Remember this modem is a modem only and does not have wireless, so its assumed you will plug it into your own router that has wifi. Its also provisioned for specific isps, so make sure its compatible with yours before you buy it. This is a well-matched modem that has two ports – one rated at 2.5gbs and the other for 1.0 gbs (in case you get two ip addresses from your isp and want to run two separate networks at home).

I found the ‘self-install’ to be a disappointing feature (didn’t work at all), but a simple call to your isp to swap or establish the mac address will have you up and running in one phone call. The only other thing i found disappointing was that me (and many others who have this model) cannot access the modem via our router… Something i was able to do with my 300mbs arris modem this one replaced. This modem has the same ip address as my old one did (many cable modems use 192.168.100.1), so it was a bit puzzling as to why i couldn’t indirectly access it. If you plug directly into the modem and power off/power on, you will be able to access the modem. So once you get ‘inside’ the s33 about the only thing you can do is turn the light on the modem off or on (and change the password), so that turned out to be a bit anti-climatic for me. And the password, which is supposed to be ‘password’ turned out to be the last 8 digits of the serial number (something i ended up finding via google), despite the instructions in the box saying it was ‘password’.

But… This is a solid modem and i had my isp come out to run speed tests to my junction box, inside my house and then on the cable coming from the modem (to my router). Since i am paying for 1gb service, i saw the equipment read at 1.2gb, so this modem is the real deal if you’re jumping into 1gb or higher service. Arris is the company that took over motorola, but they still carry the ‘surfboard’ name on their modems. A little pricey but you won’t pay your isp another dime in modem rental fees if you buy this baby. Stick it behind a ups and it should last you just about a lifetime.

The purchase of the arris s33 was to replace an almost 9 year old and still functioning arris sb6141 3.0 docsis modem. I knew i wasn’t getting full potential from my modem and data plan. The s33 will be future-proof for quite awhile.
The setup was excruciating, but was not the fault of the modem. What should have been a 10 minute job at most actually took 40 minutes, due to cox having system issues. Couldn’t do self-activation, and took 30 minutes for support tech to be able to push the modem change. Not a modem issue, i just swapped modem on wrong day. Just provided serial number and mac id, which is on bottom of modem, and on an insert found in the box.
For my fellow blind users; the modem sits vertical. The first port is the 2.5gb port, followed by 1gb port, followed by cable port and finally power input is last.
The s33 runs warm, as did my sb6141. Definitely not hot by any measure. Providing good speeds relative to plan. Actually producing more than plan guarantee. I am glad i chose another arris, my only gripe is the feel of unit compared to old sb6141. The s33 feels somewhat hollow to the solid and hefty sb6141. Enough weight not to tip, which is all i care about. Hope to get a similar lifespan from new modem.

I recently upgraded to > 1gig internet and wanted a modem that could support multi-gig. I first bought the motorola 8611 after seeing the good reviews. Now, ymmv but they couldn’t have been more wrong. I was experiencing total internet disconnections multiple times per day, which made working from home unbearable. I sent it for return within a week and decided on this arris s33. It’s been a rock solid performer for me with no disconnects, it just works. This modem is was a great buy.

I rented a comcast router for years (how was i such a sucker!?) but when we recently upgraded our service to 1 gb speeds, i decided it was time to upgrade all of our hardware and stop paying $15 per month to rent their modem when i could buy one on my own! I did some research and this seemed to be the best option to take advantage of our new higher speeds. This modem combined with the eero pro 6 mesh routers system has lightning fast internet speeds reaching every corner of our 3,400 sq ft. House. I took this modem in the box to a local xfinity store where they provisioned it to work with their service (they just needed the serial number and ip address) then took it home, plugged it in and used the xfinity app to get it set up. It literally worked perfectly right out of the box and was super easy to get up and running. Just plug and play! My speed tests on my phone are coming back at around 950 mb/sec which is everything i could hope for! We’ve now been using this modem for about a month and have had zero hiccups or drops in service/connection. Internet is blazing fast and reliable, modem plays nicely with router setup. I truly couldn’t ask for anything better, and now i’m not having to pay to rent comcast’s equipment! Yes it was a little pricey, but it will pay for itself within the first year, and i like having my own equipment now. I have nothing but good things to say about this modem so far. If we have any problems with it in the future i will absolutely update this review, but so far it’s been an absolute dream. Anyone who says it doesn’t work with xfinity service or had a ahrd time setting it up either doesn’t know what they’re doing, didn’t follow the directions properly or the problem is coming from xfinity’s end, because the modem worked perfectly exactly as it should right out of the box when you follow the directions and make sure to have your provider provision it for use prior to plugging it in for the first time.

I sincerely hope this review has been helpful to someone else! And yes, i paid full price for it! Feel free to ask any questions.

The installation process is very painless and quick. Remove the cable coax from the old modem to the arris s33. Remove the cat 5 cable that goes to your router from the old modem to the arris s33. Then plug the new modem to the outlet.

At this point your mileage will vary. You will then need to call your isp and let them know the new modem’s mac address. This was the hardest part for me since the printing on the modem was tiny (bad vision :).

After my isp verifies they see my modem, ii do a reboot for good measure. After 2 – 3 minutes , i am up and running.

Where people have problems, is with your isp. For me, i had no issues and the longest part was being on hold until i reach someone.

Highly recommend and wish i did this years ago to save money but was just lazy.

-kono

Replaced an arris docsis 3.0 modem (wow! Cable) with this modem and picked 250 mbps without changing my internet subscription!
For those of us used to having four indicator lights on the front of arris modems the single light takes some getting used to, but it works so that’s no big deal.

Xfinity said my old modem/wifi combo was no longer supported, and i needed something to handle greater data speeds. This one is just a modem to work with xfinity (and others). I have an eero-6 wi-fi system, so did not need the wifi capability in the modem box.

If you can swing it and are on the fence. This is a solid upgrade from the sb8200 from arris. Well worth the price difference.

Better speeds, way better thermals, thus far more stable.

Easy to setup with verizon internet and connect to google home wi-fi network. This modem does not have wi-fi and does not support phone service which is what we needed. Network speed is a little higher than expected, so this is a win win.

This is only a modem. Not a router.

Sent an obviously used non working item. Returned immediately and bought a working unit from walmart.

There is an app that helps installation. You’ll need to call your isp to register/activate or self activation. Otherwise the app is useless.

New unit works well. Within expected limits if minimal loss of speed.

Very pleased with this modem. We have rcn/astound cable internet, and this modem has worked well for the past two weeks. Took about 90 min with an rcn representative to get the mac address recognized, but once we did, it’s been working fine.

I was disappointed in amazon, however, for sending me a product that was clearly not brand new. The original seal on the package was broken and it was clear that unit had been out of the box — the power cord was all jumbled and not like i would expect for a brand-new item. If i had found this item in a store, i would have put it down and selected a new sealed item. I suspect that someone had purchased this modem, found it didn’t work with their internet provider and returned it, but amazon needs to do a better job ensuring that the product is repacked and that no items, including instructions, are missing.

My cable company upped my internet speed to 1.2g. My old cable modem was docsis 3.1, so it could handle it no problem. Old modem had 2 – 1g ethernet jacks, but when i would try to use both, it seemed like my throughput dropped. So, i got a new router with a 2.5g ethernet jack and this modem and figured i would be flying – but no flying happening here! I haven’t been able to take the time to troubleshoot to see where my issue is – i have only cat5e cabling, but that should work to 2.5g. Seems like even with regular 1g ethernet something isn’t working right. Never had an issue like this with old modem which was sb8200.

Great item

With comcast. Getting about 900 + megabits download and 40 megabits upload on wired connection with… Signal booster and with properly 75om terminated extra booster ports on linux … But it was not always the case, this is why i got a booster and starlink as back up. Not sure if it booster is required with comcast but service sometimes would disconnect before, randomly and often or show reeeal slowness.

The app was trying to find the wireless network for the router, but could not find anything. Perhaps there is an internal wifi network, i didn’t see any evidence, so i connected an ethernet adapter to my android phone to gain access to setting up. I also needed to install the xfinity app, to activate the router. Not the easiest setup, but at least it is done and speed is increased.

I’m used to decades of big & bulky modems of old, so i was surprised at how tiny this was when it arrived. Physical setup was simple, as this only only has a single rf connector and two ethernet ports. The included directions were easy to follow, as far as getting to the interface and setting things up in there.

I was unable to activate it via comcast’s activation page. That now redirects you to use the app, which repeatedly refused to accept the mac address. I ended up getting on chat with comcast support, and was able to get it activated after about a half an hour of back and forth text messages and emails to verify account ownership, and confirming the ‘order’ for activation. I blame all of that lost time and effort squarely on comcast, because activation used to be a very easy, self-guided process. Routing through the app, which apparently doesn’t have a current list of approved modem mac addresses, was apparently added in the past year or so.

Back to the modem itself. Did i mention that it’s tiny? It’s been chugging along for several weeks now, without any issues, once i was able to finally activate it. I did end up buying a hub in order to expand the number of ethernet ports for some legacy equipment we’re still using, and a ps4 on which the wifi stopped working.

My only real gripe is the price, considering it’s a single-purpose device. Yes, there’s a premium on it because it’s docsis 3.1-compliant, but that’s not exactly new technology now. $99.99 seems more reasonable. On the plus side though, i no longer have to shell out $13 a month to rent comcast’s ancient tg1682g, which i wasn’t using the wifi on anyway.

Like everything about the product so far.

Pretty easy to set up, takes less than 10 minutes. There’s only one 2.5 gb jack so i had to buy a switch. Yet it does the job very well. So much smaller than you’d expect

I purchased and returned 3 routers, thinking there was some incompatibility between them and this modem. When i plugged them in, their internet light would turn on, but would only go orange, never green ( it saw the modem but did not connect to the internet). I finally found the answer on netgear’s support chat page—unplugged the ethernet from my computer and only used the one to the router. So i guess you need to have a second network connection with your isp or something to use both at once. Other than that it works well; my only quibble is with that unclear bit of info.