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This is long, and I don’t quite know how to do a TL;DR that’ll do this justice, so please bear with me. This is a story that’s been ongoing since I was 11. I’m 32 now, still living with my parents to help care for my mother. I’ve become the keeper of this story, and my father has asked me to write out the full saga to present to our next tech (I really should have a shorter, summarized version to present, but this mess is hard to summarize, and I’ve already told every tech this story, to no avail), but I think I’ll present it here, as well. Our current spate of lengthy outages started yesterday (Sunday), and we have a tech coming on Tuesday, so I’m seeking input on how to make it a productive visit. Things to highlight in a summary for the tech would also be welcome.
I’ll start with our hardware: Gateway: Ubee DDW36C Router: Sagemcom FAST 5280 Set-top box 1: Spectrum 101-H Set-top box 2: Cisco Explorer 4642HDC Antronix VoIP Residential Amplifier VRA 500B
For over twenty years, pretty much ever since this house was built in 2002, we’ve been dealing with regular internet outages, as well as cable TV outages, pretty much the entire time (we would go elsewhere, but for much of that time, there were no other options, and we’re told the other options we have now are somehow worse). The internet outages are intermittent, and can range from under a minute (a daily occurrence throughout the year) to multiple days (the short ones were problematic, because Time Warner’s system only detected them if they lasted more than five minutes, though I think that’s no longer the case; I remember being encouraged by techs not to unplug our early modems—unplugging them did sometimes seem to kick-start things—to help make sure outages met the five-minute threshold). It’s worth noting that, as I recall, we got our first modem (one of the earliest Motorola Surfboards) while living at a different address, and it worked fine there. It wasn’t until we moved here that things started acting up.
The same applies to TV. With regard to TV, if we don’t have full outages, we’ll often lose audio on the TV and get a pixelated image. For the past ten years or so, we’ve resorted to watching TV with closed captions, because we lose our audio that often, and the caption signals are fairly resilient, often still getting through when the audio and even much of the video doesn’t. When it gets particularly bad, we eventually receive an STBH-3302 error from the set-top box. At least I think that’s the right number. Any other day, I’d remember the number, and I even have pictures somewhere… It might be 3802. We also got STBH-3101 yesterday, where we had TV but no internet, and the guide wouldn’t load…only for it to load a mini guide a few seconds later each time it threw the error (a mini guide I’d love to use more often, but which only seems to show up when there’s an error). We’ve also occasionally had things briefly go so haywire that the set-top box throws an error, saying service has been disabled, as though for non-payment.
The outages used to be seasonal, occurring almost exclusively in the summer, pretty much every year, primarily at peak load times for the neighborhood (morning, noon, after school, evening, etc.) and as the temperature increased (we’re in Ohio, so it doesn’t really get that hot, but it does warm up a bit). When Charter came in and took over Time Warner, they gave everyone a free bandwidth upgrade. At that point, our issues shifted to year-round, but still worse in the summer. That pattern is still holding, with fairly stable internet last night and this morning, but no internet for most of this afternoon.
A Spectrum tech parked outside our house a few months ago, having been mistakenly sent to our street for a job a couple blocks away. I took the opportunity to warn him of the sort of issues he might encounter in this neighborhood, and he informed me that another upgrade is coming soon, so we can expect our service to get even worse in the near future. I doubt that upgrade rolled out on a Sunday, though, so this seems to be separate.
I’ve seen the uptime graphs for the area a number of times in the past (though not recently). The infrastructure in the area appears to be incapable of supporting the load that is being placed on it. We and all of our neighbors take turns having internet. Whenever one customer on the graph would turn blue (up), another would turn red (down) at the same moment. There seemed to almost always be at least one or two outages, rotating their way from customer to customer. I don’t know if this is still the case, but it certainly was, for many years.
I’m not going to bury the lede (apparently this, and not “lead,” is the correct spelling, which I just learned recently, though I see spell check disagrees). I think I know what the root cause of the issue is, and I’m just going to put it right here, somewhat near the top. Within the past few years, we had a number of line techs pay our property a visit, having traced the problem of another customer a couple blocks away to our yard. They started digging, and found that when the heavy inch-thick coax cable that serves the small backyard boxes was laid, instead of taking up the excess slack in the cable, or cutting the excess out, whoever was laying the cable just buried the excess in a very small hole. Contained within a two to three-foot hole was an extra four to seven feet of cable, full of sharp bends, including at least one as sharp as ninety degrees. Both the outer black insulation and the inner white insulation had split open at the sharp bends, revealing the central conductor. I have pictures somewhere. They were stunned that it still worked at all. They cut out the damaged cable, spliced the ends together, and added another box to our yard to contain the splice. The fact that it still worked at all for that customer a couple blocks away leads me to suspect that we have the same problem as that customer, a damaged line that just barely works, and whoever laid that cable in such a poor manner here, did so all over the neighborhood, including with whatever line serves us (unfortunately, the one they repaired doesn’t serve us).
As it is, right next to where the line techs dug that hole, there’s an extra ten or twelve feet in a loop sticking up out of the ground, resting against the neighbor’s fence, that’s been there since forever, and boy is it ugly. Unfortunately, fixing it would probably require removing one or more of the neighbor’s trees, and possibly their fence, to make room for another box with a splice that would probably look worse than the cable alone, and the trees are home to countless birds, plus chipmunks. The phone company’s box is buried in that cluster of conifers at the corner of the neighbor’s yard, and the last phone tech that was here, replacing our line after a Spectrum contractor cut it, mentioned while crawling through the trees, that those trees should never have been allowed, but he’s a nice guy and isn’t going to have them cut down (I’m curious how the trees got there in the first place, because they were part of the original landscaping plan when the house was built, which was likely approved by the city). I don’t think the tree roots are the cause, because I believe our issues existed before the trees did. The giant loop of cable appears to be the same sort of cable that the line techs dug up. I kind of wonder if it was meant to be a spot for installing a box that was simply never installed, but it sure is odd, either way. Whoever laid the cable clearly didn’t know what to do with all their excess cable, and I’ll bet the same problem exists on the cable that serves our box. I’ve mentioned this to some of our techs, after explaining the origin of the extra Spectrum box, and they’ve just kind of expressed surprise and moved on, I think with a comment about how it would require a line tech to look into that (they may have misunderstood, and thought I was asking if the damaged cable that was repaired was serving us).
Our connection simply does not support DOCSIS 3.1. Only DOCSIS 3.0 (and presumably earlier) works here, that I can tell. With DOCSIS 3.1, a speed test will run fine, and a very small number of websites will work at acceptable speed (in hindsight, they may have been loading from cached data), but the vast majority of internet traffic is stuck running at a speed measured in Kbps (and I do mean lower-case b, as in bits), as low as twenty-five Kbps, from what I recall. With DOCSIS 3.1, our internet is literally slower than dial-up. We have a tech coming on Tuesday, and I am deeply concerned that, as usual, they’ll attempt to replace the modem, and just like last time, they’ll try giving us a DOCSIS 3.1 modem, and we’ll be without usable internet for the next month while they sort it out. Last time, they were eventually able to give us the very last model of DOCSIS 3.0 hardware still in circulation, a Ubee gateway (which the tech felt awful about giving us, saying he wouldn’t have given it to us if he had anything else). That was a number of years ago now (our internet since then, while very unstable, hasn’t had the prolonged outages necessary to merit the hassle of a service call, that never actually fixes anything). I doubt Spectrum still has DOCSIS 3.0 hardware available, so at the very least, this whole issue of not being able to use DOCSIS 3.1 has to finally get fixed. We’ve used two or three DOCSIS 3.1 modems (though one or two of those were only for a few minutes, during a service call), so I do believe it’s a compatibility issue with h DOCSIS 3.1 and not just a bad modem. I suspect we just have too much interference, probably from a damaged line, for it to work.
Of course, the DOCSIS thing has me thinking… Our newest set-top box of course includes some sort of modem for its IP-based functions. I wonder what DOCSIS version it uses? If it’s using 3.1, are we just getting lucky with having its communication fall under the category of “stuff that just happens to work?”
We have never been able to get our issue elevated beyond first-tier techs. The closest we ever got was when a higher-tier tech tagged along with two others, as part of providing training. Replacing the modem seems to temporarily fix, or at least improve, our issues, often for as little as a month (obviously, modems don’t actually go bad that quickly, but if I had to guess, fresh modems that are on-spec can handle our terrible signal just a hair better, just enough to be functional, and as soon as there’s any degradation, any minor drift out of cal, everything falls apart). I don’t know about Spectrum’s policy, but Time Warner required multiple service calls (we were either told it was two or three) within a thirty-day period to elevate an issue, and our issues always seem to recur just a few days outside that window. We did have a tech leave us a special number to use for our next service call, to request him, so he could come back and attempt to see things through to an actual fix, but of course, that time, things worked for a good while. Another tech, on his second visit (I think our most recent one, that gave us the DOCSIS 3.0 Ubee gateway, as well as the DOCSIS 3.1 modem before that), made a point of telling us that if we call back for another service call within a given period, they’ll send him back to troubleshoot further and basically clean up his own mess, and he encouraged us to do that, but things worked well just a little too long. We’ve gotten into this weird situation where we’re actually hoping for our stuff to fail more often and more severely…
The first tech who came to address our problems claimed that we had inferior wiring in our newly built house, and wanted us to pay to have the entire house gutted and rewired. We declined. The second tech remarked on how high-quality our wiring was, saying that it was quad-shield, higher quality than what Time Warner uses, and very difficult to cut through. He said this as he was attempting to cut through it to replace the coax connectors.
Every tech for the first five to ten years replaced every connector in the house, every time they came. We’ve lost much of the slack in our wiring as a result of the sheer number of service calls we’ve had (I’m sure a corporate financial person would be horrified to see how much has been spent on nonproductive service calls to our address), and can no longer afford to have the connectors replaced regularly. The connectors were being replaced so often (it seemed like it was almost monthly, at one point), that we ended up leaving the junction box in the master bedroom hanging out of the wall for the past fifteen or so years, to facilitate easy replacement, after getting tired of moving the dresser that resides in front of it. I’d really like to put it back in the wall, but of course, as soon as we do, they’ll want to replace the connectors again. They haven’t done it in a while.
Numerous techs have noted that the signal coming in from outside was “down in the dirt” (or similar), and that our modem was “screaming to be heard.” I’m including a screenshot of the signal while we actually do have internet, logs, and a couple signal screenshots from during outages. Outage ones are marked accordingly, though my writing is hanging off the top of Reddit's crop. Forgive the terrible handwriting, the annotation function on my phone wants to turn everything into a polygon, so I have to write really strangely to make it legible. I’m also not totally certain what things on the signal page can have security implications, so I probably censored some totally silly and unnecessary stuff, like the configuration file data. I can never remember what’s good and what’s bad, when it comes to the signal numbers. What’s interesting is that as our internet goes in and out from minute to minute, if memory serves, the numbers fluctuate wildly, showing a significant difference between when we do and don’t have internet. It’s also worth noting that our set-top boxes have always reported similar numbers to the modems, so again, the modems are not the problem. Unfortunately, Time Warner and Spectrum have heavily focused on the internet and the modems, because the TV signal just generally seems to be more resilient than internet, so the TV, visually and audibly, will often be fine or acceptable, while the internet is going out completely. Instead of looking for something that can affect both, they just drill down on the internet, and throw new modems at it, over and over.
Our modem logs, for the past twenty-plus years, have shown a steady stream of T3 and T4 time-outs whenever things are acting up. I’m actually a little surprised, because our current spate of outages seems limited exclusively to T3 timeouts. It’s happened before, but it’s rare.
Almost every tech for the first ten years or so claimed to go outside and “boost the signal” at the box in the back. We’ve since been told by one of our techs that there are no adjustable components there, and the signal cannot be boosted from out at the box. Having seen the innards of the box out back, there don’t appear to be any adjustable parts, such as potentiometers (I got a good look when a tech checked for water ingress, and I know my electronics reasonably well; my dad’s a senior electronics design engineer). It seems we were lied to. No one has attempted to boost the signal out there since. I will note that the contents of that box have never been replaced. A friend who used to work for Charter in another state (warehouse work, refurbishing set-top boxes and modems) claimed that they replace those every two years, where he is. That sounds excessive, but what do I know?
We did, however, have an active “signal booster” (I think the correct term is amplifier) installed inside the house a number of years ago by a baffled tech who was out of options, noting that they’re usually reserved for large commercial installations.
The line from the box out back to the house has been replaced twice, using the orange, silicone-filled (liquid silicone, I’m told), self-sealing cables. The most recent replacement was after a Spectrum contractor was laying new conduit and line down the length of our street, with zero regard for buried cables. Every time their excavator shut down and triggered an alarm for having hit a cable (which happened about once a minute), they just slapped an override button and kept on digging, even as they worked within three to six feet of an electrical transformer with buried lines. I don’t recall them marking anything before digging, either. They did substantial damage down the entire street, cutting numerous phone lines, coax cables, and at least one invisible fence. They probably did additional damage to Spectrum’s buried lines that we aren’t even aware of. They trenched straight through where the line techs had dug up all the damaged cable, as I recall. They also left a Ditch Witch in our yard over the weekend, poorly balanced over a trench, using the arm and bucket of their excavator resting on top as a counterweight to attempt to hold it in place. The Ditch Witch fell into the trench over the weekend (I mention this only because it speaks to their incompetence and poor safety practices). They cut our phone line, and when the phone company sent a crew to bury the replacement line, they cut our cable (and blamed us for not telling them we had cable, when they didn’t ask, and didn’t bother scanning themselves before trenching).
What we’ve been told is that the silicone-filled orange cables are prone to leaking liquid silicone into the connectors, and the connectors are supposed to be mounted horizontal to minimize flow of silicone. I doubt this is particularly effective, but nonetheless, the first orange cable installation made a point of doing so, mounting the connection horizontal on a board inside our basement (I question the usefulness of this, since the connectors in the basement are below ground level, so fluid pressure from being downhill is likely still going to be an issue, regardless of orientation). The replacement orange cable, installed after the mess described above, has a splice outdoors, above ground, with connectors in a vertical orientation. They retained a short section of the old orange cable for crossing the foundation into the house, so that’s an extra splice in the cable that probably shouldn’t be there, but I doubt it’s the source of our issues. If memory serves me, and I’m properly making sense of what I saw, it also looks like they grounded that outdoor splice by disconnecting the ground from our phone line, and using that, leaving our phone line ungrounded, so that’s fun. Just noticed that a few weeks ago.
The wiring in our house has been slightly overhauled, minimizing splitters, and adding a dedicated line for the modem coming from a three-way splitter in the basement (for two set-top boxes and the modem). I think there’s still a splitter on the line for one of the set-top boxes, with a cable that used to run to a Media Center PC back in the days of Windows Vista. That additional cable is currently plugged into the TV, mainly just as a means of terminating it. I have a quiet hope of someday setting up another media PC, as silly as that is.
We have one very new set-top box (one of the fancy ones with a radio remote—which frustratingly lacks a power button for just the box), and one very old (that I’m extremely surprised is still supported), to support an old TV that only has a coax input.
We have a Spectrum-supplied router, and somewhere we have a plethora of our own routers that we’ve pulled from service to appease Spectrum, when they inevitably tried to blame the routers.
When the techs stopped replacing the coax connectors with every visit, they switched to replacing the modem, so we have been through countless modems now, probably about one or more every one or two years. I’m quite tired of having techs throw a modem at the wall and see if it sticks, so to speak. It’s repeating the same experiment and expecting different results. The techs tend to agree that replacing the modems shouldn’t really be that helpful, and the modems don’t actually fail that often (though others have insisted they fail all the time). A number of them have suggested that our sudden improvements after service calls may be due to techs “cleaning out the cabinet,” supposing that the local cabinet may have been full of dust and overheating (hence summer outages), but…that doesn’t seem particularly likely, either.
I am at a loss for how to actually get these issues addressed, and how to hopefully prevent a DOCSIS 3.1 fiasco knocking our internet out for the next month. Is there anything in particular we should be requesting in advance of this upcoming service call? Obviously a DOCSIS 3.0 modem is something we could ask for, but I doubt we’d actually get it. I suppose a modem with accessible logs and signal data is also useful (we’ve had ones that hid all that, and boy was it a pain), but none of those things will actually help with fixing the underlying issue.
A friend once gave me the email address for the vice president of customer relations, but I doubt a message from an individual customer would get noticed, and that address is probably outdated by now. I’m not even sure how I’d condense this down to a reasonable length, anyway, so it would actually get read.
I realize I’m posting this late, for a service call that’s coming tomorrow. I fell asleep this morning as I was about to post this. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you!

When it comes to choosing the best cable modem for your home internet setup, several factors come into play, including compatibility, speed capabilities, and reliability. A top-tier cable modem offers seamless integration with your internet service provider, ensuring optimal performance and compatibility with various internet plans.
With advanced features such as support for the latest DOCSIS standards, multiple channels for faster data transmission, and robust build quality, the best cable modems promise to deliver fast and stable internet connectivity for your browsing, streaming, and gaming needs. Whether you're looking to upgrade your current modem or seeking a reliable solution for your new internet connection, investing in a high-quality cable modem can significantly enhance your online experience.
Explore our top picks of the top 10 cable modems of 2024 currently available on the market, each meticulously chosen to meet a variety of needs and preferences.
1. ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modem
The ARRIS SURFboard SB8200, engineered to cater to the requirements of contemporary internet users, stands out as a high-performance cable modem. Equipped with DOCSIS 3.1 technology, it ensures lightning-fast internet speeds and unmatched reliability, rendering it a perfect option for both households and businesses.
2. NETGEAR Nighthawk Multi-Gig Cable Modem (CM1100)
The NETGEAR Nighthawk Multi-Gig Cable Modem (CM1100) stands as a premier choice in modem technology, crafted to provide lightning-fast internet speeds and unmatched dependability. Boasting cutting-edge features and compatibility with leading cable providers like Xfinity, Spectrum, and Cox, this modem offers a versatile and effortless solution for internet connectivity, catering to both residential and commercial needs.
3. ARRIS® Surfboard® SB6183 Cable Modem
Introducing the ARRIS SURFboard SBG10, a versatile and dependable solution that effortlessly combines a DOCSIS 3.0 16 x 4 Gigabit Cable Modem with an AC1600 Wi-Fi Router. Equipped with an AC1600 Wi-Fi router, it offers dual-band Wi-Fi coverage, enhancing connectivity across your home or office space.
4. NETGEAR Nighthawk Multi-Gig Cable Modem (CM2000)
The NETGEAR Nighthawk Multi-Gig Cable Modem (CM2000) epitomizes high-speed internet connectivity, delivering unmatched performance and versatility for users with demanding internet requirements. Compatible with leading cable providers such as Xfinity, Spectrum, and Cox, this modem ensures effortless integration with your current internet service, guaranteeing a hassle-free setup experience.
5. ARRIS SURFboard SBG8300 DOCSIS 3.1
Introducing the ARRIS SURFboard SBG8300, a robust and adaptable all-in-one solution that merges the capabilities of a DOCSIS 3.1 gigabit cable modem with an AC2350 Wi-Fi router, ensuring swift and dependable internet connectivity for both home and office environments. Compatible with prominent cable providers like Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Spectrum, and others, this modem/router combo seamlessly integrates with your current internet service, promising a seamless user experience.
6. ARRIS Surfboard S33 DOCSIS 3.1 Multi-Gigabit Cable Modem
The ARRIS Surfboard S33 DOCSIS 3.1 Multi-Gigabit Cable Modem is a high-performance modem designed to meet the demands of modern internet users. With its advanced features and compatibility with major cable providers including Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Spectrum, and more, the S33 offers seamless integration with your existing internet service.
7. NETGEAR Cable Modem CM500
The NETGEAR Cable Modem CM500 offers a dependable and effective solution for enhancing internet connectivity across a range of cable providers, including Xfinity by Comcast, Spectrum, and Cox. Engineered to support cable plans with speeds of up to 400Mbps, this modem guarantees seamless integration with your chosen service provider, facilitating a fluid and uninterrupted online experience.
8. Motorola MB8600 DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modem
The Motorola MB8600 DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modem represents a premium choice for elevating internet connectivity, providing seamless integration with top-tier cable providers like Comcast Xfinity, Cox, and Charter Spectrum. Designed to accommodate cable plans with speeds of up to 1000 Mbps, this modem guarantees optimal performance, catering to users with high-bandwidth demands.
9. NETGEAR Cable Modem CM700
The NETGEAR Cable Modem CM700 provides a high-performance solution for maximizing internet connectivity across diverse cable providers such as Xfinity, Spectrum, and Cox. Engineered to accommodate cable plans with speeds of up to 800Mbps, this modem guarantees seamless integration with your chosen service provider, delivering a fluid and uninterrupted online experience.
10. NETGEAR Nighthawk Cable Modem + WiFi 6 Router Combo (CAX30S)
Introducing the NETGEAR Nighthawk Cable Modem + WiFi 6 Router Combo, complete with a complimentary 90-day Armor subscription, the CAX30S stands as a powerhouse solution crafted to enhance internet connectivity across prominent cable providers such as Xfinity, Spectrum, and Cox. Engineered to deliver lightning-fast speeds of up to AX2700 (2.7Gbps) through DOCSIS 3.1 technology, this modem-router combo guarantees seamless integration with your current service provider, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted online experience.
Best Budget Cable Modems 2024 Reddit
Before purchasing a cable modem, there are several factors to consider to ensure you get the right device for your needs. Here's a detailed guide outlining what you should consider:
Compatibility:

• Ensure that the cable modem you choose is compatible with your internet service provider (ISP). Most ISPs provide a list of approved modems on their website. Make sure to cross-reference this list with the modem you're considering purchasing.
• Check the type of cable technology your ISP uses (DOCSIS standards). For example, DOCSIS 3.0 or DOCSIS 3.1. Your modem should support the same or a higher standard than what your ISP offers.

Speed Requirements:

• Consider the internet speed tier you're subscribed to with your ISP. Make sure the modem you choose can handle the maximum speed offered by your plan. Some modems support higher speeds than others, so if you plan to upgrade your internet speed in the future, it's wise to choose a modem that can accommodate higher speeds.

Number of Channels:

• Cable modems use channels to transmit data. More channels generally mean faster speeds and better performance, especially during peak usage times. Look for modems with multiple downstream and upstream channels to ensure smoother internet connectivity.

Built-in Router vs. Standalone Modem:

• Decide whether you want a standalone modem or a modem/router combo. If you already have a separate router or prefer to use a specific router for its features, you might opt for a standalone modem. However, if you prefer simplicity and space-saving, a modem/router combo could be a better choice.

DOCSIS Standard:

• Consider the DOCSIS standard supported by the modem. Newer standards, such as DOCSIS 3.1, offer faster speeds and better performance. If you want to future-proof your setup, consider investing in a modem that supports the latest DOCSIS standard available in your area.

Brand Reputation and Reviews:

• Research different modem brands and read reviews from both experts and consumers. Look for brands known for reliability, performance, and good customer support. Pay attention to any common issues or complaints mentioned in reviews.

Price and Budget:

• Set a budget for your modem purchase and compare prices across different brands and models. While it's tempting to opt for the cheapest option, consider the long-term savings and benefits of investing in a higher-quality modem that can support faster speeds and provide better performance.

Warranty and Support:

• Check the warranty offered by the manufacturer and the level of customer support provided. A longer warranty period and responsive customer support can be valuable in case you encounter any issues with your modem.

Additional Features:

• Consider any additional features you may need, such as built-in Wi-Fi, multiple Ethernet ports, or support for IPv6. Make sure the modem meets your specific requirements beyond just providing internet connectivity.

Future Expansion:

• Anticipate your future needs and consider whether the modem you choose will support them. If you plan to upgrade your internet plan or expand your network in the future, choose a modem that can accommodate these changes without needing frequent replacements.

By considering these factors carefully, you can select a cable modem that meets your current needs, offers reliable performance, and provides room for future growth and expansion. BuyItForLife, HomeNetworking