SBV3202

I bought this to replace an aging EMTA and cable modem for Xfinity voice and internet. Getting the phone lines activated was not easy because of the infamous Comcast support experience, but the modem itself works great now that its set up. Note that the SBV3202 is a modem only, there's no router or wifi built in. Separate router required. If you have both internet and voice, and want to use a separate router, this modem is a good choice. Most other approved modems available either don't support the phone service, or are an all-in-one (router built in). The other voice-capable modem that Xfinity recommends right now is a Netgear model that's twice the price. For those who may have an older Arris EMTA (voice modem) like a TM722 or TM822, this is the direct successor. It even looks like a TM822 but with blue lights and much better specs. Note that the backup battery to keep the phone service running in a power outage is not included, and Arris no longer makes the BPB044S battery despite these modems still being sold new and widely used. Aftermarket has plenty of options though. A tip for others with Xfinity Voice who may buy this modem for your phone lines: Be aware Phone Provisioning is separate from the internet activation, and it's a two step process. To get this working, FIRST activate the modem for internet service through the Xfinity app. The App may say it activated phone service too, but my experience was that it doesn't despite saying so. AFTER the app setup finishes, if you have no dial tone, call Xfinity and speak to an agent. Tell them you replaced your Xfinity Voice phone modem and that you need the phone line provisioned. They will ask for the last 4 digits of the CM MAC (aka HFC MAC) from the modem label and perform that provisioning, then it will reboot and the phone lines will have a dial tone. If you call BEFORE doing the App step, they might say they can't provision it. I had multiple reps tell me the CM MAC was invalid up until I did the modem setup via the app. Once I did the App setup, they had no issue seeing it and provisioning phone service on it.

I picked this up as an affordable bring-your-own modem for Comcast / Xfinity. This was to save some money over time, rather than renting a modem, for the household of family members. Their previous internet service was very slow and frequently went offline. This modem was easy to set up and has been working seamlessly. I can't remember what tier of internet service they got, or the results of the speed test when we tried it, but I remember it was many multiples faster than the previous service, and more than adequate for them. We paired it with a TP-Link AC1900 router (ASIN: B08C3YBBHM) to connect devices through WiFi and Ethernet; this was also easy to set up and has worked well with the router.

Size is a bit smaller than the Xfinity Gateway that this replaces. The user manual shows the ARRIS Surfboard SBV3202 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem lying flat rather than standing up, although it has rubber feet for lying flat or standing up. It's narrower than the Xfinity Gateway, so standing up would be much less stable than lying flat. The Xfinity Gateway has a wide base to make standing up stable. I've decided to lay the ARRIS Surfboard SBV3202 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem flat for stability reasons. I was at first wondering what was happening when I attached all the cables and powered up. The Power LED was solid and the US/DS was blinking. The user manual for the SBV3202 has a note saying that in this case, the SBV3202 firmware is updating. It took about 15 minutes, maybe longer, to go solid. I used a browser to go to xfinity.com/activate, with my PC connected via Ethernet cable to the SBV3202. I then waited for the activation to complete, eventually getting Internet access and telephone dial tone. I ran the Xfinity speed test, which showed me getting 240 Mbps, which is even better than the 200 Mbps that I'm paying for. I then disconnected the ethernet cable from my PC and connected it to my router. The router obtained an IP address from the SBV3202 and everything came up great. I'm using an old Trendnet router, which is serving up 75 Mbps, so I just ordered a new Wifi 6 router, which should be coming in a few days. I'll then be able to take advantage of the full bandwidth that Xfinity is providing. I should note that I've used Arris modems over the years, including DOCSIS 2.0 and DOCSIS 3.0, but this is the first telephony cable modem. Arris comes through again.

A modem is not something most people are brought up to ‘want’ yet it’s also not something anyone ‘needs’ since cable companies do rent them, for what ultimately amounts to outrageous costs. Buying a modem is kinda just.... something that happens. I finally purchased my own modem, probably could have saved myself $1000 if I’d done it sooner. I really couldn’t be happier with my purchase, faster speeds than the supplied modem and more channels for both upload and download really make it a better modem in all regards except for one - no wifi. No wifi is okay by me, I don’t like wifi on my personal modem and I even asked my ISP on numerous occasions, when they started handing out modems with wifi routers to everyone, if I could decline the wifi and just get a wired connection. They, of course, said ‘NO’ but NOT ANYMORE, NOT FOR ME! If for some reason I ever need and want wifi, I do have a router lying around here somewhere so.... no wifi is no loss for me, I don't use it. With the ARRIS SBV3202, I have a better modem, no more monthly modem rental fees, it pays for itself in less than a year, AND no paranoia inducing wifi. This modem is a win for me, as long as it lasts more than a year which I think it will. As for this particular modem, I am somewhat tech savvy despite never owning my own modem so this was a super easy set-up that only took me 20-30 minutes and didn’t even require a call to Comcast, though I made one anyway to remove the modem rental fee from my bill as soon as possible. Surprisingly, I didn’t even need to do that since it automatically removed the rented modem when I connected the new one and had it noted that I was now using my own. Everything seems to be working the same as it was before, so as long as this modem doesn't break within the first year then it will have paid for itself.

Like most, I rented my combined cable modem + WiFi router from Comcast, another Arris model, for over 6 years at $10-$13 per month at a cost of up to $936 until I finally returned my rental after replacing it with this modem and my own WiFi router. For the longest time the available models with voice were very limited, until I found this one. I personally want to separate the components of Cable Modem from WiFi because WiFi evolves much faster than the cable modem aspects, and WiFi seems to break or become unreliable faster. Now I can just upgrade or replace just the faulty components going forward. I had already been through two models of renting the Arris cable modem + WiFi router (802.11g, then 802.11ac) because the WiFi eventually gave out. Even on the 802.11ac model I already added my own WiFi router because it too became unreliable for WiFi. While rented, Comcast replaces for free (other than the $936 I paid them monthly), but I can pick the best gaming or streaming routers from the most reliable brands of my own choosing if I like if they are separate. To be fair, I have a ton of Alexa devices, WiFi outlets / switches / bulbs which likely led to my WiFi problems, but work fine on my own separate WiFi routers (I actually have 3 -- Asus (my workhorse), Netgear (gaming), & AmpliFi (easy & pretty)). I picked this cable modem (SBV3202) because: (1) It is just the cable modem + telephone (keeps WiFi separate). (2) it offers the maximum downstream & upstream channels (32 x 8) available to me right now, versus a lot of 24 x 8 models and others with more limited DOCSIS speeds. (3) It is certified to work with my Comcast Xfinity internet & phone service. (4) DOCSIS 3.0 and up to 1.4 Gbps, and will be a very long time before I have actual internet service that fast, and although a newer DOCSIS standard is arriving, this is very current and I believe will last a very long time without envy. (5) It is one of only a few options available to buy instead of leasing for Comcast service. SETUP & ACTIVATION: Setup is actually very easy. Just unplug the other one, plug this one in its place, and get ready to spend an hour with Comcast customer service to activate it, likely with 3 different support people. Just be patient and nice, and you'll get through it. Meanwhile you will not have internet or home phone, so make sure you have cell service & your account info. The manual has a label with the S/N & MAC addresses right on it for easy reference (MTA MAC for phone, HFC MAC for internet). The manual says to do online activation first, but that doesn't work unless they already have your MAC addresses on file, which they don't if you bought your own, unless you leased this and are doing a self install. I still tried to no avail on 3 ways, on the old modem, on my new modem, and with my cell service internet. So then you just call the Comcast number in the manual. I recommend having a nice Bluetooth speakerphone or something to make it more comfortable. The Comcast agents were super nice and patient. The first person most likely will have trouble seeing your modem and activating it, even after asking for MAC addresses, model number, and S/N. Just be patient, and when it doesn't work they'll escalate it to another technical specialist where it really gets done. With Comcast, the internet and phone people are actually separate, so first the internet activation and they eventually find your modem, and then they route you to voice activation and pass along the info so you don''t have to repeat. Additionally, because I didn't setup a new WiFi router with the same SSID & password (already had my other routers setup), I had to run around the house and reconnect some devices (like all my smart WiFi outlets & bulbs) that were still on the old WiFi network and now stopped functioning until I reconnected them to one of my remaining WiFi routers. It is easiest to just have another replacement router set to use the same SSID & password and your existing devices will not know the difference. DRAWBACKS: (1) Emits a slightly audible high-pitched noise (and is located in my bedroom) like some electronics do, but not so high pitched as normal coil whine on some devices, and not as loud as some devices that I cannot have in the same room as me. I'm pretty sensitive to this, and my wife can even hear it on this one, but it honestly is quiet enough that I can live with it, just taking off 1 star for it because I still like it overall and tolerate it. I'm actually going to see about putting it in a cabinet, closet, or build wood box with some sound dampening insulation (but with good air flow). (2) LEDs are bright and blinking. Arris actually has updated firmware that (version 9.1.103AA65L and up) that offers "web manager access" rather than just a status page, and a new "CM Feature" tab that lets you toggle off the LEDs. *BUT* firmware upgrades are controlled by your cable provider through DOCSIS standard, so yours might not support that. Comcast upgraded my firmware and stopped at a prior version (9.1.103AA45E) on mine, so I cannot control it. So I resort to using blackout stickers, as I do for most devices around my bedroom. However, the LEDs are on a curved edge, and the surface material isn't prone to strong adherence of tape, so I have some trouble getting the blackout stickers to stay because by aren't meant to leave a gummy residue and peel back on their own. But it is solve-able. (3) Emits heat, but not as much as the bigger combined Arris cable modem + WiFi router. (4) Ethernet patch cable it comes with is Cat5e when Cat6 has been around a long time, and would be better for Gigabit speeds. But realistically Cat5e should be no noticeable difference for short distance and internet service speeds. I still used my existing Cat6 cable instead.

I purchased the Arris SURFboard SBV3202 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem for Internet and Voice. The literature says it is compatible with Xfinity. I returned the modem because the dialtone starts with a stutter, the beep, beep, beep signal that indicates that there is an unread message waiting. However, voicemail says there are no messages in the mailbox. And the Message Waiting alert remains on the phone. Every time you lift the receiver, press the green "Talk" button or the speaker button on the phone, you get the dialtone stutter. If I notice the Message Waiting alert, I have to check for messages, in case there is a real message waiting. It's very annoying. Fortunately, I found a way to clear the message from my phone screen - until it pops up again. I found a reviewer at another site who claimed to have the same problem. He solved it by returning the modem and purchasing another. I thought Xfinity should fix it, so eventually I made it through the "Xfinity Assistant" bot to chat with a real person about the problem. All the people I chatted/talked with were very courteous and assured me that they would fix the problem. To make a long story short, after several times they said the problem was fixed (it wasn't) and a after a visit by their maintenance tech, I decided to purchase another model, which solved the problem. Part of the "long story" is that I called Arris, which is now owned by CommScope. I was eventually able to talk with a real person to explain the problem. Perhaps there was a new firmware version, I thought. I was told that they only provide data through the modem. If there is a problem with the phone data, it's Xfinity's problem. Good Bye! But the experience wasn't all bad. The Xfinity rep said it looked like the signal power was low. We discussed download speeds. I have a 500 MBs plan, but have only gotten around 200 on good days. Sometimes around 50-60 MBs. So they sent a tech out to check the lines. He said there was a lot of noise on the line, which was likely causing the slow internet speeds. Makes sense; some of the speed checks failed due to poor line quality. The tech found a bad connection between my line and the pole. Now that he fixed it, I'm actually getting 500 MBs. Since I replaced the SBV3202 modem, I'm not sure whether the modem was part of the slow data problem. The installation was okay, but I wish I had read one of the reviews that said you have to call Xfinity to get the phone to work. The Xfinity app worked great for installing the modem, until it got to the phone line. I tried multiple times, without success. I called Xfinity, and after some troubleshooting and restarting the modem, they finally figured out that THEY needed to "provision" the modem for the voice to work. Once they figured that out, the voice worked - except for the stutter, which started this review. Throughout this ordeal, I was able to chat or talk with several very caring tech support agents from around the world. They all said they would resolve the issues before they were done. Finally, I think it's resolved. I have a new, very fast modem, and clean connection to Xfinity.

I got mixed signals from my ISP if this would work. First said I couldn't get phone service from a third party device but I could get a modem for data if I also ran their modem for phone service. Another tech at the ISP said I could run phone service from third party modem too. So I went ahead and got this modem, figuring even if they wouldn't let me run phone from it I still getting extra down/up channels, so chance might even get faster service from the ISP than they intended even. But when tried to add modem, tech said no on phone (sounded like they viewed it as policy/security issue to allow devices they didn't own for that, goofy but whatever), but then couldn't get data to work either. They could see this modem fine on their network (so working perfectly), just couldn't interface with it. Apparently my ISP commonly has this problem with not being able to use modems that include phone.. so wasn't a malfunction on modem side, but problem with my ISP's software settings. So had to return this to get a modem without phone option. Can't change ISP, my ISP basically has a monopoly on this region. 50mb their fastest service, so this modem was super overkill anyways. Gave 5 stars because shipped fast and no hassles anywhere, worked flawlessly ISP saw it on their network, but their systems not compatible with devices that include phone, and really that only because my ISP tech's simply don't know how to configure their system correctly to split data/phone between two modems if both have phone option. makes me mad my ISP won't use this standard for phone too so I can get rid their probably 10 year old junk modem entirely, but at least got it rental fee canceled

Note: I got this for $100, not the current $150. I based my value for money rating on the former. So - this is one of the few cable modems that supports voice as well, so you don't really have a lot of choice. It works fine on Comcast's lower tier plans. However, upgrade to gigabit and you won't get what you pay for. The download speed was fine: 500+mbps (which is what I get on FIOS now). The upload speed was a pathetic 5mbps. Even on a gigabit plan, Comcast only actually delivers 35 mbps up, but this modem couldn't even reach that. Comcast tells me that's because it only supports DOCSIS3.0 not 3.1. So there you have it: either ARRIS or Comcast is being dishonest with their claims of gigabit support. If you have no need for that and are on a medium plan, then this modem is probably fine for you. Otherwise look elsewhere.