DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem is the next generation of cable modem technology for fast internet access, much faster than the previous DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem technology. Few vendors adopt this newer technology to their cable modem products including this Arris Surfboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem and Netgear CM1000 as the main competing product in the market so far.
What this product does
Arris Surfboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1 is not the first DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem in the market, Netgear CM1000 DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem has been around for a while.
Note that Arris introduces new model of Cable modem gateway with DOCSIS 3.1 – the Arris Surfboard sbg8300 cable modem router.
DOCSIS 3.1
DOCSIS 3.1 is the next generation of cable modem technology, 10 times faster than the most widely used today DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem. The good thing is that DOCSIS 3.1 technology is backward compatible with any existing DOCSIS 3.0 infrastructure deployed in most cable providers. So no worries, when you purchase this modem, it is still compatible with any cable providers with DOCSIS 3.0 infrastructure. However, you should advice your provider to assure the compatibility.
Take a look at the following features difference between DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 cable modem.
| Feature | DOCSIS 3.0 | DOCSIS 3.1 |
| Internet upstream speed | 200Mbps | 1Gbps |
| Internet downstream speed | 1Gbps | 10Gbps |
| Data throughput | 256-QAM (42.88 Mbps per 6 MHz channel) | 4096-QAM (1.89 Gbps per 192 MHz channel) |
DOCSIS 3.1 is capable and ready with the downstream internet speed of up to 10,000Mbps (10Gbps) which is 10x faster than existing DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem such as Surfboard SB6183/SB6190 cable modem, Netgear CM700 DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem with 32/8 channel bonding or TP-link TC-7650 cable modem with 24/8 channel bonding .
Now, is it worth of purchasing this product when the existing cable modem infrastructure is still DOCSIS 3.0? Technology evolves so quickly, at least you’re ready with this technology when it is coming soon in the future near you, and few providers are ready with this DOCSIS 3.1 infrastructure. Advice your provider if they are ready with DOCSIS 3.1 technology.
Highlights
- Based on DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem technology
- 10 times faster than DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem
- Comcast Xfinity and Cox Cable APPROVED! Spectrum (Charter, Time Warner and Brighthouse) and others pending approval. So far it is not compatible with Verizon, AT&T, or CenturyLink
- 2×2 OFDM/ OFDMA DOCSIS 3.1 channels
- Equivalent with 32x channel bonding downstream and 8x channels upload in DOCSIS 3.0 infrastructure
- 2x Gigabit Ethernet ports. Create 2 Home Networks, both capable of gigabit speeds
- LEDs indicate DOCSIS 3.0 or DOCSIS 3.1 Operation
The apparent difference when you compare Surfboard sb8200 with Netgear CM1000 is that Surfboard SB8200 comes with two gigabit Ethernet ports but CM1000 only one Gigabit Ethernet port. With two Ethernet port you can create two separate networks with different wireless routers.
The question is, will 2 Ethernet ports be useful for your home needs? If for office needs it might be useful to make two different network segments with different loads. But for home needs may be less useful. Except for those with technical skills that always do the experiments with separate network needs.
The other thing is that SB8200 is equipped with two different LEDs indicator for either DOCSIS 3.0 or DOCSIS 3.1 operation, CM1000 isn’t equipped with DOCSIS LED indicator. Take a look at the following feature difference for Surfboard sb8200 vs Netgear CM1000.
| Model | Surfboard sb8200 | Netgear CM1000 |
| Ethernet Port | 2x Gigabit Ethernet Ports | 1x Gigabit Ethernet Port |
| indicate DOCSIS 3.0 or DOCSIS 3.1 Operation | Yes | N/A |
| Price | $149.00 | $164.00 |
All specs are almost the same from the download / upload stream speed except for the existence of 2 gigabit Ethernet on Surfboard sb8200. Prices always fluctuate by time; to learn more spec and manufacturer’s detail click the link below to see as well current price in Amazon (#ads).
Click here to learn more details Surfboard SB8200 (#ad)
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