ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1 Gigabit cable modem review

ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1 Gigabit cable modem review – how to setup?

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Is ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1 Gigabit cable modem perfect for things like 4K Ultra-HD Video Streaming and Virtual Reality Gaming? With a few simple cable connections and a quick visit to your ISPs self-activation portal, your network will be up and running in no time. Two 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports capable of providing speeds up to 2 Gbps. Reveal more in ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1 Gigabit cable modem review.

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Pros & Cons

Pros

  1. It is compatible with most major internet providers
  2. It uses the new DOCSIS 3.1 technology
  3. Easy to set up.
  4. Have great build

Cons

  1. The heat control is not very good.
  2. It cannot go beyond 1 Gbps

Specifications

System specs

  • CPU: n/a
  • RAM: 3072 MiB
  • Flash: 128 MiB + 16 MiB
  • Custom firmwares: None

Connectivity

  • WiFi: No ()
  • WiFi bands: n/a
  • WiFi throughput: n/a
  • WAN: None
  • ETH: 2 x Gigabit ports
  • USB-ports: 0

Compare ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1 Gigabit cable modem vs SURFboard SB6183

SURFboard® SB8200SURFboard® SB6183
DOCSIS® 3.0 Downstream x Upstream Channels32 x 816 x 4
DOCSIS® 3.1 Advanced TechnologyYesNo
Best Service Tier*Up to 2 GbpsUp to 300 Mbps
WiFiNoNo
Gigabit Ethernet Ports21
Simultaneous HD, 4K and VR StreamingYesModerate
High-Performance Online GamingYesModerate
Link Aggregation Capable (LAC)YesNo
Dedicated Technical Support by ARRISYesYes

ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1 Gigabit cable modem review

Design

ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1 Gigabit cable modem is rectangular. This modem dons a white plastic casing that is covered by a matte finish. here is an external part of the casing that seems to wrap around a smaller rectangular piece. The two distinct pieces leave two narrow canals-in between several ventilation holes.

Size & weight

The modem itself is quite big compared to regular modems. It measures 5.13 x 1.75 x 5.25 inches and weighs 2.41 pounds.

Ports

The back of this modem is characterized by a fairly colorful background. There are two Ethernet ports alongside two LED indicator lights.

LED indicator

The front of the modem features four LED lights that indicate the status of the Power, Receive, Send, and Online.

The green light indicates that there is a GigE data connection while the amber light indicates that there is a 10/100Mbps data connection.

The Power LED light indicates that the modem is on.

If the Receive light shows green, then this is an indicator that there is a high-speed internet connection that is using the DOCSIS 3.0 channels.

If the light is blue, then it’s a clear indicator that it’s using bonded DOCSIS 3.0 channels.

There is a Send light that indicates green when using DOCSIS 3.0 channels and blue if using DOCSIS 3.1 channels.

Hardware

The Arris SB8200 cable modem is equipped with a Broadcom BCM3390 chipset. It also has a 3gb ram, a 16MiB Macronix MX25L12805D SPI NAND flash memory, as well as a 128MiB S34ML01G200TFV00 Spansion, flash memory NAND.

Speed

Additionally, it’s designed to handle 4K Ultra-HD video streaming as well as Virtual Reality gaming with great ease. The Arris SB200 modem is perfectly capable of offering lightning internet speeds of up to 2Gbps. This makes it ideal for things like 4K Ultra-HD Video Streaming and Virtual Reality Gaming. The modem’s 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports allow for the connectivity of two devices at the same time.

The modem has 32 downloads and 8 upload channels, making it the perfect cable modem for Gigabit speed internet plans.

Compatibility

As far as compatibility is concerned, the Arris Surfboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem is compatible with major US cable providers like Comcast, Cox, and many others. The modem is however incompatible with AT&T, Verizon, or CenturyLink. It’s also not compatible with bundled voice services, not to mention that it does not have a telephone port.

How to do ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 setup?

Step 1 : Connect the SB8200 to Your Computer

Before installing your SB8200, check with your service provider to ensure broadband cable service is available in your area. Choose a location in your home where your computer and cable modem are preferably near existing cable and electrical wall outlets.

  • Check that a coaxial cable is already connected to a cable wall outlet or RF splitter (not included).
  • Connect the other end of the coaxial cable to the Cable connector on the rear of your SB8200. Use your hand to tighten the connectors to avoid damaging them.
  • Connect the Ethernet cable to either Ethernet port on the rear of your SB8200.
  • Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to the Ethernet port on your computer.
  • Connect the power cord to the Power port on the rear of your SB8200.Plug the other end of the power cord into an electrical wall outlet that is not controlled by a wall switch.

Step 2: Establish an Internet Connection

Although your computer may already be configured to automatically access the Internet, you should still perform the following cable modem connectivity test to check that your devices were connected properly:

  • Power ON the computer connected to your SB8200, if it is turned off, and then log in.
  • Contact your service provider to activate (provision) your SB8200. You may have to provide the HFC MAC ID listed on the cable modem label.
    Note: Your service provider may allow for automatic activation which will automatically launch their special website when you open a web browser.
  • After your SB8200 is provisioned (or activated), open a web browser (such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari) on the computer.
  • Type a valid URL (such as www.surfboard.com) in the Address bar and then press Enter. The ARRIS SURFboard website should open. If it fails to open, please contact your service provider for assistance.
  • Check that the Power, Receive, Send, and Online front panel LEDs on your SB8200 light up in sequential order. See Front Panel for additional LED status information.
    If all four LEDs did not light up Solid and you are not connected to the Internet, you may have to contact your service provider to reactivate your SB8200 or check for possible signal issues. If you still cannot connect to the Internet, your SB8200 may be defective. Please contact ARRIS Technical Support at 1-877-466-8646 for assistance.

Step 3: Start the SB8200 Web Manager

  • Open any Web browser on the computer connected to your SB8200.
  • Type the default LAN IP address, 192.168.100.1, in the Address bar.
  • Press Enter.
    The SB8200 Status screen displays.

The SB8200 menu buttons are displayed along the top of the SB8200 Web Manager screen. To display a specific web manager screen, click the menu button.

ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1 Gigabit cable modem review

ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1 Gigabit cable modem customer review

Premium modem for gamers

I’ve purchased this modem and the netgear cm1000. I fully tested them both in all things important. The arris came out on top in my book. The arris sb6190 was a train wreck of a modem and put a dent in the arris reputation, but don’t let that hinder you. Netgear had the cm700 too. Puma 6 was a fail. Still no fix. Arris was even able to acquire a lawsuit over this. Anyway the sb8200 was originally thought to contain a puma 7 chipset. Neither the cm1000 or the sb8200 thankfully gone down that road. We’re back on Broadcom with a bcm3390. This thing is solid.

During tests I’ve recorded 2ms decrease in ping vs the netgear cm1000. I also almost instantly bang off the max bandwidth rev limiter. The netgear is just as fast but took a second or so longer to reach full bandwidth. I am subscribed to 300Mbps. I am hitting 362 max but usually sit 359-360 consistent speedtest. Netgear sits 358 with occasional spike 360. Both held 30Mb uploads no problem.

Out of the 32 channels I am currently only linked 24 in my area. Both modems chose docsis 3.0 in the download. Chicagoland/gurnee. Hopefully we see 3.1 rollout soon. According to the front panel on the arris it indicates a 3.1 link on upload but modem page says otherwise. 4 uplink channels. On docsis 3.1 peregrine firmware. You can’t go wrong with either one of these. But if you want the edge and a possibility of link aggregation. Spend the extra $10.

By Jbmeth007, Reviewer in Best Buy

Alternate

Motorola MB8600

These two modems have adopted the new DOCSIS technology and have a lot of things in common. In this arris sb8200 review, here is an Arris SB8200 vs Motorola MB8600 comparison.

Similarities
  • Both can only go up to 1Gbps
  • Both use Comcast xfinity service
  • They handle equal upstream and downstream channels.
  • Both use LED lights.
Differences
  • The MB8600 Motorola is larger
  • The Motorola MB8600 has better heat control
  • The Arris SB8200 has a larger RAM size

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