While Motorola branded
products are slowly being phased out (especially in the world of cell phones)
since Lenovo took over branding duties, there are still a lot of reliable and
much sought-out Moto products out there, and the brand didn’t seem to lost
favor with the market. ARRIS SURFboard SB5101U is one of those sturdy, reliable
cable modems that seems to be around forever, and that says a lot about its
quality. A piece of technology which was designed before Windows 7
compatibility was an issue, but still has its presence on the market and a
league of satisfied and supportive users, is certainly worth having a closer
look at.
Features and
Specification
ARRIS SURFboard SB5101U
has the following features:
Support for download
speeds up to 38 Mbps and upload speeds up to 30 Mbps.
10/100 Base-T Ethernet
port, and USB port for connection to rooter or computer.
It was marketed as being
compatible with all the major US cable networks.
When it comes to
operating systems, it is compatible with most versions of Windows (Vista, 2000,
XP and older versions were specifically mentioned in the manual), Macintosh
Power PC or later, OS 9 or later, Unix and Linux.
With some additional
networking hardware, the SB5101U is capable of supporting up to 63 users.
Pros
- ARRIS SURFboardSB5101U is reliable and sturdy, with an army of satisfied users to back it up.
- It is very easy to
install, activate and use. The interface is simple, the manual is very direct,
and the modem can be set up and ready to use in a matter of minutes.
- As with other cable
modems, it is a money saver compared to other types of broadband connections
such as DSL. Buying it also saves you money that you might otherwise have to
pay the cable company for renting it. Coupled with the model’s very low price
and general availability, it makes the SB5101U a perfect choice for a home
cable modem.
Cons
- ARRIS SURFboardSB5101U is an older design, which means that technical support for it is not
readily available.
- With the introduction
of DOCSIS 3.0 most of the newer modems now support connection speeds over 150
Mbps. Because Cable providers are now offering faster services, this makes the
SB5101U’s maximum speed of 38 Mbps obsolete.
- There seemed to be
some issues with low life expectancy in the earliest series of the model. These
issues seem to be resolved over time, but a potential buyer should still check
for the date of production.
Although it is a few
years old now, it is safe to say that the ARRIS Motorola SURFboard SB5101U is
still one of the best models in the range of home cable modems. It is light,
easy-to-use, cheap and reliable, and it stood the test of time quite well. The
only major con is the limited 38 Mbps download/upload speed, which is the issue
with most older models. If this technical issue is not a problem for you, the
black, curvy line of SB5101U, as well as the Moto logo on its front side, can
make it an attractive addition to your working and/or leisure space.
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