ARRIS(S34) - Cable Modem - Fast DOCSIS 3.1 Multi-Gigabit Cable Modem, for Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Spectrum & More, 2.5 Gbps Max Internet Speeds, 2 Year Warranty - (No Built-in WiFi)

I bought an open-box, like-new condition. I have a 1GB internet service from Xfinity and connected to Google WIFI Pro, and it delivers about 950-980mbps.Those of you who are complaining about not getting the full 1GB speed, please understand that a 1 Gigabit (1Gb) internet service, advertised as 1000 Mbps, often delivers speeds closer to 900 Mbps due to overhead and other factors. This isn't a fault of the service itself, but rather a result of how data is transmitted and processed.

I was sick and tired of paying a monthly subscription for the cable companies sub-par box that fades in and out like a spirit box on Ghost Adventures. Long story short, my AV guy recommended this item. It has operated so seamlessly that I forgot that I had it until prompted for this review. Three months and it has already paid for itself. Five stars all the way!

Running the S34 for a month now, and it has been flawless. After a terrible experience with a different brand, I was hesitant to switch from my Xfinity rental modem. However, a friend suggested trying a Surfboard, and I am so glad I did. No more disconnects or constant reboots like before. Highly recommend making the switch to a Surfboard for reliable internet without any hassle.

Modem needs to be 2x bigger, have a 1” fan sucking air in and a 1.25” set of fans blowing air out. Modem also requires firmware that updates itself, shuts down the modem 15 minutes and restarts daily. With these automated functions, mine appears to work reliably. However in factory configuration, 15-20 devices will overheat the modem fast and produce connection problems.

Andddd, this is perfect. The perfect home modem for those of us who don’t yet have fiber and need to rely on coax cable.Compared to my previous high-end modems, this one is smaller, quieter, and faster. I consistently max out my ISPs advertised speed (approx 1.1Gbps down and 20Mbps up).It hasn’t gone down a single time and has been rock solid for me. Highly recommend.

Solid and very compact DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem.Note this is a cable modem/cable-ethernet bridge only and does not include wireless connectivity and is not a router. You will need other devices that have a compatible twisted pair copper ethernet port to make use of it, such as a "wifi router" or other layer 3 device.Works perfectly with Cox Business cable plans, including the gigabit and higher options available as of March 2025.The ethernet port is mGig capable so you can actually utilize the higher speeds if the CPE you attach to it is also mGig capable.Three minor pain points lost a star for me (really 1.5 but we can't do half stars and it's not a 3):1. Most importantly, there is only the one status light on it, which you can see on the front in the product image. It is multi-colored, so it indicates its status via the color and whether or not it is blinking in whatever color it is at the time.What are the colors? What do they mean? Apparently Arris doesnt thonk its important enough to make permanently obvious on the unit. What the various states that light can be in are not indicated anywhere on the unit and they're not exactly intuitively obvious, so you have to look it up in the manual just to know what it's telling you. Since that is kiiiiind of an important part of the setup process, it makes the first use experience a bit annoying. And that is especially true since you'll be on the phome.with your ISP when they need to know what state it's in, but they don't know the meaning due to what I'm about to say on point 2, and you probably already threw the box outside for tomorrow's pick-up, didn't you? Go get that manual or find it online (which isn't easy, so go get the paper one) before you call them. You're welcome. And then what happens the next time there's a problem and you call tech support? Yeah. If you do nothing else with the manual, tear out that page and tape it to the bottom of the unit or on your router or something.2. This is inexcusable for a product that is on the shelves and should have been done before then: Cox and Arris need to do whatever they do to "certify" this model and list it on their internal and public support knowledge bases as a supported model. It's been out more than long enough for that and the process to get an unlisted but still perfectly compatible unit (like this one) is anything but smooth, and will take a hot minute or 20.3. WHY can't anyone include the MAC address(es) and serial number on a sticker you can place somewhere convenient like in the manual or on the front of the device? If it's not in a convenient spot (and let's face it - your cable modem is crammed in a dark and barely reachable nook isn't it?), you'll want to be sure to take a picture of the label on the back of the unit before you call to activate it with your ISP, since they're going to want those. And every ISP does, because thats how they know what account it's for. So this should seriously just be standard by now. 😆Overall, a great little unit. Just the paper cut issues above make it less plug-and-play than it could have easily been.

The modem works well…after you get it set up. I was on the phone to customer support twice. The first person/level was not able to resolve the issue, but the second person was. It is not plug and play out of the box.

Replaced an older cable modem that did not have enough throughput for 1 Gig service. Easy swap out and speed verification tests confirms I am now getting the full bandwidth.