Motorola SURFboard SBG900 DOCSIS 2.0 Wireless Cable Modem Gateway (Black)
by Motorola
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Our Price: $145.72 Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days Buy Used: from $58.54 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Motorola SURFboard SBG900 DOCSIS 2.0 Wireless Cable Modem Gateway (Black)
Customer Review: Just OK, needs more features
Summary: 3 Stars
The SBG900 is a decent combination cable modem/wireless router, but it has some shortcomings that may or may not matter to you. There is no WAN uplink, so it can't be used as general gateway unless you are connected to the internet via the cable modem coax. There is only one wired ethernet port, so if you want to connect more than one wired device you'll need another piece of hardware. (There is also a USB-based internet connection, so you might be able to hook up two wired devices but I haven't tried it.) The firmware doesn't support MAC spoofing, which is a pain but not a showstopper for most people. The range is worse than I was expecting: The signal is mediocre from one room away, two rooms it is nearly unusable.
It was very easy to set up. I had it up and running in about 10 minutes, most of which was spent on the phone with comcast to give them the new MAC address. Configuring all the security options was pretty painless as well, and I haven't experienced any dropped connections or other problems since I set it up several days ago.
This unit is great for people who aren't looking for many features and don't need much range. Anyone else may find it lacking.
Customer Review: Cuts out, Poor range
Summary: 3 Stars
I really don't see what is too great about this modem. On the positive side, the fact that that it is two-in-one which makes it a nice neat package. It frees up outlets and uses less cords. Besides that, lets get to the negative. Drops wireless connection CONSTANTLY! What really bugged me is that it would always cut out when watching Nextflix and while playing ps3 online. At first I thought it was getting overloaded which is still unacceptable, but than I noticed that it would cut out even when just casually browsing the internet and even sometimes while idle. So the bottom line regarding connectivity is don't expect it to be solid. The second most important feature is the range. This modem just doesn't seem to go too far. I had it roughly 20 feet away and I still would only get 2-3 bars out of 5. A third, but sort of minor detail is the lack out a router. Sure it has a wireless router but it only has one ethernet port which could be a problem for some users. So my fix? Made the SBG900 into a regular modem and bought a Sisco-Linksys 3000. The result? Increases in bars (from 1-5 when using my laptop outside) and not a single drop yet. I am much more satisfied with this setup.Customer Review: Works Fine - watch out for 2.4 Ghz phone interference
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this modem/wireless router for about a month - it was easy to set up - i did call the cable provder to give them the mac ID, then i just turned it on and let my computer search for it - easy. I did not use the enclosed software cd. In fact, I found it to be worthless.
I thought, for a few weeks, it was faulty because it seemed to cut out randomly. Then i figured out that whenever the 2.4 ghz wirelss phone received a call it would cut the connection from the router - i just nixed the phone (it only is a tool for phone spammers anyway!). Now it's pretty much flawless.
Bear that in mind, about the 2.4 ghz phone. You might have to make a work around to fix that. Perhaps some smart person out there has already figured out a way around this (other than chucking the phone).
Another note - this modem is really fast - at least compared to the crummy one i had before. My whole reason for getting a better modem/wireless router was for the Netflix/Xbox streaming movie watching application. It works very well for that - flawless playback of high def movies through netflix/x box. Great success! (Works very well with x box live also).
Customer Review: Product performs as described
Summary: 5 Stars
A very cool product in more ways than one. First, the user guide on the cd is very comprehensive, and should address just about any problem. Setup was smooth, with a short software install. As soon as I gained a connection through my provider, I went into the setup menu on the modem and changed the passwords, enabled security and firewalls, and setup the network. It was configured and working in less than 30 minutes. The best part, is the modem plus router in one unit. No more wires and plugs around the desk. The unit is actually in the basement where the cable coax comes in the house. No need to even have it in the office. The signal strength is good, as my neighbor several hundred feet away detected my network, (but could not log on because of the WPA passkey security settings). I later disabled the broadcast of my network name in the modem settings, so it doesn't show up if someone searches for all available networks. The price is a little higher, but remember the 2 in 1 feature, and less wires and plugs. I am very pleased with this product and would recommend this product to anyone, especially the first time wireless users such as myself.Customer Review: fast and easy with good range
Summary: 5 Stars
I don't mind that the wireless router is 802.11g (as opposed to the newer 802.11n wireless routers). This is plenty fast for me since it's only a cable connection. The strength of the wireless signal is excellent. I can use it throughout my house, including the basement. I don't have any problems connecting ~800 ft. from the router.
Setting up the modem and firewall is extremely easy. All I had to do was call my provider and give them the MAC address, which is printed on the box and on the modem. After that, just walk through the easy setup with the software. That alone saved me $100 in setup fees from my internet provider.
I was worried about security since I use Vonage, which requires another router. If you plug the Vonage router in to the SBG900 and have the firewall enabled, your phones will not work. Thanks to the SBG900's easy interface the fix was relatively simple and didn't take me calling tech support. Anything that is easy enough that I don't have to deal with tech support is a good thing.
I don't regret buying this product at all and would recommend it to others.