Finding the best cable modem can save you money in the long run if you're still using the modem that your cable company set you up with. That's because your internet provider is likely charging a rental feel for that modem, which can take a good chunk of change out of your pocket each year.

At Comcast, for example, some customers pay as much as $14 a month in equipment rental feels. That's $168 over a full year. Since you can get a great modem for $70 or less, you can pay off your modem purchase in less than half-a-year with the money you'll save on your internet bill. And buying the right modem means you can get one that takes advantage of the internet speeds your ISP provides.

Once you make sure the modem you want to buy is compatible with your internet service — chances are strong that it is — you can pick one that delivers speeds in line with your service plan and that fits in with your home decor. We can help make that decision easier with our list of the best performing cable modems we've tested. Here's what we've found.

What is the best cable modem?

For most people, the best cable modem is the Motorola MB7420. It works with a wide variety of internet providers, including Comcast, Spectrum and Cox, and it delivers speeds that will serve the greatest number of people (anyone whose internet plan tops out at 300 Mbps). Its two-year warranty is twice as long as the warranty for the Netgear CM500, which also performed reliably in our tests. The CM500 would be a fine alternative to the Motorola MB7420 if you can find it for less. The Arris SB6183 is also a very good modem, though it's harder to find at retailers these days.

If your internet service features speeds topping 300 Mbps, look to Netgear's CM600, which is more dependable than its high-speed rivals.

The best cable modems you can buy right now

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The Motorola MB7420 is the best cable modem for most homes, capable of supporting speeds available to a majority of home internet plans. The MB7420 is ideal for internet plans that top out at 300 Mbps, which covers a wide swath of our household. In testing the MB7420 at my home, I enjoyed steady connectivity, and that's with multiple people stuck inside, all trying to hit the internet at once.

The MB7420 isn't as tall as the Netgear CM500, our previous pick for the best cable modem, though some people may prefer the more compact size of the Arris Surfboard modems. At least, the MB7420 looks stylish, with rounded corners and vented sides. Its gray color should blend in well with other networking equipment.

The blue and green lights on the MB7420 are bright enough to read at a distance without turning a dark room into a laser light show at night. I also found the modem easy to set up with a coaxial connector sticking out of the modem's backside at a comfortable distance from its lone ethernet port.

There's not much separating the Motorola MB7420 from the Netgear CM500 as both performed dependably when we tested each modem. But the edge goes to Motorola because it offers a two-year warranty to Netgear's one-year of coverage. That means better protection for your investment.

(Image credit: Netgear CM500 (Credit: Netgear))

The Netgear CM500 remains one of the best cable modems available, because it's easy to find at most retailers; you can also find it for a little less than the Motorola MB7420 most of the time, making it a good value. (Modem prices can fluctuate so keep an eye peeled for the best tech deals when shopping for a cable modem.)

The Netgear CM500 works with the biggest cable providers and supports speeds of up to 300 Mbps, which should be enough for the vast majority of Internet users out there. (If you've got a high-speed plan, look for a faster modem.)

There's actually very little performance difference among the best cable modems in our testing, so it's seemingly slight distinctions that separate these devices. Opt for Netgear's CM500, and you'll get a modem that's just as capable as the Motorola MB7420 or the Arris SB6183. However, Netgear only offers a one-year warranty, compared with two years for those rival modems.

Netgear's 16 x 4 modem enjoys wide compatibility with internet-service providers, and its design makes setup a breeze. At 7.3 inches, the CM500 is a little taller than the SB6183, and I found its indicator lights difficult to see, although at night, you may appreciate the lack of a light show.



(Image credit: Netgear CM600 (Credit: Netgear))

3. Netgear CM600 Best cable modem for high-speed service Top Cable Providers Supported: Comcast, Spectrum, Cox | Listed Download/Upload Speeds: 960/240 Mbps | Channels: 24 down, 8 up | Size: 8.7 x 5.3 x 2.4 inches | Warranty: 1 year $99.99 View at Amazon 750 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Reliable performance Lower price than other high-speed modems Compatible with many ISPs One-year warranty Tall footprint

While most homes opt for internet plans that promise speeds of around 100 to 300 Mbps, some people prefer higher-speed service. If your plan promises download speeds that top 300 Mbps, you'll want a cable modem that can take advantage of that greater performance. Netgear's CM600 is the best cable modem for those higher speeds.

Netgear's modem doesn't use the same Intel Puma 6 chipset that's been blamed for latency issues with some other high-speed modems. (There's a firmware update that resolves this issue, though ISPs roll out such updates on their own schedule.) Because of that, you can expect reliable performance without the lags reported by users with Puma-6-powered modems.

The CM600 is a little on the tall side, but it's got a funky futuristic look. Like other Netgear modems, it has a one-year warranty.

(Image credit: Arris Surfboard SB6183 (Credit: Arris))

4. Arris Surfboard SB6183 A top cable modem if you can find it Top Cable Providers Supported: Comcast, Spectrum, Cox | Listed Download/Upload Speeds: 686/131 Mbps | Channels: 16 down, 4 up | Size: 5.2 x 5 x 2.1 inches | Warranty: 2 years $68.41 View at Amazon $79.99 View at The Home Depot 843 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Dependable Two-year warranty Compatible with most internet providers Visible status lights Awkward placement of coaxial cable

The Arris Surfboard SB6183 was once our pick for the best cable modem thanks to its solid performance that will satisfy most home internet customers who don't pay for high-speed service, though this older modem is harder to find these days. (And we wouldn't recommend that you buy a refurbished version.) If you can track down the SB6183 at a competitive price, its two-year warranty also is a big plus.

At 5.2 x 5 x 2.1 inches, the all-white SB6183 can be tucked unobtrusively next to a router, cable box and whatever other hardware you have on hand. The coaxial-cable connector is a little too close to the power connector for my taste, but you're likely to have to deal with that only when setting up the modem.

The SB6183 favors a simple row of vertical indicator lights that are easy enough to spot, though the yellow lighting can be a little hard to see if your modem's in direct sunlight. Still, it's pretty easy to glance at the SB6183 to see if there's any issue with your internet connectivity.



(Image credit: TP-Link TC-7610 (Credit: TP-Link))

5. TP-Link TC-7610 Good modem for lower speed caps Top Cable Providers Supported: Comcast, Spectrum, Cox | Listed Download/Upload Speeds: 343/143 Mbps | Channels: 8 down, 4 up | Size: 8.5 x 7.7 x 2.6 inches | Warranty: 2 years $38.99 View at Amazon 16 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Cheap Two-year warranty Works reliably Not compatible with high-speed service plans Indicator lights are hard to spot

Not every home internet user needs to pay for a more expensive modem. If your service plan caps its speeds at 100 Mbps, TP-Link's TC-7610 modem can serve you ably without denting your budget, though this older modem can be tricky to find these days. A newer version — the TP-Link TC-7650 — can handle faster internet service, but we haven't tested that model. That said, TP-Link's home networking equipment tends to be fairly reliable, and most customer reviews of this modem express satisfaction with how the TC-7650 performs.

The TP-Link TC-7610 is an 8 x 4 cable modem with a pleasing oval shape and a two-year warranty. We did find its indicator lights hard to spot, though. It's compatible with most major internet providers, including Comcast, Cox and Spectrum, so TP-Link's modem will likely serve you well, provided you can find a model that costs around $50 or less.

(Image credit: Linksys CM3008 (Credit: Linksys))

Functional, but plain Top Cable Providers Supported: Comcast, Spectrum, Cox | Listed Download/Upload Speeds: 343/120 Mbps | Channels: 8 down, 4 up | Size: 3.9 x 2.8 x 1 inches | Warranty: 1 year $77.12 View at Amazon $168.88 View at Amazon Easiest setup Reliable performance Cheap Plain design Not compatible with higher-speed internet service 1-year warranty

Another modem that works best in homes where internet service never tops download speeds of 100 Mbps, the Linksys CM3008 gets the job done without winning any beauty contests. The best we can say about its plain look is that the CM3008 doesn't take that much space. The compact design doesn't make it any easier to detect its status lights.

The CM3008 was one of the more expensive options out there when we first reviewed it, though its price may have dropped to be more in line with what you'd pay for an 8 x 4 cable modem. Like other modems designed for low-speed plans, the CM3008 is pretty hard to track down these days, but it's worth grabbing if you can find a new model on the cheap — say, $50 or less — and you don't need home networking equipment cable of faster performance.

(Image credit: Arris Surfboard SB6190 (Credit: Arris))

When we tested the Arris Surfboard SB6190 on our network, we didn't run into any performance issues. But our experience didn't match some other users with high-speed service who complained of latency issues. The problem apparently stems from Intel's Puma 6 chipset inside the SB6190 (as well as some other high-speed models like the Linksys CM3024, which we've also tested).

Reportedly, there's a firmware fix, but we'd advise checking with your ISP to see if it's been deployed before you commit to the SB6190. (In fact, the most negative Amazon user ratings for the SB6190 site latency issues with the modem.) It might be easier just to opt for Netgear's CM600, which doesn't use that chipset, if you're looking for the best cable modem to use with your higher-speed plan.

These performance issues aside, the SB6190 matches the design of the other Arris modems we've tested, and it's got the same two-year warranty.

How to choose the best cable modem for you

We focus on DOCSIS 3.0 modems, though you'll also find DOCSIS 3.1 modems rolling out that are capable of delivering speeds that top 1Gbps; if you're receiving DOCSiS 3.1 service, look for a device that can take advantage of those faster speeds.

While we haven't reviewed DOCSIS 3.1 modems yet, we can point to a few models with strong word of mouth. Netgear's CM1000 is backward-compatible with DOCSIS 3.0 for internet users who want to upgrade early. The modem has been certified by Comcast for use with its internet service. Arris bills the Surfboard SB8200 as a future-facing modem, capable of handling streaming ultra HD and high-performance gaming with its 32 download and eight upload channels. Motorola's MB8600 modem also has 32 download and eight upload channels with Active Queue Management for speeding up page loads and gaming.

As for DOCSIS 3.0 devices, here's what to consider when you choose a modem:

• Compatibility: Confirm with your ISP that the modem you're looking at will work with the service your paying for. Most DOCSIS 3.0-certified modems should work with DOCSIS-based internet service, but it always helps to confirm. Comcast lets you check online to see if a modem is compatible with its service, as do Cox and Spectrum. Another source for modem compatibility is ApprovedModems.com, which in addition to its compatibility checker by ISP also maintains a list of modems with the Puma 6 chipset.

• Price and Warranty: You don't necessarily need to get the cheapest modem, but you should consider devices that pay for themselves within a year with what you save in rental fees. A year-long warranty is the bare minimum you should accept; two years of coverage is even better. As for price, make sure to do some comparison shopping before you buy. Retailers often offer deals on modems, so you could find the model you want — or a reasonable alternative — at a lower price than you'd normally expect.

A 16 x 4 cable modem delivers enough speed to effectively serve the majority of cable customers. That kind of modem typically costs $70 or less, and if you keep an eye out for deals, you might be able to find a top-rated modem for $50 to $60. Modems that support the emerging DOCSIS 3.1 standard start at $150, with some priced as high as $190.

• Design: There's not much to differentiate the features on cable modems, which generally sport the same set of indicator lights. You'll want one with easy-to-spot lights, though if they're too bright, they can really light up a room at night.. Also, consider the size of a modem, since a compact design blends in more easily with your other networking equipment.

• Speed: A 16 x 4 modem (that's 16 download channels and four upload ones) should do the trick for homes receiving service capped at 300 Mbps. Any faster, and you should go with a 24 x 8 or 32 x 8 modem, or a DOCSIS 3.1-compatible model if your ISP has upgraded to the new standard.

• Security: When shopping for a cable modem, check to make sure that the model you're considering isn't vulnerable to the Cable Hunt software flaw found in the Broadcom chipsets that power many popular modems. If your modem is vulnerable, make sure a software patch is available from your ISP.

Note that the modems we've reviewed just provide internet connectivity. If you also get your phone service bundled with your internet, that requires an eMTA or telephony modem — an entirely different type of device.

Cable modem vs. router

These days, makers of home networking gear seem to favor modem-router combinations over standalone cable modems. It may be tempting to buy one of these hybrid networking devices instead of a separate modem and router, as you can take care of two tasks with one device. We'd advise against modem-router combos, though.

First, some background: as our modem-vs.-router comparison explains, the two devices serve very different purposes. A cable modem brings internet connectivity into your home while the best routers distribute that internet connection wirelessly, so that all your devices — laptops, phones, and smart-home gadgets — can hop on the internet. If you're dissatisfied with the reach of your network, it's a router, not a modem, that you should be in the market for.

So why keep the two networking devices separate? If any part of a hybrid device fails, you're out both a modem and a router. It's also easier to upgrade individual networking devices, as routers add support for new networking features at a more rapid pace. (For example, while Wi-Fi 6 routers are arriving to take advantage of the faster, more efficient networking standard, that's not something a modem needs to support. We've got a closer look at the best Wi-Fi 6 routers you can buy.) Modems evolve more slowly, as you can see from the number of older models still available.

How we test cable modems

We test each cable modem on Comcast's Performance Pro home internet service. After running speed tests to make sure the modems are delivering their promised download speeds, we use the modems as part of regular networking setup to gauge dependability.

We hook up each modem we review in our reviewer's home, using it as part of our networking setup. That allows us to verify a modem's compatibility as well as to get a sense of its dependability. Since price is also an important consideration when modem shopping, we also monitor retail sites for the best deals on the modems we've tested.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

In addition to using the modems in a home with multiple connected laptops, smartphones and tablets, we also evaluate the indicator lights on each modem to see that they're visible. We look at how easy the modems are to set up. And because the primary reason to get your own cable modem is to save on monthly rental fees for ISP-supplied modems, we heavily weight the length of a modem's warranty.