Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Works great.
I bought this modem so I didn't have to pay Comcast to rent a modem every month. It was easy to set up, and it is working very well. Read more
by Justin R. Hodge
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy Install. Increased my download speed 3x
Motorola SURFboard SB5101U DOCSIS 2.0 Cable Modem - RoHS
Bought this modem primarily because modem rental charges thru ISP Charter were about to increase from $5 to... Read more
by William M. Jewell
4.0 out of 5 stars WORKS WELL, Activate Online Don't call Cable Company
Received the unit quickly in 2 days prime as usual. The directions said you may need to call your service provider and provide them with the Mac ID. Read more
by J. Schroeder
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Purchase
Was tired of the Cable barons ripping me off every month for their modem and the rent had gone up several times from the installation. Read more
by Alice
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect!
I bought this so that I didn't have to pay $7 a month for modem rental. It was cheap, and a super easy setup. Just plug it in and set it up with your ISP. Read more
by Dylan Reichstadt
5.0 out of 5 stars Very easy to install and saves me money each month!
My cable tv company, Comcast, wants to charge me $7.50 a month to lease this very same model of cable modem. Read more
by H. Jimenez
5.0 out of 5 stars So far, it's great!
Bought this to use on Comcast Xfinity service. I was considering the DOCSIS 3.0 modem but the speed plan I purchased (13Mb) did not require it. From what I read, DOCSIS 3. Read more
by J. Preece
4.0 out of 5 stars So far, so good - works with Charter
The modem was a breeze to setup and appears to be running well. I haven't performed any geeky through-put analysis, it just seems fast. Read more
by Northern Michigan Buyer
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent buy
This same modem is 99 dollars at Walmart so this is a good deal. Setup was easy ( I did have to call Charter to give them MAC address) but after that it took right off. Read more
by Keith R. Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars So far so good.
This unit was well priced and many of my friends with technical expertise said Motorola is a good brand. So far it has fulfilled all expectations.
by Andrew Klausen
Motorola SURFboard SB5101U DOCSIS 2.0 Cable Modem - RoHS
This review is from: Motorola SURFboard SB5101U DOCSIS 2.0 Cable Modem - RoHS (Electronics)
After being placed on hold for 10 minutes with technical support, I was informed that Comcast wouldn't activate it because I didn't buy it from an "authorized retailer". The interesting part is that Best Buy is the ONLY authorized retailer. I asked the tech support rep if it's an issue of trust with the Motorola brand (counterfeiting, shoddy equipment, etc...) and he just towed the company line and said, "sir, I'm sorry, but you need to purchase this from Best Buy and not Amazon.com". I was flabbergasted.
As of the writing of this review, Best Buy is offering this same modem for $30 more than Amazon, and Comcast just raised their modem rental fees from $5 to $6.61 in my area. I can't help but wonder what kind of profit sharing setup they've got behind the scenes. This feels like marketplace manipulation, collusion, or some other anti-trust lawsuit waiting to happen.
I'll probably try to call back in another day or two and claim that I bought it from Best Buy. Maybe I caught a tech support rep on a bad day. If not, this modem is getting returned. I just wish Comcast didn't have a monopoly over my cable/internet service -- I'd drop them in a heartbeat.
EDIT: As posted below, I was able to successfully activate the modem via Comcast's Online Chat Support.
