Motorola MT8733 Review: The King of Modem Router Combos?

The Motorola MT8733 is one of the most-sought after gigabit cable modem router combos despite being heavily priced. It’s because the device not only comes with DOCSIS 3.1 support, but it also has a built-in WiFi 6 router + 2 phone lines. Everything about this device is solid on paper. But is it actually worth the $409 price tag? Read my review to find more.

In my honest opinion, this modem router combo with phone jack is perfect for those who live in a small-medium house upto 2,000 Sq Ft (although Motorola claims that it has a coverage range of 2,500 Sq Ft) because beyond that, the built-in router won’t be able to deliver the signals and there’ll be many WiFi dead zones.

Motorola MT8733 Specs

A step ahead of the MG8725, the MT8733 is one of the few modem router combos to feature telephone ports. It supports the Voice services of Comcast Xfinity along with features like call forwarding, caller ID, and conference calling.

Modem Technology	DOCSIS 3.1
Backward Compatibility	Yes
Channel Bonding	32 x 8
Ethernet Ports	4
Phone Ports	2 (Works only with Xfinity Voice)
Modem-Router Combo	Yes
Wireless Standard	Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
WiFi Range	Up to 2,500 Sq Ft
Built-in Router Speed	AX6000 (6000 Mbps)
Suitable Internet Plan	Up to 2.5 Gbps
Compatible ISPs	Comcast Xfinity & Other Cable Internet Providers
App Support	Yes (Smart Motosync App)
Processor	Unknown
RAM	Unknown
NAND Storage	Unknown

Motorola MT8733 Review

I used this DOCSIS 3.1 modem-router combo for 7 weeks in a 2,000 Sq Ft place and I was quite impressed by the performance. Not to mention that the phone line support is an amazing feature to have if you’re using Voice services. Considering the performance, stability, security, ease-of-setup, I’d totally recommend the device to anyone who lives in a small-medium space upto 2,000 Sq Ft.

Compared to other modem-router combos, the MT8733 does have a better WiFi coverage. But I won’t recommend it to anyone for using it in a large space (for a matter of fact, I won’t recommend any modem-router combo for a large house/office.) In that case then you should consider setting up a standalone modem and pair it with a Mesh WiFi system.

That was my short review of the MT8733, but want to know more? Continue reading.

DOCSIS 3.1 + WiFi 6 + Networking Capabilities

The Motorola MT8733 comes with DOCSIS 3.1 support which means, it is capable of handling gigabit speeds and is 10 times faster than DOCSIS 3.0. Also, DOCSIS 4.0 is announced, but it’ll take 2-3 years before it’s released to general public.

The DOCSIS 3.1 modem part of the device comes with a 32 x 8 channel bonding (which is currently the highest for modems.) 32 is the number of downstream channels and 8 is the number of upstream channels. These channel bonding is the reason why it supports multi-gigabit speeds. Higher, the channel bonding, higher is the throughput.

For the router part, it is a dual band + AX6000. “AX” = WiFi 6 and “6000” is the speed. It means that both the bands together can provide internet speeds upto 6000 Mbps. Technically, the 5GHz band can offer speeds upto 4,800 Mbps and the 2.4GHz band can handle speeds upto 1,200 Mbps.

Motorola claims that this device can handle upload speeds upto 800 Mbps and download speeds upto 4 Gbps. But there was no internet plan through which I could check the actual speed capabilities, in my local connection tests, I was able to get those speeds on the router though.

I also tested it with the fastest internet plan for homes i.e. Xfinity Gigabit and I was able to get the fullest speeds without any latency or coverage issues. Even when I was 1,500 Sq Ft away from the device, the performance remained consistent.

But how do they translate in real-time use? Let’s find out!

Motorola MT8733 Speeds

Testing it with the Xfinity Gigabit plan, I received 945 Mbps download and 40 Mbps upload speed when connected to the device directly. I also connected 23 smart devices simultaneously and experienced no lags or latencies.

Such higher speeds make the Motorola cable modem, model MT8733 suitable for network-intensive tasks like playing high-end games, streaming videos, etc. Playing my favorite game Valorant was a treat with this modem with WiFi and phone.

Motorola MT8733 Range (Wireless Coverage)

This cable modem/router combo features 4×4 MU-MIMO support along with 4 high-gain internal antennas that help the signal strength by amplifying it as and when connected. In my test, the device had consistent signals and no dead zones in a 2,800 Sq Ft two-level workspace.

To decrease any network congestion and better supply signals to transmit faster to the concerned devices, there’s an OFDMA (orthogonal frequency-division multiple access). Plus it also facilitates range boost, power boost, and WiFi Beamforming. The result of frequency reuse, reduced latency, and increased efficiency is expected!

Ports & Connectivity

The MT8733 features 4 high-speed Ethernet ports (1 x 2.5 Gig Ethernet port, 3 x 1-Gig Ethernet ports) that let you connect your gaming consoles directly to the device.

You can also connect a landline phone to the modem through its 2 phone ports situated at the rare end. Heat-dissipating vents are situated on the side panel to ensure there’s no overheating even after hours of usage!

ISP Compatibility & Plan Suitability

The telephony cable modem router is designed to work best with Xfinity, especially with its Gigabit plan. However, I couldn’t test it for other internet providers. But what I could test is that it works like a charm with Xfinity Triple Play.

But then, one of the biggest drawbacks of this telephony cable modem router is that it isn’t compatible with Voice service providers other than Xfinity.

Design & Build

Nothing can go wrong or look odd with anything matt black. As someone who loves the color black, I am glad that they did not release this device in white to experiment or ‘expand their horizons.

With a dimension of 8.8” H x 5.7” D x 3.5” W, this phone router modem is small and has a sleek and premium look. You can switch the device on or off and toggle between various modes through the horizontal panel of switches on the device.

Motorola MT8733 Setup

Setting up the Motorola MT8733 Wi-Fi 6 router modem combo is not a very complicated task. Motorola’s Motosync App helps configure the device in just a few minutes. You can optimize, manage, and secure your connected home from anywhere through your Motosync phone app.

Hardware Configuration

Motorola has not revealed any details with context to the RAM but this device’s configuration requires a high-end processor coupled with ample RAM. However, even their official website does not mention the specifications of RAM or flash storage. Rest assured, it worked fine without any performance issues.

My Likes and Dislikes

Frequently Asked Questions

Verdict

With Motorola’s MT8733 modem router combo, you get to enjoy high-speed internet on multiple devices without any lags or network complications. For gamers especially, this combo is a hit. 4K video streaming, video conferencing, and much more are possible with the seamless internet performance offered by the MT8733. Yes, some may find it a little expensive but I think it is absolutely worth the money.