9 Best SuddenLink Approved Modems in 2020

Are you in search of a cable modem that’s compatible with Suddenlink? In that case, you are at the right place. Because, in this guide, we have listed out the approved modems that provide high-performance and value for money.

You can surely pay the equipment lease and spend $10/month to your ISP for renting a modem & router, but despite paying such a high fee, you shall get an outdated cable modem which can ruin your internet browsing experience.

Besides that, buying a modem also provides a better ROI than renting. Not only will you save money, but with a reliable internet connectivity equipment, you wouldn’t slow speed or web latency issues anymore.

You surely would want to get the one that’s approved by your ISP and compatible with your plan. But with so many options available, you must be looking forward to getting the best one for your internet connectivity needs.

The Best Cable Modems For Suddenlink

Doesn’t matter which plan you are on, whether you are on Suddenlink’s fastest gigabit plan – Suddenlink 1 Gig Internet or the slowest Suddenlink Internet 20, our list includes a modem that shall work smoothly with your internet plan.

1. Netgear CM1000

Netgear CM1000 is a different modem from all the other devices that we have discussed on this list. With DOCSIS 3.1 technology it’s more future proof than the DOCSIS 3.0 models. For those who don’t know, DOCSIS 3.1 is over 10 times faster than DOCSIS 3.0, as it is the next generation of cable transmission tech.

Although, the device comes with DOCSIS 3.1 technology, it still supports ISPs that provides connection using the DOCSIS 3.0 which is why the Netgear CM1000 is one of the best Suddenlink approved modems when it comes to performance.

One of the major missing points from the CM1000 is the absence of an in-built WiFi router. So if you consider getting this model, then you surely would have to get a separate Wireless Router. Most of the other devices of this price point come with one, and this one doesn’t, but when it comes to performance, modem router combos stand nowhere near a standalone modem.

The cable modem is not just approved by Spectrum, but it’s also compatible with all the plans from cable internet providers such as Comcast Xfinity, Cox, and Spectrum. So you don’t have to get another one if you shift to any of these ISPs.

Gaming, watching movies, streaming, everything will be super smooth the moment you turn on this modem. It is a superfast device and offers you the service that you deserve.

Since there is only 1 ethernet port on this device, it is a big problem. Most of the users will be using it to connect it to their WiFi routers, which leaves no space for gaming consoles or PCs. This is something that Netgear has to work on as a company, as it might be a deal-breaker for plenty of potential customers.

As of press time, this DOCSIS 3.1 modem costs around 160 dollars. Additionally, it comes with a 2 year warranty.

2. Netgear CM700

The Netgear CM700 is a Gigabit cable modem, which uses DOCSIS 3.0 technology. It is capable of hitting download speeds up to 1 Gbps, and upload speeds of up to 300 Mbps. This makes it ideal for all kinds of cable plans, irrespective of the company. However, it is crucial for it to be compatible with the provider because otherwise, it will not work.

The companies that have certified this modem are Comcast Xfinity, SuddenLink, Time Warner Cable, Charter, and more. If your provider has not been mentioned here, please contact them to know if it will work with their services.

If you are a SuddenLink customer, you can use any of its plans from 50 Mbps to 1 Gbps. It will work fine with all of them. However, I would recommend you to use plans above 400 Mbps only, as they are the ones that are best suited for it.

There is a single ethernet port on this modem, and you can use it to attach to an external WiFi router. Simply connect the two with a LAN wire.

You can view and control the entire settings of your account from the Genie App. It is super easy to use and makes everything much more accessible and transparent. You can use it to set up parental controls, create guest networks, and much more.

At just under 60 dollars, this is one of the most economical modems that you can purchase. It will eliminate your monthly rental fees and save you up to 150 dollars in a year.

3. Netgear Nighthawk C7000

The Netgear Nighthawk C7000 is one of the best-looking modems on this list. If the appearance of your modem is vital to you, I suggest you give this one a try. For now, let us focus more on its specifications.

It is a two-in-one device that will replace your cable modem and WiFi router, which means it will save you from the rental fee of both. It is ideal for all the cable/WiFi plans, except the gigabit ones. It has only 24 channels to download, which makes it unfit to be paired with that tier.

Plenty of cable companies have certified this modem to work with their speed plans, and some of them are SuddenLink, Spectrum, Cox, and Comcast. So, if you are not a user of SuddenLink and are a client of these companies, you can still upgrade to this modem.

The ones that it is not compatible with are DISH, DSL providers, AT&T, CenturyLink, and Verizon. If you are their customer, I would suggest you look at some other products.

The WiFi router that is in-built into this modem has a range of 1800 sq feet, which should be sufficient for your home or apartment. Within this area, there will be no dead spots, and the speed will be uniform.

If you want to connect it to an external router for a different IP address, you can use one of its ethernet ports. There are 4 of them, so you will have 3 empty slots, even after using one. You can connect the remaining to other devices such as gaming consoles or PCs.

The base price of the Nighthawk C7000 is a bit on the upper side, as it starts at 192 dollars, but I can assure you that it will be worth every penny. You will get excellent WiFi and Cable speeds without any drops or dead spots.

4. Arris Surfboard SBG6900AC

The Arris Surfboard SBG6900AC is one of the best selling devices of Arris in the United States. It is a three-in-one device, which acts as a Cable Modem, WiFi router, and a 4 port Gigabit wired router. Its price of 140 dollars does not do justice to its features, which is a good thing for potential customers.

Thanks to its 16 x 4 download and upload channels, you will be able to touch speeds of up to 686 Mbps on download and 141 Mbps on upload. These numbers are excellent for all kinds of activities, from watching online movies to downloading games. Everything will be buttery smooth and slick.

Companies that have certified this modem to work with their packs are Comcast Xfinity, SuddenLink, Cox, Charter, Time Warner, and Brighthouse Networks. If your provider is not on this list, you are out of luck because it is a fantastic modem.

The WiFi router of this modem has dual-band frequencies, so you will get excellent coverage in your home or office. Users have said that the 5 GHz band works better than 2.4 GHz, so do the same to avoid any signal drop issues.

To use its 4 ethernet ports simultaneously, you will have to do some cable management. It gets really messy when all of them are used at once, and this makes the modem unstable. It will topple at the slightest of touches, so make sure you handle this one correctly.

You can purchase this Arris modem for about 138 dollars, and it comes with a warranty of 2 years.

5. Motorola MG7550

The Motorola MG7550 is the first product that we are going to discuss on this list because it is one of the best. It is a two-in-one modem cum router, which uses DOCSIS 3.0 technology to give the user blazing-fast Cable and WiFi speed.

Motorola recommends it for Cable internet packages up to 400 Mbps, thanks to its 686 Mbps download speed. However, you can push it to 500 Mbps without much trouble. I would recommend you not to go over 500 Mbps because it has 16 x 4 channels, and they can not handle Gigabit speeds.

Plenty of companies have certified the Motorola MG7550 to work with their plans, and some of them are Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Charter Spectrum, Suddenlink, WOW, and Time Warner Cable. Customers of these companies can simply order the device and start using it.

The companies that it will not work with are AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink, and Frontier. If you plan to shift to these companies in the future, you will have to change the entire modem.

There are 4 ethernet ports on the backside of the MG7550, which allow the user to share its internet with other devices such as PS4, XBOX, Desktop PC, and Smart TV. They are an excellent addition and give the user a little more flexibility in terms of its usage.

The router which is inbuilt into this modem is a dual-channel one, which means you can use either of its two radio frequencies (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) to create a WiFi inside your home.

You can purchase the MG7550 for about 150 dollars, and it comes with a warranty of 2 years.

6. TP Link Archer CR500

TP-Link Archer CR500 is a budget modem cum router. It is priced at just under 100 dollars, which makes it ideal for people who do not want to spend excessive money.

The modem uses DOCSIS 3.0 technology to fulfill all your cable needs. You will be able to play everything in Full HD without any buffering. However, you must have the right for it speed-tier to work.

The TP Link Archer CR500 has been approved to work with cable operators such as Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum, Bright House Networks, Suddenlink, Mediacom, and more.

Suddenlink users should opt for the 200 Mbps plan, which costs around 89 dollars per month and offers more than 225 channels. Customers of other companies should also stick to this tier only.

The WiFi router in this modem is a dual-channel one, so you can either use the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequency band. If you have a house with thick walls, I would recommend you to use the 5 GHz band only.

Setting up the modem is very easy, and you will be done installing it within 10 minutes. You will not need any help from a technician or engineer; just follow the instructions on its manual.

There are 4 ethernet ports on the Archer CR500. I do not think you will need all of them, but it is good to have the options in your hand.

TP-Link is a top-rated company when it comes to modems and routers. They have an excellent customer satisfaction rate, and I am sure this would be the right purchase for you.

7. TP Link TC 7620

The TP Link TC 7620 is a DOCSIS 3.0 modem that is ideal for plans up to 400 Mbps. It does not have any in-built router and acts only as a cable modem.

There are a total of 16 download and 4 upload channels on this modem so that you can have a seamless experience watching your favorite movies and tv-shows. You can also play online games without any signal drop issues, as its upload speed is excellent. However, I would ask you to get a plan of minimum 300 Mbps for that purpose.

Apart from Suddenlink, you can also pair this modem with Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox, and Time Warner Cable. All of them have similar plans in the range of 200 to 300 Mbps, and you can choose one of them to couple with it.

In terms of connectivity, there is a single ethernet port on this modem. There is no USB or any other port for external connections.

Installing the modem is relatively simple, just connect all the wires to the right places, and turn it on. Everything is written in its instructions manual.

The starting price of the TC-7620 is about 106 dollars, which makes it an economical purchase. It will pay for itself within 12 months by saving you from unnecessary rental fees.

8. Asus CM 16

The ASUS CM-16 is an excellent modem, and that is why it has been included with all the other big companies on this list. It might not be as popular as some of the Motorola or Netgear devices, but it offers similar features at a lower price.

The Asus Cable Modem 16 is DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem only, and it does not have any WiFi router that is built into it. It can handle cable speeds up to 686 Mbps, which makes it ideal for plans up to 400 Mbps.

The build quality of the modem is absolutely gold, and it looks super stylish. It has unique textures all over its body, and its stand makes it look as if it is hovering on air. This is the kind of modem that you would want to put on a display, rather than in a dark corner.

There are 5 front-facing LEDs on this modem, which tell you about the status of your connection. They are blue in color and look great.

Along with SuddenLink, this modem is also compatible with Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum, and other major companies. If you want to know if yours is compatible, check out their website.

There is a single ethernet port on this device that you can use to connect it to an external WiFi router. It will work with all of them, irrespective of their company.

The starting price of the CM-16 is 130 dollars, which given its features, is a fantastic deal.

9. ARRIS Surfboard SB6141

The ARRIS Surfboard SB6141 is a simple cable modem, as it does not have any over the top features. It is made for people who want minimalistic features, and are just concerned with getting the job done.

This modem has 8 x 4 channels for download and upload, which makes it perfect for plans up to 200 Mbps. Any plan that is higher than this will heat the modem, so I would recommend you against that.

In terms of compatibility, you can use the SB6141 with Cox, Spectrum, Xfinity, SuddenLink, and other companies. The ones that it will not work with are Verizon, AT&T, and CenturyLink.

The best plans for this modem for Suddenlink users are the 100 Mbps and 200 Mbps ones. Both of them offer 225+ channels, and the only difference between them is their speed. So, choose the one which you feel is right.

It might not be having an in-built WiFi router, but you can use its ethernet port for shared internet access. The only issue is that it has a single port, and you can not connect it to a gaming console or any other device if you use it for a router. There is no way we can overcome this problem, and this is something that you will have to deal with.

The company is offering 2 years of warranty on this device, which is fantastic given its price. Not many companies would do this, so kudos to Arris for such a tremendous deal.

You can purchase the SB6141 for about 60 dollars. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is DOCSIS?

DOCSIS stands for Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification. It is a technology used by major telecom companies to give their users superfast speeds for their TVs. Currently, most of the companies use DOCSIS 3.0, but soon it will be overtaken by the next generation, which is DOCSIS 3.1. It would be over 10 times faster, and the maximum download speed will increase from 1 Gbps to 10 Gbps.

2. Should I buy a DOCSIS 3.1 modem now?

I would recommend you to wait another year if you want to buy a DOCSIS 3.1 modem. This is a new technology, and these modems will undergo many transitions in the coming months before they are perfect. So it would be smart not to invest in them right now.

3. Which modem would be the best one on the list?

Netgear Nighthawk C7000 would be the best modem on this list. It is a three in one device and will cover all your needs from the modem to router. It has a reasonable price, which makes it an ideal choice for a majority of buyers.

4. Which SuddenLink plan should I opt for a seamless Internet?

There are plenty of SuddenLink bundles that will offer you a decent speed, but the one with the highest feature to price ratio would be the 400 Mbps @ 99.99 dollars/month one. You will get over 225 premium channels and a fantastic download speed of 400 Mbps. It will be sufficient for playing games online and downloading/streaming movies in Full HD.

5. Should I install a Cable Amplifier inside my house?

Cable Amplifiers are used to boost the cable signals that come to the house from the company’s server. Usually, these are good enough for 2-3 devices, but if you plan to connect it to more devices, you will have to use a Cable Amplifier. Otherwise, you will not need one.

Verdict

I have covered all kinds of modems on this list, from cheap to expensive, from minimalistic ones to high-tech ones. Now, all you need to do is figure out the kind of plans you will be using it for in the present and the future. It is important that you do some future-planning because data rates are bound to increase, and if you do not pay attention, your modem will become outdated within a year. So, to secure the investment, I would recommend you to get a slightly more powerful modem than you need.