This cable modem is $35 off for Prime Day, if you want to dump your overpriced Comcast rental
Motorola’s fastest modem, the MB8611, supports 2.5Gbps Ethernet and works with Xfinity, Spectrum and other cable companies.
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There’s no fee I despise more than the $10 per month cable company modem rental. I know they’re ripping me off.Theyknow they’re ripping me off. Unless you’ve signed up for a special bundle that mandates using the provided modem from Comcast or whoever serves up your internet, you’re almost always better off buying your own modem and skipping that monthly fee—especially when you can get a deal like this one.
A discount cable modem isn’t as sexy as thebest Prime Day PC gaming deals, but it’s the kind of deal I always look for on Black Friday or Prime Day: something I know I need, and would eventually end up paying more for. The Motorola MB8611 is about as future-proof as you can get with a cable modem today, supporting DOCSIS 3.1 and multi-gig networking. That means it has a 2.5 gig Ethernet port, so if you’re on the fastest service from a cable service like Xfinity or Cox or Spectrum, you’ll still have some headroom to spare.
Keep in mind that this is just a modem, with no built-in wi-fi router. That might sound like a negative if you currently use your cable provider’s combo modem + router, but trust me: a separate modem and router, each dedicated to a single job, will always give you better performance and reliability than one device trying to do both at the same time. We have some advice onthe best gaming routersif you need one.
Motorola MB8611 DOCSIS 3.1 Multi-Gig Cable Modem|$179.99$143.98 at Amazon (save $36)This is Motorola’s fastest cable modem, compatible with major cable companies like Comcast, Cox, and Charter. Motorola’s cable modems have long been my go-to and are rock solid reliable.
If you’re interested inreallyupping your network setup, consider pairing a 2.5 gig Ethernet cable modem like this with a router you build yourself, or a mini PC running the open source router softwarepfSense. I wrote a guide on howI converted an old PC into my own super router.
It’s easier than it sounds, and is the surest way to get every ounce of speed you can from a high-end internet connection.
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Wes has been covering games and hardware for more than 10 years, first at tech sites likeThe WirecutterandTestedbefore joining the PC Gamer team in 2014. Wes plays a little bit of everything, but he’ll always jump at the chance to cover emulation and Japanese games.
When he’s not obsessively optimizing and re-optimizing a tangle of conveyor belts in Satisfactory (it’s really becoming a problem), he’s probably playing a 20-year-old Final Fantasy or some opaque ASCII roguelike. With a focus on writing and editing features, he seeks out personal stories and in-depth histories from the corners of PC gaming and its niche communities. 50% pizza by volume (deep dish, to be specific).
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