SB6183 - Work with E3000?

[HueyPilot]

I am wondering if anyone out there is using an E3000 with a SB6183 Cable Modem.

 

[jegesq]

I'm sure there's someone out there who is using this combination, but probably not very many. And if your question is "will these two work together?" the answer is "yes." But before you run out and buy an SB6183 to use with an older E3000, you should consider a few things:

First, the E3000 is almost 6 years old now, and while I know you can find refurbished ones, I don't think they are being manufactured currently (the Linksys store website says they are out of stock). Not a bad 802.11n dual band router, but when paired with the top-line SB6183 (which makes sense to use only if you have internet speeds above 150Mpbs download speeds, IMHO), you can do a lot better than the E3000.

If your cable co is offering higher tier speeds (meaning they offer 256 QAM 16x4 bonded channels), then the SB6183 is the logical (and really only) choice in cable modems that can be user owned and many cable co's are also renting them out along with other Arris combo units. But it's generally considered the fastest stand-alone cable modem available for retail purchase by end users.

If your cable company isn't offering that many bonded download channels, the SB6183 is probably overkill and it will cost you a lot more than you'll need to spend on a lower speed ISP tier, especially if you're planning to pair it with an older dual-channel router like the E3000, which has a maximum theoretical WLAN speed of 300 Mbps, and which likely won't see any speeds on the wireless side anywhere close to that.

If you already own the E3000, the only question is whether your cable company has already provisioned your area for more than 150Mbps download speed; if not, then you really shouldn't buy the SB6183, and should instead get the SB6141 (which is 8x4 and a lot cheaper), or just rent a modem from your cable provider until they upgrade your service to faster speeds.

On the other hand, if you already own the SB6183 and have the higher speeds, you should then probably get a newer 802.11ac router. Assuming you have no 802.11 ac clients yet, then I wouldn't spend the money on a 2400 or 3200 class router, and any of the 1750AC or 1900AC class routers from Asus or Netgear will serve you just fine if paired with the 6183.

Lastly, assuming you do get a new router, don't throw a perfectly good E3000 away, since you can still use it as an Access Point or Bridge to use with your newer modem, thus extending your network and/or providing additional wireless coverage in areas where your new router may not be providing optimal signal.

 

[rubik]

^ What jegesq said...

I actually found this thread because it popped up on a Google search.

My main router is the E3000 (running an older Tomato firmware) and I was using it with 75/75 Mbps FIOS service for the past 2+ years with no issues.

At some point along the way, I added an Asus RT-N66 in AP mode.

However, I just switched to cable (ends up being much cheaper since FIOS contract had ran out and they won't budge on giving me a better deal and would rather lose me, etc.)

Anyway, just switched to TWC and their 300/20 Mbps service. I bought a new SB6183 in order to take advantage of the fast speeds (and to avoid paying $8/mo rental fees).

Long story short, the E3000 CPU can't really handle the 300 Mbps download speeds. Speed test with laptop connected straight to SB6183 shows ~320/20 Mbps speeds. Speed test with same laptop connected to E3000 via gigabit ethernet shows ~120/20 Mbps speeds.

Basically, I'm going to look into setting up the Asus RT-N66 as the main router and using the E3000 as an AP/repeater instead...

 

[stevech]

Anyway, just switched to TWC and their 300/20 Mbps service.

Faster than my friend's FIOS - which is low cost due to a single contract for his entire 20,000 home area of homes.

I pay TWC about $45 in their phone/internet/TV+ package. I got it upped to 35/5Mbps but in this TWC region it's gouge time, I feel.

 

[jegesq]

What Rubik said....

I'm on the TWC 300/20 and paying about $90 per month for internet (I was originally on 50/2 and they upped it for free to 100/5, and then I just decided to pay another $30 for the 300/20....And I think it's well worth it. Solid speeds, great connectivity. I have the SB6183 and two AC66U's (router and repeater), and both handle the speeds very well.

Where TWC really gouges you isn't so much on the internet (which is pricey, but not outrageous for the speed), is on cable TV. If you have a DVR, they charge like $25 p/mo per DVR....good luck if you have kids or want to use the DVR in more than one room, and their "whole home" solution just sucked; they gave you a single box that would let you watch different shows in like 6 rooms, but it had only a single DVR, and you couldn't set it to record anywhere but in the room where the box was located...just an awful solution. I really hate cable companies, not because they're "evil" or over-charge, but because of their true monopoly in most areas. My friends who have Fios from Verizon can't get TWC, and I can't get Fios because Verizon won't run the fiber in our area, and TWC won't lease them lines. Maybe one day I'll "cut the cord" and go with just computer streaming, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, Chromecast and the other stuff I can get with our Roku and on our Smart TVs. But then if I cut cable, how will my family watch Slingbox, when there's be no cable to "sling"?

Anyway, the SB6183 is a great cable modem, but if you have fast speeds, you definitely need a router that can keep up.