What's The Right Mediacom-Compatible Modem For You?

Should you buy or rent your modem? It’s a question as old as the internet. Mediacom will rent you a modem for $13.00/mo., but you can also buy one on your own for around the same price as a year’s worth of rental payments. Add that up over a few years, and you can easily save hundreds on your internet bill.

Whether you’re new to Mediacom internet plans or a longtime customer, purchasing your own modem can be a confusing process. When you rent, a Mediacom technician makes sure you have compatible equipment. When you buy your own, the onus is on you. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know to make the right decision and find a Mediacom-compatible modem.

The 3 best Mediacom-compatible modems

Before choosing the correct modem for your internet, you’ll need to know what kind of download speeds you’re getting. (If you’re unsure, you can use our speed test here.)

While you can purchase a modem capable of handling higher speeds than your plan’s getting, they’re usually more expensive. But even more important is to make sure you’re not getting a modem that tops out at speeds lower than the internet plan you’re paying for.

Here are a few options that are compatible with Mediacom’s service.

Best for top speeds: ARRIS SB8200 Modem

Best for first-time buyers: ARRIS SB6190 Modem

Best for the money: Zoom Telephonics MB7220

Best for top speeds: ARRIS SB8200

This is the gold standard of modems, and it’s also one of the most expensive on our lists. That’s because it meets DOCSIS 3.1 standards, the latest industry requirements for high-speed internet. This means it will not only work with your current setup, but it’s also equipped for major upgrades to your internet speeds in the future. The ARRIS SB8200 can handle speeds up to 10 Gbps — faster than the fastest home internet currently offered by any top ISP (6 Gbps, available from Xfinity in select areas).

Needless to say, this modem is fast enough for every internet plan that Mediacom has, including its top-tier gig option. Customers who bought the ARRIS SB8200 have largely been satisfied; it’s earned scores of four or higher out of five stars on both Amazon and Best Buy.

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Best for first-time buyers: ARRIS SB6190

ARRIS’s SB6190 is a nice middle-ground for customers who pay for one of Mediacom’s top plans, but don’t necessarily need the best-in-class capabilities of the SB8200. The SB6190 is certified for DOCSIS 3.0 standards, so it’s not as up-to-date as the SB8200. That said, it’s still fast enough for all of Mediacom’s internet plans, capable of handling speeds up to 1.4 Gbps.

The modem earned high marks from customers for easy installation and steady signal performance. If you’re looking for a high-speed modem, but don’t want to spend too much, the SB6190 is a solid choice.

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Best for the money: Motorola MB7220

If you’re looking for a more reasonably-priced modem that doesn’t need to reach the blazing speeds of the top two picks, the Motorola MB7220 is a great option. It advertises up to 343 Mbps download speeds, but Mediacom recommends it for plans in the 100 – 200 Mbps range.

Customer reviews on Amazon note the MB7220 was simple to set up and immediately improved internet speeds in many cases. If you plan on upgrading to a faster internet plan in the future, it might be worth opting for one of the top options. But for most houses, the MB7420 will do just fine.

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A complete list of modems compatible with Mediacom

The modems listed above are great choices for Mediacom plans, but you have plenty of options if you’d rather shop around. Here’s a complete list of Mediacom-compatible modems that have been tested and proven capable of meeting the speeds they advertise.

Modem	Max download speeds	Price
ARRIS SB8200	10,000 Mbps	$$$$
Motorola MB8600	6,000 Mbps	$$$$
Netgear CM1100	2,000 Mbps	$$$$
ARRIS SB6190	1,400 Mbps	$$$
Netgear CM1000	1,000 Mbps	$$$$
Motorola SB6141	343 Mbps	$
Motorola MB7220	343 Mbps	$$
Motorola SB6121	172 Mbps	$

Mediacom routers

If you decide to purchase your own modem instead of renting one from Mediacom, you’ll still need to buy a Wi-Fi router to connect your devices. Fortunately, you’ll shop a lot more router options. Just make sure they still meet the maximum speeds you’re getting with your Mediacom internet plan.

For more information on getting the most out of your internet, check out our Resource Center for more tips and tricks.

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Written by:

Joe Supan

Principal Writer, Broadband Content

Joe Supan is a principal writer for Allconnect and CNET. He has helped build the proprietary metrics used on Allconnect’s review pages, utilizing thousands of data points to help readers navigate these complex… Read more

Edited by:

Robin Layton

Editor, Broadband Content

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