Best Cable Modems to Keep You Online in the UK

However, the ASUS DSL-N66U is notable not only because of its look and design. This model provides a rich connectivity with its eight connection ports placed on the back face. Together with a standard set of four LAN downstream ports, there are Ethernet WAN (ADSL) and xDSL upstream ports, which makes it a versatile solution suitable for both ADSL and VDSL Internet service users. With its built-in NAT accelerator, this Asus device can be used as a modem router or a standalone router. This multifunctionality is backed with a high WAN and LAN throughput exceeding the 900Mbps rate. What makes the DSL-N66U even more appealing compared to conventional combined router/modem devices is the addition of two USB ports. The availability of these ports turns the modem into a multi-role server as you can connect such USB-enabled devices as external storages, scanners, MFPs and other to interconnect your devices in a most effective way and share resources across your home or office network. And you can have no worries about the queuing of tasks for the devices connected, as the internal architecture of this Asus multi-feature modem ensures their high-speed concurrent operation.

As a cutting-edge device, the DSL-N66U modem with router functionality is equipped with a wireless connection. Not only does this piece of equipment offer a dual-band wireless functionality but it also provides a secure connection using the guest network connection feature. This proprietary technology supports up to three wireless networks over the first, 2.4 GHz, band, and the same number of secure networks over the second, 5 GHz, band. On the hardware side, the wireless functionality is provided by a dedicated CPU, which is used together with the first CPU that controls the data exchange via wired connections. This configuration enables a maximum network performance and conflict-free operation of wireless and wired modules.

Despite such a minimalistic set of ports, this DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem provides all the benefits of this modern connection standard. With the support of the 3.0 DOCSIS version, which is backward compatible with all the previous protocol versions down to 1.0, this TP-LINK piece of network equipment provides the download speed of more than 400 megabits per second. Such a high speed is enabled owing to the support of eight downstream channels on the TC-7610-E. With that, the upload speed for that model exceeds the 120 megabits per second limit, which is bigger than the total bandwidth for a standard Ethernet connection. Eventually, this modem offers all the basic functionality, which one expects from the device of such type, while the DOCSIS 3.0 support brings a future-proof Internet and digital TV services for the customer.

The TC-7610-E is one of the best cable modems for Comcast, Time Warner, and similar services. The connection to Comcast does not require any special skills as all you need to do is plug the power cable in, turn on the modem and wait for a few minutes until it boots up and gets detected by Comcast equipment as a new piece of user hardware. After that, the modem takes you to Comcast's self-service page to ask your permission for configuring your modem and the provider equipment and establishing a connection. The whole procedure takes about 10-15 minutes as your modem needs to restart several times while downloading the provisioning files provided by Comcast. And that will be all: you are online. But the most beneficial and interesting part about it is that you do not need to pay monthly fees anymore!

The DM200 model combines a simplicity of connection with a solid network performance. With the VDLS 2 standard support, this modem by NETGEAR provides decent 100 Mbits/s rates for both downstream and upstream connection. In fact, you need to have a stable 25 Mbits/s spare bandwidth continuously delivered by your service provider to watch Full HD and even UHD (4K) video streams smoothly. Thus, the maximum VDSL connection bandwidth supported by this modem is enough for practically any home Internet use scenario. Moreover, the peak connection speed provided by the DM200 allows you to connect several media devices to this modem via a router and comfortably use them simultaneously or alternately for various purposes.

In practice, having only one network input port does not reduce the device to supporting one connection standard only. The DM200-100EUS modem is an evidence for this statement being true as in addition to VDSL support it also offers the support for the ADSL2+ standard. Despite a rapid growth of Internet coverage in some residential areas the only option for Internet providers to get their subscribers online is to use the phone line infrastructure, which already exists, even if is obsolete. That is why using this NETGEAR modem is a way to go for you if you dwell in such areas, especially when it is not possible to establish an Internet connection using the newer VDSL technology due to the phone line performance. To get online with this modem using the ADSL (as well as VDSL) technology and your telephone line you’ll need to install a splitter on your phone cable. The splitter is a very compact piece of network equipment, which connects to your phone line on the input and provides separate modem and phone outputs. In such a way the splitter “splits” the total line bandwidth between your modem and phone ensuring their concurrent use so that your phone is never busy even when you use the Internet.

As described by the manufacturer the DrayTek Vigor 130 is a “true” VDSL and ADSL modem with an outgoing Ethernet port. Contrary to many multifunction network devices the 130 model is not a router but a true modem or a bridge. While other Ethernet modems in many cases use workarounds to get a public IP address “through” to your secondary device/client, which requires complicated dual-stage setup (modem logs in and passes the data to a router) and results in a non-standard operation, the Vigor 130 provides your secondary device with a real routed IP connection. Such scheme allows to fully manage the connection greatly facilitating the setup procedure. More often than not, the Vigor device itself requires no setup or configuration so you can just plug it in and configure your router, PC or laptop. Note that you enter all login/ISP details on the connected client device, not the Vigor modem. With that, the actual connection to your Internet provider is still PPPoA or PPPoE (depending on your provider and line type). The bridging method implemented in the DrayTek Vigor is also more transparent than that of using a conventional ADSL/VDSL router that automatically performs the login and uses a network address translator (NAT) or multiple public IP addresses to create onward client connections for the devices you hook to it. The case is that the mentioned conventional method is not very sparing in terms of IP addresses granted and may cause secondary NAT compromises or conflicts with various protocols. The Vigor 130 bridge/modem, on the contrary, provides you with a true single public IP address (or multiple addresses), through which the traffic is forwarded straight to your router.

Rest assured you will have no issues with getting online as the Vigor 130 offers compatibility with all current UK VDSL/ADSL technologies. The modem has undergone a thorough testing and tuning to provide you with a stable and reliable DSL connection. Therefore, you can connect any device with a PPPoE client facility including PCs, most Ethernet-WAN routers, Apple Airport/Time Capsule™ products, etc. to the Vigor modem.

Though the configuration of your DOCSIS modem for going online is made automatically on the provider side, there are some aspects of this procedure you need to know to get it done quickly and with no issues. First, your ISP/cable service provider will need to know the MAC address of your modem and may also need the account number of your cable service. In most cases, you can find the MAC address of your modem printed on a label glued to the modem bottom or back panel. This address is usually specified as RF MAC. With that, your ISP may refer to this as a CM MAC address or as a Cable Modem MAC address. As for the account number, you can learn it from your bill, if for some reason it is not possible you can resort to your service provider by calling and asking them for your account number. This information is required either when ordering a cable modem service or calling the cable company after you have had your modem installed. In some cases, you will need this information when filling out the menu on the account setup page that is shown when you connect your cable modem to your ISP’s network for the first time. Please note that as an additional information the provider may ask for your cable modem's model name and serial number. For this Zoom device, the model is ZOOM 5341-72-00J. The serial number, which is specific for each modem unit, can be found near the MAC address specified on the label.

Zoom designed this modem with an advanced Broadcom integrated circuit technology implemented. That is why you can have no worries about the connection stability and high speed. While the former is not an issue for modern modems using the DOCSIS technology, the high download speed is quite relevant. Owing to the support of eight channels for downstream traffic and four channels for upstream traffic, this Zoom model allows you to get the most out of the Internet service your provider delivers in terms of speed.