Charter Compatible DOCSIS 3.0 Internet Modems

Modem list updated September 2017. Prices updated every hour.

(If you're in a former Time Warner/Bright House area and have Spectrum internet, go here to find modems: Time Warner Approved Modems.)

Below are the most popular modems on the Charter Approved Modems List and that can be bought at Amazon, Walmart or Best Buy. We've gone through all of them to find the ones that can be purchased at major retailers.

Compare prices and features of every Charter/Spectrum approved modem on our page: All Charter/Spectrum Approved Modems: Price and Feature Comparison Table

Note the following policy from Charter: Effective July 26, 2012 For new Internet Customers and customers switching to our New Package Pricing, we will no longer allow customer-owned modems on our network. In order to provide our customers powerful and reliable Internet service at a great value, we will provide modems included in Internet pricing under our New Package Pricing. This notice can be found here near the top of the page under "Compliant Modems": Charter Policy on Customer Owned Modems for New Internet Customers and Customers Switching to New Package Pricing

If you're paying $7 a month to rent a modem from Charter, that's $84 a year or $420 over 5 years. You can buy a new one for less than that. There are used ones that will pay for themselves in less than 3 months.

Easy to install. Just hookup modem, open browser window on attached computer and follow the on-screen instructions.

DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modems

Cable Modem Buying Tips and FAQ's

All Charter Spectrum Internet Service subscribers, buy any of these DOCSIS 3.0 modems. If you subscribe to service over 60 Mbs, choose a modem with 8-channel download bonding to maximize your speed. They are the ARRIS/Motorola SBG6580, SB6141, SB6183 and SB6190. For plans over 100 Mbps, buy one with at least 16 down channels. They are the Arris SB6183 and SB6190. If you have telephone service with Charter too, these won't work.

All of these modems are high quality and have pretty much the same features, except for number of download channels and those with routers built in. So don't worry too much about deciding which one to buy. Price should be a main factor in your buying decision. Buy one now and start saving those rental fees!

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See more Charter / Spectrum approved modems and compare prices and features on our page: All Charter Approved Modems: Price and Feature Comparison Table

ARRIS / Motorola SB6183 SURFBoard DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem

The ARRIS / Motorola SB6183 is one of the latest versions in their Surfboard series. With 16-channel downstream bonding and 4-channel upstream, it can handle the fastest internet plans. As the price of this modem has fallen, it's becoming the one to buy to really future-proof yourself as ISP's increase speeds. Not sure which one to buy? Buy this one or the newest version of the SB6183, the SB6190, which has twice the maximum download and upload speed of the SB6183. Supports IPv6 and IPv4 addressing. Works with Windows, Mac, or Linux computers.

  • Our rating:
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  • 4.6/5 (4,891 ratings counted at all sellers)

33% of August's visitors who bought a DOCSIS 3.0 modem, bought this one.

ARRIS / Motorola SB6190 SURFBoard DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem

The ARRIS / Motorola SB6190 is the latest version in their Surfboard series. With 32-channel downstream bonding and 8-channel upstream, it can more than handle the fastest internet plans now and into the future. Supports IPv6 and IPv4 addressing. Works with Windows, Mac, or Linux computers.

  • Our rating:
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  • 4.5/5 (2,903 ratings counted at all sellers)

20% of August's visitors who bought a DOCSIS 3.0 modem, bought this one.

ARRIS / Motorola SB6141 SURFBoard DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem

The ARRIS / Motorola SB6141 is the updated version of their popular SB6121. It has 8-channel downstream bonding and 4-channel upstream, twice the maximum download speed of the SB6121 (Comcast / Xfinity has put the SB6121 on the end of life, EOL, list.) The newer version of the SB6141 is the SB6183, which has twice the maximum download speed of the SB6141. Supports IPv6 and IPv4 addressing. Works with Windows, Mac, or Linux computers.

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  • 4.4/5 (27,661 ratings counted at all sellers)

14% of August's visitors who bought a DOCSIS 3.0 modem, bought this one.

ARRIS / Motorola SBG6580 SURFboard DOCSIS 3.0 Gateway Wireless Cable Modem

The ARRIS / Motorola SBG6580 has a built-in dual band wireless-N router. It also has 4 Gigabit Ethernet Ports. 8-channel bonding downstream, 4-channel upstream. The newer version is the SBG6700. Supports IPv6 and IPv4 addressing. Works with Windows, Mac, or Linux computers.

  • Our rating:
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  • 3.9/5 (8,991 ratings counted at all sellers)

10% of August's visitors who bought a DOCSIS 3.0 modem, bought this one.

SEE IT NOW AT:NEWUSED
Amazon $78.28$34.96
Walmart $107.60

ARRIS / Motorola SB6121 SURFBoard DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem

ARRIS / Motorola is a big name in cable modems and you can't go wrong with any of their Surfboard modems. The ARRIS / Motorola SB6121 has the exact same specs as the SB6120 and is basically the updated, newer version of it, with a slightly smaller case. 4-channel bonding up and down. The new version of this modem is the SB6141, which has twice the maximum download speed of the SB6121. Supports IPv6 and IPv4 addressing. Works with Windows, Mac, or Linux computers.

  • Our rating:
  • Avg. rating at all sellers:

  • 4.5/5 (8,722 ratings counted at all sellers)

0% of August's visitors who bought a DOCSIS 3.0 modem, bought this one.

SEE IT NOW AT:NEWUSED
Amazon $36.99$7.25
Walmart $62.54

See more Charter / Spectrum approved modems and compare prices and features on our page: All Charter Approved Modems: Price and Feature Comparison Table

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Comments

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Ed (San Antonio) says...
Going to sign up with Spectrum internet so would it be better to buy a modem without the Wi-Fi connect and then buy a separate one and if I do what do you recommend 100 mp is what I'm looking at
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11th June 2018 11:09am
Wounded Warr1or (Clarksville) says...
I have been using the Motorola SBG 6580 for a few years which is a combo modem / Wi-Fi router without issue. Although, I used to be satisfied with both the wireless and wired connections, it now seems as the Wi-Fi is hit and miss. It seems the tech has changed to AC from N, which was the latest when I purchased the SBG 6580; which is the best proven bang for the buck currently; a lot of these posts are pretty dated. Please advise .. Thank you. Peace

Very Respectfully,
WX2

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22nd May 2018 8:02pm
Jeffrey (Santa Clarita - Ca) says...
Does anyone know if their are any DOCSIS 3.1 Modems that are approved/ work with Spectrum?

Replies would be appreciated. Thank you.

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30th January 2018 5:39pm
JoeTee says...
I have Spectrum 200Mbps d/l and 10Mbps u/l speeds respectively. Spectrum charges $5 a month to activate the wireless capability of the Ubee36C modem. I am currently using a D-Link DIR-815 router but can only support up to 60Mbps on wireless, direct cable to the router I get 220Mbps d/l and 12Mbps u/l. Can anyone recommend a modem/router combo that will work with Spectrum (TWC) service? Thank you.
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28th December 2017 9:05am
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Barrett Powell (Cary) says...
I went to Best Buy last year and was told my Netgear C6300 was compatible with Time Warner Cable. I have the 300mb modem service. Charter took over and 3 weeks ago my service went out for 2 days while they upgraded equipment. Now my service only gets 10mb to 78mb and is spotty at best. I use 5G Wi-Fi in my house for some devices and don't want to give that up. Advice? Do I need a new modem...again?
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19th November 2017 10:32pm
ITAdmin (Mad Town) says...
Do not buy any Arris modems as they are severely bugged right now. Intel chipsets are causing modems to perform very poorly and you will be causing yourself a lot of headaches and throwing money down the toilet. I repeat, do not buy any modem that has Intel's Puma chipset. Puma5, Puma6 and Puma7 chips are all affected. You will experience disconnects, bad speeds and huge amounts of network latency (which kills streaming and gaming online). BUY AT YOUR OWN LOSS.
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13th November 2017 1:46pm
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Wicked1 (Norco Ca) says...
Hey Dan, i was thinking of buying the SB6190: since u are saying there is an issue w/ the Arris Modems, which Modems should we be looking into?
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16th November 2017 4:24am
Eddie (Edinburg) says...
I have the basic internet from Spectrum. Which modem should I buy? I want a direct connect with no wifi. I was thinking one the two listed below but I am not sure. Thanks

ARRIS / Motorola SB6121 SURFBoard DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem
ARRIS / Motorola SB6141 SURFBoard DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem

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8th October 2017 10:18pm
MrMike (Detroit) says...
I have a Arris TM822 Modem, and a NETGEAR Nighthawk X6 R7900 Router. The speed is fine for most of the time. But, when I'm streaming live TV on Apple TV, it looks slow and grainy. I'm wondering if I should update my modem? I think, I've had it for over 5yrs? Any Suggestions?
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22nd September 2017 6:29pm
Dan says...
I'd first try plugging your computer directly into the TM822 modem and doing an online speed test. If you get over 5 Mbps download speed, that should be enough for HD video. If you have other devices sharing the internet and watching video, you'll have to multiply that 5 Mbps by the number of devices to see what download speed you'd need.

If that checks out, try putting your computer next to the Apple TV and try doing a speed test over Wifi and see if you have enough speed. If not, its a wifi problem and not the modem.

I had a Roku box using wifi that had terrible video quality. Moved the box 6 inches from behind the TV and Presto! perfect video.

Anyone else with suggestions?

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23rd September 2017 6:08pm
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Cliff (Dfw) says...
I just bought a Arris SBG6580 combination modem and router, got connections, but security screen appears and once contacted charter they state it does not support the phone only the internet ???

It has the modem inside and recommended on Charters website, I tend to wonder are they telling the truth just do not want you to buy your own, so they loose out on rental as I am paying $10 per month !

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31st May 2017 3:32pm
CR Smith says...
I have Spectrum/Charter HD cable service. I need [wireless] WiFi capability.

I'd like to purchase a WiFi router/modem [one unit] that is compatible with HD Spectrum/Charter.

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3rd May 2017 2:45pm
Grant says...
You don't want a 2 in 1, believe me. It's almost always better to buy separate units as the wifi range and speed usually suck
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3rd May 2017 6:26pm
Md. Imranul Islam (Worcester) says...
I'm paying $5/month for wifi router. Could anyone please suggest me which router I can buy from Amazon/Walmart/Bestbuy that is compatible with charter spectrum?
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19th March 2017 11:29am
Ernie (Grants Pass) says...
I have this one and works great. NETGEAR - Nighthawk Wireless-AC2300
Best Buy has it for $149.99 right now
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24th July 2017 2:36pm
Charlene says...
Ernie -- is this NETGEAR - Nighthawk Wireless-AC2300 both modem/wifi -- two in one?
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8th August 2017 9:33am
Joe (Long Beach) says...
Does anyone know how many downstream channels Charter offers? I actually get their upgraded Spectrum Internet Service and was wondering about this. I'm not sure where to find this information. I am debating buying the SB6190, but if I can't take advantage of it's expanded channel capability, then I'll save a few bucks and get the SB6183.
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3rd March 2017 1:16pm
Shawn (Staten Island) says...
Joe, it say's on this page that you need 8 channels for more than 64mbps, and 16 for more than 100mbps. It also say's that the phone will not work with modems with 16 channels for some reason. I really don't see why not unless they are just trying to price gouge people, but it's something they should address. I'm not sure if it also apply's to the 8 channel modems as they didn't exactly specify that.
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13th September 2017 9:37pm
Karl says...
Actually, Charter no longer charges a separate fee for the modem; it's included in their package pricing. So buying your own modem won't reduce your bill.
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3rd March 2017 10:42am
Chad says...
Not true. I came here looking for a good one for my brother who just signed up with Spectrum. He's getting charged $5 / month for a modem with built in wi-fi capability.
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5th July 2017 9:06pm
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Frank (Mascoutah) says...
Spectrum modem is included; Spectrum modem with built-in Wi-Fi is a $5 per month charge. Two different pieces of equipment.
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28th July 2017 12:57pm
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Black (New York) says...
Spectrum does not charge for the modem, but charges an extra $5 for wifi service, not the wifi modem/router
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7th December 2017 12:38pm
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Jason says...
Will the newer model SBG6782-AC work as well? It i really hard to find info on newer modem/router combo's that work with Charter.
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5th October 2016 12:38am
Dan says...
As of right now, the SBG6782AC is not on Charter's list of authorized modems. However the SBG6700AC and the SBG6900AC are on their "Minimally Qualified" list, meaning they'll work on Charter but haven't been thoroughly tested for speeds at various tiers. Guessing they'll work fine. Here's links to both at Amazon: SBG6700AC and SBG6900AC
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5th October 2016 8:30pm
Jason says...
Thank you so much for the reply. I am moving next week and set up installation with Charter. I will go with the SBG6700AC.
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5th October 2016 10:59pm
alexander says...
i been thanking of buying me a router from walmart that really advanced but i kno it not on list. what would happen if i wa to buy and use one
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25th August 2016 10:02pm
steve (Sauk Rapids) says...
If I understand this correctly. If you buy one that is not supported by Charter, it won't work. You need to buy one that is supported by Charter.
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27th September 2016 9:37am
Megan Pritchard (Saint Louis) says...
I've been through several now that haven't worked with Charter, but Charter set up doesn't explicitly state it. In fact, Charter reps have even said "it seems the modem/router is broken and you need a new one". This was the case with Motorola MG7550. I'm still searching for one that is good and works.
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6th November 2016 3:11pm
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David Menke (O'fallon) says...
Do any of these modems have a phone jack on the back?
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21st June 2016 3:50pm
Dan says...
No. The only DOCSIS 3.0 modem on the the Charter list that has a phone jack and is readily available to buy is the the Arris TM822G. Here's a link to it on Amazon: Arris TM822G
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21st June 2016 4:07pm
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Price / Features Comparison

See every approved retail modem's price and features in an easily sorted and searchable table:

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Price / Features Comparison

See every approved retail modem's price and features in an easily sorted and searchable table:

Comcast

Comcast Business

Cox

Charter

Cable ONE

Suddenlink

Time Warner/Road Runner/Bright House


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