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Motorola SB6120 First DOC 3.0 Modem In Retail
Now all you need is a cable operator offering DOCSIS 3.0...
Motorola proudly proclaimed this week that they're the first company to offer DOCSIS 3.0 modems via brick and mortar retail stores. Specifically, Motorola says their SB6120 modem will soon be available via Fry's Electronics. Though Motorola doesn't mention a price tag for the device, the modem's been listed on the Fry's website for some time at $99. While Motorola clearly wants to give Fry's a little PR love for their brick and mortar deal, the same modem is available for $93.51 on Amazon. The announcement comes not long after Comcast announced that new DOCSIS 3.0 customers could finally purchase their own modems, instead of being forced to rent the modem from the carrier.
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Bit00
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join:2009-02-19
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1 recommendation

Bit00

Premium Member

I saw these at Compuplus last week

Pretty cheap, makes you wonder how Cablevision can justifying their $300 we actually don't want anyone to sign up activation fee.
lilstone87
join:2009-04-09
Chesapeake, VA

lilstone87

Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

yeah i just ordered my 6120, for $97 with 2 day shipping, The modem was only $80 which is very good for a new docsis 3.0 modem. Hell i was just in bestbuy other day, and they still are selling the sb5101/5102 for $80... So you tell me if its a good deal or not
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned) to Bit00

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to Bit00
said by Bit00:

Pretty cheap, makes you wonder how Cablevision can justifying their $300 we actually don't want anyone to sign up activation fee.
Yep because most modems will make many times their cost to the cable company in rental fees. So no "activation" fee is needed.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

said by 88615298:
said by Bit00:

Pretty cheap, makes you wonder how Cablevision can justifying their $300 we actually don't want anyone to sign up activation fee.
Yep because most modems will make many times their cost to the cable company in rental fees. So no "activation" fee is needed.
And the activation fee isn't for activating the modem. You can buy and use the SB6120 without a fee if you just use it on the regular speed tiers. The activation fee is if you go on one of the Docsis 3 speed tiers.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

said by FFH5:

said by 88615298:
said by Bit00:

Pretty cheap, makes you wonder how Cablevision can justifying their $300 we actually don't want anyone to sign up activation fee.
Yep because most modems will make many times their cost to the cable company in rental fees. So no "activation" fee is needed.
And the activation fee isn't for activating the modem. You can buy and use the SB6120 without a fee if you just use it on the regular speed tiers. The activation fee is if you go on one of the Docsis 3 speed tiers.
That still doesn't justify it.
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88 to 88615298

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to 88615298
said by 88615298:

said by Bit00:

Pretty cheap, makes you wonder how Cablevision can justifying their $300 we actually don't want anyone to sign up activation fee.
Yep because most modems will make many times their cost to the cable company in rental fees. So no "activation" fee is needed.
Cablevision modems are free rent, there is no line item.

Anonymous88
Premium Member
join:2004-06-01
IA

Anonymous88 to Bit00

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to Bit00
They can't justify it.

limegrass69
No Whammies
join:2008-05-28

limegrass69

Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

said by Anonymous88:

They can't justify it.
They don't need to justify it. You need to justify it to yourself. If you can't, then stay with the standard or Boost tiers.

Bit00
Premium Member
join:2009-02-19
00000

1 edit

Bit00

Premium Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

Their marketing department is selling a tier their network can't really support, thus they have to price it so high that few would sign up. The insane activation gouge will stop a lot of people from signing up while still allowing their marketing department to splash nations fastest internet service, 101Mb for only $99 advertising all over the place.
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080 to limegrass69

Member

to limegrass69
said by limegrass69:

said by Anonymous88:

They can't justify it.
They don't need to justify it. You need to justify it to yourself. If you can't, then stay with the standard or Boost tiers.
Well, things could be worse.. they could raise the price of broadband durring the peak season + holidays (March - October, December) the same way they do with gasoline... thats IF $1 a gigabyte for overages isn't enough... /sarcasm

WHAT?!? Why give a greedy industry new ideas to screw over the consumer... I'm just saying if you keep paying the higher prices... eventually you'll get so used to it.. you'll learn to perpetually live in debt they same way the government does.
At which point, can you really have faith in the monetary system?

While we're at it... call & cancel your cable-tv subscription please. Tell 'em Tmc8080 sent you, courtesy of the Comcast & Time Warner price experimentation thread.
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88

Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

said by tmc8080:

Well, things could be worse.. they could raise the price of broadband durring the peak season + holidays (March - October, December) the same way they do with gasoline... thats IF $1 a gigabyte for overages isn't enough... /sarcasm
Why would march-oct be peak? Wouldn't the low daylight winter months have more data usage?
travelguy
join:1999-09-03
Bismarck, ND
Asus RT-AC68
Ubiquiti NSM5

travelguy

Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

said by patcat88:

Why would march-oct be peak? Wouldn't the low daylight winter months have more data usage?
Gak!!! Shades of the old Compuserve twice a year slowdowns. One in September when all colleges started up and a much worse one in January two weeks after Christmas when people figured out how to get their modems from Christmas working.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536

Premium Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

said by travelguy:
said by patcat88:

Why would march-oct be peak? Wouldn't the low daylight winter months have more data usage?
Gak!!! Shades of the old Compuserve twice a year slowdowns. One in September when all colleges started up and a much worse one in January two weeks after Christmas when people figured out how to get their modems from Christmas working.
Don't you mean Compu$erve?
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88 to Anonymous88

Member

to Anonymous88
said by Anonymous88:

They can't justify it.
They can charge whatever they want, $300 is very reasonable. You want 2*T3 speeds for free? prepare to sell all your family's cars for the installation cost for 2 T3s.

Bit00
Premium Member
join:2009-02-19
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Bit00

Premium Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

$300 is a rip off and totally unjustified. They are only charging it because their network won't support any decent number of users on that tier.

However in true fraudulent fashion they must be able to promote the misleading $99 advertising.

dennismurphy
Put me on hold? I'll put YOU on hold
Premium Member
join:2002-11-19
Parsippany, NJ

dennismurphy

Premium Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

said by Bit00:

$300 is a rip off and totally unjustified. They are only charging it because their network won't support any decent number of users on that tier.

However in true fraudulent fashion they must be able to promote the misleading $99 advertising.
Oh, I didn't know Laguna Hills was a Cablevision territory.

Right, it isn't. If you don't have the service, you have absolutely no right to call it a rip off, fraudulent, or misleading. What do you know about their network? Nothing.

Bit00
Premium Member
join:2009-02-19
00000

3 edits

Bit00

Premium Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

Of course I can call it a rip off. I don't have to not be offered a rip off to recognize it as a rip off.

You can kiss their ass all you want, but it's absolutely a rip off designed to keep people from signing up while letting the marketing department advertising the $99 price point.

There is ZERO justification for the insane "activation" bullcrap other than this.

And I know enough about DOCSIS 3 to know that it can't support even a moderate number of 100Mb users...PERIOD. Even FiOS with GPON, 3X the capacity of DOCSIS 3 divided by only a small fraction of users compared to CV would have trouble delivering 100Mb service to a large number of users. It's not rocket science, it's basic math.

To the fools out there who haven't realized it yet, this is a marketing gimmick that CV hopes no one signs up for and to help make that happen they charge the bogus $300 "activation" fee.

dennismurphy
Put me on hold? I'll put YOU on hold
Premium Member
join:2002-11-19
Parsippany, NJ

dennismurphy

Premium Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

said by Bit00:

Of course I can call it a rip off. I don't have to not be offered a rip off to recognize it as a rip off.

You can kiss their ass all you want, but it's absolutely a rip off designed to keep people from signing up while letting the marketing department advertising the $99 price point.

There is ZERO justification for the insane "activation" bullcrap other than this.

And I know enough about DOCSIS 3 to know that it can't support even a moderate number of 100Mb users...PERIOD. Even FiOS with GPON, 3X the capacity of DOCSIS 3 divided by only a small fraction of users compared to CV would have trouble delivering 100Mb service to a large number of users. It's not rocket science, it's basic math.

To the fools out there who haven't realized it yet, this is a marketing gimmick that CV hopes no one signs up for and to help make that happen they charge the bogus $300 "activation" fee.
For all you know (because you don't live here), they only allow one DOCSIS 3 user per node.

But you don't know, because you're not here. You're on the other side of the country.

Cablevision has proven themselves to be competitive. They are in the wealthiest territory in the US, and play hardball.

I'm not kissing anyone's ass - I have CV's Internet service, but DirecTV's television service. I don't think everything they do is perfect (not a fan of their TV service), but what I do know is that my BOOST service (30 down / 5 up) works perfectly, at full speed, and the few times I've had an issue, they've been resolved /same day/. That's the same service that was called a gimmick, unsustainable and all that when it came out too.

You can't say that because you're 3,000 miles away. Stick to what you know - Cablevision's operating model isn't it.

Bit00
Premium Member
join:2009-02-19
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Bit00

Premium Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

No genius, I know the capacity of DOCSIS 3 and know that CV will never allocate enough channel space to support a lot of 100Mb bonded users.

I don't have to be on the moon to know it isn't made of cheese.

dennismurphy
Put me on hold? I'll put YOU on hold
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join:2002-11-19
Parsippany, NJ

dennismurphy

Premium Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

said by Bit00:

No genius, I know the capacity of DOCSIS 3 and know that CV will never allocate enough channel space to support a lot of 100Mb bonded users.
Same argument as when BOOST was introduced. It was wrong then, and wrong now.

Just that you know how DOCSIS works, doesn't mean you know their specific bandwidth allocation plans.

I love it when idiots 3,000 miles away pretend to know how someone else's network functions.

Bit00
Premium Member
join:2009-02-19
00000

4 edits

Bit00

Premium Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

Yeah and the same limitations that force cable operators to use powerboost gimmicks to deliver 30Mb service because DOCSIS 1 and 2 topology won't support lot of simultaneous 30Mb subscribers is the same reason DOCSIS 3 can't support lots of 100Mb users.

And even with providers like CV who advertise continuous DOCSIS 1.1+ 30Mb service, can't deliver it to all their BOOST users all the time, their actual throughput depends on other local user traffic. BOOST is simply uncapped service and 30-33Mb is all one can reasonably expect from a DOCSIS channel. All DOCSIS 3 does is permit channel bonding, it does nothing to alleviate the actual per channel capacity bottleneck currently granted under DOCSIS 2 nor does it increase nodal capacity. This isn't a "this Cali guy doesn't like CV" thing...this is a simple DOCSIS math thing.

If Cablevision was dedicating enough 6MHz channels to HSI everyone would be seeing their tiered caps all the time and they don't.

You should read a bit about how DOCSIS works before touting cablevision 100Mb greatness. Whether next door or 3000 miles away, the challenges facing cablevision and other DOCSIS 3 operators is the same. The pre-cert DOCSIS 3 spec doesn't change with geography genius and there are only so many channels they can dedicate to HSI.

They can not support a lot of users on this tier, period. That is why they're charging a cost prohibitive activation fee, so that few if any sign up while allowing them to put up the "fastest broadband in America for $99" posters.

dennismurphy
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join:2002-11-19
Parsippany, NJ

dennismurphy

Premium Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

said by Bit00:

Yeah and the same limitations that force cable operators to use powerboost gimmicks to deliver 30Mb service because DOCSIS 1 and 2 topology won't support lot of simultaneous 30Mb subscribers is the same reason DOCSIS 3 can't support lots of 100Mb users.
See, that's where the distance thing comes in ... Cablevision *has no* powerboost "gimmicks"... Their infrastructure does support their 30mbps tier.

Are there issues? Of course. There were some significant ones during the DOCSIS 3 prepwork. It's not due to a poor network or overzealous sales, but just an issue that cropped up. It's been solved.

9/10ths of the issues people have with BOOST are due to bad cabling, splitters, etc.

It's NOT a bandwidth issue. It's NOT a capacity bottleneck.

It's all in the network design. CV has some of the most significant backbone capacity anywhere. Last-mile stuff (node-to-house) can be taken care of with node splits and additional equipment. It can be (and is) done every day.

If you're active in network management and do it well, you can absolutely support quite a few DOCSIS 3 users in a particular area.

It's not easy, and it doesn't happen by magic. But it CAN be done, and I have confidence that if anyone can pull it off, it'll be CV.

Bit00
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00000

2 edits

Bit00

Premium Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

Sorry, read it again, I didn't say Cablevision used powerboost, I was speaking directly to DOCSIS channel capacity limitations which like all cable operators do, Cablevision certainly has.

Again, you need to understand how cable topology works. Cable's bottlenecks are rarely if ever backbone connectivity. Is it nearly always nodal capacity issues where you have a lot of users sharing channel capacity in the last mile.

DOCSIS 3 does not increase channel capacity nor does it increase the overall number of 6MHz channels (out of the 750MHz or if upgraded like Cox is trying to do, 1GHz) CV dedicates to HSI. It merely allows cable to bond existing channels together so that they can deliver more than 38Mb to an individual user who before DOCSIS 3 could only use 1 channel (which is why Boost is 30Mb, cause that is about the max you typically see from an unused channel).

It is still the same shared topology where you have a limited number of 6MHz channels being shared by hundreds of users. And to be clear, the "node" isn't the bottleneck, it is how many channels the cable operator dedicates to HSI and with 100Mb service taking nearly 3 channels of bandwidth for a single user, it is obvious to ANYONE that a cable provider can't support a more than just a couple of local 100Mb users on a node. There just isn't that much available bandwidth. Cable HSI capacity can be improved by SDV, ditching analog, moving from 750Mhz to 1GHz, with the freed capacity going to additional HSI channels. But that can only go so far, especially with these operators adding HD networks and HD PPV offerings hand over fist. A 6MHz channel can carry an analog video channel, 6-10 digital SD channels, or 2-3 HD channels. That is valuable real estate. Cable offers a lot of video and streaming (on demand) content in this limited spectrum, not allowing them to just give HSI all they want. To even begin supporting 100Mb they would need to completely ditch analog video and put that capacity to HSI.

And 100Mb isn't difficult for just cable. GPON offers Verizon 3X DOCSIS 3 bonded capacity and is shared by only a small fraction of users (homes 32-64 homes, even fewer subscribers), and they couldn't support 100Mb service to a more than a couple of local users at a time.

Cablevision MUST have a way of insuring that only a very tiny fraction of users go for this 100Mb deal and their solution is the bullcrap activation fee. It accomplishes 2 things, first to dissuade people from signing up. Second it allows their marketing department to splash $99 all over the place.

You, I suppose think they could support lots of users buying this tier but we will never know because they instituted a pricing policy that insures that very few will bite.

PGHammer
join:2003-06-09
Accokeek, MD

PGHammer to Bit00

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to Bit00
As long as there are no Fry's locations east of Ohio, I refuse to consider them a *national* retailer. (E-tailer, yes; but not retailer.) If Moto were serious, I would have suggested either MicroCenter or, better yet, Best Buy. (Motorola's existing SB-51xx cable modems are already resold through both national retailers and their websites.) Apparently, they are still having availability issues, since they are still resorting to spotty retail availability.

Bit00
Premium Member
join:2009-02-19
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Bit00

Premium Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

With only 21 locations total, Microcenter is hardly national either.
nanoflower
join:2002-07-14
30876

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to PGHammer
So they've been a national retailer for a few years now.. At least by your definition since Frys has been in Duluth, Georgia (which is east of Ohio though a bit south of there) for a few years now.

I think what most people expect from a national retailer is to have one within a few hours drive of them regardless of where they live in the continental USA. That isn't likely to happen with a Frys unless they get a big influx of cash and decide to take on Best Buy. That pretty much rules out Microcenter since they are even more computer focused than Frys. I don't think either of these companies want to risk expanding too fast and ending up like Compusa.

PGHammer
join:2003-06-09
Accokeek, MD

PGHammer

Member

Re: I saw these at Compuplus last week

Which is why I suggested Best Buy.
klcoll
join:2002-12-22
Chandler, AZ

klcoll

Member

not news!

I bought one at Fry's in Tempe AZ 3-4 months ago, Moto is months behind with this "news". At the time it was $119.95, they've since dropped the price after they no doubt gathered dust initially. Nobody locally is even offering DOCSIS 3.0 yet. I talked Cox into provisioning the thing, even though they don't officially support it and the tech had no option on their system to provision it. I coaxed him into calling it a 5120 on their network, and it has worked fine since, even bonding 2 upstream channels. Speed is about 25 mbits, same as I was getting on my old cheeseball Linksys modem.
lilstone87
join:2009-04-09
Chesapeake, VA

1 edit

lilstone87

Member

Re: not news!

said by klcoll:

I bought one at Fry's in Tempe AZ 3-4 months ago, Moto is months behind with this "news". At the time it was $119.95, they've since dropped the price after they no doubt gathered dust initially. Nobody locally is even offering DOCSIS 3.0 yet. I talked Cox into provisioning the thing, even though they don't officially support it and the tech had no option on their system to provision it. I coaxed him into calling it a 5120 on their network, and it has worked fine since, even bonding 2 upstream channels. Speed is about 25 mbits, same as I was getting on my old cheeseball Linksys modem.
No, they do support the 6120 now.. please check there modem support page again. it has been added there for about 2 weeks or so now. So Cox can provision them modems now.

fifty nine
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ

fifty nine

Member

Useless for me.

SE Cable leases the modem for free, so no need for me to buy one.
bobytt
join:2007-07-17
Miami Beach, FL

bobytt

Member

question

I was wondering is this modem help for better speeds and work on older docsis version? Any advantage if i am still at 2.0 and use this modem?

••••
Ryokurin
join:2008-12-05
Atlanta, GA

Ryokurin

Member

slow pr staff?

I guess they needed to post something to show progress as I remember seeing this unit sold at Fry's around here like in January. Basically any place that Comcast started their upgrades in the area.
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

fiberguy2

Premium Member

Save your money...

...Moto can keep their 6120 modem. After 3 of them and constant drops of sync and drops of channel bonding, I got tired of it and moved to an S/A modem. The SB6120 over heats too much and causes too many problems.. I personally don't think it's ready for prime time and certainly not for a consumer to want to buy it on their own.

I think I'd wait for a revision, second model, or S/A to release theirs to market before dropping a penny on this and owning the problem.

•••

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf

Member

Simply Amazing

I have never had an issue with this modem, so I don't know why some would say otherwise

Anyway found this modem online for $84.98
»www.provantage.com/motor ··· 901Y.htm

cypherstream
MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA

cypherstream

MVM

When is the SBV6220 coming out?

I have triple play service. I'd rather have the internet and voice come over the same modem (less splits on the cable line = better signal).

When will one be able to purchase an SBV6220 or even rent one for that matter?

•••

burgerwars
join:2004-09-11
Northridge, CA

burgerwars

Member

DOCSIS

Any advantage of waiting until DOCSIS 4.0 comes out?

•••

ComcastRated
@comcast.net

ComcastRated

Anon

Please hang on to your reciepts!

Especially you early buyers who may have had your modem provisiond as a leased modem by accident.

Don't let this become a hassle later.
lilstone87
join:2009-04-09
Chesapeake, VA

lilstone87

Member

Re: Please hang on to your reciepts!

said by ComcastRated :

Especially you early buyers who may have had your modem provisiond as a leased modem by accident.

Don't let this become a hassle later.
Well you do get a 2 year manufacturer warranty, so if the modem is messed up, there in all rights of fixing it. Anyways the issue with this modem has been with the older firmware thats the ISP's have been pushing to everyone using these modems, But now Motorola has released a new firmware, and that has taken care of the known problem everyone has been having.

hayabusa3303
Over 200 mph
Premium Member
join:2005-06-29
Florence, SC

hayabusa3303

Premium Member

Lets see

this will be on the market about a year before ambit and SA, the other crap modems come out flooding the market with there version of the modem.

Motorola makes excellent modems very few problems compared to other makes out there.

90.00 bucks is not bad if you want the most update thing in your network, but the cable companys are going to very slow to buy these. Cable companys have contracts with other vendors so they will just sit back and wait on there product to come out.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf

Member

Re: Lets see

If by SA you mean Scientific Atlanta, SA was bought out by Cisco, which has already released the DPC3000 and which has been released to cable providers such as Comcast.

Comcast also has snatched up these modems and are dolling them out as well, and where I've read, are even selling them.

Scree
In the pipe 5 by 5
join:2001-04-24
Mount Laurel, NJ

Scree

Member

finally, but

Will wait for next hw rev for kinks to be ironed out. heh

••••

CajunTek
Insane Cajun
Premium Member
join:2003-08-08
Arlington, TX

CajunTek

Premium Member

Buy two or three or six..

I want all you guys to run out and buy one. at Fry's or Amazon or whereever.. In fact by two. or ten.. please..

(Nope I don't work for Motorola... I do make the chipset for these though )

This little beast is turning things around for us. So keep it up.. Buy 'em!!!!

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536

Premium Member

Ah Fry's electronics

Land of "open box"
good luck EVER finding something that hasn't touched someone elses grubbies first.