Motorola SURFboard SBG900 DOCSIS 2.0 Wireless Cable Modem Gateway (Black)

by Motorola

Product Details

Product Manual [3.45mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 2 x 6 x 9 inches ; 14.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0001MQSB2
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: SBG900
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (225 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #19 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > Networking Products > Wireless Access Points
  • #24 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > Networking Products > Modems
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 28, 2009

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

When you combine a modem and wireless access point in one easy to install unit, it's easy to network all the computers, peripherals and game consoles in your home or small office. You'll soon have everyone sharing a single broadband Internet connection — along with files and pictures — behind the safety of a commercial-grade firewall.

Always on and always connected, the SBG900 offers a fast Internet connection, a secure network, and the convenience and flexibility of wireless Internet access — all in one!

You'll surf the Internet at speeds up to 100 times faster than a traditional analog modem.* And whether you're online, doing homework, or working on important files, 802.11g wireless technology means you're not tied down with wires. Roam throughout your home or office — and even take your laptop computer out in the backyard (up to 1312 feet) — without losing your network connection. At the same time, the commercial-grade firewall will keep hackers and viruses from attacking your network.

Give your entire family or small office all the benefits of a secure wireless network with the SBG900 Wireless Cable Modem Gateway — your effortless broadband network solution.

* When comparing download speeds with a traditional 28.8k analog modem. Actual speeds will vary, and are often less than the maximum possible. Upload and download speeds are affected by several factors including, but not limited to: network traffic and services offered by your cable operator or broadband service provider, computer equipment, type of server, number of connections to server, and availability of Internet router(s).

Product Description

When you combine a modem and wireless access point in one easy to install unit, it's easy to network all the computers, peripherals and game consoles in your home or small office. You'll soon have everyone sharing a single broadband Internet connection along with files and pictures behind the safety of a commercial-grade firewall.Always on and always connected, the SBG900 offers a fast Internet connection, a secure network, and the convenience and flexibility of wireless Internet access , all in one.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

151 of 154 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid performer, suprisingly easy, December 31, 2005

By 

Marske Mcentyre (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Motorola SURFboard SBG900 DOCSIS 2.0 Wireless Cable Modem Gateway (Black) (Personal Computers)

I work in the computer/software industry and am generally critical of the cheap throw-away quality of most electronics. I was nervous about this purchase because I had read two other reviewers mention 1) The Motorola SBG900 allocated two IPs from the broadband provider such as Comcast if you connected more than one computer, and 2) the range was poor. I doubted the first, and I live in a small house for the second.

I have been using a DLINK wireless router for the last 1-1/2 yrs. Reliable but it has a high-pitched hum that is incredibly irritating. I returned the first, only to get another with the same whine, so I figured it was a manufacturing/component flaw. I stuffed it in a corner of the basement to keep from hearing it. This was my experience with my DLINK wireless router, not the Motorola.

So here's what I found re: the Motorola SBG900. Powered it up, Comcast prompted me to download their "installation software" when it detected an unknown cable modem, clicked Yes 5 times, and was on the Internet. Then I configured the wireless portion to match the WEP 128-bit settings from the powered-off DLINK (used the same SSID, Shared Key, etc.), activated the firewall, hid broadcast of the SSID, and both my laptop and desktop connected without a hitch. Even I was surpised. Their wireless NICs are DLINK and Intel, so compatibility wasn't an issue. I never even opened the manual which comes on the CD. I was happy to see a number of WPA (next generation) security options when selecting the encryption mode. However, I didn't bother with that now, but may later, since I'm already on 128-bit WEP. Also the range is the same as my older DLINK, so I'm very content with this purchase. Very happy to reduce the clutter by consolidating devices. Even in the world of MIMO and future technologies, 802.11G (54Mbs) is fine for my needs. I recommend this cable modem.

59 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Works like a champ out of the box!, January 19, 2005

By 

B. Petty (Kingwood, Tx United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Motorola SURFboard SBG900 DOCSIS 2.0 Wireless Cable Modem Gateway (Black) (Personal Computers)

I don't know what the other reviewer did, but this thing works great, right out of the box! It was a no brainer. I traded in a Lynksys modem and Netgear WiFi router. THAT combo wouldn't let me videocam. This Motorola does!

But this Motorola was a much cheaper option, works with Comcast and supports webcams with no additional setup. I'm so glad I got it and HIGHLY recommend it. It's cheaper and takes up less space if you need to purchase both a modem and WiFi router. It was SO easy.

45 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Just OK, needs more features, September 25, 2006

By 

Marc (Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Motorola SURFboard SBG900 DOCSIS 2.0 Wireless Cable Modem Gateway (Black) (Personal Computers)

The SBG900 is a decent combination cable modem/wireless router, but it has some shortcomings that may or may not matter to you. There is no WAN uplink, so it can't be used as general gateway unless you are connected to the internet via the cable modem coax. There is only one wired ethernet port, so if you want to connect more than one wired device you'll need another piece of hardware. (There is also a USB-based internet connection, so you might be able to hook up two wired devices but I haven't tried it.) The firmware doesn't support MAC spoofing, which is a pain but not a showstopper for most people. The range is worse than I was expecting: The signal is mediocre from one room away, two rooms it is nearly unusable.

It was very easy to set up. I had it up and running in about 10 minutes, most of which was spent on the phone with comcast to give them the new MAC address. Configuring all the security options was pretty painless as well, and I haven't experienced any dropped connections or other problems since I set it up several days ago.

This unit is great for people who aren't looking for many features and don't need much range. Anyone else may find it lacking.