Surf-Boarding on the Internet

Author's Rating:

Pros: Fast downloads, simple setup, "stand-by" switch, easy to read status indicator lights

Cons: At $79 sticker price, this unit is not cheap.

The Bottom Line: 
The Motorola SB5120 is fast, easy to install, features easy to read indicators, and small upright footprint; it is worth your consideration if you need a new cable modem.

Author's Review
My old faithful Com21 cable modem croaked; after more than six years of reliable service, it suddenly did not have the ability to connect any more.

I didn't suspect my modem, instead I just *knew* that the cable company was having a line problem, so I called the cable company to report an outage. I waited nine days for someone to come out.

The local cable company service tech finally came to my house, and brought with him a used Motorola Surfboard model SB5101. As soon as we swapped modems, I had internet connectivity, albeit at less than 1 Mb. Hmmm. We went through the motions, reset the modem, my router, and my PC; the best we could get was still less than 1 Mb.

The cable tech did not have another modem to test with, so he replaced the buried line from the pole to my house, leaving a bright orange cable across the yard for @ 100 feet. "Someone will be out in 2 or three weeks to bury this...". We are 16 days out and no one has called or shown up yet.

After running a new line from the pole to my house, the next test gave us 2 Mb; better, but short of the 3 Mb I had been getting, and still far short of 5 Mb advertised download speeds.

The tech then said he would turn in a trouble ticket for the head unit at the pole. "It may take a few weeks...". Meanwhile, the lease on the loaner modem is $3 or $4 per month (the cable tech wasn't sure); so I decided that I would just as soon own my own new modem as pay to lease their used modem.

Off I go web-surfing to Best Buy, Circuit City, and Office Depot. The best deal available at the time was a Motorola Surfboard model SB5120 for $59 after $20 mail-in-rebate. I wonder to myself, "Is that 19 revisions newer than my leased SB5101?" The units looked outwardly identical.

I went to Circuit City, bought the modem, took it home, and unboxed the new unit.

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WHAT'S IN THE BOX?
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The box contained the modem, power supply, one CAT5 cable, one USB cable, a CD-Rom for installation and USB drivers, a printed troubleshooting guide, and license and warranty paper.

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INSTALLATION PROCESS:
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Before connecting the new cable modem, I ran another speed test (http://www.speakeasy.net has a nice speed testing tool), and got @ 2 MB using the SB5101.

I swapped only the cable modem and power supply, and chose to use my already deployed ethernet cable. The installation CD-Rom remains unopened and was not necessary for my installation.

After following the simple instructions provided by my cable company, I was up and running in no time.

My first speed test showed 3.5 MB; the second showed right at 4 MB. The local cable company advertises 5 MB, so they still need to work on their lines or head unit, but 4 MB is better than I have ever tested consistently before.

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FEATURES:
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The Motorola SB5120 supports ethernet connectivity to Windows 95 or newer, MAC OS8, Unix, and Linux; or it also supports USB connectivity to Windows 98SE or newer.

The status lights on the SB5120 are easy to read, and include indicators for POWER, RECEIVE, SEND, ONLINE, PC ACTIVITY, and STANDBY.

STANDBY allows you to disconnect the modem from the internet at the touch of a button, without powering off or unplugging the unit. My thought is that this feature is designed to give the user some peace of mind if you are concerned about people accessing your network across the cable connection. In my opinion, a firewall is a must-have, regardless of the status of your cable modem.

An interesting improvement provided by the SB5120 compared to the SB5101 is that the SB5120 power cord connects to the "brick" transformer, which has a length of regular cord and a standard 2-pronged plug at the end. This is useful if you have limited space on your power surge strip or UPS, and it leaves room for other devices.

The physical characteristics of the SB5120 make it easy to place and unobtrusive once in place. The unit is oriented in an upright position standing @ 6" tall, and the built-in base needs a footprint of only 2.5" x 6".

This unit has a 2 year manufacturer's warranty from Motorola.

If you will excuse me now, I have some surfing to do, thanks to my new Motorola Surfboard SB5120.