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Cable guy question + upgrade to SB6141

Z
The Many
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Two questions , unrelated. 

  1. I have a single coaxial cable that runs straight into my SB6141. For a noisy exterior wiring, the cable guy insisted he had to test my modem ( it was already perfect, not broken) and then put on a splitter even though I don’t need one. I looked at the splitter model online and researched why I would need it. The  reason seems very weak. And Arris states I don’t need it. Was the cable guy creating work ( maybe billing ) for himself? I think it was all nonsense. 
  1. Any reason to upgrade my individually owned SB6141 modem? Is it old? If so, any suggestions and what will I gain? 

Thanks for the responses and the consideration, in advance. 

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4 replies

LoveMyLab
Guardians of the Gateways
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  • LoveMyLabGuardians of the Gateways
  • Guardians of the Gateways
  • 210 replies
  • April 14, 2025

Regarding the splitter, did he insert the splitter, and then just cap the other output? That’s one way to pad down the signal. A better way is to just insert an attenuator pad. Either way, it won’t reduce noise. What kind of signal level are you seeing, and what are your SNR values running?

 

Regarding the SB6141, it’s a good unit, no real reason to replace. Cox did force me to upgrade to DOCSIS 3.1 to sign up for 500mbps, though the SB6141 should have supported it. I’m using an SB8200 which works well, offers good value for the money. I’m currently getting essentially 960mbps. Everything downstream from there is TP-Link Omada gear, which I am really enjoying. 

I use: SB8200 > Omada ER605/SG2016P/Software Controller/EAP610's.
plemans
Juggernaut
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  • plemansJuggernaut
  • Juggernaut
  • 2275 replies
  • April 14, 2025

Without knowing your levels, tough to know if the splitter was needed or is beneficial. 

In terms of the modem, the SB6141 is a base model docsis 3.0 device. It only has a 8x4 modem. Most speed tiers won’t support it. I know on my ISP, its only rated up to 100mpbs and isn’t approved for any next gen speeds. Might be time to start putting some $ away for an upgrade

Current setup: Netgear CM3000-->Netgear RBE973S-->2.5gig tp-link switch, Xfinity 2.4gig/350mbps
Z
The Many
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Thanks! I’ll see if I can check my SNR. The cable guy did not “cap” the splitter’s other half -  it is an open female input. 

S
Wi-Fi Warriors
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zerodarkthirty wrote:

Two questions , unrelated. 

  1. I have a single coaxial cable that runs straight into my SB6141. For a noisy exterior wiring, the cable guy insisted he had to test my modem ( it was already perfect, not broken) and then put on a splitter even though I don’t need one. I looked at the splitter model online and researched why I would need it. The  reason seems very weak. And Arris states I don’t need it. Was the cable guy creating work ( maybe billing ) for himself? I think it was all nonsense. 
  1. Any reason to upgrade my individually owned SB6141 modem? Is it old? If so, any suggestions and what will I gain? 

Thanks for the responses and the consideration, in advance. 

A splitter is not necessary for the cable modem to function correctly unless you are connecting another device, such as a cable TV, to the coaxial cable.

The SB6141 is a DOCSIS 3.0 modem. If it still works well, you can continue using it. However, if you are looking for a future-proof option, consider upgrading to a DOCSIS 3.1 model.

For more information about cable modems and gateways (modem/router) and their features, please refer to the link below.

www.surfboard.com

 

SURFboard Community Moderator Team

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