The SB6183 is a modem only device. 

It doesn’t have any wifi. 

so not sure why they think they can fix that

I agree. But apparently my modem is bad. Is it worth it to try to get it replaced under warranty? 
After reading some posts it appears it’s just easier to buy a new one. A neighbor has kindly allowed me to use their service until I get this resolved. 

If you have a warranty, its always worth trying to use it. That’s the whole point of a warranty.