Modem Recommendation for Airport Extreme & Comcast

You can use the following from Comcast to get a list of approved modems (and modem/router combinations): https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/list-of-approved-cable-modems

and

https://www.xfinity.com/support/devices/

One source of router recommendations that I have found useful is Wirecutter. This link is to their recommendations for non-mesh routers: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-wi-fi-router/

A day after replying to your post, I received an email from Comcast myself. It suggested that I replace my current Arris SB6190 modem. It has been excellent but is 6 years old and doesn't support the speed increase up to 1.2 Gbps (DOCIS 3.1) that Comcast recently implemented in my area. I plan to replace it with a Motorola MB8611.

Bob Timmons wrote:

The Motorola 7621 modem is not a modem/router or gateway, so it does not provide a Wi-Fi signal that can be used with the Comcast App to set up the modem.

If Comcast provides an online guide that could be used on a Mac that is connected directly to the modem via Ethernet cable, that might be a possibility rather than doing things the old fashioned way and calling the ISP.

I recently (about a month ago) set up a Motorola MB8611 mode (not a modem/router or gateway) using only the Comcast app. The app uses the cellular signal and the communication to the modem is via the Xfinity internet signal. No wi-fi or ethernet is needed.

I got a notice that I will have to upgrade my modem by March because it will no longer be supported by Comcast

That does not mean that your Zoom modem will not continue to work.....it will, so you may not need to be in a big rush to replace what was.....in my opinion....one of the best modems that was ever available.

What "not supported" really means is that Comcast will not help you troubleshoot any issues that you might be having with the Zoom modem. Comcast will simply say that "everything looks good from our end" (and the rest is up to you.)

Comcast does provide a list of "approved" modems and modem/routers, but the most expensive modems may not actually be the "best" for your particular application. For example, if your speed plan with Comcast is 300 Mbps, it would not make a lot of sense to spend an extra $100-150 for a modem that is capable of 1,000 Mbps or Gigabit speed over another model that will handle up to 500 Mbps, unless you plan to really upgrade your service plan in the near future.

The AirPort Extreme that you have now tops out at about 350 Mbps, so that is another thought. The AirPort will easily be relevant for at least another couple of years, so spending the extra money for a modem to handle 1,000 Mbps will not provide any real benefit when used with the AirPort.

If it were me, I would hold tight and continue to use the products that have worked so well, and keep an eye out for both modems and routers......or a modem/router combo, which might really simplify things for you.

Comcast can certainly not allow your Zoom modem to connect to their system if they really want to, so a perfectly good product goes into the trash can. That's a shame, but if you want to stay with Comcast, you may have to accept the fact that they will decide for you what you really want.

I don't recommend a product unless I have used it myself, but if my modem died today, I would take a look at the Motorola 7420, Motorola 7621 and Netgear CM700.

If I felt that my router was on a downhill slide as well, I would probably go for a modem/router just to simplify things.

Good luck!

The first task is to get the new Motorola modem working with your Internet Service Provider (ISP). To do that, the ISP usually requires you to connect a computer directly to the modem and get things working that way first.

I'm not familiar with the particulars regarding Comcast, so you really should get in touch with them first to find out how they want you to proceed with the new modem.

If you still have access to the settings for the AirPort Extreme, it would be a good idea to write down as many things as you can......device name, wireless network name(s), passwords, Timed Access settings, etc. so you don't have to rely on your memory.

With good luck, after you have the modem working correctly according to Comcast's instructions, you can power off the modem, wait a few minutes, connect the Ethernet cable from the modem to the "O" port on the AirPort Extreme, power up the modem and let it run for a minute, then power up the AirPort Extreme and let it run for a minute and everything will be working.

The very last resort would be resetting the AirPort Extreme back to its factory default settings, because then you have to start all over from scratch and set up everything on the AirPort Extreme again.

It's up to you, but if it were me, I would keep the new modem in the box and continue to use the current setup until it no longer functions. Then....I would swap out the modems.

If I export the current Airport configuration file, can I just import that after it's been restored to factory settings? The file has a .baseconfig file type.

It won't hurt if you want to "export" the current file and keep it in a place like the desktop.

But "importing" the file is tricky business, because you cannot simply "import" the file after the AirPort has been reset back to factory default settings.

Instead, you still have to go through a basic setup of the AirPort Extreme, then you can attempt to import the configuration file by going to the AirPort Utility File menu up at the top of the screen. This works about half of the time in my experience with this, because the "export" file keeps track of the Internet connection settings, which will likely be different with a new modem.

Bottom line....things might work, and they might not. That's why I would recommend that you spend the 20-30 minutes needed to go through the current settings on the AirPort Extreme and write them down. Yes, this is old fashioned, but it might come in really handy if it is necessary to reset the AirPort......which we want to try to avoid.

The Motorola 7621 modem is not a modem/router or gateway, so it does not provide a Wi-Fi signal that can be used with the Comcast App to set up the modem.

If Comcast provides an online guide that could be used on a Mac that is connected directly to the modem via Ethernet cable, that might be a possibility rather than doing things the old fashioned way and calling the ISP.

Comcast makes it very easy to setup a new modem. You can do it with the Comcast app and the following information: https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/xfinity-app-activation