Rating: 
Summary: Surfing the web with the 5100
Review: I got this cable modem for my folks a short while ago rather than have them continue to pay a monthly rental fee to Comcast. I chose the Motorola 5100 based on the reputation of Motorola, the price (although it wasn't as good as this Amazon price), and the technology. Installation was easy with a quick start guide as well as a full manual (on cd). For the price, you can't beat it. It has the latest technology- DOCSIS 2.0 but is backward compatible with the older standards DOCSIS 1.0 and 1.1 used by mostly all cable internet providers. (Please be sure to check with your cable internet provider first before buying any modem to make sure they support the DOCSIS standard and modem you are considering buying.) The Motorola has both USB and Ethernet connections so you can directly hook up 2 computers without having to buy extra networking hardware. Another nice feature is the STANDBY button at the top which you can use to temporarily cut off the internet. Also, it is relatively compact (roughly 6"H x 2"W x 6"D), so it won't take over your valuable desk space. Performance-wise, I can't say I noticed much of a difference from their old modem but cable bandwith can be variable depending on the number of users in the neighborhood. At least it wasn't any slower. Based on all this, I figured why buy a modem with older technology for more $$ that probably can't be upgraded when you can have the latest and greatest now for cheaper- a rare combination.
Rating:
Summary: Rock-solid connection
Review: I recently purchased the Motorola Surfboard 5100 to replace my RCA DCM226. The problem with the RCA was that it constantly disconnected me, and it had slow downloads and uploads. Plus the reboots took forever. I finally got fed up, and purchased the motorola 5100. I've had it for a couple months now, and so far I have had a flawless, fast connection. I even like the styling of the modem. It fits in well in almost any work enviroment. The installation was as simple as it could be. To switch the modems, you simpily plug the new one in, install the software, and call your cable company (5 minute phone call) and your online in less than 20 minutes!! Final review - this is a GREAT modem at a great price. If your looking for a fast, solid, reliable connection the motorola 5100 is the way to go.
Rating:
Summary: Just plain works, no babysitting required.
Review: Not much to say other than it worked as specified right out of the box, absolutely no problems (3 mos old now). We bought it to replace our 3yr old Toshiba unit that just up and died for reasons unknown (all equipment is isolated by our UPS). Our ISP (Cox) had us configured/connected within 5 minutes. Thought about going with a Linksys to stack on top of our WAP/router, but am glad I went with the SB5100 because the *Best Part* about it is the standby (disconnect) switch on top - the ultimate "firewall" for when you don't need (or want) to be on the 'net. Think of it as an instant kill switch to cut off that obtrustive web site that won't stop opening new browser windows. Most of my fellow workmates have the same unit and none of them have had any problems at all. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Very fast
Review: I had the Motorola SB3100 for many years. I upgraded to the Motorola SB5100 and had many disconnects. I was ready to blame this new modem. Then I bypassed my router and plugged the internet cable straight into the back of my computer. The router was the bottle neck. With the Cat5e line going straight into my computer the scores in benchmarks with the SB5100 were at least fifty percent faster than my SB3100. I'll have to resolve this router issue though. (...) If you have a slow computer it won't matter what cable modem you get. Your bottle neck is on your old motherboard.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommend this product.
Review: This is the best cable modem out of the 3 cable modems I have ever used so far. It is much better than my first one, Linksys (rent from Comcast), in terms of connection stability. And it is much more cute than my second one, Motorola SB4200, as it is smaller and have a better look. Setup is very easy and no problem met. Totally take 3 minute including the time calling Comcast to give them the MAC address and customer serial number of the modem. It is on for 1 month now and the connection never dropped. The standby feature is an extra but as I'm running a web server at home, I never use it. Overall, I'm very satisfied with this modem because it works great (never meet a single problem), looks cute, and occupies little space. It is trustable and worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent and Easy
Review: I bought this modem after having prior experience setting up a cable ethernet using a Toshiba model. This was a far simpler process, and I don't think it is just because I now have experience. The directions are easy to follow and the software that comes with the modem loaded without a hitch. And everything is included in the box -- including both USB and ethernet cables and little stickers with the modem serial number and MAC ID for easy reference. Overall, a fine product at a good price.
Rating: 
Summary: Buggy Firmware! Upload Rate Caps To 1/3 Of Max Upload Rate!!
Review: SB5100 has buggy firmware, especially for v1.1.1.1. There is not way to upgrade your firmware for this modem on your own. You have to get your ISP to "push" the new firmware. But ISP will refuse to do so on one on one basis. So now, my upload speed is capped down to 1/3 of what the max upload rate should be. Go to Comcast forum in www.dslreports.com, and you will find that SB5100 has a lot of problems and a lot of people complain about it. Don't buy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Modem
Review: I bought this based upon other customer's reviews and a desire to broom my leased RCA modem. I must say, I'm not disapointed. I have yet to be kicked off or denied access using this. My old RCA would go offline and spend several minutes trying to reboot, sometimes unsucessfully. I always chocked it up to my clunkly cable company (Adelphia), but have since learned it's the modem. I couldn't be happier!
Rating:
Summary: Surfing was a breeze!
Review: After researching cable modems, I bought the SB5100 based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews and the Motorola reputation. I chose to hook it up using the ethernet connection so I can preserve the USB ports for future use. I simply plugged the modem in, gave Comcast a call, and I was ready to go. So far no problems and the broadband connection is awesome!
Rating: 
Summary: Major VoIP Problems; had to switch to another router
Review: Oddly, I had the exact opposite experience compared to another reviewer. I too have Vonage VoIP (Voice over IP) service, connected to a Motorola vt1000v (cable modem->vt1000v->Linksys router->LAN). I tried to place the vt1000v on the other side of the router, as well. Either way, I had the following consistently reproducible problem. When I talked on the phone and began using my computer to access the Internet, I would lose the connection. Strangely, I would not lose it completely: I could hear the person on the other end, but they couldn't hear me. Meanwhile, the internet connection at the computer was down until I hung up the phone, at which point the connection came back. I switched the SB5100 with a Linksys BEFCMU10 cable modem, and the problem disappeared immediately! I had just switched to the Motorola that same day, and I thought that the problem was either with my ISP or I just had never noticed it before (I don't usually surf and talk at the same time). But now I'm convinced it was the modem. Incidentally, the Vonage tech support rep suggested that I upgrade the firmware of the Motorola cable modem due to "known issues." It turned out that I had the very latest firmware already. Note the irony, by the way, that a Linksys modem worked better with a Motorola ATA (the VoIP device) than a Motorola modem. It's too bad I had this problem, because I think the voice quality using the SB5100 (when it worked) was actually better than with the Linksys, and everything else about the SB5100 worked fine, too. So, if you're not interested in VoIP, I suppose I would recommend this modem.
| 
