Motorola mg7550 vs mb8600 – Which one is best for your cable plan?
Nowadays, more and more people are working from home, so you’ll want the best cable modem for your home internet network. Renting a cable modem is very costly, but you can buy a modem router combo like the Motorola mg7550 and mb8600 that will eliminate your monthly internet bill and provide reliable internet throughout.
With so many modem routers in the market today, it’s not very easy picking the right one. At a glance they all can provide internet service to your home, but with further understanding and research, you’ll realize they come with technologies and innovations that will provide you with a better experience. The Motorola mg7550 and mb8600 offer super-fast internet speeds, features, and are compatible with most ISPs so you don’t have to worry about compatibility.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Motorola mg7550 and mb8600?
Motorola modem router |
Mg7550 |
Mb8600 (Winner) |
Max. download speeds |
686 Mbps
|
1 Gbps
|
Modem channels |
16 downstream channels
4 upstream channels |
32 downstream channels
8 upstream channels |
Router type |
Dual-band |
Dual-band |
Docsis standards |
Docsis 3.0 |
Docsis 3.0 and 3.1 |
ISP compatibility |
All the major ISPs |
All the major ISPs |
Motorola mg7550 vs mb8600. How do they compare?
Speeds and performance
If you’re looking for super-fast internet speeds, you should go with a 24×8 or 32x8modem or one with a Docsis 3.1 standard that is compatible with your ISP. The Motorola mb8600 is a Docsis 3.1 modem router with the 32×8 channels bonding feature that includes 32 downstream channels and 8 upstream channels that can deliver 6 Gbps of downloading speeds with actual connection speeds of up to 1 Gbps. On the other hand, the mg7550 is a 16×4 modem with 216 downstream channels and 4 upstream channels that can deliver speeds of up to 686 Mbps and actual cable speeds of up to 375 Mbps. Together with the gigabit Ethernet ports and the Active Queue management system, you can expect some of the highest speeds any device can provide. AQM also helps to reduce lag even under high traffic which helps to improve performance.
The mb8600 is a better performer with one on the highest speeds you will find in a modem router.
Compatibility
Before you think about performance, you need to determine if you’re your modem will work with your internet provider. The mb8600 supports bot the Docsis 3.0 and 3.1 which makes it the ultimate future-proof device. It’s compatible with Comcast Xfinity, Cox, CableOne, Xfinity X1, and other cable providers that support the Docsis standard. The mg7550 on the other hand supports only the Docsis 3.0 standard and can be used with cable providers like Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Spectrum, Suddenlink, Time Warner, WOW!, CableOne, and many others.
Mb8600 is more compatible with the latest Docsis 3.0 and 3.1 standards which makes it more versatile.
Signal quality
Modems are not only beneficial to people who live in urban areas but can also be useful in rural areas and places with poor signal quality thanks to full-band capture technology. The mb8600 divides the cable internet into 32 channels with cable internet speeds of up to 1 Gbps which are ultra-high speeds that tend to have a cleaner signal than the mg7550 that only has 16 channels with cable speeds of about 375 Mbps. Even with an ISP of only 8 channels, you have no restrictions on the channels you want to use so you have access to the entire Docsis band and can pick the channel that is the cleanest.
The mb8600 has a better signal quality than mg7550 thanks to its many channels and ultra-fast cable internet speeds.
Motorola mg7550 vs mb8600 – A comparison review
Motorola mg7550
- 16x4 DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem plus a built-in AC1900 Dual Band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) WiFi Gigabit Router with...
- Requires cable Internet service. Approved by and for use with Comcast Xfinity and Xfinity X1, Cox,...
Motorola mg7550 is a cable modem router that uses Docsis 3.0 and 16×4 channel bonding with dual-band frequencies and 4 gigabit Ethernet ports to deliver fast internet speeds throughout your home. It’s compatible with most of the major cable providers which makes it very easy to integrate it with your internet setup. It’s a high-speed cable modem that features 16 downstream channels that can download at 686 Mbps and 4 upstream channels that can upload at 123 Mbps. It uses full-band digital tuner to help find the channels with the least amount of traffic that your devices can use automatically. The gigabit router is capable of broadcasting its wifi signal throughout a small or medium-sized home or office.
It offers a dual-band option with the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands that allow you to connect your devices to either of the two channels to improve the overall speed and reliability. When it comes to yo range, the router uses power boost to amplify the wireless signal which ensures the signal remains constantly strong throughout your home, even outside, and Anybeam beamforming to focus the wireless signal to the connected devices to improve performance and range. To provide maximum security, mg7550 has the firewallDFS and denial of service attack prevention so your network is fully protected together with your connected devices.
Pros
- Improved overall speeds
- Comes with a lot of advanced settings
- Very easy to install and setup
- Ideal for small homes
Cons
- Has no phone connection
Motorola mb8600
- Top Internet Speeds for all Multi-gigabit Speed Tiers - Wirecutter recommends this model as the best...
- Save Money - Eliminate up to 168 dollars per year in cable modem rental fees (Savings are shown for...
Motorola mb8600 is one of the latest cable modems from the new generation to join the Docsis 3.1 group. This means you won’t have to replace it when your ISP upgrades its infrastructure and this makes it a great investment the will last many years. It uses both the Docsis 3.0 and the latest Docsis 3.1 which allows you to take advantage of the latest ad fastest internet speeds from your ISP, 4 gigabit Ethernet ports, and Active Queue Management. Mb8600 can handle 32 (SCQAM) downstream download channels and 8 upstream uploading channels using the Docsis 3.0 and 2 (OFDM) download and upload channels on the Docsis 3.1.
The modem is compatible with most of the main cable providers and it can support up to 6 Gbps of downloading speeds, but you can get 1 Gbps of connection speed which is enough because it’s the highest package speed major cable providers offer. There is less internet latency on both the Docsis 3.0 and 3.1 which results in faster page loads on your browser and less interference during video conferencing or online gaming. The mb8600 also uses the full-band capture digital tuner to improve speeds. It can work with any wifi router including Google wifi, Orbi, and mesh routers like eero.
Pros
- Very easy to set up with Xfinity
- Very fast internet speeds
- Supports both the Docsis 3.0 and 3.1 standards
- Improved coverage range
Cons
- It’s expensive
- Might experience constant disconnection issues
Conclusion
While the mb8600 supports the latest Docsis standard, Docsis 3.1, it also works the Docsis 3.0 like the mg7550 which is a great advantage because you get to take advantage of the fastest internet speeds available from your ISP.
So which one is better Motorola mg7550 or mb8600?
Motorola mb8600 is better because it will deliver ultra-fast internet speeds thanks to both the Docsis 3.0 and the latest Docsis 3.1 standards and you can also access 1 Gbps connections or higher if your ISP package allows it.
FAQ
Does Motorola mb8600 work with Spectrum?
Motorola cable modems have been approved to work with most of the major cable providers including Charter Spectrum.
How do I update my Motorola modem software?
You need to switch off your cable modem for about 15 seconds, then turn it on again. As your modem reboots, it will check if it’s running the latest code form your ISP. If it doesn’t, you’ll have to download the latest version.
