Both are Gigabit+ cable modems by ARRIS to provide high-speed internet. SB6190 is a DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem while SB8200 is the first DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem in the ARRIS Surfboard series. SB8200 is backward compatible with DOCSIS 3.0 as well. Both of them meet the advanced internet protocols and are compatible with all the major internet service providers. None of them has any built-in Wi-Fi router.
What you need to know about these devices?
The Arris SB8200:
- meets the DOCSIS 3.1 standard and is also backward compatible with DOCSIS 3.0, while its competitor meets only DOCSIS 3.0 standard.
- has 2 OFDM downstream and 2 OFDMA upstream bonded channels in the case of DOCSIS 3.1 mode.
- uses 32 SCQAM downstream and 8 SCQAM upstream bonded channels in case of DOCSIS 3.0.
- and is equipped with BCM3390 Broadcom core chipset while its competitor has Intel Puma 6 chipset in it.
Here the Arris SB6190:
- uses only 32 SCQAM downstream and 8 SCQAM upstream bonded channels.
- and is cheaper.
And if we talk about the common things:
Both of them do not have any built-in WiFi router in them.Both of them meet the latest internet standards (IPv6) and are compatible with major cable internet providers.Both competitors have 2 years of warranty.
Table of Contents
Side By Side Comparison:
Compared to SB6190, SB8200 is 10 times faster and more reliable because of having a Broadcom chipset in it. Also, it is compatible with the previous and the latest DOCSIS standards.
| General Specifications | Surfboard SB8200 | Surfboard SB6190 |
| DOCSIS Standard | 3.1/3.0 | 3.0 |
| Downstream channels × Upstream channels | 32 SCQAM / 2OFDM × 8 SCQAM / 2OFDMA | 32 SCQAM × 8 SCQAM |
| Download Speed | Up to 10 Gbps | Up to 1 Gbps |
| Upload Speed | Up to 2 Gbps | Up to 240 Mbps |
| Built-in Modem Router | No | No |
| Ethernet ports (1-Gigabit Ethernet LAN port) | Two | One |
| Network Protocol | IPv4, IPv6 | IPv4, IPv6 |
| Chipset | Broadcom | Intel Puma |
Overview of both:
ARRIS SB8200 is specially designed to provide a great experience in virtual reality gaming and 4k ultra-HD video streaming.
It contains 2 Gigabit Ethernet Ports and can provide up to 10 Gbps downloading and 2 Gbps uploading speed. To link two of its Ethernet ports, it provides Link Aggregation as well.
It is equipped with a Broadcom core chipset.
On the other side, the ARRIS SB6190 provides up to 1 Gbps data speed which is enough for HD video streaming and regular gaming experience.
Its bonding channels are DOCSIS 3.0 32 × 8 which allows it to provide 1 Gbps downloading and 240 Mbps uploading speed through a single 1-Gigabit Ethernet LAN port.
The core chipset in it is Intel Puma 6.
Design Differences:
Since the manufacturer is the same, the competitor’s design is also the same which is tower-shaped cable modems.
Arris SB6190 is relatively small in size which is also the reason for its lighter weight but is slightly thicker than its opponent. Both have the same color and base structure.
On the front panel, both have four LED lights that indicate their working statuses. Power LED would be green when the device is on.
In the case of SB8200, Receive and Send LEDs would be Green and Blue when they are on DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 mode respectively. In the case of SB6190, Receive and Send LEDs would be Green and Blue when non-bonded and bonded channels are connected respectively.
On the rear panel, Arris SB6190 has only one LED on its Ethernet port which would be green to show the device connection.
Arris SB8200 has 2 LEDs for each Ethernet port on the rear panel, green indication is for the GigE connection while the amber color would represent a low-speed data connection (10/100 Mbps).
Even though the weight and size differs, both contenders are pretty much the same from a design perspective.
The Arris SB8200 has a far better hardware design because of its advanced chipset, more Ethernet cables, link aggregation, and Multi-Processor Technology.
Compatibility of these devices:
Compatibility is an aspect where our competitors are on equal terms.
They support the latest internet standard IPv6 to provide a practically unlimited number of addresses and improved modulation and security.
They are also attuned with all the major internet service providers including some big names like Cox, Xfinity, and Spectrum.
Besides all that, they are compatible with Windows (but not below Windows 7), UNIX, Linux, and Macintosh (10.4 or higher).
Performance of these modems:
Since Arris SB8200 meets the DOCSIS 3.1 standard while its opponent only supports DOCSIS 3.0 so it is obvious that it would provide a much faster data rate and efficiency than its competitor.
The device utilizes OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) modulation method when operating on the DOCSIS 3.1 mode.
It ensures data transfer over multiple carriers without getting interfered with.
It is also backward compatible with DOCSIS 3.0 and uses SCQAM (Single-Carrier Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) when working on this mode.
Since Arris SB6190 only supports DOCSIS 3.0, it only uses the SCQAM modulation method.
2 OFDM and 2 OFDMA channels allow Arris SB8200 to provide up to 10 and 2 Gbps data rate respectively.
It can also provide moderate-speed internet due to having 32 and 8 SCQAM channels in the case of DOCSIS 3.0 mode.
On the other hand, Arris SB6190 provides up to 1 Gbps and 240 Mbps data rate through 32 and 8 SCQAM channels respectively.
The core chipset in SB8200 is BCM3390 which is the reason for its ability to provide multi-gigabit speed per second.
On the other hand, SB6190 has Intel Puma 6 core chipset which is quite good but recently has found many issues including latency spikes at the top.
By witnessing all the above-mentioned facts and figures, we can state that SB8200 is far better than its competitor in terms of performance, efficiency, and durability.
Interface
Both contenders have 3 types of interfaces; power interface, network interface, and coaxial cable connector or RF interface.
Besides having an extra network interface, SB8200 has the same types of interfaces including rating and connection type.