Linksys DPC3008 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem

I wished to be free from Comcast's modem rental, and decided to spend some time to investigate options for a modem + wif-router combo that would be both reliable and cheap. Ideally I would want it to pay itself off within the least amount of time while giving me all the features my Comcast modem did. I was running the rolls-royce of Comcast modems, the DPC3941T, a 24x4 Docsis 3.0 with 802.11ac. It was a bit of an overkill for the Performance Internet plan I was on. I had this device mainly for its 802.11ac functionality, something the other modems Comcast were renting did not have. As a modem it provided 29.99Mbps downlink and 6Mbps uplink. I found similar combo units by Surfboard SBG6782-AC and Netgear C6300, with 802.11ac, too expensive -- around $200. I started thinking about the possibility of failures, and at that price point I decided it would be a waste of money if the device did fail. Also, If I wanted to move away from Comcast (if I could) the cable modem interface may be obsolete for a new service. So I decided it would be wise to buy a separate modem and router (two separate devices), and if one failed or became redundant it wouldn't be as big of an issue. I looked at a few reviews and decided on this Cisco DPC3008 modem (not the Linksys DPC3008-CC variant) due to Cisco's reputable name and it's 3-star rating on Comcast's supported devices (I believe both Linksys and Cisco devices are the same -- but since Linksys's acquisition by Belkin in 2003 from Cisco, completed in 2013, things may have changed). I also liked its compact build quality and larger vents compared with the SurfBoard SB6141 and Netgear CM400-100NAS standalone modems I was considering at the same time. I paid heed to the overheating warnings by other customers on Amazon, but looked closely at the build of the device to see it has a larger set of vents on the its top and screw mounts, hinting that a vertical placement had been designed for and recommended. I have since installed it in this way on my wall, and the heat generated is less to the touch than the rental I had. I have also had no dropouts in connection. Many other people said that you need to call Comcast to get it activated. I, like many people, do not like calling Comcast, and so tried the www.xfinity.com/activate link via a web browser when everything was connected and it worked like a charm. Upon installing I am getting 29.99 Mbps downlink and 6Mbps uplink, the same as my rented DPC3941T. I also purchased my Cisco DPC3008 modem USED for $34.40 with Amazon Prime two-day shipping from seller Deal Time Plus. So I am very happy this is working so well for a previously used item. The hardware revision is V1.00 and it was manufactured in Oct-2013. For a two year old device it is operating with no problem. I paired this modem with a Buffalo WHR-1166D to get the 802.11ac connection I required, which I bought from Amazon for $45 with free one-day shipping. It is a solid 802.11ac wireless router with backward compatibility. It has a great simple configuration splash page, as well as an advanced option for people concerned with QoS, Port-forwarding etc. Overall I was able to replace my rental unit with a near-good-enough replacement with 802.11ac at a price point of $79.40. Much cheaper than anything else out there currently with the features I required. Driven by the Cisco DPC3008, I am pleased with the performance I am getting and there is no noticeable difference to what I was getting through Comcast's rented DPC3941T. Also, the customer picture by Daniel Greynolds is an example on how not to mount this modem (sorry Daniel). If you look closely, he has the face on the top, and this will explain why he has had to reset on occasion (due to overheating, possibly). There are no vents near the face of the modem, and the heat will not be able to escape. See my picture on how to properly mount this modem. Tip when connecting this modem to your router: Some people have mentioned that the 'Internet' signal isn't being passed, or are having difficulty getting it synced, to their wireless router. Once you have your modem connected to your provider, make sure that the modem is connected to your router's 'WAN' ethernet port. If the router is not picking up the signal, simply reset the modem. That is power the devices like this 1) router, once on and stable, then the 2) modem. This should make the connection between both devices come up quicker, or solve the sync problem.