Which is better? Motorola SB6121 or SB6120.

Buying a technical product like a modem can often be very confusing for a non-technical person. As such if you are a non techie, I would like to make the comparison between the Motorola SB6121 vs SB6120 as simple as possible so that you can make an informed distinction as to why you need to buy the Motorola SB6121 or SB6120.

Why Are You Looking To Buy the Motorola SB6121 or SB6120 In The First Place?

The first question to ask yourself is why you are looking to buy the Motorola SB6121 or SB6120? Is it due to the fact that you are hoping to get ultra-fast broad services via the use of DOCSIS 3.0 specifications? Frequently the answer is "yes" and this is actually one of the main reasons why many people are comparing the Motorola SB6121 vs SB6120, two very good and extremely fast cable modems from Motorola. However the problem is that many just got confused and undecided on which to buy.

Before we go further, if you don't already know, DOCSIS stands for Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification. It is a standard for the use of channel bonding techniques to provide ultra-fast broadband and Motorola was one of the leading company that worked together with a consortium led by Cablelabs to come up with this standard.

Motorola SB6121 vs SB6120 - How Do They Stack Up Against Each Other?

Going by the product naming classification, anyone could have easily guessed that the Motorola SB6120 was released before the Motorola S6121.

However, I am letting you in to a secret. Would you believe it? The two products are actually similar as far as the technical specifications are concerned! Really, it is actually no secret at all if you were to look closely at both devices as even the product specification sheets from Motorola on these two cable modems are the same!

However, to warrant the increase in price, Motorola has made some cosmetic changes to the design of the SB6121 cable modem. The original Motorola SB6120 is rectangular and boxy in shape and while the Motorola SB6121 is also rectangular but it has a more rounded shape in line with the current state-of-the-art designs. The Motorola SB6120 is slightly bigger but thinner at 146mm x 146mm x 38mm while the Motorola SB6121 is smaller and thicker at 133mm x 133mm x 42mm.

The other difference is that the Motorola SB6121 has an on/off switch. Motorola is also replacing all its existing stocks of the Motorola SB6120 with the Motorola SB6121. As such, if you like the design of the Motorola SB6120 then you will have to rapidly buy it as it will not be replaced once all the existing stocks at the retailers are sold out.

Initially when the Motorola SB6121 was first released it more expensive than the Motorola SB6120, I guess for Motorola to clear its old stock of SB6120s. However now that there are fewer units of the Motorola SB6120 left, the retailers has raised the price to be more than the Motorola SB6121!

Why Should You Buy Motorola SB6121?

Now that you know the difference when comparing the Motorola SB6121 vs SB6120, let's focus on why you should buy either of these Motorola cable modems. From now onwards, I will just refer to them as the Motorola SB6121. As with all products, there will be some positive and some negative points and I would like to highlight these points for you so that you are making an informed decision before you buy either the Motorola SB6141 or SB6121.

Cons Of The Motorola SB6121

I was researching the Motorola SB6121 and looking at many Motorola SB6121 reviews before I bought it and surprisingly I could not find many complaints about the modem in those reviews. Some customers reported that the Motorola SB6121 was a little bit warm after running for sometime; I also experienced this but I easily had this resolved once I took it out of the cabinet and left it in a place with a good airflow.

The other complain is very minor. Some owners of the Motorola SB6141 mentioned that the Motorola SB6121 has a very tiny MAC address. It is true but it was not a problem for me. If you find it difficult to read the MAC address because your eyesight is not too sharp, then get a younger family member with a good eyesight to read it for you or just use a magnifying glass! Once you have activated the modem with this MAC address, you don't need this info any more.

The Pros for the Motorola SB6121

The number one reason for buying the Motorola SB6121 is SPEED. This Motorola cable modem is truly a SPEED monster! Compared with the previous modems that I had, I could not believe how fast this modem is. Coupled with my recently acquired Asus RT-N66U router, I found that the response I get is almost immediate; downloading of huge files takes just an instant and I get marvelous gaming speed.

In terms of design, my preference is for the Motorola SB6121 as it looks more current and attractive. On top of that it is also small and compact with good indicator lights.

Setting up the Motorola SB6121 is a child's play. Plug it in, provide the MAC address to the service provider and I was already surfing the internet!

Where To Buy SB6121 At The Best Price In The Market

Now that you know comparing the Motorola SB6121 vs SB6120 principally boils down to picking the box design and deciding on a small difference in price, making the choice is so much easier. I highly recommend either modems if you are looking to buy a modem that is easy to set up, very fast and reasonably priced. Click on the link to buy SB6121 (or SB6120) at one of the best price in the market. 

You can go to http://www.sb6121.com if you need more information or technical specifications on either products.

News Flash. News Flash...

Motorola has since come up with a newer model of its best selling cable modem - the Motorola SB6141. This cable modem has twice the download speed of the Motorola SB6121 or SB6120. This new flagship Motorola cable modem really gives you value for money - especially when you can get the bandwidth from your service provider.

Even if that bandwidth is not available now, for the few dollars extra that you are paying for this cable modem, you are actually future-proofing your investment. You can continue using this cable modem without having to buy a new modem if and when that bandwidth becomes available to you.

I highly recommend paying a little more to get the Motorola SB6141 over the older Motorola SB6121 or SB6120 as you could potentially get two times more download speed over the other two. Click here to buy the Motorola SB6141 from Amazon now.

You can check out this article if you want to know more detail about the Motorola SB6141 vs SB6121.

Do you also need a new wireless router?

If you are looking to replace your wireless router or intend to buy a new wireless router, then you may want to look into the Motorola SBG6580. The Motorola SBG6580 gives you the speed of the SB6141 and at the same time incorporate the router functions in the same box.

This provides me the convenience as well as help me reduce the clutter. I do not need to externally connect the cable modem to the wireless router. I also eliminate the need for two power sources as I only have one box to deal with.

In view of the limitation in the technology that can be provided to you by the service provider today, overall the performance of the Motorola SB6580 is as good as that of the combination of the Motorola SB6141 and a good wireless router like the Asus RT-N66U, Linksys EA4500 or Netgear R6300. 

On top of that you are paying much less... depending on which combinations, to the tune of nearly 50% if you were to buy a single box gateway modem as compared with a separate cable modem and wireless router. As such I believe the Motorola SBG6580 to be an excellent buy.

Click here to buy the Motorola SBG6580 from Amazon.

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