I am considering swapping my Hitron modem for the new Arris XB6 modem but I want to make sure that this modem is stable and not worse than the Hitron modem before I swap. Of course Shaw says that this new modem is a "upgrade" but that's what they said about the Hitron modem and look how that one turned out with the PUMA 6 chipset. If anyone here on the fourms has the new Arris XB6 modem I would like to know if it is reliable and if it's better than the Hitron modem. Thanks!
Okay. I did find this forum: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r31858346- and it looks like the Arris XB6 modem is better and more consistent than the Hitron but apperently it still occasionally gives ping spikes due to the chipset which I believe is PUMA 7.
Thanks for that. I think I’m just going to wait until you and/or someone else posts their test results with this new modem then I’ll make my decision.
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This modem is 100% the best shaw has produced, with the support of i believe comcast, i recommend the switch ONLY if you don't have more than 2 ethernet cables plugged in cuz it only supports 2 but with the 8 antennas for 5G and 2 for 2,4...i suggest you make the switch now and be one to experience the power.
just a heads up! don't upgrade if you plan on keeping your current price point! to upgrade would cost me an additional $20 per month! Completely Ridiculous!!!
i just called in and talked to retention's and they can only give me a $10 discount so it would cost me $89.00 per month + tax vs my current 69.00 per month + tax.. so as it is it isn't worth the upgrade to me.. i'm going to run out my contract (up in july) and call back.. if they don't offer me 150 with the new modem (or hopefully a newer broadcom modem) at $69 or less ill be jumping ship for a competitor! at least they have 150 priced at 69.95!
Ya that is a downside. It would cost me an extra $10/month so I’m trying to decide if it’s really worth the extra cost.
So, basically to fix (or mitigate) the defective modem that was provided by Shaw; that I have been paying/dealing with... for 2 years. With no fix. I would then have to pay them more to resolve it? Am I crazy? Does this not seem wrong?
yes it is wrong on so many levels!!! Shaw should be honoring our price and upgrading our defective modems for free!
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I would agree too. Honestly I would probably be better off buying a higher end router and bridging the Hitron rather than spending the extra money per month on the new modem.
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However that won't fix the underlying issue (the puma bug). That is actually what we are doing. We have the hitron bridged with a high end Cisco router I got from work. Same issue with packets being dropped/delayed. The new modem helps reduce that. Still not a perfect fix, but it is a start. I just don't want to pay for something we should be getting anyways. It isn't an "upgrade".
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I do understand that it won't fix the PUMA issue but the new modem doesn't fix it either. You could say that the new modem mitigates the PUMA issue which is good but it's not a full fix and I don't think a full fix will ever come to existing PUMA chipsets as it's a hardware defect causing the issue. I would only be willing to spend an extra $10/month if somehow the PUMA issue is entirely fixed on this new modem or Shaw finally listens to us and releases a new modem with a chipset from another manufacture.
And I would agree that Shaw should give us a free modem upgrade.
Ok so does anyone have any gaming experience with the XB6 ? I want to upgrade but not to Hitron .....
AND is the XB6 bridgeable ? My network is more than capable so there is no need for routing via any show produced firmware.
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You can enable bridge mode locally yourself on the XB6.
Steps
- log into the admin tool
- Navigate to 10.0.0.1 in a web browser.
- Enter admin for the Username and password for the Password (default credentials).
- The At a Glance landing page is displayed.
- Select Enable beside Bridge Mode.
- log into the admin tool
I'm in the same boat, I called into Shaw to inquire about the new XB6 modem and was told that I would have to sign up for a new 2 year contract. Not only would the month to month bill be higher but I would also have to pay an early cancellation fee for my current 2 year plan, not worth the chance and money. I think It’s time to jump ship and go with a competitor. Don’t get tricked into another 2 years of this junk, until Shaw offers a non Intel puma chipset in their modems we most likely won’t see a significant improvement in latency.
I decided to have a chat with Shaw about getting a free upgrade but the billing agent said that I couldn't which is absolutely ridciculus. It makes me angry that Shaw is essentially charging people to "fix" the Hitron and Cisco DPC3848V. Like some other community members have mentioned, any existing Shaw customer with a Hitron or Cisco DPC3848V modem should be entitled to a free upgrade to the Arris XB6.
so shaw sent me a survey after i called in.. i responded with how disappointed i was with loosing my price plan if i wanted to upgrade.. they called me back yesterday and offered to switch me to the new modem (no rental Fee) and credit me the difference till the end of my old contract (4 months). so i took them up on their offer! got the new modem and hooked it up yesterday (in bridge mode) seems to be a lot better in terms of packet loss and the pings are lower as well!
Lucky , When I originally contacted live support to inquire about the new modem they told me it wouldn't be an issue upgrading and that all I had to do was drive down to the main Shaw branch and pickup the new modem. When I got down there they told me I can't get the modem without signing a new contract, something about the modems requiring a new system. When I got home I called the loyalty department which told me there's nothing they can do without signing me up for another 2 years. Put lightly this internet 150 experience has been very frustrating.
well i did have to sign as new contract for two years at $88 per month but that's not a big deal as shaw is the only real player where i live.. (telus can only give me 15mbit).. so basically i signed a new 2 year contract.. they canceled the old one free of charge and credited me the difference for the last 4 months of my old contract (was supposed to end in july).. all in all im happy!
I wasn't given a survey at the end of my call but I might try giving loyalty/retentions a call to see if they can do anything.
they emailed me a survey a few hours after my call.. maybe it was a random survey
not yet but i can tonight or tomorrow when im at home
The puma 6 test passes for me with the new modem.
Does it show any red?
No red on my end.
Just installed my XB6 and ran the Puma 6 test. No red on my end. My previous Cisco would light up red like a Christmas Tree.
colton_w24 wrote:
Have you ran the PUMA test? http://www.dslreports.com/tools/puma6
I spent a considerable amount of time today experimenting and troubleshooting my network connections after moving my gear from a desk to a shelf and getting the wires crossed in the process. I also took the opportunity to investigate the new Arris Wi- Fi modem in the process.
I ran this interesting test(out of curiosity) and got mixed results. As I suspected, when I ran the test on a Hitron modem bridged to an AirPort Extreme, testing from a room in my house farthest away from the modem/Wi-Fi setup, red squares resulted. It wasn’t critical but the report came back with a failing grade. I then ran the test in the same room as the router/Wi-Fi setup but this time over Ethernet. No red squares - all green!
Seems to me there are a few variables to consider when examining the results of this PUMA test. Distance and signal strength being factors.
I canvassed three Shaw techs over the course of the day while troubleshooting my network setup and experimenting with the Hitron modem in bridged and un-bridged mode. While, they all spoke favourably about the new Arris Advanced Wi-Fi modem, the modem didn’t seem to offer anything better than the Apple AirPort Extreme router that I had at present (802.11ac, Dual Band, multiple antennas, beam forming and MU-MIMO).
I concluded to leave well well enough alone for the time being, don’t get too uptight about the PUMA test results and take comfort that at least for now the Hitron modem I have from Shaw and Airport extreme are doing the job adequately.
Next year all my BlueSky promotional features run out, then maybe that will be the time for some new network hardware.
here is the puma 6 test for me.. a little red but way less then before.. the whole thing was yellow and red with the hitron.
for the most part it is better not perfect but will do till they get a broadcom modem...
That's nice to see. Assuming your not using it bridged, is Wi-Fi range any better than the Hitron?
And i've also heard that the Wi-Fi speed is slower than the Hitron. Is that true?
I'm running mine bridged to my netgear r7000 running tomato
Switched to the Arris XB6, here is the difference over over the Hitron. Both modems were/are bridged. The puma 6 test is also now a solid green.
That's nice to see! I've decided to get the Arris XB6. I should hopefully be able to get it in a few days and run some tests.
If you stream to Twitch, please let us know how it's working out.
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My roommate streams to twitch and he has had no issues since we got the xb6
So I got the Arris XB6 today and it is so much better. I ran the PUMA 6 test and I didn't get any red and there were a lot less variances in ping times. Also the overall network connection just seems to be more stable than the Hitron.
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I spoke to Shaw today about upgrading my Cisco to the new Arris. I was told the same thing, that I would have to renew and lose my discount.
She was extremely helpful, and agreed that it wasn't fair to have to pay more to replace a modem with a known chipset issue for one that doesn't have the issue.
She is going to call me back tomorrow morning, connect and work with me with retentions to get me the swap.
I have no issue with re-signing, as Shaw has always been good with me. But, I will not pay more. I shouldn't be penalised for their defective hardware.
I'll let you know how it works out.
I will say that Bree was awesome, so someone at Shaw can pass that up the line. I also don't blame her. She doesn't make the swap rules. I never blame the front line Shaw CSR though, they have to follow the rules Shaw sets.
*EDIT* Bree called back this morning, and transferred to me loyalty. After speaking with (crap, I forget his name), I'm heading down to swap out my Cisco for the XB6. No change to my plan or agreement, and no charge. Awesome service. I wish I could remember the gentleman from Loyalty I spoke with, because he was awesome, and I want to give him props.
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When i called Shaw last sat to have my services price reduced over the two years fixed price. Mark was the gentlemen i talked to in loyalty. he was awesome as well.
i was oe yar left of my valueplan so i restarted on new two year til 2020 at the fixed as mentioned above.
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Loyalty department is awesome, IF you are polite and don't act like a d*ck. That should go without saying, though..
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I notice that no one has pointed out that the new XB6 has native IPv6 support enabled, which is a big deal for me.
Yessir it does, in bridge mode or router mode. It's a native IPv6 modem at Shaw.
Ok so is anyone bridging this modem? The people at the shaw store said it's not possible ? But then they also said the hitron has no issues LOL
You can bridge the modem and enable it within the Admin Management Web Interface.
You can bridge it yourself in the UI.
corbin wrote:
You can bridge it yourself in the UI.
Really? I don't believe it... I won't until I see it for myself.. haha
Shaw has been 100% against this from the start of using the combo modem/router modems.
Using the Rogers branded ones as a base, there was a process to bridge the DPC3825 that Shaw was pissed about getting out, firmware update patched the hole within weeks.
WELL WELL it seems the newest firmware for the XB6 does NOT include the ability to bridge ...... so It will be going back and I will be getting Telus. No offense shaw but I would not trust your firmware and really why do think your routers capabilities are better than an ASUS GT-AC5300 LOL
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I still have the option to bridge. Are you sure? Note... after the shaw tech set up the modem. I had to do a modem reboot for the option to show up. (perhaps the option to bridge turns off after some time) Try rebooting the modem.
OK I know better and panicked
rebooted and enabled bridge mode thanks all !!
now will the XB6 stand the test of time ? LOL and firmware upgrades .......
The factory firmware doesn't have the button on the current units. So once it upgrades the button shows up. Easily explained.
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The XB6 DOES support bridging! I have it bridged right now! When you first connect it it doesn't have the option but within an hour or 2 once it updates the firmware the option appears..
I had the same experience when first installing the XB6. Initially the firmware that it comes with does not have the bridge mode button. But, after talking with Shaw and having them reset it, it came back with new firmware and the button was there.
I also ran some tests with my old Hiltron in bridge vs. the Arris immediately after getting it working. I think the results speak for themselves.
Imgur: The magic of the Internet
before:
AFter:
before:
After:
Heres mine on the hitron
Where is everyone located? I was having issues with signal strength here in the Winnipeg region and they sent some one out to install the Hitron modem, NOT the
Arris XB6 Advanced Wi-Fi Modem
which I expected.
What is with Shaw? They offered me the Hitron this past September when they upgraded to Internet 75 but their techs said that it was the same as the Arris SBG6782 so I kept the original Arris.
Okay. Not sure if this is the place to post this. I also have the Hitron and it has been not that stable. I have had it for approximately 2 months and I have had to re-boot(pull the power cable) on the Hitron at least 3 times, the most current this morning(June 5). I contacted Tech support and they told me there were no issues reported on the modem!
I have no desire to give Shaw more money for the new Arris XB6 but if it is more stable and this continues, ??????
I have, as of today, set up an "automatic "re-boot" mechanism on the Hitron that will do an automatic re-boot (cut the power and then re-connect) of the modem every week at the same time. I require this due to the security system in our home and the problem of having some one enter the house every time the Hitron needs a re-boot.
Has anyone else done this and what frequency did you do the automatic re-boot. The power system that I have can be set for any day/week/months and any time.
Thanks for your feedback.
I upgraded to the new
Arris XB6 Advanced Wi-Fi Modem
about a month ago, so far the performance has been excellent, No more dropping the 5g wireless connections, no more emails from my thermostat saying it lost connection, no more kids yelling that the internet is down.... I would recommend upgrading!
What did you upgrade from, the Hitron or an older Arris modem? This Hitron was supposed to be Shaw's "advanced" modem last September. Oh, I forgot, they are only giving the new Arris XB6 to their "new" customers and all of us existing ones just have to pay more to fix their screw-up Hitron modems.
Have a great day;
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hi. i upgraded from the hitron to the new arris xb6
Did you have to pay for the "upgrade" or did Shaw give you a "loyalty" perk?
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loyalty perk, yes
Puma test for Hitron modem: What does this mean???????????????????????????????????????
27ms : x
34ms : x
36ms : x
38ms : xx
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41ms : xxxxxx
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43ms : xxxxxxx
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100 - 149ms :xxxxxxxxxxxx
150 - 199ms :xxxxxxxxxxxx
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250 - 299ms :xx
300 - 349ms :xxx
350 - 399ms :xxxxxxx
400 - 449ms :xxx
450 - 499ms :xxxx
500 - 549ms :xx
550 - 599ms :xxx
600 - 649ms :xx
650 - 699ms :xxx
700 - 749ms
800 - 849ms
900 - 949msOkay Shaw tech support, please tell me what these results mean? Remember, I loose connection and speed on all of my devices regularly with this modem. I have set up an automatic "pull the plug" on this Hitron POS weekly to ensure an acceptable connection rate. Come on people, has Shaw told you NOT to respond to this issue?????
I guess Shaw is not responding, so I will post a little about the problems with my Hitron modem which is Intel based.
Intel vs Broadcom chipset-based Cable modems list (The Good and the Bad)
The following links are a current updated list of Broadcom and Intel base Manufactured cable modems:
Intel: Intel Model List
This list also reports the current vulnerabilities and problems with current Intel Puma 6 and 7 chip-set based cable modems. These are considered bad modems and cannot be recommended for use, if at all possible. Intel modems can be used however users may experience various network and ISP related problems. If users have an Intel Puma 6 or 7 based modem, users are encouraged to fully read through www.badmodems.com information regarding this, and contact their ISP services or the modem manufacturer to find out when these problems will be resolved and or replace the modem with a non-Intel chip-set based modem. Intel and modem manufacturers are aware of the problems currently and are working to resolve the problems at hand. When and if the current standing problems are fixed and verified fixed, then the current status will change for Intel chip-set based modems.(DSL modems maybe effect as well if the chip-set is Intel Puma 6 or 7 based.)
:arrow: Broadcom: Broadcom Modem List
In short, any model not seen on the Intel list, would be Broadcom or other non-Intel chip-set based. These would be good and preferred modems to use. Some Broadcom based cable modems have a Spectrum Analyzer onboard. Typing in "192.168.100.1:8080 will bring you to a user/password page which opens to this tool. Chrome or Safari supported only according to the page. Microsoft Edge also works.Well, my Hitron is on the www.badmodems.com list. Surprise!
I guess I will call Shaw tomorrow and see if I can get a replacement. I never knew about all of the problems with Intel chpset modems.
Have a great day everyone
hope they give you a free xb6 modem
I've used both the Hitron 2250 and the recent XB6 modem from Shaw. Both seemed similar in performance however the differentiation for me was I could not get basic VPN pass-through to work on the XB6. I was using a standard VPN client on my windows 10 PC and a SBS Server as the server. It would not connect through the XB6. Went through the basics with Shaw support and they didn't seem to have much experience with the XB6. Has anyone had success with VPN using the XB6? I would think many have or Shaw would have been well known about any issues by now.
I use VPN to work all the time on XB6 and it's just fine. I'm using a Cisco client.
Literally just finished upgrading to XB6 on Internet 300. This looks almost identical to my old modem.
That test is highly dependent on the machine running it, and the browser running it as well.
My results on XB6, Firefox quantum, win10. Only other app running is Chrome with 2 tabs.
Same computer, same modem, couple minutes later, Microsoft Edge (only open except Chrome with 2 tabs as before):
Does this seem like a reliable modem test?!? Not to me. Not in my personal opinion. It's highly dependent on the Browser, Computer, and OS. Too many other factors involved skewing results, IMO.
Nice pinstripe graphic though.
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My PUMA 6 results with Arris XB6, Firefox Quantum, Win 10:
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@cortexian
Yeah that's all I'm saying. mnejing may in fact be experiencing an issue, but it may not be a PUMA 7 related issue. It likely is not a PUMA issue. Not enough data, but not likely from other people's results on the same test.
Or else the test is completely bogus. Too many unknowns.
There are many variables that affect these PUMA tests. Range, structural interferenace, device specs and software to name a few. As long as your modem is getting good throughput(Shaw Speedtest) and you are happy with real-time use performance and stability, PUMA tests should be the least of your concerns.
Called Shaw today and asked to upgrade from Hitron to XB6, I was told to simply go to the store and get one, and trade my old one. No fuss, no muss, they switched them - I am already on a contract with internet 150. All they did was switch the units. Came home, plugged it in and tried their antenna's, it was very close to my Linksys WRT 1900AC. Just a teeny bit less in power, which is really good. That said, a teensy bit is a little stronger so I bridged to the Linksys. One click and done. Nice unit, easy to use and configure - all good! Much better signal strength than the Hitron wireless, my speed is as good as ever.
Is that just me or is the Arris XB6 a bit loud?
I have it on a desk behind me and its making noise, is there a fan inside?langley834721 wrote:
Is that just me or is the Arris XB6 a bit loud?
I have it on a desk behind me and its making noise, is there a fan inside?There is a fan. Or mine has a problem too!
Noise keeps changing, I guess the fan keeps changing speed? I find it annoying, this box should come with a warning sticker "Only place in basement" ;-)
Just moved the modem away from the office to the basement where the cable comes in.
From there connected to the Asus RT-AC86U router (AiMesh) and then ran a CAT6 cable upstairs where I use TP-Link Gigabit switches and another
RT-AC86U node (AiMesh) for upstairs Wi-Fi coverage. Works great and getting around 330Mbps download speed.- 1 person found this helpful
If you are a gamer, do not upgrade to this modem. I just got it this past week, and when I'm on my PS4(hard-wired), I get disconnected from games. For example, I disconnect from Fortnite and I have my PS4 in DMZ and even port forwarded all the ports for the games I play. I got off the phone with a specialist from Shaw yesterday, and he said since this modem is very new, there are updates happening all the time. This modem is pretty much in "test" mode, so if you want internet 300 and you are a heavy gamer, these disconnects will happen.. When I had the Hitron, I never disconnected or ran into any problems, the Hitron was a very reliable modem.
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Gamers Beware of XB6
As sunny5125 mentioned above,
There are issues with the modem (in it's current state) for Gamers.
I was previously on 150 with a Hitron modem and had no issues at all, when starting a new account (in the same house) I opted to get 300 with the XB6.
I run hardwired to my PC and experience disconnections often and regularly from competitive online games, (league of legends, overwatch, fortinite, PUBG, Rust, Rocket Leaugue)
The tech that came to my home confirmed with me that gamers are all reporting issues with this modem, and many are in fact switching back to internet 150 and the hitron modem. He also mentioned how it is still a very new modem for them and they are updating it a lot, so sooner or later the issues should be fixed, but for the meantime it may be worth switching.
Other internet uses seem fine with this router/modem, and the speeds are very high, specifically gaming seems to be where it fails.
I have tried troubleshooting with Shaw for hours, as well as had a tech come by my house to troubleshoot, I have tried tweaking numerous settings, as well as had my modem swapped out for a new one, nothing has resolved my issues with this modem, and am currently looking into switching back to internet 150.
Depending on what you are doing with your internet, The XB6 is better for multiple devices connected. I have al least 12 devices connected at one time and the XB6 is dramatically better than the "HITRON" piece of crap. Hope this helps
Better yes, but still a crappy modem.
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Use a real router, your own, with a proper firmware with features that function, wifi stack without bufferbloat etc. Both Hitron and XB6 are bad when using their router part of them. Like most ISP devices.
I have no experience with the Hitron Modem, but so far with the XB6 speeds and connectivity were great until I bought a Philips Hue Starter Kit. For some reason I haven't been able to use the two together, the Philips Hue completely disables the network connection. I've tried changing the Wi-Fi channels as well as the Zigbee channel in the Hue Bridge settings, no luck. Seems like it may be something with the XB6, has anyone else tried running Hue lights with this modem?
The cable modem works fine.
The wifi not so good.
I run the XB6 bridged to an Apple AirPort Extreme. Wifi works well in that configuration.
I'm using the new arris and just got upgraded to 600 down. (Thank you!) My experience so far though has been mixed. For gaming I'm getting constant disconnects and buffer bloat. I used to be running Cisco Meraki enterprise gear on the older Hitron with no issue. The deep packet inspection couldnt handle 600 so I had to replace that gear. At the moment I'm running a high end enterprise switch and the modem. I can get the proper 600 AND beyond for downloads but the puma6 test is super red and again I get buffer bloat. So for downloading and browsing it has been excellent. Wired gaming though has been a pain. The wireless performance has been really solid as well. I'll be getting my new Ubiquiti USG and gear shortly so will see if that helps when bridged. My main complaint is the lack of settings in the router. I cant setup custom DNS or do advanced routing. The DNS for my Pi-Hole has been really annoying.
Cause you need your own router connected to the modem, doing NAT, DHCP, firewall, wifi, especially QoS.. DNS, etc. Then your issues will go away like bufferbloat & pihole problems. But at 600Mbps thats hard to do with QoS (up AND downstream), high end Ubiquiti (i think the cheapest high end starts at a 12 core CPU up from a 2 or something and its not cheap) or a custom built PC with maybe DDWRT or PFsense etc on it.
I'm going to do some before/after comparisons once I get the new modem, I ordered it yesterday.
http://www.dslreports.com/tools/puma6