Home Forums Networks & Cross-Platform Networking How long does a modem last?

My RCA modem died a few days ago and RoadRunner (aka Time Warner) replaced it with an Arris modem the same day. I had had the RCA for about 10 years and, as soon as the technician saw it, he expressed surprise that it lasted that long.

What is the life of expectancy of a modem and why do they fail?

I had a Motorola cable modem that failed in a little over a year. I replaced it with another Motorola and it lasted several months. I replaced that one with a Cisco and that one has been going strong for 4 or 5 years now without a bobble. I asked the Charter Cable technician about the two failed modems and he shrugged his shoulders and muttered something about cheap components that were not well protected from surges feeding through the cable.

Personally I don't have enough information to speculate one way or the other about the cause of failures.

CAVEAT: My experience with Motorola Cable modems are not intended as a reflection on Motorola or their modems. In all fairness it should be noted both were purchased from an electronics firm noted for selling cheap merchandise — with the emphasis on cheap — so my experience may well have resulted from getting what I paid for.

And, just to add a different wrinkle, I still have the same Motorola modem I had when first getting my present cable service 12 years ago. Maybe, the day I got that modem, I should have headed for the racetrack.