I got this cable modem for my folks a short while ago rather than have them continue to pay a monthly rental fee to Comcast.

I chose the Motorola 5100 based on the reputation of Motorola, the price (although it wasn't as good as this Amazon price), and the technology.

Installation was easy with a quick start guide as well as a full manual (on cd). For the price, you can't beat it. It has the latest technology- DOCSIS 2.0 but is backward compatible with the older standards DOCSIS 1.0 and 1.1 used by mostly all cable internet providers. (Please be sure to check with your cable internet provider first before buying any modem to make sure they support the DOCSIS standard and modem you are considering buying.)

The Motorola has both USB and Ethernet connections so you can directly hook up 2 computers without having to buy extra networking hardware.

Another nice feature is the STANDBY button at the top which you can use to temporarily cut off the internet. Also, it is relatively compact (roughly 6"H x 2"W x 6"D), so it won't take over your valuable desk space.

Performance-wise, I can't say I noticed much of a difference from their old modem but cable bandwith can be variable depending on the number of users in the neighborhood. At least it wasn't any slower.

Based on all this, I figured why buy a modem with older technology for more $$ that probably can't be upgraded when you can have the latest and greatest now for cheaper- a rare combination.