The Surfboard G36 is a good-looking device with rounded edges and a well-ventilated top layout. Although it weighs almost 3 pounds, which is quite heavy for a networking device, it feels compact. The dimensions of 11 x 10 x 1.1 inches are aesthetic enough and add to the vertical structure of this resource combination, which is made of hardened matte plastic.
If I were to elaborate on the design and form factor, it’s the back panel that comes up with some nifty little additions. Up front are the 4 LAN or GigE ports that can power your wired devices at multi-gig speeds. The ports also support link aggregation.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]Not only that, you also get a 2.5G port to ensure the best possible internet speeds without relying on link aggregation and multiple IPs. Plus, each Ethernet port is equipped with an LED to indicate operational status. The Surfboard G36, unlike some of Arris’ other products, is compatible with nearly every cable ISP. These include Spectrum, Comcast and, of course, Cox, whose Gigablast plan we used to test the unit.
Regardless of the Internet plan or ISP you use, the Surfboard G36’s innovative user interface and app-based support lets you access the remote device manager, parental controls, network manager, and even the speed analyzer, making it a pleasant experience to use.
At the heart of the G36 is a multi-core processor that is capable of handling overloads like a pro. The existing chipset ensures that you can make the most of DOCSIS 3.1 technology and fall back to DOCSIS 3.0 with 32 x 8 channels. However, once ISPs start offering Internet tariffs with more than 2 Gbps, this device can be a useful tool. The performance is further enhanced by the internal antennas that can keep the connections stable.
In addition to these specs, the Surfboard G36 also offers IPv6 support and AES encryption to ward off online threats. With this modem-router combination, you can achieve theoretical wireless speeds of up to 3000 Mbps. However, this was not the case in the test with the Gigablast rate. However, the range is quite large, as this device can cover almost 3000 square meters, with varying degrees of network consistency.