No current price: no retailer we track lists it right now.
9 facts in comparison
ARRIS SURFboard G36 vs ARRIS SURFboard S33
Two ARRIS boxes with the same modem inside, which is why the table finds only three rows of difference. The SURFboard S33 is a modem and nothing else: DOCSIS 3.1, a fast Ethernet handoff and a second gigabit port, with your own router expected on the other end. The SURFboard G36 is the same DOCSIS 3.1 modem with a Wi-Fi 6 router built into the tower, five Ethernet ports and a coverage rating for a mid-sized home.
The row that decides it is the built-in router, and the decision is really about upgrade cycles. A separate modem lasts as long as the cable standard does, which is years. Wi-Fi standards move faster. Buy the G36 and the day its wireless feels slow you replace a perfectly good modem to move on. Buy the S33 and you replace one box at a time, at the cost of owning two boxes now and configuring the handoff yourself.
Both make the same first promise: they end the monthly rental line on a cable bill from Xfinity, Cox or Spectrum, since both are certified with those providers. That arithmetic is the reason to buy either, and it is identical between them. The difference is only how much you want to own in one chassis.
Who is wrong for whom: someone who already has a router they like, or who plans a mesh system, should not pay for the G36's radio and then switch it off. Someone who wants one tower in a closet and no second device to learn should not buy the S33 and then go shopping again. And anyone on a plan well below a gigabit should read both spec sheets calmly, because the fast port is insurance for a future upgrade rather than something felt on day one.
Editor’s note
The S33 is the honest option and the plainer one. Its strength is that it does one job and stays out of the way of whatever router comes next, which matters because routers turn over faster than cable modems. Its quiet compromise is the second port: ARRIS does not list link aggregation, so treat it as a convenience rather than a way to combine the two. And the headline fast port is only useful on a plan that can fill it, which few cable subscribers currently have.
The G36 is the convenient option. One certified box, one power brick, wireless included and a coverage rating that suits an ordinary house. Where it compromises is in what it does not have: no 6 GHz band, no telephony ports for cable voice, and a router side that will feel dated while the modem side is still fine. When that day comes you replace both.
Walk past the G36 if you already own a good router or want mesh. Walk past the S33 if you would rather not learn a second device. Walk past both if your provider bundles equipment for free, because the saving that justifies either one disappears.
Head-to-head points: every spec is scaled between these products only, so a product can score high here and modestly on its own page, where the VS Score measures it against the median of its class.
Where the ARRIS SURFboard G36 beats the ARRIS SURFboard S33
- More ethernet ports ?5 vs 2
- Has Built-in Wi-Fi router ?
Where the ARRIS SURFboard S33 beats the ARRIS SURFboard G36
No standout advantages.
Key real-world differences
The spec sheet pulls in both directions. These are the gaps big enough to shape the decision — with the actual figures, and what each one means in real-world use.
- Built-in Wi-Fi routerFeaturesYes vs No — only the ARRIS SURFboard G36 has it
A modem-router combo that also broadcasts Wi-Fi.
- Ethernet portsConnectivity5 vs 2 — 2.5× more for the ARRIS SURFboard G36
The number of wired Ethernet ports.
Which one should you buy?
There is no single answer — it depends on what you will actually use it for. Match your priority to the pick below.
- Best for connectivity ARRIS SURFboard G36 takes the category 100 to 50 — driven by ethernet ports (5 vs 2).
- Best for features ARRIS SURFboard G36 takes the category 100 to 29 — driven by Built-in Wi-Fi router (Yes vs No).
- Top overall score ARRIS SURFboard G36 tops the overall VS Score at 100 while winning 2 of 3 categories outright.
Where each one falls short
ARRIS SURFboard G36
- No major spec weaknesses in this matchup — the gaps that exist are small.
- 4 specs are unreported (shown as Unknown) and excluded from its scores.
ARRIS SURFboard S33
- Built-in Wi-Fi router: Yes vs No
- Ethernet ports: 5 vs 2
- 4 specs are unreported (shown as Unknown) and excluded from its scores.
What matters to you?
Drag the sliders to weight each category and re-rank the products to suit your priorities.
Score breakdown
Performance
Connectivity
Features
Design
Specs last verified October 11, 2026ARRIS SURFboard G36: 9 of 13 specs verified (69%)ARRIS SURFboard S33: 9 of 13 specs verified (69%)Unverified specs show as Unknown — never estimated, never scored
What reviewers say
The bottom line
Buy the SURFboard S33 if you already own a router you trust or intend to add a mesh system, because then the G36's radio is dead weight and the S33 keeps the modem and router on separate replacement clocks. Buy the SURFboard G36 if you want a single tower that a household can plug in and forget, and you accept that its Wi-Fi 6 side will age before its modem does.
The one trade-off that decides it is coupling. Two boxes cost more attention now and less money later; one box costs less attention now and a whole replacement later. Both end the rental fee, and that saving is the same whichever you pick.
