A:Answer Replacing your modem requires a call to your provider to register your MAC address. To answer the 3.0 vs. 3.1 question, keep in mind, most people pay for internet throughput or speeds of much less than what either system is capable of handling. Theoretically, the 3.1 unit will handle greater bandwidth/speeds (measured in Mb/s). I bought the Arris SB8200 and noticed a huge improvement. A lot will depend on your router, location size, number of walls you're broadcasting through (signal strength drops dramatically the further away you move from the router) and other factors such as the type/speed/number of items connected to your system. If you're gaming - a direct connection to your router will be much faster than a wireless connection. I recently bought this Arris SB8200 with a Ubiquiti - AmpliFi HD AC1750 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi System to upgrade our system, and my kids say it's a huge improvement over the single point router and modem we used to have. I also connected our old router to the second channel available on the modem, and use it for other devices/phones. It helps reduce the load on the primary system and helps keep the speeds up for everyone.
