# ARRIS SURFboard mAX™ Manager > Manage your ARRIS SURFboard mAX Mesh Wi-Fi 6 system for whole-home coverage. (iPhone/iPad app by ARRIS Group, Inc..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arris-surfboard-max-manager/id1319857146 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [ARRIS Group, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/571770115) - Category: Utilities - Price: Free - Rating: 2.40/5 from 44 App Store ratings · 24 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 9.0 · 104 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2019-04-25 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arris-surfboard-max-manager/id1319857146/reviews.md ## What is ARRIS SURFboard mAX™ Manager? We are excited to announce that we have just released a new application – SURFboard Central – with an upgraded user experience and enhanced functionality. For our new users, we recommend that you start the install experience by downloading the new SURFboard Central app. Tap here https://apps.apple.com/us/app/surfboard-central/id1478418148 to download and launch our new SURFboard Central app. For our current SURFboard mAX Manager users, please follow these steps to easily migrate to the new SURFboard Central app. You will maintain your current Home Network, Parental Control, and all other settings and configuration. 1. Ensure you are using the latest SURFboard mAX Manager app (this app) version. 2. Launch the latest version of the app and follow the instructions on the screen to easily migrate to our new SURFboard Central application. ABOUT the SURFboard Central app Get your Home Network up and running and easily manage your network needs with SURFboard Central - designed to work with your SURFboard mAX Pro/Plus Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System. ARRIS SURFboard® products are your gateway to entertainment. They let you enjoy the latest entertainment seamlessly, providing the fastest speeds, and the coolest new services throughout your home, and beyond. And they're available at major retail locations. For more information, visit www.surfboard.com. The new SURFboard Central app is designed to work with the SURFboard mAX Pro/Plus system, combining an easy-to-use interface and the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology to achieve whole-home coverage. The SURFboard mAX Pro/Plus systems feature an advanced tri-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh design. It’s third band, with 4x4 Wi-Fi 6, provides a dedicated backhaul to ensure the fastest service speeds across the entire home. The SURFboard Central app easily guides you through your system setup to get your home network up and running quickly and securely. After the initial setup, SURFboard Central will be your network’s control room, where you can securely and easily manage your advanced system settings. App features: • Follow the step-by-step guide to get your system up and running in minutes • Perform system speed tests to check Internet speeds and overall system health • View connected devices on your network, check connection strengths and even data rates • Securely and conveniently manage your network from anywhere using our secured remote management service • Enable a secure and separate Guest Network with easy-to-share credentials for your guests • Create profiles for your kids to manage their screen time with scheduled or manual Internet pause capabilities • Enjoy automatic updates delivered to your system that ensure your system always has the latest security updates, bug fixes, and performance improvements • And more! For more information about the SURFboard Central Application, please visit us at www.surfboard.com ## Key features - Step-by-step system setup guide - Perform system speed tests - View and manage connected devices - Remote network management - Create guest networks - Parental controls for screen time ## Recent user reviews (10 of 24) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arris-surfboard-max-manager/id1319857146/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Worst product *2026-02-08, version 2.5.28* Ever ### 1/5 — Delist the App *2024-06-16, version 2.5.28* This app should be delisted as it does not have any functionality and therefore violates App Store Review Guidelines for minimum functionality. ### 1/5 — Requires Location Services *2020-06-09, version 2.5.28* Update #2: Received another Dev response stating the Location Services are “required” for setup and function. So everyone is clear, I had this app and router prior to this “requirement” and it was able to connect, setup & function properly without the Location Services turned on. As a side, there new app also “requires” location services. No change in star rating. Update: Developer response states they aren’t sharing my info. I take them at their word, however there is still NO reason to REQUIRE location data. This app worked most of the time prior to the update and that has not changed. To REQUIRE the location data now just doesn’t sit well with privacy conscious users like me. I get no benefit from the sharing of info that I never shared before. Still looking for a new router since this still just ‘feels’ a bit off. Original Post: I really have enjoyed this router until the App required my location services to work. Worked fine without it before. Seems like they are wanting to cash in on my personal information. Now I’m looking for a new router. ### 2/5 — Great coverage, extremely limited options for a $600 router. *2020-05-23, version 2.5.18* I don’t normally write many reviews, but I felt should share. Works as advertised but I feel somewhat deceived by what Arris doesn’t tell you. I’m attempting to explain in detail so you can make an informed decision when deciding to purchase this system. Hopefully this review can be seen by someone who makes decisions for Arris. Cons: - It’s unbelievable that even spending $600+ for a router you don’t have the option to manage the router from your computer. Meaning If the app isn’t updated per Apple guidelines or Arris decides to no longer provide development you can no longer access your device, troubleshoot, or make changes to network. Horrible idea.. please please please change this in the next firmware update. It makes no sense even if the goal is to provide a simple user experience. - I’ve had to install and uninstall the app several times as it states it can’t find my system. - Arris website states you can access the system from anywhere, this is incorrect you MUST be connected your Surfboard Max WiFi network or the app doesn’t work. - No access point mode meaning I can’t even use my $600 system to extend my existing network should Arris decide they no longer support the app. - Be prepared to call the dedicated support line when your app doesn’t work. Again makes no sense that there isn’t a self management option that doesn’t require a cellular data/Bluetooth connection. - Forgotten/Locked out of your email? Your device is now a $600 brick. Again can’t make any changes to your system without the app and the email used to originally register the system. - When setting up your system the app setup asks you what type of existing setup you have. Regardless of the option you choose the Surfboard will setup the same way. This is very deceiving again and makes me feel as Arris believes I’m an idiot and don’t understand what my current setup or how I’d like to setup the system. -No customization outside of pretty much changing your WiFi name and password. There are technically more options but definitely only the absolute minimum options are provided in order for the system to work with different internet connections so you don’t return the product. - Final Con for the sake of your time. There is extremely limited information on troubleshooting on your own as well as product specifications. You are forced to contact support if the app doesn’t have connection, because if your system malfunctions you cannot connect to the device to troubleshoot it through the app which is the only way to access the system. Help me understand who decided it would be a good idea to require a customer to contact a paid support employee for a product that does not bring in recurring revenue. I’m really not sure how this made it to market with this in mind. There should be multiple options provided to prevent a customer from calling your company. Just about every corporation has this figured out. Provide as many options for the customer to fix their problem as possible to prevent them from calling and having to pay a human to fix their issue. Now for the Pro’s - Absolutely the best coverage I’ve had in a mesh WiFi system and I’ve used several. I have a fairly large home and there is nowhere where I get less than 3 bars of WiFi. I have a 1Gb fiber connection and pull about 400Mbps down and 500Mbps anywhere in my home with over 20 devices running at any given time. - Setup through the app took longer then other options but it was fairly easy. Asks you a couple of questions and your WiFi is up and going. I’m sure a 5 year old that can read would have no problems setting up this system. - I will reiterate, the speeds are great. I had another WiFi 6 router prior to this purchase that kept shutting down randomly. Hasn’t happened with this. Runs like a champ, but it better since I’d have to call in to get help if I can’t access the app. - Works with as many devices in a home setting that you can throw at it. Between my wife and I working from home and the kids playing games there hasn’t been a stutter. I’m honestly surprised at how well the system has ran with the lack of options to control it. Would I recommend it? Honestly not for the price.. if it were $200 then maybe I would but at a minimum of $500 starting I can’t see it making sense when you can but virtually any router form any other company that will allow you to make changes outside of just the app. Hope this helps someone. ### 3/5 — No updates - UPDATED *2020-05-08, version 2.5.18* Update #2 5/8/20: The firmware update helped on my newer MacBook but it still has latency/packet issues not experienced by my older products. I hope more firmware and Broadcom sdk improvements are in the pipeline. I’ll be patient for now. Update #1 5/1/20: The firmware update that went out after my review did seem to improve the latency issue. I’m increasing my rating to 3 stars. I’m glad Arris is making improvements now. With several more updates I could see this being a 5-star product. I’m looking forward to writing a new review sometime in the near future. Thanks getting back with me! Original review: 6 months without updates. We should have had a dozen by now. This product wasn’t done when they shipped it, and they haven’t made any meaningful progress since then. Also, there’s a bug that causes extreme packet congestion on 2018 and newer Airport chipsets in Macs (5Ghz). So my brand new MacBook performs erratically on my home network. Now I have to decide if I’m going to return my $2600 MacBook or drop another $700 replacing this mesh. It might be the Mac’s fault, but I am not confident Arris has the resources to correct it if they could. I’ve seen screenshots of an updated app in Arris literature online; for some reason they’re not shipping any incremental improvements and stalling. Every product I’ve used in the past that did this gets mothballed after the first big update goes out, as the dev team gets retasked with next years new failure product. ### 2/5 — Unfortunately this app ruins a potentially great WiFi network *2020-04-30, version 2.5.18* I was able to use this app to onboard/setup this system easily for both of my Arris Surfboard Max Pro 11000ax units. After that, the app has not worked for me. Over past few days, I’ve checked in with this app multiple times, from both my iPhone 11 Pro and my iPad Pro, and this app says that No devices are connected to my WiFi network, and that I have only the main WiFi unit, with no additional units. But in reality, I do have a working satellite unit (which this app itself added and set up). And, I definitely have 20+ devices connected to this WiFi system (though it always says there are zero). In addition, I am not able to access many/most of the network information and management functions that this app advertises, because it seems to think there are no devices and only one main unit in the system. I have tried re-launching this app, rebooting everything including the Arris hardware, the iPad, and iPhone - multiple times. Nothing has helped. I also did a tech-support live chat with an Arris representative and he wasn’t able to give me any answers or solutions. His only suggestion was to wait five days and then to call for tech support if the problem still persists (which so far, it has). If this issue isn’t resolved in the next few days, I’ll try another call, but if it’s not fixed, I will just have to return the whole system. ### 1/5 — No app or firmware update in 5+ months *2020-04-21, version 2.5.18* Not sure which is worse: the bad hardware, the worse app, or the even more worse non-existent tech support. Well, let’s put it this way: Arris has released NO repeat NO updates to fix the enormous multitude of bugs and security holes in the router firmware (the router is listed as “DO NOT TOUCH” by the US Computer Emergency Response Team and the FBI because of the unpatched security flaws). And the app? Well, even calling it crapware is a compliment. And tech support? I didn’t know Arris had any. At least no one answers emails or phone calls. And forget updates. There ain’t any. Update: I see where Arris told me to contact them for help. Apparently they don’t actually READ the reviews, as mine clearly states I’ve actually TRIED to contact them and no one from Arris ever responds to emails or answers phone calls. Well, here’s my reply back to Arris: Since you obviously CAN’T or WON’T actually READ the reviews when responding to them, that makes me even happier that I no longer use your routers or any other Arris products. In fact, I haven’t used any in MONTHs. And I WON’T use them ever again, and I will make sure NONE of my friends or family ever use your products either. ### 4/5 — Easy To use 👍 *2020-04-20, version 2.5.18* As of 04-20-2020 this app is easy to use. I upgraded from Apple’s AirPort Extreme (6th generation) 2013 The layout is different from airport utility but it is easy to use and see what devices are connected by IP and mac addresses. You are able to rename devices making it easier to know what or who is connected. It is nice to see offline devices. It makes it easier to troubleshoot. But I do wish I could delete an offline device. I got rid of a HomeKit Security camera and it still shows there. Maybe they can fix this in the next update. Coming from Apple’s AirPort Extreme it was simple. I got the SURFboard MAX AX7800. The reason for upgrading, I have 20-30 HomeKit devices running. From LIFX 💡 lights, MyQ garage, HomePods, laptops 💻 etc. AirPort Extreme was doing good but slow response times to HomeKit devices was starting to become a problem. It was (and still is) a good router. Just know one knew in 2013 home automation was going to be a thing. ### 1/5 — App doesn’t reflect my network *2020-04-02, version 2.5.18* App doesn’t show satellite device or any connected devices ### 1/5 — Please fix this app *2020-03-24, version 2.5.18* Terribly designed app. Missing basically every functionality. Can’t create guest network, can’t separate 2.4 and 5 ghz bands, can’t manage devices, can’t configure the network. NEEDS UPDATE FIX ASAP ## Frequently asked questions about ARRIS SURFboard mAX™ Manager ### What does the SURFboard Central app do? The SURFboard Central app is designed to help you set up and manage your ARRIS SURFboard mAX Pro/Plus Mesh Wi-Fi 6 system. It guides you through the initial setup process, allows you to monitor your network's performance, view connected devices, and control various network settings. ### What are the key features of the SURFboard Central app? Key features include a step-by-step setup guide, system speed tests, the ability to view and manage connected devices, remote network management, guest network creation, and parental controls for managing screen time. It also provides automatic system updates for security and performance. ### Is the SURFboard Central app free to use? Yes, the SURFboard Central app is available for free. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned in the description, indicating it is a complimentary utility for ARRIS SURFboard mAX system users. ### What devices is the SURFboard Central app compatible with? The app is specifically designed to work with the ARRIS SURFboard mAX Pro/Plus Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System. It is available on iOS, as indicated by the provided app store link. ### How can I use the app to manage my home network? After initial setup, the app acts as your network's control room. You can securely and easily manage advanced system settings, check internet speeds, view connected devices, create a separate guest network, and set up parental controls for children's internet usage. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.5.28 — 2020-06-08 Introducing SURFboard Central – our new mobile app ### 2.5.18 — 2019-10-18 -Performance Improvements ### 2.5.17 — 2019-09-20 -iOS 13 Optimization ### 2.5.16 — 2019-09-12 - Performance improvements ### 2.5.13 — 2019-08-01 - Performance enhancements ## Apps similar to ARRIS SURFboard mAX™ Manager | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [My Astound](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-astound/id6449750920) | 1.6 (109) | Free | Utilities | | [Router Admin Setup](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/router-admin-setup/id1417777863) | 3.5 (327) | Free | Utilities | | [Astound Mobile](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astound-mobile/id6449095899) | 1.4 (51) | Free | Utilities | | [Router Admin Setup Controller.](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/router-admin-setup-controller/id6504764791) | 2.0 (1) | Free | Utilities | | [NETGEAR VPN](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netgear-vpn/id1515236326) | 3.3 (47) | Free | Utilities | | [MySparklight](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mysparklight/id6469003880) | 2.0 (169) | Free | Utilities | ## More apps by ARRIS Group, Inc. - [ARRIS SURFboard Manager](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arris-surfboard-manager/id1061716447) - [McAfee Secure Home Internet](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcafee-secure-home-internet/id1200835744) - [ARRIS HomeAssure™](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arris-homeassure/id1254540736) - [ARRIS Remote Monitoring](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arris-remote-monitoring/id1346385124) - [SURFboard Central](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surfboard-central/id1478418148) All apps by ARRIS Group, Inc.: https://appshunter.io/developer/571770115 ## Related topics [arris router](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/arris-router) · [surfboard central](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/surfboard-central) · [arris surfboard central](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/arris-surfboard-central) · [arris surfboard manager](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/arris-surfboard-manager) · [arris surfboard](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/arris-surfboard) · [arris modem](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/arris-modem) · [arris](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/arris) · [surfboard](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/surfboard) · [fboaes](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/fboaes) · [arris wifi](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/arris-wifi) · [surf board](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/surf-board) · [arris homeassure](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/arris-homeassure) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*