NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 (24x8) DOCSIS 3.0 WiFi Cable Modem Router Combo (C7000) Certified for Xfinity from Comcast, Spectrum, Cox, & more

I don't do reviews often but I want to help my geek friends save days of research and frustration that I went through to finally get the absolute most speed out of my Gigabit internet. There's some golden nuggets here that you need to know.

When I first upgraded to the new gigabit here in Denver (from Xfinity), it was using their new Cable Modem/Router device (XB6-A) and I was only getting 500 Mbps download speed. It was also lagging in our house when several people were gaming and others were downloading, or even accessing intensive web-pages. (lagging = pings were going up).

Since upgrading to this Netgear CM1000, upgrading my cabling, and factory resetting my router, I'm now getting the most download throughput (~941 Mbps) and the lowest pings I've EVER seen! Connection is rock solid throughout the house.

SHORT ANSWER: Get this Netgear CM, upgrade your ethernet cables to Cat 6 (or Cat 5E for short distances) and then Factory Reset your router to get the most speed. You still may need a new router to reach gigabit speeds. I'm getting the most download throughput (~941 Mbps) and the lowest pings I've EVER seen!

I did lots of tests comparing this cable modem to the XB6-A that Xfinity provided. Here are some big things I learned:

1) Make sure your ethernet cables going from the cable modem to the router and from the router to your PC are CAT6 or at least CAT5E (for short distances).

2) Upgrading to this Netgear CM1000 Cable Modem LOWERED my ping/latency compared to the XB6-A that Xfinity provided. I just got a 5 MS Ping to the google server here in Denver! UNHEARD OF. Most of the time it's around 8-9ms with this new cable modem. I was getting 11-14 w/ the Xfinity modem. If you're a gamer, a lower ping matters!

3) The Xfinity XB6-A modem/router combo doesn't work too well when you have your own router also connected to it. Xfinity recommends you only use their device and disconnect your router.

4) Around 941 mbps is the max download speed that modern gigabit routers/switches can do right now so don't be worried if you can't get above that.

5) Many routers can't handle gigabit download speeds, especially if you've enabled any of the features like QoS, Traffic Meter, Keyword block, etc. My Netgear Nighthawk (R7000) was only getting 400-500 mbps (using speedtest) because I had enabled some of these features. Even when I disabled these features, the speed was still low. Doing a FACTORY reset fixed it, and now I'm getting 937 - 943 mbps download speed!!!

The reason these routers slow down when you enable extra features is because it disables CTF (cut through forwarding) and the router no longer uses it's faster processor. Some of the newer routers can still maintain max download speeds of 941 mbps while also allowing you to use QoS and other features.

6) There's a great website called Small Net Builder that compared routers to see which could reach 941 mbps download speed. I recommend you check that out if you need a new router.

Keep in mind that this Netgear CM1000 is JUST a cable modem. It's not a router. So if you only have 1 device you want to wire into it, you're fine but if you want to have more devices, and wireless, then you'll need a router too.

The Xfinity provided XB6-A is both a cable modem and a wireless router in one. I personally think it has some flaws that need to be worked out but appears to be a beefy piece of hardware. You can save yourself the $10/month rental by getting this Netgear CM1000.

P.S. I do plan to upgrade my router so that I can still get 941 mbps download speed while enabling QoS. With QoS, it will set aside a portion of your bandwidth (say 20%) for high priority traffic like gaming that need low latency, and then it will limit all other connections (like large downloads) to the other 80% the connection. Keep in mind, if you enable this and run a speedtest, it will appear lower simply because it's now reserving part of your bandwidth for other devices/traffic in your home.

I went against the reviews I was reading and decided to get this modem. The modem itself is great. After doing some digging there is a firmware issue with 2.01.14 and Netgear is supposed to be updating to 2.01.15 on Cox and Comcast. I called Comcast and they said they don't have any information regarding this update as of yet. The firmware issue is what is causing the T3 and T4 timeouts. I hope they get this fixed. I was really excited to have a modem do what it was advertised to do.

Update 2-15-17
I rebooted this morning and the modem received the new firmware version, 2.01.15. I have been using it for a while and the uncorrectables are at 0 and the correctables are no higher than 50 per channel. I show no errors in the log all day. I am running a Mumble server with 5 people connected so there is sufficient up/down to make it hiccup. Will update again accordingly.

Update 3-11-17
I have been using the modem with the updated firmware for about a month now. No issues have come up that were like previous ones. The modem gets broadcasted maintenance windows and reboots accordingly. It doesn't get stuck in the boot up where it needs shut off and turned on again. It doesn't randomly shut off anymore. My speeds have not changed like others were saying with the update. They are still the same. I have given the modem a 5 star review for the issues being resolved.

As it appears Amazon is grouping reviews of similar products, I'll note first that I'm reviewing the Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 WiFi Cable Modem with two lines of telephone support. I paid Amazon $279.99. Apparently there are other "AC1900" router models out there, and this is not one of them.

I bought this to replace the WiFi cable modem for which I was paying Comcast $10 per month in rental charges. Now it looks like it'll be 28 months before I'll see any return on investment. That'll be fine, assuming my new modem continues to work for the next 2+ years.

Setup was easy, and once I'd established my own SSID(s) and password, I called Comcast. The nice Comcast/Xfinity lady who spoke almost-good English got internet and voice telephone working pretty easily -- she had to send multiple signals to the modem but it eventually responded and has been working fine ever since.

One surprise for me is that I now have TWO WiFi connections in my house -- one 2.4 GHz signal like I had with my Comcast-provided modem, and a new 5.0 GHz signal. It has turned out that some of my WiFi devices (printer, Oppo BluRay) require the old 2.4GHz signal, and others (iPhone, Apple TV, and even an older Android Nexus tablet running Nougat) like the faster 5.0 GHz signal.

While I've been using my new cable modem only about a week, I have no complaints so far. Relatively easy installation, lower monthly Comcast bill. I'm satisfied.

This is a review of NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 WiFi Cable Modem Router with 2-Voice Lines for XFINITY (C7100V).

I have Comcast Blast internet service that typically got me ~150Mbps (measured using speedtest.net). However, I still found that browsing the web (even using WIRED connections) was TEDIOUS – with each new page typically taking 2-4 seconds to fully paint – who’s got time for that?! I got to just assuming that that performance was as good as it was going to get in 2017 (“zzzzzzzzzzzz”), and when I ordered this modem, it honestly never occurred to me that it would improve the performance of my web experience on WIRED connections.
Boy, was I wrong. As soon as I had this modem up-and-running, the difference was immediately clear. Web pages now pop up just like they do in the TV adverts – immediately! This will change my (so-called) life, and I already find myself delving deeper into websites because I’m not subconsciously dreading the slow painting with each new click.
Speedtest.net is now showing 280+ downloads, but the difference in browsing performance seems proportionately much quicker than that figure would suggest versus the previous 150.
Wi-fi signals seem commensurately faster, and certainly have range enough for my medium-sized two-story house (with the modem in one corner of the house).
The installation was a breeze. DON’T CALL COMCAST – I just went to xfinity.com/activate and with 2 clicks and a restart I was up and running (internet and phone service) – almost unbelievable!
The router administration utility is well designed – easy to navigate, and seems to have all the capabilities that I (a fairly technical user) might need.
Of course this box isn’t cheap, but with the new speed I feel like I’ve jumped 5 years + into the future. So that’s worth $300 to me – especially since I’ll recoup that in Comcast rental fees after 30 months!

Addendum - Everything is still working fine, however I discovered that the Comcast 'Stream TV' service would not work - their system thought I was NOT on my home network, so wouldn't show some of the TV Channels. So I had to call Comcast (Yuck!) and wasted an hour of my life telling them that they needed to register the MAC addresses. After they finally did that, it worked. So the web might not suck any more, but Comcast still does :).

Love this device! Backstory: I just moved into an apartment in Chicago. I pay for Comcast Xfinity's 75 Mbps for a great rate of $39.99/month. After much research, I decided to buy this unit instead of renting Comcast's modem for $10/month. Since this is a modem/router combo, I'm able to use this one device to send the wifi throughout my apartment. I have a large-ish and LONG apartment with at least 3 large rooms (and one long hallway), so I keep this modem/router in the middle room. According to Speedtest.net, with my PC connected with an ethernet cable, I get 90 Mbps (much more than I even pay for-- when does that even happen?). The wifi in the other rooms is about 20-40 Mbps, depending on how far away I am from the center of the apartment.

The box comes with VERY easy instructions and even specifically had a section talking about Xfinity... It told me how to startup my internet using a comcast special website, instead of having to call the company and give any MAC addresses to the technicians. The setup took about 5 minutes, if that. I have had no issues with it since, but I've only had it for a week.

Inside the box: An ethernet cable about 6 feet long, power cord, and the device itself.

Please note that this box DOES NOT include a "coax" cable, which is the cable that connects this modem/router to your wall. So be sure you buy one!

I highly recommend this device for the quality of the equipment, wifi speeds it emits, and the almost too-easy setup. Thanks

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Feature Product

• Compatible with Xfinity from Comcast, Spectrum, Cox, CableONE & more. Not compatible with Cable bundled voice services;Dimensions: 9.66 x 8.31 x 1.7 inches
• Three-in-one DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem + AC1900 WiFi Router+ 4 Gigabit Wired Switch
• Up to 960Mbps modem speed and Dual-Band AC1900 (2.4GHz & 5GHz) WiFi speed. 24x8 channel bonding/ Approved for plans up to 500 Mbps
• System requirements: Microsoft Windows 7, 8, Vista, XP, 2000, Mac OS, UNIX, or Linux, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0, Firefox 2.0, Safari 1.4, or Google Chrome 11.0 browsers or higher. DOCSIS 3.0 unleashes 24x faster download speeds than DOCSIS 2.0
• Ideal for streaming 4K HD videos, faster downloads, and high-speed online gaming.WiFi Technology:802.11ac Dual Band Gigabit
• Powerful 1.6 GHZ processor boosts performance for streaming & gaming

Description

Fast self-activation for XFINITY from Comcast customers - Get connected without a service call. Top Tier Dual Band Performance

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If you have the Comcast triple play with voice, stop reading right now and buy this modem. I bought this so I could save myself $10 a month for the rental fee of the antiquated Arris modem we received when we first got the triple play. I wish it would have been available sooner. We were rated for a max download speed of 75 Mbps, and a max upload speed of 10 Mbps. With the Arris I never hit anything over 32 Mbps unless it was 3:00 am then I would occasionally hit 35 Mbps. The first thing I did when I got this installed was run speed tests from various sources on my desktop, and on my cell phone. With this modem I am hitting almost 90 Mbps. on my desktop AND my cell phone. Below are some pros and cons.

PROS -

Ease of install - Super easy install and activation. Just unplug your Arris cable modem, and plug this one in, simple as that. Activation is a bit more involved, but still super easy. You have to log into your router using 192.168.0.1, and setup a new password, as soon as you save that you will be automatically redirected to the Comcast activation website. A couple more clicks and you're good to go.

Speed and Performance - This thing is BLAZING fast! As I stated above I am seeing speeds almost triple of what I was with my old Arris cable modem, this fact alone is reason enough for me to buy it. The Netgear Nighthawk series of routers is well known in the IT community for their fantastic performance, and this is no different. I'm sure there are more bells and whistles that I can tweak to squeeze every Mbps out of this thing, and secure it like Fort Knox, but it's only been installed for 12 hours so I haven't had time to play with it.

Multiple Wifi channels - One thing with the old Arris is that you couldn't easily select whether you connected to the 2.4 Ghz channels or faster 5 Ghz channels, with the this C1700V you can set them both up independently with separate SSIDs and passwords. So, if you're like me the kids and their 27 devices can go on the 2.4 Ghz leg, and you can still have blazing 5 Ghz speeds on you own devices.

CON -

Notice that it doesn't say "CONS", just con, only one.

Price - This thing is EXPENSIVE. However, for the performance it is worth it. Do I wish I didn't have to spend $300 that I won't get back for at least 30 months? Yes, but I would do it all over again if I had to just based on the performance. I will eventually make my money back, I mean Comcast is the ONLY cable provider in my area, so I don't plan on switching anytime soon so in 30 months I will break even. It is a hard pill to swallow at first though.

After reading all of the firmware comments, I was slightly skeptical. Others mentioned problems maintaining connections with Cox Communications. I noticed in the more recent comments there was a firmware update that supposedly resolved the problem. When the modem came up in a lightning deal, I jumped.

After contacting Cox to register the modem, it took several minutes to show as connected to the internet. They could see my modem and registered it as online, but my PC still showed connectivity issues. Just as I was about to get concerned, it performed a final reboot and came completely online. I suspect the delay was when it was updating the firmware because it cycled off several times. Once it finalized its boot sequence, it was off and running.

Like others have reported, it exceeds the rate I'm paying for. I subscribe to the 150mps download speed and the results at speedtest.net were clocking me at over 165mps. I've run the test several times since then and the results remain the same. I haven't had any connectivity issues since its registration.

Another note: Modem is well ventilated and has not heated up at all. Cool to the touch since day 1.

I am a employee of Comcast. I am reviewing as a consumer with arguably slight bias towards my employer. I feel I should be up front about this in my review. I can confirm this modem is on our *approved* list of modems that work with our service. I chose this modem for that reason and the fact a Docsis 3.1 modem is required for speeds above 300MBps. Otherwise, a cheaper Docsis 3.0 modem would work.

I bought this modem to replace my XB6 (wireless router, provided to Gigabit customers). I have always had my own netgear router (ex8000) that supports up to 1GBps. The XB6 provided speeds up to our advertised speeds but my main issue was double NAT and port forwarding issues. I am a gamer in my free time and I often had issues connecting to my friends and/or multiplayer lobbies due to double NAT routing issues. I also had to have my XB6 run through a un-managed switch as it was disconnecting often due to poor handshaking to the WAN port on my router. Not sure if this was netgear related but the issue went away after using a switch in between my XB6 and my router. Overall, the XB6 did what I needed and provided the speeds I was paying for, but I didn't need the additional features we offer to our customers. I personally didn't need the built in Wifi or hotspot of the XB6, nor did I did any of the firewall features. The XB6 does offer in home wifi for not only consumer devices but any wireless Xfinity devices such as cable boxes (Xi5, Xi6, XH, etc). Since I do not have Xfinity home or wireless cable boxes, I was looking at getting my own modem. If you have home phone from Xfinity, you will have to opt into a separate phone modem so you do not lose phone service if you decide to get your own modem. All of these previously mention notes apply to you as well if you have the XB3 wireless gateway.

I have been fully switched over to this new modem for about 2-3 weeks now. I haven't lost my connection once and have it going straight into my netgear router (ex8000) without the switch in between. I immediately got a new public IP upon switching over to the new modem. Make sure to call 1-800-COMCAST to have your modem activated. To be clear, when I call in - I call in to the same number...I don't get any special hotline to call into. Within 15mins it was added to my account and working. IF you have any of the devices I mentioned previously here....the rep will not be able to switch you over until you either return the equipment that requires our XB3/XB6. I am now able to do all my own firewall/NAT rules without any problems. I am still getting the same speeds and latency. This modem does exactly what it advertises and I have no issues to report. The modem itself does have a netgear GUI (192.168.100.1) - I believe is the IP. Simple google search pulls up what it is. Nothing to configure in the GUI itself, it basically just shows the public IP and that it is connected if everything is working.

This review reflects my own personal opinion and not that of my employer. I am using this modem for my own personal home connection and I did not receive compensation of any kind for this review.

Just received the modem today. Working perfectly so far, and was easy to set up. The Comcast self-provisioning worked for me without a hitch, just logged into my Xfinity account and was off to the races.

I can confirm that this is an unmanaged device, and passes the public IP address on to whatever is plugged into it. It has no option for DHCP on the configuration page. This is, of course, typical for cable modems. The label on the bottom of the modem states that for DOCSIS 3.0, it supports 32 downstream channels and 8 upstream channels. For DOCSIS 3.1, it supports 2 downstream channels and 2 upstream channels.

With DOCSIS 3.1 compatibility, I am looking forward to not having to buy a new modem for a very long time (hopefully).

So far has made a BIG difference over theComcast modem\router. My WWE network on ROKU (which had CONSTANT, ABSOLUTEY INTOLERABLE buffering making it UNWATCHABLE) has only buffered ONCE (the one buffering hs left me VERY disappointed, but I'm hoping it's a one-time thing), and worked perfectly since I installed this modem\router. Picture on the WWE Network is perfect as well (was pretty good, but VERY "iffy" with the Comcast modem). Internet speeds (I have the Comcast 150 Mbps - which I will probably be lowering now to 100 to save money) hit 180 Mbps repeatedly on one speed-testing site.

Yes, this modem\router is very expensive, but it was worth it to me (I like to buy ONLY the best, and am willing to spend the extra $$$ for it), and it will pay for itself in 2 years.

The ONE thing I will caution potential purchasers - if you have Comcast, CALL COMCAST FIRST AND HAVE THEM ADD AND REGISTER THE MODEM\ROUTER BEFORE YOU SET IT UP - I went through 2 hours of pain and suffering because it wouldn't set up since I didn't do it right - it knocked off my phone and internet, so I had to reattach the old Comcast modem to get my phone back to add\register the modem\router. That got back my phone on the new modem, but THEN EVERY web page went to a Comcast registration\activation page, asking for a code. Comcast wouldn't give me athe code, and told me to call Netgear, as it was a Netgear problem. Netgear told me it was a COMCAST problem. Back to Comcast, who kept redirecting to the wrong departments. How I FINALLY got this to work was to activate it under 'other methods' (shown as a little 'link' under the code input box). It will ask you for some other activation choices, such as 'address' - I think that as the one I used - and once that was done, I had full internet.

So this works GREAT if you know what you're doing when you set it up. Follow my advice for setup with Comcast, and you should have FAR less problems then >>> I <<< had.