Netgear C7000 Cable Modem
Paying over $100 for cable Internet is a big expense per month. Receiving access to all of that bandwidth can be tricky. Cable companies sometimes provide a modem for rent at $9.99 or more per month. Are you getting every bit at the fastest rate with the rented modem? With the Netgear Nighthawk Cable Modem and Router C7000 you will get a downlink speed of up to 960 Mbps.
Overview
The Netgear Nighthawk Cable Modem and Router is a powerful single device that is easy to setup. It provides everything from the modem, a WiFi hotspot and router. Having a connected gadget that can do nearly everything simply is the best way to go about a home network.
Disclaimer: I received the Netgear Nighthawk Cable Modem at no cost for review. I am a Netgear Ambassador. I have not been compensated for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Photos have been supplied by Netgear.
Netgear Nighthawk Cable Modem C7000 Unboxing
The box contains:
- C7000-100NAS Modem
- Setup Guide
- Ethernet Cable
- Power Adapter (100-240v)
Netgear’s Nighthawk Cable Modem operates in several modes depending on your current network setup. It can completely take the place of your cable modem, WiFi access point, and router or it can be setup into bridge mode thus providing cable modem only functionality. Setting the Nighthawk Cable Modem up in bridge mode may reduce the speed of your cable Internet speed through a secondary WiFi access point.
Swapping a cable modem should be easy, turn one off and then plug in the other. However, all cable companies need to know certain information about the connected device, like its MAC address and possibly serial number. I made a call to my cable company to swap devices. This process will be the longest part to setting up the Netgear Nighthawk Cable Modem.
After confirming the cable company has setup the new Nighthawk Cable Modem in their system, plug it into the wall outlet and power adapter. It should start to communicate with the cable company’s servers and upgrade its internal firmware if needed. Most of the lights on the cable modem will blink until it connects and then the only blinking light should be that of activity.
Netgear makes their web administration page easy to navigate. It will display the modem’s connection status, WiFi hotspot name and security settings for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless options.
Cable companies are transitioning from the DOCSIS 2.0 to the faster DOCSIS 3.0 standard. This is great for when speed is concerned. However, they leave the part out of what cable modem you will need to take full advantage of the speed that you are paying for each month.
I found out about the transition to the new communications standard a few years ago and purchased a DOCSIS 3.0 modem. However, the modem I bought only came with technology that is capable of 4 X 4 channels. The amount of channels a cable modem can communicate with is the key to how fast incoming and outgoing connections will be.
Netgear’s Nighthawk Cable Modem has a whopping 24 X 8 channels capable of communicating at up to 960 Mbps! After simply swapping my current DOCSIS 3.0 modem with Netgear’s DOCSIS 3.0 modem, I went from 22 Mbps to an amazing 122 Mbps down. My upload speed stayed at about 13 Mbps, as the Internet plan I am subscribed to, only utilizes four out of the eight upload channels.
Netgear C7000 Cable Modem With AC1900 WiFi
Some of the other nice features that this modem offers are four gigabit ports, high-powered amplifiers connected to three dual band internal WiFi antennas, Netgear routing software, channel bonding technology, Beamforming+ wireless tech and a USB port enabled with ReadyShare technology.
Connect a USB storage device to the Nighthawk Cable Modem and its contents will be shared across all wired and wireless devices. This functionality enables the streaming of movies to connected TVs and PCs.
Verdict
The Netgear Nighthawk Cable Modem is the best option for anyone looking to upgrade their cable Internet speeds and stop from having to pay the monthly rental fee.
Netgear incorporated advanced AC1900 wireless technology over its 2.4 GHz or 5.0 GHz bands, and can handle HD streaming to a mixture of devices simultaneously.
Chances are the modem being used to connect the Internet to the home does not offer 24 X 8 bonded channels. Netgear’s Nighthawk is the best cable modem to provide the fastest possible Internet. Add in gigabit Ethernet ports and gigabit WiFi, it is worth the money and time to upgrade.
Rating: 5/5
Price: $219.00 – Available on Amazon
Pros:
- Fast, easy setup
- Gigabit WiFi AC1900
- Four Gigabit Ethernet Ports
- Bridge Mode Capable
- 24 Downlink Channels and 8 Uplink Channels
Cons:
- No External Antenna Ports