Netgear CM1000 Review

As a Network Engineer, I have bought the Netgear CM1000 and tested it for a week. 

And after this test, I can say that it’s a fast, reliable cable modem that has its place. But it’s not the best of its class.

Keep reading to learn more.  

Netgear CM1000 Overview

The Netgear CM1000 is a standard cable modem, meaning it has no router and only works with cable internet. 

It’s compatible with every major ISPs, making it a decent option if you want to replace your older modem or stop renting one from your ISP. 

The modem is DOCSIS 3.1, making it fast and future-proof. Nevertheless, its largest drawback is that it only has a single 1 Gig Ethernet port. 

This makes the CM1000 compatible with internet plans up to 1000 Mbps. And even if this sounds like a lot,  it is not considering it’s a DOCSIS 3.1 modem.

Other similarly priced alternatives like the Arris Surfboard SB8200 and the Motorola MB8600 are faster options. 

Because due to having a Port Bonding (the ability to combine to ethernet ports) they are compatible with internet plans up to 2000 Mbps.

Furthermore, they also have a two-year warranty instead of a one-year warranty like the CM1000.

That said, the Netgear CM1000 is far from a bad modem. It’s simply overshone by some other models. 

But, if you prefer Netgear over other brands or simply likes the design (I know I do), you can get it. 

Furthermore, if you have GCI, the CM1000 is one of the few modems approved for them. 

Netgear CM1000 Specs

Type	Cable Modem
Wi-Fi	No Router
Brand	Netgear
Model	CM1000
Standards	DOCSIS 3.1 & DOCSIS 3.0 32×8
Top WAN speed	6000 Mbps
Ports	1 Gigabit Ethernet port & 1 Coax port
Top internet plan supported.	1000 Mbps
Supported ISP’s	Armstrong, Atlantic Broadband, Comcast Xfinity, Charter Spectrum, Cox, GCI, Grande, Mediacom, Midco, Suddenlink, WOW, Sparklight, Optimum, RCN, Wave
Not supported ISP’s	N/A
Weight	0.95 pounds
Dimensions	8.8 x 3.5 x 5.9 inches
Warranty	1-year

For more info, check out the official datasheet.

Performance – 4.3

During testing, the Netgear CM1000 performed excellently, maintaining a steady connection of 800 Mbps (which was the internet plan’s speed) the entire time.

It required no restart or reset during the week I used it. 

Moreover, I also tested it with a 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, and a 400 Mbps internet plan. All of which it had no issues with. 

The thing that drags down the performance score of the CM1000 is that it’s constrained by its Ethernet port. 

Because it only has a single 1-Gig port that only can handle around 940 Mbps at max. This makes it so the modem only supports plans up to 1-Gig. [1]

And I know that might sound like a lot, but compared to other alternatives, it’s not. 

Because modems like the CM1200, the SB8200, or the MB8600 use somethings called Port Bonding. 

This feature is far from perfect, but it allows the modems to support plans up to 2000 Mbps by combining ethernet ports. 

A better solution is what the CM2000, the S33, and the MB8611 use, a 2.5G Ethernet port. This makes the modem compatible with internet plans up to 2500 Mbps. 

Design –  4.6

Personally, I like the CM1000 design. It’s a simple design of 8.8 x 3.5 x 5.9 inches. A bit taller than some other options, but also slimmer. 

The backside has three inputs, the 1-Gig Ethernet port, the Coax port, and the power input. Furthermore, it also has an ON/OFF switch and a reset button. 

The CM1000 also has five lights in the front. The first one is the ON/OFF light, the second and third one is the down- and up-stream channels. 

The fourth light is for if the modem is online or not, while the last is for the Ethernet port. 

Some modems have a problem with the lights being too strong, like the Arris SB8200. This makes them very visible, especially at night.

But the CM1000 does not have that problem, which is a plus in the design. 

Compatibility – 5.0

I can never 100% guarantee that a modem will work for you. Because I can’t test every single ISP across the entire country.

Nevertheless, I have done hours of research for what modems are approved for what ISP when creating the approved modems hub. 

So, I have a good idea of which modems should work where. Thus, here are all the ISPs that have approved the CM1000 (ISP it should work for).

Approved for

• Armstrong
• Atlantic Broadband
• GCI
• Comcast Xfinity
• Charter Spectrum
• Cox
• Grande
• Mediacom
• Midco
• Suddenlink (be careful on slower internet plans)
• WOW
• Sparklight
• Optimum
• RCN
• Wave

As you can see, there is a lot of them. 

This is because the Netgear CM1000 is the most approved cable modem on the market. This makes it a good option if your ISP is unclear what modem will work for you. 

Setup – 4.6

The Setup for the CM1000 went smooth and easy. It comes with simple instructions that are very easy to follow. 

The biggest problem with the setup is likely your ISP, which sometimes can be slow to activate the modem. 

Here is a short summary of how you set up the CM1000: [2]

1. Connect the Coax cable and the power cord, then turn on the modem. 
2. Wait for the fourth light to turn green. This might take up to 10 minutes.
3. Then connect the modem either to a computer or a router. If you connect it to a router, connect a device to the router for activation.  
4. The activation of the modem depends on your ISP. But most often, you can open any browser and get redirected to a self-activation page. There you need to enter the device’s MAC ID (found on the bottom of the modem). You can also call your ISP to activate the modem.

Note that the coax cable is not included with the modem, but the power cable and ethernet cable are. 

Furthermore, you can also access the modem by entering http://192.168.100.1/ in any browser. 

This will give you access to things like event logs and custom settings. For most, however, it’s not that useful. Moreover, it’s pretty slow to work in. 

For more info on the Web Manager page, click here. 

Value – 4.0

The Netgear CM1000 is not the best modem for value for the price. 

This is due to what we previously talked about – the 1-Gig Ethernet port, which limits the max speed of the modem support to 1000 Mbps. 

And when there exist alternatives with similar costs (depends from week to week), I simply can’t rate it higher. 

The Netgear CM1000 does, however, have some strengths. The biggest one is how universal and used it is. 

This has led the modem to be approved by every single major ISP. So if you want to be sure that a modem will work for you, it is a great option.

A further note about the value is that it’s not sure that you served best by a DOCSIS 3.1 modem. Because for some, it might be excessive.

The biggest strength of DOCSIS 3.1 is that it makes the cable modem future-proof. But, if you are not planning to have cable internet in the future, it might be a waste. [3]

Because DOCSIS 3.1 is only necessary if you have a Gigabit plan or your ISP requires it (like Midco and Mediacom). 

If neither of these is the case, and you’re switching fiber in a year or less, a slower DOCSIS 3.0 modem is likely a better option. 

Check out the alternatives for some options. 

Netgear CM1000 Reviews

After reading what feels like hundreds of reviews of this modem, I can confidently say that the overwhelming is positive. 

Compared to other models I have reviewed, it felt like the CM1000 had fewer defect units, with a lot fewer angry comments about it not working. But I have no way of verifying this.

However, I did notice that compared to Arris or Motorola, Netgear has a way more bothersome return system and worse support. 

Because Netgear only offers 90-days of free support and a 1-year warranty. Compared to Motorola’s and Arris’s 2-year warranty and unlimited support. 

This left some people very angry when they didn’t feel they got the help they should have gotten. 

Alternatives

As previously stated, I don’t think the Netgear CM1000 is the best DOCSIS 3.1 modem out there. So, here are some alternatives that might fit you better.