NETGEAR Cable Modem CM600

The Netgear CM600 cable modem is an ultimately reliable DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem for service speeds up to 300 Mb/sec or faster. Unlike the company’s CM700 model, it does not incorporate the troublesome Intel Puma 6 chipset found in many higher-end cable midems, making it a more reliable choice. There may be a downside for some, having little to do with the CM600. When accessing the CM600 interface, it is noted that ALL firmware upgrades can only be provided by the ISP (in my case, Spectrum). Whether Spectrum will upgrade said firmware (when and if necessary) is questionable, though it would be to their advantage. It has also been explained that Spectrum cannot remotely troubleshoot issues in “non-standard,” cable modem/routers. These being anything other than the standard free cable modem/routers Spectrum installs as part of their service. They can, however, initiate a reboot and validate that the CM600 is functioning. Funny, this seems more like a positive for me! As a trained network support technician, I like the idea that Spectrum cannot manipulate the settings of either my modem or router; something I am more than capable of doing on my own. Setting up the Netgear CM600 cable modem is as easy to setup as plugging it in and turning it on. The CM600 was fully functional within seconds of connecting the Internet cable to the back. The CM600 is a one-trick pony; it is a cable modem and nothing else. It converts cable data into Internet data. Given the specifications and the high-quality components it does its particularly job incredibly well. The CM600 is built to pull a signal out of a weak or “noisy” line. It will continue to provide Internet service when other lesser modems will drop out. Since purchasing this modem, I have had no random cable dropouts from my ISP. Remember, it has no built-in wireless or wired router. Such a router must be purchased separately. A quick aside: The router is the Grand Central Station of your home’s WiFi universe. It takes a tremendous amount of efficient but fast processing power to send and receive multiple data streams quickly and effectively between a houseful of smartphones, smart HDTVs, computers, tablets, cameras and other WiFi-enabled gizmos and the Internet. A router is a radio transceiver. The more powerful it is, the more information it can send through the air over longer distances. The more sensitive it is, the more it can pick up data being transmitted 500+ feet away. To get the best benefit from your Netgear CM600, I recommend the Netgear Nighthawk® R7000P. Built to handle the needs of the tech enabled home, it is a stellar dual-processor performer at an incredible price. No. I don’t work at Netgear!